In unit 3 I rated my physical wellness at a 6, and now I believe that it has gone up to at least a 7. My spiritual was rated at a 7, and now it is probably a 7.5. My psychological wellness ranked at a 7, and that has definitely moved up to an 8 since unit 3.
Physically, my goal was to start a workout regimen. I have recently started seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist, so I now have a schedule for routine maintenance. I have learned new exercises and feel that I have created more stability for my physical health. At this very moment that heat outside is a bit too much for myself and the pups.
Spiritually, I feel a little better. I have spent more time with friends, but becoming too busy can be stressful also. I need to try to maintain more of a balance. We will be attending some out of state weddings soon, as well as hosting family at our house while they are in town visiting. I know that I will missing a boring weekend or two by the end of the year.
Psychologically, I feel that my mind is more as ease. I have gotten to read a little more for pleasure recently which is nice. I feel productive. I also feel more open and kind-hearted towards others. It's interesting to see how often I catch myself trying to avoid eye contact when someone approaches (or to notice that the other person is doing the same thing), but I make myself look and smile now in hopes that kindness can be contagious.
In summary, I have really enjoyed this course as it has decreased my stress instead of increasing it. I feel that there has definitely been a positive impact on my whole well-being. Sometimes it is hard to make myself stop and practice daily meditation. When I do meditate I feel that it can be difficult to slip into a deep state of mind in the beginning. I try to remember the words of previous relaxation exercises, but that too escapes me at times. When I can center and focus though I feel that I reap great rewards. I feel less physical pain, I feel happier, calmer, and less alone. Creating balance is desirable and healthy, so I am glad to know a little more about how to achieve this and maintain results.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Integral Life or Something Like it
I Introduction:
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop themselves psychologically, spiritually, and physically in order to personally understand the practices that they teach. Also it is important to be a good role model to your clients. If someone does not convey that they believe in what they are teaching, then it is extremely difficult for others to believe and follow their recommendations.
All three aspects go hand in hand so it is important to balance and center ourselves as teachers and as students. Because of this I believe that I should personally develop every area equally to receive the most benefit. I could use to enhance my physical activity, but in doing so I know that I will also find moments when my mind is clear and relaxed and my spirit is lifted. Initial practices will begin to develop larger goals which will thus require new dynamic practices and so on. It is a perpetuating cycle.
II Assessment:
When assessing my total wellness I must look individually at three domains. First, psychological wellness is the hardest domain to secure in my opinion. I feel that I am in a good place mentally, but will admit that my sensitivity frequently affects the ability for this area to flourish.
Physically, I am in pretty good shape. I am at the correct weight for my height as a small framed woman. I have no disabilities or diseases, and I am not taking any medication that would affect my physical fitness. I also consume a healthy diet that I try to base largely on organic fruits and vegetables. When I prepare my own food, I rarely ever cook meat anymore unless it is fish. The only negative would be that I do not go to the gym often and I spend a little too much time on the computer.
Spiritual wellness, I feel is closely related to psychological wellness. If you are mentally well, then you can enhance your overall health by incorporating more activities that are good for your soul. This is because you will actually enjoy them more and feel able to reap their benefits. To clarify, I feel that it is almost impossible to reach enlightenment if one cannot secure the right mindset to enter the deepest inner mind. Since I am currently, satisfied with my psychological wellness I have been able to get the most out of my spiritual practices. I believe that the two are also inversely related in that once I am able to enter my deepest mind and become familiar and comfortable with the journey, I will then be ensuring better, more stable health psychologically. It is a cycle between the two. Happiness leads to the ability to meditate fully, which leads to knowledge of loving kindness, which leads to acting with intention and love toward others, which is contagious and reflects love from others back to the individual, and so on and so forth.
