Just Breathe

I must say that this past week has been one of the most difficult weeks I have had to endure in quite some time. My family has been reeling from the loss of five loved ones in less than a year and this past week we almost lost my dad. I went into this exercise having spent hours flying, driving and spending almost 16 hours a day sitting in the MICU watching over my dad. He is finally stable, but will most likely never fully recover...My mind is not settled as it should be and I am still trying to recover from the emotional and physical exhaustion and stress.
Unlike so many of you, I am not an "old hand" at meditation. Nor am I well on my way to possessing the unity consciousness. I am only beginning my journey to the level of of the witnessing mind and recent events have thrown me for a loop.
I sat down to try this units exercise and found that the breathing did seem to work for me. I must admit that I did do it lying on my bed, already worn out and in desperate need of a good night's sleep, but it seemed to come a bit easier than the loving kindness exercise for me. Perhaps that is because I didn't have to project the feelings back upon myself. It just seemed more relaxing overall.
As for spiritual wellness manifesting itself in my emotional and physical wellness I need only look to this past week again. Without my habit to pray...to close my eyes, bow my head and truly pray...I don't think that I would have come through this trial as well as I have. My faith gave me strength and courage. My sense of being a part of the Divine was a comfort. The more that I have grown in my faith as well as looking inward for answers, the better I have become as a person and the better my health has become. things that I used to suffer from no longer bother me. I still have so much to learn and so much growing yet to do though.