week 8

I have found the loving kindness and meditation practices to be most beneficial this semester.  The loving kindness exercise helps me think about the people and things that truly make me happy.  Any time I have a bad day or a bad situation arises I think about my son who makes me smile.  When I think about my so, all the bad things wash away in life.  He helps me focus on the positive and let the negative things go.  I feel this helps me mentally by improving my thought process.  Loving-kindness helps me remember what you give is what you get in return.  If you do your best at giving kindness instead of hatred to others, good things will come your way.  People with positive attitudes tend to attract good things and people. 

I use meditation on a daily basis.  At night before I fall asleep I take a few minutes to meditate about the day.  If I had a stressful day I focus on the good like actually conquering the situation.  If I had a good day, I focus on the good thoughts and feelings I had throughout the day.  I have learned to focus on the positive in my life.  When I focus on the negative my attitude is awful which tends to make the rest of the day seem bad.  But if I focus on the good like conquering the stress or remembering I get to see my son after work (who makes me the happiest), it helps me get through the day.  Meditation helps me mentally clear my mind.   

Balance

This week’s technique was strange for me.  I had to think about someone I think is wise and then connect with them in my mind.  When the speaker said to imagine a white beam of light between me and this wise person, I found it a little odd.  I was thinking of my mother who is wise and I respect her in many ways.  I already feel like we are connected but trying to think of these beams of lights between us just seemed so weird.  I already feel like we are a lot alike: strong, independent, amazing mothers, family oriented, and we put others first.   I feel like I am wise because of her...she has taught me a lot. 

       “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself”.  This saying means a person cannot teach another something they have not already been through.  It reminds me of the saying
“Practice what you preach”.  To me you cannot tell someone how to life or better themselves if you do not do the same.  As a wellness professional you do have an obligation to your clients to be balanced in health.  I would not get help from someone who did not seem balanced.  As an example, I am really into fitness.  I would not let someone train me who was overweight or ate awful.  My trainer would have to be fit and show they live a healthy life.  I feel like anyone in the wellness field should practice whatever it is they are teaching.  As far as psychological and spiritual growth, I am working on adding yoga into my weekly routine.  Yoga not only helps me physically but psychologically as well.  Any kind of exercise makes me a happy girl!  Spiritually I pray every day which is kind of like a rant session sometimes but I also give thanks for everything I have in my life.  I have been working on being grateful for what I have and letting go of what I do not have.  There is a reason we go through what we do in life even if we do not always know why

Loving Kindness and Integral Assessment

-Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise on p. 93.
May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness. 

I definitely couldn’t do this exercise with my eyes open as I had to read the sentences over and over.  I don’t feel like I gained anything from this exercise since all I was doing was repeating a sentence over and over.  I know it was suppose to help me with loving Kindness but repeating over and over did not do anything for me.  I feel trying to read something and focus on inner thoughts is kind of difficult.  This exercise would have been easier if it was a listening exercise that paused and gave time to think. 

-Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).

First you are to find out which aspect of life (psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly) is the source of difficulty and suffering.  Once you determine which aspect is the problem you are to focus on it.  Then ask yourself what is the current level of development and what can I aim for?  After you have focused on this you are to ask yourself what area of my life is ready for growth and development. Eventually you will be able to ask yourself daily how have I handled this or that experience or situation.  In what way could I improve my attitude or actions?  How can I move my live to a more sustained health, happiness, and wholeness?
This Integral Assessment helped me realize what I need to work on in my life.  I do feel I need to have more “me time” so that I can meditate.  I think it is important to evaluate each days ups and downs that way you can try and fix how you may have handled a situation poorly.  I know there are times when my attitude is poor so I don’t put my best foot forward.  I have been working on leaving my attitude at the door and not pushing it over into another situation.  I think before I act more which has helped with communication especially at work.  I am also working on exercising more.  I use to workout 6 days a week and I have gotten kind of lazy so now I am getting back on track.  I find eating healthy and exercising more really helps me not only feel better but I am healthier.  I have also incorporated a type of mediation each night before I fall asleep…I pray and thank God and also reflect on my day.  In the morning I start the day with a positive though such as today is going to be great!  I feel being positive helps improve everyday life for me. 

Dacher, E.S. (2006).  Integral health: the path to human flourishing.  Laguna Beach. CA: Basic     Health Publications, Inc.

Subtle Mind

The Loving Kindness exercise was meant to focus on loving people you know as well as enemies and those who have done you wrong.  I found it easy to focus on loving someone such as my child but when it can to someone who has done me wrong it was hard to show a love.  Both help you to focus on something and are meant to relax you.  I found the subtle mind exercise to be a bit easier since I didn’t have to focus on certain people just my mind alone. 

The Subtle mind exercise uses breathing to calm the mind.  I focused on the rising and falling of my chest during this exercise.  At first I found it difficult to concentrate on breathing alone being that my mind is going a million miles a minute.  Once I let everything go out of my mind and focused on my chest rising and falling I became a lot calmer.  What’s strange is at first my heart seemed to be racing but by the end of the exercise it was slower…I was calmer at this point.  The mind is an amazing thing…it tries to focus on everything but emptiness.  These are called mental movements.  I can definitely see how a feeling or thought can take over but it can also disappear once you focus on breathing alone.  I think this exercise would be easier to do if I was alone lying in bed.  It was rather difficult trying to focus on breathing with my child home (spring break), the dogs barking in the back yard, and the TV on even if it was low volume.  The sounds of the waves in the background always relax me however…makes me think of being on the beach watching the waves crash into the sand.  I will try this exercise again tonight when I am in my quiet room alone.  I think it will be much more effective. 

I feel mental and physical wellness lead to spiritual wellness.  The body requires balance to work properly.  When a person is mentally and physically stable they are more likely to have spiritual wellness.  I find without exercise my entire wellness balance is off.  Exercise helps me become a stronger person but it also keeps my mental state healthy.  Without exercise I am moody and get angered easily.  When I meditate or practice yoga I feel more in tune with my mind and body.  Both practices help focus on breathing which calms me.  These exercise that we have done weekly have helped me realize the mind is even more amazing than I thought before.  It is amazing how you can make your mind focus on one thing or completely clear it by focusing on breath alone.