Loving-Kindness

Loving-Kindness

My Kaplan course called Creating Wellness has assigned us to complete a contemplative practice that focuses on loving kindness.  This contemplative practice is also known as a mental workout or a training of the mind.  This mental workout requires persistance and daily commitment because the goal is two fold to create a habit and devolp higher consciousness.  I don't know about you, but I need a healthy habit that will lead to more self awareness and higher consciouness especially if it has to do with loving-kindness. 

The loving-kindness practice asked me to assume the pain of a person that I knew was in pain in my inhale and with my exhale I was to release it.  I loved this portion of the practice.  I chose a love one who was experiencing a great deal of pain physically, mentally and emotionally and with my exhale I released it for them.  This is loving-kindness in its truest form, the ability to take on someones pain and suffering because you hate to see their pain, made me realize the depth of my love for this person and how much I wanted healing for him. 

Loving-kindness first starts with expressing it toward yourself and then you can give it to others.  It is looking past the actions of others and realizing that their transgression has absolutely nothing to do with you but with an internal struggle they may be dealing with.  It is meeting people where they are and not expecting anymore or less.  Lastly, loving-kindness is a daily work in progress waiting to be cultivated in our daily practice.

Namaste,
Natalie