Loving Kindness

I have to say that this exercise was a challenge for me. During the exercise I found that my mind wandered a lot and I struggled to stay focused beyond my breathing. I know that for myself looking inside and just taking time to slow down is a great blessing as for many of us, myself included seem to always be on the go. Stopping and taking the time to reflect on our inner thoughts can be very positive. I know that looking at ones actions and thoughts can help to bring about a better sense of who we are as humans and giving of ourselves to others. I am not sure if the actual practice of breathing in grief and suffering and breathing out joy and wellness were just a way to reflect on how we treat other people? Or if this was some actual belief in taking in real pain and suffering and sending out light and happiness. This is something that for myself I do not believe and so this may be why I stuggled in staying in the moment and focused. I think that any type of meditative practice is a benefit to others and finding quiet can do wonders to reducing stress levels. This practice I would not recommend just on the fact of how I do not believe in sending out positive thoughts and feelings into the universe make a difference. Practicing what you preach in terms of loving kindness helps facilitate change and fosters continued growth and development.
To me the concept of a mental workout is taking the time to stretch your thoughts by quieting the mind and working through difficult situations. This allows you to look and review actons and feelings so that you can learn and grow. Hopefully positive changes happen and this is an exercise that again needs to be practiced so that it is not lost. Benefits of mental workouts allow a person to think clearly and to act proactivly in situations and not to be in a constant reactive frame of mind.