Unit 5 Blog Entry

In Unit 5 we practiced the subtle mind exercise.  The practice had us focus on our breath, whether breathing through our nose or on the rise and fall of our chest.  I found this meditation very soothing and a few times I felt the concept of the witnessing mind where I was almost outside of myself observing what was going on.  The times that I found my thoughts drifting it was very easy to refocus on the breath until my mind was calm and without thought.  In comparison with the loving kindness practice I found this more relaxing and in a strange way more spiritual even though I was not thinking of or speaking to God.  It was just a deep abiding inside of me.  The loving kindness practice was fun at the front end thinking of my loved one and sad at the end thinking of all the suffering people.  The loving kindness practice is practiced to reduce self-centeredness.