Our Subtle Mind

Meeting Aesclepius – Our Subtle Mind

The wise ones tell us that in the beginning stage of contemplative practice, the mind seems like a waterfall. Its noise seems louder as we go inward. Nothing has ever changed, except for our attention to the mind. With practice, the mind becomes like a rushing mountain stream, agitated, but not as noisy as a waterfall. Gradually, it becomes like a lazy river, flowing through the flat plains, easy and quiet. In the final stages, it becomes like a river, reunited with the still, deep, and stable ocean.

In any single practice session, you may go through each of these phases, the untamed mind, the increasing stillness of the witnessing mind, calm-abiding, and/or unity consciousness, or you may only encounter one.

If you can find a skilled teacher to be your guide, you will be quite fortunate. Such a person can look in your eyes, listen to your experience, and help you with any problems. A skillful teacher is one that has practiced and studied for many years within a tradition that aims for inner freedom, rather than mere relaxation.

We will use visualization to access our inner healer that is found at the source of our being. That wise healer who resides within each of us will help guide us through the integral process. The ancient Greeks call this inner healer, Aesclepius. We will call it our subtle mind.

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and visualize an image of a very wise loving man or woman. Choose an individual alive or passed on whom you respect and honor, and whom you feel a sense of connection. If identifying such a person is difficult, then create one. Stabilize this image in front of you and carefully observe this individual.

As a result our consciousness expands and we cultivate a special wisdom. Loving kindness and wisdom are the results of these two practices and are the two essential elements that bring an end to needless suffering and reveal the fruits of human flourishing, an authentic and enduring health, happiness and wholeness.

I have chosen my mother, who has passed on 18 years ago but I still feel a special connection. I see her bright eyes and warm smile and the wrinkles on her face have long gone. Her skin is smooth, clear and beautiful, and so is her hair.

I sit in communion with her and reflect on her qualities and characteristics, her peace, wisdom, compassion, love and joy. As I allow our connection to deepen, I visualize the beam of white light from her crown and visualize it coming into my mind. This light and energy bathes and purifies my thoughts and feelings, and images I have are slowly transforming my mind into the still, pure and wise mind of my mother.

Another beam of light emanates from my mother's throat and bathes and purifies my speech. My speech becomes loving, wise and sensitive.

A beam of light emerges from her heart and it bathes and purifies my heart with kindness, love and compassion, transforming it into a heart of loving-kindness and wisdom.

As I experience my purified mind, speech and heart, I take on the qualities of the wise one and I become her.

I allow her entire image to dissolve into a bright white light and enter my body at my forehead and slowly permeate my entire being so that I fully become this wise person.

What does this feel like? What is it like to experience this wise guidance and healing of my inner healer? I accept and experience myself as a wise and loving healer in mind, speech and heart. Who is this wise and caring person I first imaged outside myself? Where has she been? It is now time to welcome her home. It is now time to know the healing God, Aesclepius is none other than the natural essence of my heart and mind.

This inner essence is a guide, healer, and gift giver. It guides my choices and actions from a deep wisdom. It heals my body, mind and spirit by eradicating the misunderstandings, confusion, and sense of isolation that are the underlying causes of mental distress and stress related illnesses. It gives the gift of profound and enduring health, happiness and wholeness. This essence is my inner guide, healer, and gift giver.

As Integral healers, we must experience this inner essence if we are to lead others there. We must have Mindfulness in our work, which focuses on mindfulness practice to reduce stress, increase work satisfaction, and help others attain this level of calm-abiding. Any healthcare professional must become a healer integrally because it is a critical component of wellness.

Dacher, E (2006). The Path to Human Flourishing, Contemplative Practices: An Audio Companion to Integral Health. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA.

If all hands that reach could touch...............

Expand your consciousness for a moment, to a universal consciousness in a Loving-Kindness meditation, and you have the ability to have a spiritual union with the universe. As our consciousness expands, so does our reach. Our capacity for empathic listening, seeing, and caring for one another with open heartedness, sensitivity, generosity and emotional intimacy can spread to all of our relationships. You can see others, acknowledge others, hear others and be present with others whether that other person is in the next room or across the globe.

Close your eyes and for a minute, rest into the natural ease of your mind and body, and repeat the following phrases. It is recommended you do this for 10 minutes:

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.

May I assist all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May I assist all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.

What did you discover about yourself? I discovered that it gives me a high that can’t be compared to. I find this meditative practice to give me a sense of unity and euphoria as I gain freedom from suffering and find sustained health, happiness and wholeness, and assist others do the same.

