The two exercises I would consider to be most beneficial would be the subtle mind practice and the visualization exercise. First I want to share my experience with the visualization exercise.
In a comfortable seat, we are told to imagine a time of great happiness. I recalled a pleasant day at the park. Cirrell, my fiancé, and I were swinging at Forest Hill Park. It was one of those unseasonably warm days for Richmond, VA. I felt the warm rays of sunshine embrace me. There was a gentle breeze flowing through my hair. As I gaze up into the sky, I feel as free as a bird soaring through the atmosphere. My spirit feels at peace with the world.
“Next, bring to mind a time in which you experienced a sense of wholeness, oneness, connection, and flow (Dacher 2006).”
I am in the ocean in Myrtle Beach, SC at sunrise. I feel the waves rush around me and lift me up and down with the current. There is no one around me. I feel God’s presence envelope me. The sunrise shows me his magnificent glory. The bright ball of fire piercing through the pink cotton candy colored clouds and shining the reflection over the water made the ocean sparkle as if it were a sea of diamonds. I see dolphins in the distance. I smell a strong odor of salt water and with each breath I take, I feel as though I am one with the ocean.
“Finally, bring to mind a time you experiences exuberant vitality, radiant health, and well-being. Recall a time when you felt filled with energy and life (Dasher 2006).”
It’s July 12, 1999, my 13th birthday. I go with a few of my friends to Kings Dominion and pay to ride the “Extreme Skyflier”. It is where you put on a harness and this crane-like thing slowly takes you to the top. They count to three and then you pull your cord to be released. Going up was a slow process, seeing the people on the ground become further and further away. As soon as they started to say “three”, I pulled the cord and we went rapidly soaring through the air. The rush of adrenaline was unlike anything I had ever experienced! I felt invincible! I was ecstatic and ready to conquer the world!
This exercise can be applied in everyday life by taking time to remember that feeling of flourishing. How does one know if they feel healthy, alive, connected, and etcetera if they can’t think of a specific time they had that feeling? By remembering how good and how alive we have felt, we can be motivated to seek those same feelings in our everyday experiences.
The subtle mind exercise was a great way to slow down and focus. A "subtle mind" is something I am working towards but I have a long way to go. In everyday life we can use this exercise when we feel overwhelmed. Deep breathing allows us to slow down and view things objectively.
~Amy Summey
Works Cited
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach:
Basic Health Publications, Inc. .
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