As I practiced this exercise, I found that unlike prior times of practicing I was better-able to reach the state of inner stillness and calm where I could 'observe' my thoughts and feelings and inner/outer sensations, but I did struggle. I struggled with the more imaginative aspects of the practice, and had a hard time visualizing many of the instructions. Ultimately though, I would say I benefited from this practice, and after trying again I was able to imagine taking in the suffering of my loved ones, dispersing the storm cloud of their strife after taking it in as my own. Still, it was a frustrating practice at the beginning and towards the end, and mainly the only thing I accomplished was quieting my mind down and sort of zenning out - I just don't feel as though I accomplished what the main objective of the practice was, though I did complete the practice feeling open to the world.
The concept of a mental workout requires the training of one's focus and awareness, not only of the immediate external environment but also of one's current capacities for both, and an understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses in mindfulness.
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