III Goal development:
While I feel positively in each of the domains; there is always room for improvement. Physically, I think I could improve the most. Right now I am implementing activities that are meant to seem more of a pleasure than a chore. If I have trouble getting motivated to go to the gym, than I will alternately take the dogs for a walk as the sun is setting. At this time of day, the sweltering sun is not beating down on me so the environment is pleasant. If something is pleasant then there will be more of a desire to repeat these actions. An article that I found this term stated that people who walk their dogs become motivated to do more (Walking dogs can lead to more physical activity, researchers find, 2008). I definitely can attest to this. I notice that when I am walking the dogs and I see someone on a bicycle, I want to ride a bicycle. As I pass the beautiful houses, I am inspired to replicate some of the creative elements that I see, such as build a garden, create lawn art, paint my house, etc. I become excited about life, and I feel right in the middle of it, like I matter, like I have things to share with the world. So isn’t this interesting that my progressing physical activity goal has now become an exciting spiritual and psychological experience.
Psychologically, my goal is to evolve happiness into something more personal for myself. If I am too sensitive to outside elements then I am at the mercy of the world, but I can also deepen my spirituality to find inner peace within myself then happiness can be a little bit more constant. If I am able to maintain a positive outlook then I believe that this will positively affect other people as well. To clarify, if I am sensitive to the point where anyone having a bad day is able to affect my mood for the worse then negative energy will spread to others, but if I create stable inner happiness then the person having the bad day will not be able to penetrate my mood and perhaps my kindness will be able to, in fact change their mood for the better so that we can spread positive feelings together.
Spiritually, my goal is to share more uplifting activities for the soul with others, for example hiking through a wooded area, fishing with my grandparents, sharing laughter at a comedy show, social eating at dinner parties, or just sharing stories and experiences over coffee. There are a lot of things I can think of to do, but without people to share these experiences with we are truly providing a disservice to all. Humans are social creatures, so by giving the gift of love and friendship all parties will flourish.
IV Practices for personal health:
Strategies that I can use to reach my goal of becoming more physically active include not sleeping too much and not overeating. This will give me more energy to get up and get out of the house. Planning out the week is also helpful especially if you include others in your planned activities. This way you are creating a support system of people that will hold you accountable and vice versa. Sometimes I get socially anxious so I stay inside for most of the weekend working on school work and playing on the computer by myself. Everyone needs some time alone, but constant repetition of this can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle and increased social anxiety which is hindering to one’s psychological health. It is good to get out and try new things or just enjoy regular activities that you know you like because you’ve done them before.
As you can see my physical strategy also incorporates elements that link to my psychological goal. A social network can boost happiness and decrease anxiety with mental practice. This can also aid in the decrease of useless over-sensitivity. Meditative practices can aid in using this boost to its fullest potential thus creating mental and spiritual balance. This balance leaves us feeling whole and protected. The principles that I am practicing through thought concentration are helping me to build a more secure inner being and more stable emotions.
Spiritually, as I mentioned before a social network is important for health and happiness, and it can aid a person in maintaining accountability. I am starting to implement this a bit more often. At certain times during the year this endeavor seems to be less of an obstacle, but then there will be a few weeks back to back where I feel like all I do is go to work and spending time with my husband or alone. It is beneficial to network and do things that teach us to grow, learn, and love. Austin is a city full of interesting and creative events held throughout the year. I want to know more about other cultures, I want to learn more about my own culture. I want to be as aware as I can be of the world around me, and experience what life has to offer.
V Commitment:
Within the next six months, I think a lot will have changed and within the next year, even more. I definitely feel that taking this class has been beneficial because as we know juggling school and work can be stressful, but when the course requires one to practice meditation and other stress relieving exercises, then the amount of stress decreases significantly. Feeling good is definitely something to be desired, so I think that feeling bad will be a red flag that I must continue to promote balance within. My current state of happiness will always be the best alarm for my entire wellbeing. My husband is helpful in providing motivation for me to join him at the gym. Also I recently learned that one of my dogs was gaining weight even though she was eating the same amount of food; keeping her weight in check is also a good motivator for me to walk her more regularly. A good social network takes work and effort to maintain, so this too will create a perpetuating effect once I get the ball rolling it will be easier to maintain the flow. All of these elements have the ability to stay constant, but it is always beneficial to reassess your goals and keep up the dedication and effort.
