I think the
two most beneficial practices for me would have to be the creation of mental “space”
that occurs at the beginning of meditation, and the implementation of
visualization when trying to attain mental fitness.
For me, as I might have casually mentioned once or twice
(OK – subtlety isn’t my strong suit – I’ve griped, I know), I have a hard time
getting my mind to slow down. One of the
most influential things I’ve learned in this course, and through these
practices, is how to hold my thoughts with an open hand, and at times, just let
them go. Creating mental space for the
sake of intentional action is something that I know I can benefit from. I will definitely be utilizing this practice
in my future profession. So many people
get caught up in cycles of reaction, reaction, reaction, whether it be to external
or internal events. Reactions, which are
products more of habit than reason, can get us all tied up in physical,
emotional, spiritual, and social knots.
But learning how to slow down one’s breathing, and using that biological
cue to train the mind, is an important first step to taking control of your
life.
The second practice that I appreciated and intend to utilize
is visualization. I haven’t gotten as
deep into this practice yet as I’d like to, but I intend to practice it further. Human beings are highly imagistic creatures,
and using that in-born gift intentionally makes a great deal of sense. We use this during physical training (I
sometimes visualize hitting that wall while running and I think through how I’ll
handle it), but it’s also shown itself to be a highly effect way to mentally
train.
Good Day Lisa,
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting your experience with visualization for sports or athlete success. The imagination can be a very powerful tool in helping a person reach his or her goals.
Rhonda Byrne "The Secret" talks about NASA's visualization and meditative training with professional athletes.
Many other areas of industry are quietly using visualization techniques to improve their success as well. I am glad that you can use visualization to help you over the "wall" when running, any area of our lives that we can use integral practices is of benefit. Peace Sa Mut/Mama Yoga
Visualization Healing:
http://www.visualizehealing.com/programMain.html
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! I like your description of creating mental space. Letting go of thoughts and using that space for intentional actions is something we can all, especially me, benefit from. Nice visualization also. I am hearing quite a bit more about using visualization to reach goals you set for yourself outside of this class. I hope to be able to use this technique also in the future. Best wishes to you in the future!