Do an Integral Assessment of yourself at this time in your life. To flourish in this area, you must understand that your development is broken down into four categories:

1. Psychospiritual

2. Biological

3. Interpersonal

4. Worldly

Psychospiritual and biological flourishing involve personal areas of growth and development. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Become the change you want to see happen in the world.” Psychospiritual flourishing is our most undeveloped part in Western history and it involves mental suffering and premature disease and is the greatest obstacle to human flourishing. When this area is developed, we gain the most for our effort, and is done through meditating.

Biological flourishing includes the anatomical and physiological body, and the mind/body/spiritual body.

Interpersonal influence is how you share your life with others. This is a shift from I, to you, to us, to all of us.

Worldly living is dependent upon a healthy inner life and healthy personal relationships. From mere survival to creative expression, to fulfillment in your life and work to service for others, worldly living is our creation of our world. “Become the change you want to see happen in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi.

My Integral Assessment is generally pretty lopsided. The way it is today may be different tomorrow, as this assessment is done regularly because it is a dynamic area. Today, my fitness and nutrition (biological) are areas I need to work on as I have been working on my psychospiritual, interpersonal and worldly health quite a bit this past year.

To foster greater wellness in my biological life, I intend to eat better (no more sweets and simple carbs) and get at least 30 minutes, preferably 60 minutes of cardio daily, along with 30-60 minutes of toning and stretching exercises, pilates and yoga. I have begun the meditative practices and along with prayer, begin my day in this way. Whenever I find myself faltering or waning in courage, tenacity, strength, desire or ambition, I go back to my meditative practice and recharge myself.

This is the path to Human Flourishing. And if I reach out my hand and touch you, then I have done my job in spreading the word and opening the path to a better world. Please visit my website at http://NutriTech12.com.

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

Sensei Charles

Part 2 of 2 for “The Subtle Mind"

I have seen this connection of mind/body/spirit first hand in many areas of my life. I could write an entire blog of my experiences, but I will narrow it down to one.

Twenty years ago, I went into labor at only 20 weeks gestation. My mother rushed me to the ER and while there, the doctors informed me that because my amniotic sac had busted, that I would deliver the baby, and because the fetus was not viable, would die soon after birth. They were preparing me.

My mother began crying and started calling the ladies of the church to put me on the prayer chain, and I went into a deep meditative state. I completely blanked out the beeps and noises of the hospital and went to a waterfall in my mind and kept myself calm.

They brought in a portable sonogram machine, and once I saw my baby's body, the head, the tummy, the legs, and once the technician said, "watch this!" And she pointed out nourishment flowing from my body into the baby's, I knew my child would survive.

The next morning, the contractions had stopped and I was admitted to the hospital. The doctors all expected me to be delivering and leaving soon. But one day turned into a week, and even though I was instructed to "stay in bed" I got stir crazy and would get up to walk for exercise. As soon as I felt cramping, I got into bed and reached for my Bible. My mother saw to it that I had absolutely no stress, and because I worked at home for my step dad, all of my bills and insurance were paid. Mom brought my work to me at the hospital, and I was able to work off my laptop.

About two weeks into my stay, I began suffering severe anxiety. The doctors suggested they give me some kind of medication, but I refused it. I asked my Mom to open my window and help me to the window for fresh air. As soon as I stuck my head out and took in fresh air, my anxiety subsided. It was then that Mom lobbied for, and got me a wheel chair and took me outside every afternoon.

Well, the doctors then began to worry about the baby's lungs not developing because a fetus will swallow amniotic fluid to develop their lungs and this baby had none. So, they gave me steroids to develop the lungs which caused me to be so alert that I couldn't sleep for two days. I got steroid shots once a week. That, to my knowledge was the only type of medication that I did take.

Even though the amniotic sac never closed, I managed to hang on to the baby, and I strongly feel it was, in large part, due to my faith and my ability to keep calm in all adversity, and my Mom. I was told that they never had another woman stay as long as I did with ruptured membranes. And even though I was healthy in mind, body and spirit, their prognosis for a viable baby was still poor.

Well, Charles Daniel Hilbert was born on November 4, 1989, 10 weeks premature and weighed in at 3 lbs. I brought him home when he was 19 days old on a heart monitor. Except for some upper respiratory issues when he started elementary school, and a tonsillectomy when he was 10, he's never sick.

He is a 2nd degree black belt and Sensei in Martial Arts, and the apple of my eye. He received a full scholarship to attend college from his good grades and I thank God every day for my blessing. I think his Dad is pretty proud of him too, and I know his brothers Shayne and Kevin, and his sisters Melissa and Brenda think he's kind of great too.......