References:
(2008). Walking dogs can lead to more physical activity, researchers find. Nation's Health, 38(10), 29. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop themselves psychologically, spiritually, and physically in order to personally understand the practices that they teach. Also it is important to be a good role model to your clients. If someone does not convey that they believe in what they are teaching, then it is extremely difficult for others to believe and follow their recommendations.
All three aspects go hand in hand so it is important to balance and center ourselves as teachers and as students. Because of this I believe that I should personally develop every area equally to receive the most benefit. I could use to enhance my physical activity, but in doing so I know that I will also find moments when my mind is clear and relaxed and my spirit is lifted. Initial practices will begin to develop larger goals which will thus require new dynamic practices and so on. It is a perpetuating cycle.
II Assessment:
When assessing my total wellness I must look individually at three domains. First, psychological wellness is the hardest domain to secure in my opinion. I feel that I am in a good place mentally, but will admit that my sensitivity frequently affects the ability for this area to flourish.
Physically, I am in pretty good shape. I am at the correct weight for my height as a small framed woman. I have no disabilities or diseases, and I am not taking any medication that would affect my physical fitness. I also consume a healthy diet that I try to base largely on organic fruits and vegetables. When I prepare my own food, I rarely ever cook meat anymore unless it is fish. The only negative would be that I do not go to the gym often and I spend a little too much time on the computer.
Spiritual wellness, I feel is closely related to psychological wellness. If you are mentally well, then you can enhance your overall health by incorporating more activities that are good for your soul. This is because you will actually enjoy them more and feel able to reap their benefits. To clarify, I feel that it is almost impossible to reach enlightenment if one cannot secure the right mindset to enter the deepest inner mind. Since I am currently, satisfied with my psychological wellness I have been able to get the most out of my spiritual practices. I believe that the two are also inversely related in that once I am able to enter my deepest mind and become familiar and comfortable with the journey, I will then be ensuring better, more stable health psychologically. It is a cycle between the two. Happiness leads to the ability to meditate fully, which leads to knowledge of loving kindness, which leads to acting with intention and love toward others, which is contagious and reflects love from others back to the individual, and so on and so forth.
III Goal development:
While I feel positively in each of the domains; there is always room for improvement. Physically, I think I could improve the most. Right now I am implementing activities that are meant to seem more of a pleasure than a chore. If I have trouble getting motivated to go to the gym, than I will alternately take the dogs for a walk as the sun is setting. At this time of day, the sweltering sun is not beating down on me so the environment is pleasant. If something is pleasant then there will be more of a desire to repeat these actions. An article that I found this term stated that people who walk their dogs become motivated to do more (Walking dogs can lead to more physical activity, researchers find, 2008). I definitely can attest to this. I notice that when I am walking the dogs and I see someone on a bicycle, I want to ride a bicycle. As I pass the beautiful houses, I am inspired to replicate some of the creative elements that I see, such as build a garden, create lawn art, paint my house, etc. I become excited about life, and I feel right in the middle of it, like I matter, like I have things to share with the world. So isn’t this interesting that my progressing physical activity goal has now become an exciting spiritual and psychological experience.
Psychologically, my goal is to evolve happiness into something more personal for myself. If I am too sensitive to outside elements then I am at the mercy of the world, but I can also deepen my spirituality to find inner peace within myself then happiness can be a little bit more constant. If I am able to maintain a positive outlook then I believe that this will positively affect other people as well. To clarify, if I am sensitive to the point where anyone having a bad day is able to affect my mood for the worse then negative energy will spread to others, but if I create stable inner happiness then the person having the bad day will not be able to penetrate my mood and perhaps my kindness will be able to, in fact change their mood for the better so that we can spread positive feelings together.
Spiritually, my goal is to share more uplifting activities for the soul with others, for example hiking through a wooded area, fishing with my grandparents, sharing laughter at a comedy show, social eating at dinner parties, or just sharing stories and experiences over coffee. There are a lot of things I can think of to do, but without people to share these experiences with we are truly providing a disservice to all. Humans are social creatures, so by giving the gift of love and friendship all parties will flourish.
