Contemplative Practice: The Mental Workout

Dear Professor and Classmates,

Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial or Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?

           My experience with the loving-kindness practice was a feeling of peace and weightlessness. As I listened to the instructions I was very calm, my heart rate was slow, and I was the most relaxed I have been in quite some time. It felt very good to focus on loving-kindness and dedicate some time to begin the steps toward improving integral health. I found the process both beneficial and difficult. It was beneficial because it helped me to relax and begin the process of contemplative practice, taking the steps needed to develop integral health. I found it difficult because the process is something I have never done and I found it hard to stay focused with my mind drifting to other things. I kept needing to bring myself back to focus, but over time, like anything else practice and focus will prevail. I would recommend this process to anyone. Like anything else I would promote the process by telling individuals about my own experiences with the process along with accomplishments in integral health. Then, after hearing my experiences, if they are interested I will tell them more; they need to want improvement for themselves and not someone telling them they need improvement. This has to be there choice.

What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

            The mental workout is a workout for the mind. The effort consists of one hour a day to conditioning your mind and like physical training when the training stops we see a drop off in ability. So perseverance is necessary. Contemplative practice is the progressive development of an expanded consciousness and its healing capacities (Dacher, 2006).

            Research studies and personal reports have demonstrated that mental training can transform the mind by reducing disturbing emotions that cause anger, hatred, fear, worry, confusion, and doubt while enhancing positive emotions such as patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance, and happiness. This mental transformation provides resistance to mental distress and physical disease, expands our healing capacity, and promotes well-being (Dacher, 2006).

            Implementing mental workouts to foster psychological health is like implementing physical exercise to improve physiological health; it requires having the desire to take psychological health to the next level of health, having a dedication to the cause of improving psychological health, and the time commitment necessary for improvements to be accomplished. 

Ed Busche

References

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.