Some useful and practical
mental exercises.
Unlike physical exercise, mental exercise does not
require any specific time, place or the use of equipment. You can do it
anywhere you like provided that you can remember. It maybe a good idea to write
a word “mindful” and stick it at the noticeable place at home so that it can
remind you of your mental exercise every time you see it.
Please always remember that mental exercise leads us
to achieve our mental health, stability, tranquillity and harmony. It means
that the more mental exercise we do, the better we would feel mentally. The
whole point of mental exercise is to reunite the body and the mind so that our
life (form) can live in harmony.
These are a few mental exercise techniques, which you
can do according to the various situations.
1)
Knowing the
breathing is the popular technique, which can be done anywhere since we
all have to breathe.
A)
Sitting in
front of a boring television program with your family, why not just sit back in
your favourite chair, close your eyes and know your breathing. You can do the
same when you are sitting in a boring meeting or conference when you do more
listening than talking.
B)
When
your bedroom’s light is switched off, you’ll be face to face with your
bombarding thoughts, get into a habit of observing your breathing both before and after your sleep just like you have
been trained to do in my Tai chi class. Don’t compromise and linger on with
your thought. Be spontaneous and decisive. If you can do this one, your
problems will be cut by half. Try it and you will know that it is very
true.
C)
Waiting in a
queue i.e. surgery, salon, bus stop, supermarket, interview, etc. there is no
need to close your eyes but focus strongly on your breathing. If it is
difficult to watch your breath, you may use an object to help you to focus.
Using beads maybe too obvious though it is a meditation object for
centuries. A more practical choice
is a pen or a coin. Simply focus on the sensation while you repeatedly feel the
object.
2)
Knowing our own footsteps is another fun way to do. Find a focus
point that you can work on every time your foot touches the ground. This
technique is very useful when you have to walk for a fair distance regularly,
i.e. walking to work, walking a dog or simply walking in a park. Every time you walk up and down
stairs whether it is at home or work place, make a point to know your footsteps.
3) Turning your boring housework into some mental ritual.
A)
washing up:
do not rush, simply know the movement or feel the different sensations in your
hands, hot, cold, slippery, etc.
B)
Putting
washing up away: slow your movement right down, pick one item up at a time,
gently place it back into cupboards and do your best to reduce as much sound as
possible especially with knifes, forks and spoons. Do not throw them in as most
people do !
C)
Mopping the
floor, hovering, polishing, and cleaning windows: slow down and know your
movement just like you do your Tai chi.
D)
Peeling and
chopping vegetables can be a relaxing task too if you can focus on the exact
moment of your work.
4)
If you cannot sleep in the middle of the night, instead of tossing and
turning and led your thoughts swing your around here and there, why don’t you
come down stairs and find something useful to do, i.e. ironing, knitting,
reading, baking a cake, making sandwiches, writing diary or a book, etc. (I
have been writing this since 3.30 am and now it’s nearly 5 am.)
Your family and friends may begin to think
that you might be
a bit weird. Explain if you
can. If it is too complicate, tell them a joke! Be brave, be patient and don’t
be easily put off. Persevere even if you are facing with repeated failure.
Please remember that in the East this is a life time practice in trying to get
our lives sorted out in this manner. It is after all your mental health you are
working on. Your experience will tell you that it is worthwhile. When you put
in the effort, you will feel good about yourself there and then. Gradually this will become the most priceless habit man can ever have and achieve.
Consequently, it means that you will have more control over your life and your
destiny.
If you really have some spare
time and want to use those time to learn more about yourself and do some more
meditation, it is a good idea to practice structured meditation which will
allow you to experience deep calm and
gain wisdom. Follow the guideline I instruct you in class – know the air passing through
the end of your nostril, do not follow your thought, nor image, nor color and
so on. It should be quite safe to do on your own if you follow such guidelines.
Please
don’t hesitate to ask question should you have any doubt with your
practice.
Human civilisation is
now in the nature of a vicious circle. The trouble is most people cannot see
it. The only way to break free from this hideous roundabout, is by listening to
the knower, the one who knows God, Nirvana, the ultimate truth, or simply knows
‘what is what’. The birth of the Buddha, Christ, Lao Tzu and other well known
sages is meant to help us, human beings, to break free from this vicious
circle. Our cul-de sac civilisation is actually a little tiny section of the
enormous cycle of rebirth or re-incarnation.
Theoretically, religious
institutions of all well-established traditions are supposed to lead society by
giving advice to government leaders so that they can plan strategy of how to
govern a country whose population is made up of individuals. This means that
governments can use all the means and resources in the country to create the
right culture for people in order to guarantee the minimum suffering and peace
of mind for every single individual. The economy, education, the judicial
system, social functions, communication and even entertainment have to consider
or follow certain guidelines, which do not disrupt people’s mental stability so
that they can be at peace. Consequently, society, nation and the whole world
can live in peace.