IV Practices for personal health:
Strategies that I can use to reach my goal of becoming more physically active include not sleeping too much and not overeating. This will give me more energy to get up and get out of the house. Planning out the week is also helpful especially if you include others in your planned activities. This way you are creating a support system of people that will hold you accountable and vice versa. Sometimes I get socially anxious so I stay inside for most of the weekend working on school work and playing on the computer by myself. Everyone needs some time alone, but constant repetition of this can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle and increased social anxiety which is hindering to one’s psychological health. It is good to get out and try new things or just enjoy regular activities that you know you like because you’ve done them before.
As you can see my physical strategy also incorporates elements that link to my psychological goal. A social network can boost happiness and decrease anxiety with mental practice. This can also aid in the decrease of useless over-sensitivity. Meditative practices can aid in using this boost to its fullest potential thus creating mental and spiritual balance. This balance leaves us feeling whole and protected. The principles that I am practicing through thought concentration are helping me to build a more secure inner being and more stable emotions.
Spiritually, as I mentioned before a social network is important for health and happiness, and it can aid a person in maintaining accountability. I am starting to implement this a bit more often. At certain times during the year this endeavor seems to be less of an obstacle, but then there will be a few weeks back to back where I feel like all I do is go to work and spending time with my husband or alone. It is beneficial to network and do things that teach us to grow, learn, and love. Austin is a city full of interesting and creative events held throughout the year. I want to know more about other cultures, I want to learn more about my own culture. I want to be as aware as I can be of the world around me, and experience what life has to offer.
V Commitment:
Within the next six months, I think a lot will have changed and within the next year, even more. I definitely feel that taking this class has been beneficial because as we know juggling school and work can be stressful, but when the course requires one to practice meditation and other stress relieving exercises, then the amount of stress decreases significantly. Feeling good is definitely something to be desired, so I think that feeling bad will be a red flag that I must continue to promote balance within. My current state of happiness will always be the best alarm for my entire wellbeing. My husband is helpful in providing motivation for me to join him at the gym. Also I recently learned that one of my dogs was gaining weight even though she was eating the same amount of food; keeping her weight in check is also a good motivator for me to walk her more regularly. A good social network takes work and effort to maintain, so this too will create a perpetuating effect once I get the ball rolling it will be easier to maintain the flow. All of these elements have the ability to stay constant, but it is always beneficial to reassess your goals and keep up the dedication and effort.
References:
(2008). Walking dogs can lead to more physical activity, researchers find. Nation's Health, 38(10), 29. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Meditation Revisiting
My favorite exercises were the very first two that we practiced, "Journey On" & "The Crime of the Century". I will probably continue to implement both of these routinely; however, I will only choose one of these to focus on. I believe that if I use "The Crime of the Century" incorporation with the Subtle Mind exercise I will become more mentally rounded. I have started doing "The Crime of the Century" exercise with my husband. There is enough direction that we are occupied, but we are also present and aware of our connection to one another. The guide is not breathing audibly, so it is nice to pace myself with my husband's breath. I also like to do this exercise alone, but this has been a nice excuse to be in several calm, clear moments with the person I love.
The Subtle Mind exercise takes meditation a step further as it provides less instruction and more time to internally focus. I feel that this requires a little more mental discipline. The Subtle Mind is linked to several other exercises, so it is good to practice as these skills will aid in the success of other endeavors. The wave loop in the background no longer bothers me, as it now provides a sense of familiarity and comfort. Yesterday I watched the new film, Inception, and I was fascinated as they explored the the deepest layers of the mind. I know it's a fictional story, but it provided such interesting visuals and that is important to meditation. I think it would be so neat to travel to my deepest mind by elevator as they did. Parts of the movie seem imprinted in my mind, so as I revisited some of our exercises I couldn't help but to rethink some of my methods. While "The Crime of the Century" exercise would be best if implemented at the beginning of the day in order to gather our strengths; I think the Subtle mind would be a great exercise to help wind down the night and restore calm for a restful night's sleep.
