Unit Eight: My Way to Human Flourishing -- Subtle Mind and Visualization

Subtle mind and visualization are the two that I come away with and are the best fit for me in achieving relief from the stress that is trying to encompass my life. With so many noises assailing me every day, I have taken this practice to heart. My head is trying to entertain the many responsibilities that I have and to do to justice to all of them. I have for the longest time had this ever-present fear that I am going to mess up and drop the ball in one of the many areas I attempt to juggle. I have a full-time job, family and now, school. I have found myself just walking around in a constant state of stress. I was having anxiety attacks with frequency. I have seen the affects of it because my blood pressure stays slightly elevated.


My undeveloped mind was once my greatest enemy. I was constantly asking the question, "How do I relax?" Continuous anxiety or worry is very hard on the body--not to mention mind and spirit. The thing that I have found most upsetting is that I have even worried about things that did not come to pass. I read somewhere that John Wayne, the no-nonsense tough guy, was reported to say that he had been through some bad stuff in his life, some of which actually happened. So my point here is that we are feeding our minds with real and fictitious information at the same time. We are feeling like we are out of control.


Through the subtle mind technique I am now becoming the captain of my ship. I am being taught how to achieve that inner peace I grave. In this practice I appreciate the tools that have been offered--the witnessing mind, calm-abiding and unity consciousness. Since I need to have my mind focused and directed, the witnessing mind works to help me draw back from the "mental chatter." When I intentionally rein my thoughts in and choose what I want my mind to focus on, as the book suggests, the noise starts to fade into the background. This is now opening the door for calm-abiding.


My mind does respond to what I desire and not react to the negativity brought to me by others. I don't get caught up in projecting, since I have started to practice these techniques. The mental activity comes and goes without a lot of emotional emphasis from me. I am moving to that final level of unity consciousness. For me, as a Christian, it is best reflected by the following--"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." What I am being told here is to not worry or fret. Instead I place the anxieties that beset me into the hands of God (witnessing mind) and I leave them there (calm-abiding). This biblical affirmation and the practice of it, like the subtle mind, gives me a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle me down (unity consciousness).

Using visualization solidifies the aforementioned--subtle mind. When I start to waft back into my old habits of worrying and fear, I begin to visualize what I want and rest in the practice of placing my mind into a more peaceful state by visualizing some of the scenes that were suggested in the journal writings--walking on the beach, finding the point of light and focusing on it, watching the snow fall while sitting by a toasty fire and breathing in what I do want and breathing out what I don't want. These practices have made a substantial impact on my life. Personally, I will use these two frequently in my day-to-day life, as needed.