The Subtle Mind exercise takes meditation a step further as it provides less instruction and more time to internally focus. I feel that this requires a little more mental discipline. The Subtle Mind is linked to several other exercises, so it is good to practice as these skills will aid in the success of other endeavors. The wave loop in the background no longer bothers me, as it now provides a sense of familiarity and comfort. Yesterday I watched the new film, Inception, and I was fascinated as they explored the the deepest layers of the mind. I know it's a fictional story, but it provided such interesting visuals and that is important to meditation. I think it would be so neat to travel to my deepest mind by elevator as they did. Parts of the movie seem imprinted in my mind, so as I revisited some of our exercises I couldn't help but to rethink some of my methods. While "The Crime of the Century" exercise would be best if implemented at the beginning of the day in order to gather our strengths; I think the Subtle mind would be a great exercise to help wind down the night and restore calm for a restful night's sleep.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Meeting Asciepius
In the Meeting Asciepius exercise I appreciated that they allowed for an option to either think of a wise person or create your own. I did a little of both. It's difficult for me to think of someone I know, because as we are human we all have flaws, and I begin to focus on those flaws. A stranger is also difficult to use because there is no personal connection. I envisioned an older friend who is close to my heart, but I imagined her to have the mind and temperament of a monk that I have seen in a Japanese anime. This way I felt connected and at peace, and I believe that she felt the same.
I have noticed throughout this class that I am now more aware of what disheartens me mentally and spiritually. I am practicing changing these negative feelings into positives when they occur. I feel a little less physical pain in my body from taking time to relax more and maintaining an overall happy disposition.
I try to smile more at strangers.
The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" expresses the need to learn from personal experience. If we have not felt feelings of deep sadness and loss, how can we empathize with one who has recently experienced the death of a loved one? While empathy is a necessary quality to understanding; understanding is a necessary quality for healing. To help another requires understanding of the past, present, and future of their journey.
This is where a heath and wellness professional may enter. They must empathize and understand their patients in order to heal them. This being said, it is necessary that they continue to cultivate this understanding by developing their own health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. Loving kindness is an important quality to have as a healer. Having a clear head and heart will produce the best results for all parties involved. This development can grow from daily meditation and skillful practice of the subtle mind.
I have noticed throughout this class that I am now more aware of what disheartens me mentally and spiritually. I am practicing changing these negative feelings into positives when they occur. I feel a little less physical pain in my body from taking time to relax more and maintaining an overall happy disposition.
I try to smile more at strangers.
The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" expresses the need to learn from personal experience. If we have not felt feelings of deep sadness and loss, how can we empathize with one who has recently experienced the death of a loved one? While empathy is a necessary quality to understanding; understanding is a necessary quality for healing. To help another requires understanding of the past, present, and future of their journey.
This is where a heath and wellness professional may enter. They must empathize and understand their patients in order to heal them. This being said, it is necessary that they continue to cultivate this understanding by developing their own health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. Loving kindness is an important quality to have as a healer. Having a clear head and heart will produce the best results for all parties involved. This development can grow from daily meditation and skillful practice of the subtle mind.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Universal Loving Kindness and the Integral Assessment
Universal Loving Kindness:
I definitely like listening to guided meditations better than reading them. I feel more at peace when I close my eyes. Alone in the cool darkness without flickering visual distractions. I didn't memorize the paragraph, so it felt unnatural as I read aloud the words on the page. The unnatural feeling counteracts the desired feeling of deep relaxation. I will say that I like the message though. If the book advised that I make up my own blessing for the universe then I think this exercise would have been more successful. That would have made the exercise more personal and fluid.
Integral Assessment:
Below is a visual of my integral assessment. As you can see it looks similar to either the United States of America or a goldfish cracker. Because my assessment looks like a goldfish it means that I should focus to improve my fitness and my community most of all. To improve these areas I could volunteer within my community and participate in a more structured exercise regimen. These assessments fluctuate over time, so mine will not always look as such, but for now this is the case. I feel most satisfied with my levels concerning family and nutrition, but all other levels deserve room for improvement.
I found that this exercise actually made me a bit nervous. I was worried if I was judging myself accurately and if I was well versed enough in the definition of the lines. So again this was not my favorite exercise.
**On a personal note, this week I practiced yoga, and have fallen in love with a few new stretches for my back. One of which I had practiced previously, but I had been practicing it incorrectly. Also I got to watch acupuncture be preformed! I've only seen pictures of it before, so this was a really interesting experience. The acupuncturist had a Chinese pain relief spray that she used on my back (even though I wasn't the client), and I will tell you that side of my back really did feel better for the rest of the day. So cool!
I definitely like listening to guided meditations better than reading them. I feel more at peace when I close my eyes. Alone in the cool darkness without flickering visual distractions. I didn't memorize the paragraph, so it felt unnatural as I read aloud the words on the page. The unnatural feeling counteracts the desired feeling of deep relaxation. I will say that I like the message though. If the book advised that I make up my own blessing for the universe then I think this exercise would have been more successful. That would have made the exercise more personal and fluid.
Integral Assessment:
Below is a visual of my integral assessment. As you can see it looks similar to either the United States of America or a goldfish cracker. Because my assessment looks like a goldfish it means that I should focus to improve my fitness and my community most of all. To improve these areas I could volunteer within my community and participate in a more structured exercise regimen. These assessments fluctuate over time, so mine will not always look as such, but for now this is the case. I feel most satisfied with my levels concerning family and nutrition, but all other levels deserve room for improvement.
I found that this exercise actually made me a bit nervous. I was worried if I was judging myself accurately and if I was well versed enough in the definition of the lines. So again this was not my favorite exercise.
**On a personal note, this week I practiced yoga, and have fallen in love with a few new stretches for my back. One of which I had practiced previously, but I had been practicing it incorrectly. Also I got to watch acupuncture be preformed! I've only seen pictures of it before, so this was a really interesting experience. The acupuncturist had a Chinese pain relief spray that she used on my back (even though I wasn't the client), and I will tell you that side of my back really did feel better for the rest of the day. So cool!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Subtle Mind
I was definitely in the mood to meditate today, so I enjoyed the subtle mind exercise. They played that same background loop of the crashing waves as they did during the loving kindness exercise, but now that I am used to it, it didn't bother me as much. Other similarities include the speaker's voice and pauses during the exercises. It is obvious that the two exercises are related, and that they were created by the same people.
They differ in their directions and pacing. Loving kindness aimed to alleviate emotional pain and spread love and peace. The subtle mind then took that peace and focused the mind inward. This reveals our deeper mind, and allows us to be one with time and fight the urge to cling to moments of thought and emotion (Dacher, 2006). Loving kindness is good to practice first as is introduces the audience to the the exercise technique. This makes the subtle mind a more comfortable exercise. This time it felt okay to be alone.
Spiritual wellness connects to mental and physical wellness in regards to health. It brings confidence and a feeling of security or truth to those who can turn inside themselves. To be calm and at peace will bring mental clarity and thus promote benefits to our physiology. We can try to remove the spiritual aspect and simply demand "calm" from our mental mind, but that will not bring peace. The mental chatter would have no way of dissolving. This would cause great stress on our self. Spiritual wellness is necessary for human flourishing and whole health (Dacher, 2006).
Spiritual wellness is manifested in my life by the practice of guided meditation, and the exercise of skillful action (Dacher, 2006). I aim to show loving kindness everyday. My husband is my best friend, my pets are my children, and my coworkers and clients enrich my life. I have purpose behind my decisions and act accordingly. It is necessary to think as clearly as possible in order to keep balance and comfort in the things around me. If unfortunate events happen one day; it is definitely wise to try to recenter as soon as possible.
Reference:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Pathway to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publications Inc: Laguna Beach, CA.
They differ in their directions and pacing. Loving kindness aimed to alleviate emotional pain and spread love and peace. The subtle mind then took that peace and focused the mind inward. This reveals our deeper mind, and allows us to be one with time and fight the urge to cling to moments of thought and emotion (Dacher, 2006). Loving kindness is good to practice first as is introduces the audience to the the exercise technique. This makes the subtle mind a more comfortable exercise. This time it felt okay to be alone.
Spiritual wellness connects to mental and physical wellness in regards to health. It brings confidence and a feeling of security or truth to those who can turn inside themselves. To be calm and at peace will bring mental clarity and thus promote benefits to our physiology. We can try to remove the spiritual aspect and simply demand "calm" from our mental mind, but that will not bring peace. The mental chatter would have no way of dissolving. This would cause great stress on our self. Spiritual wellness is necessary for human flourishing and whole health (Dacher, 2006).
Spiritual wellness is manifested in my life by the practice of guided meditation, and the exercise of skillful action (Dacher, 2006). I aim to show loving kindness everyday. My husband is my best friend, my pets are my children, and my coworkers and clients enrich my life. I have purpose behind my decisions and act accordingly. It is necessary to think as clearly as possible in order to keep balance and comfort in the things around me. If unfortunate events happen one day; it is definitely wise to try to recenter as soon as possible.
Reference:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Pathway to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publications Inc: Laguna Beach, CA.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Amare Est Vivere
Loving Kindness Exercise
Today I did the Loving Kindness exercise from the Dacher CD, and perhaps I just wasn't in the mood, but I liked this exercise the least so far. I was sort of nice to hear a new voice (a female voice) guide the meditation today, but I was not relaxed at all. There was an ocean wave loop playing in the background; I specifically kept noticing when the loop would restart which was irritating. The voice would say a few things and then stop for a minute or so, and then I was left with the waves not knowing when or if the voice would come back. It felt a bit depressing actually. Maybe it was a combination of my mood and the rain outside, but I felt like I was walking on an empty beach at dusk. It felt like perhaps I had been shipwrecked and I was all alone on this deserted island - helpless and alone.
The waves also reminded me of those white noise machines you can buy to help you get to sleep. I never liked those things.
Mental Workout
The concept of "Mental Workout" refers to conditioning of the mind to become quite and at peace. Just as Olympic athletes must train their bodies, so must we gain the ability to train our minds. By concentrating on stillness we slow down our breathing, relax our muscles, and compose clearer thoughts. Studies show that positive thoughts and inner love can have beneficial affects on our physical bodies. This promotes holistic health and wellness.
To implement mental workouts in order to foster my psychological health I can take time out of every day to become quite and still. Yoga is a good way to relax the body and focus on a fit mind. Meditation and the aforementioned exercises can offer the clear thoughts necessary to complete well devised skillful action.
*By the way, amare est vivere is Latin for to love is to live.
Today I did the Loving Kindness exercise from the Dacher CD, and perhaps I just wasn't in the mood, but I liked this exercise the least so far. I was sort of nice to hear a new voice (a female voice) guide the meditation today, but I was not relaxed at all. There was an ocean wave loop playing in the background; I specifically kept noticing when the loop would restart which was irritating. The voice would say a few things and then stop for a minute or so, and then I was left with the waves not knowing when or if the voice would come back. It felt a bit depressing actually. Maybe it was a combination of my mood and the rain outside, but I felt like I was walking on an empty beach at dusk. It felt like perhaps I had been shipwrecked and I was all alone on this deserted island - helpless and alone.
The waves also reminded me of those white noise machines you can buy to help you get to sleep. I never liked those things.
Mental Workout
The concept of "Mental Workout" refers to conditioning of the mind to become quite and at peace. Just as Olympic athletes must train their bodies, so must we gain the ability to train our minds. By concentrating on stillness we slow down our breathing, relax our muscles, and compose clearer thoughts. Studies show that positive thoughts and inner love can have beneficial affects on our physical bodies. This promotes holistic health and wellness.
To implement mental workouts in order to foster my psychological health I can take time out of every day to become quite and still. Yoga is a good way to relax the body and focus on a fit mind. Meditation and the aforementioned exercises can offer the clear thoughts necessary to complete well devised skillful action.
*By the way, amare est vivere is Latin for to love is to live.
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