Unit 7-Aesclepius Meditation

Hello Health & Wellness enthusiasts,

This meditation was one like I have not experienced.  I was surprised by the fact that I did shed tears.  I cried when I pictured the person that I imagined.  The person I chose was my grandfather.  He had passed away this last May 31st.  He has been on my mind this month because this last January he was feeling a little weak/sick, so we had my son's birthday over to my grandparents place.  I have never shed tears in any meditation and this meditation not only caused emotion but also put me to sleep.  I decided to do this meditation in bed and I closed my eyes.  The crying caused me to get out my feelings and also got me relaxed.  I have not experienced this type of peace in any of the other meditations, even doing the meditations at night before bed.  This meditation was the only one that has ever made me feel true peace and cause me to fall asleep, maybe it was the waves I heard in my eyes, the crying, or the peace I found in the image of my grandfather.  What do you all think helped this to happen to me?
Now, it is time to talk about the quote by Dacher.  This quote caused me to think about the future as a health and wellness professional.  I need to have looked and even experienced many aspects of health and wellness practices.  I look at the job as a role model, like I try to be with my physical education classes.  We have to walk the talk and if we do not how does that show our clients that we know what we are talking about.  I need to keep developing my psychological, physical and spiritual aspects to my life.  We are all a work in progress and need to see ourselves that way.  Once we have stopped trying to improve that is the beginning to the end.  We should always be looking to improve our lives professionally as well as personally.  Can anyone think of a instance that learning professionally would not also impact you personally or vise versa?  Let me know because I think that with each way of learning we grow as an over all person.
Thanks, Emily  

Unit 6-Meditation Exercise & Integral Assessment

Hello fellow health & wellness enthusiasts,

I found the exercise this week both positive and challenging.  The fact that it only took 10 minutes, I loved that.  It was simple and the words kept me focused.  The challenge is the fact that my life this week has been quite a challenge.  I have had some disagreements with my husband and then he left this weekend on business, my work was very demanding.  This weekend my In-laws are coming and staying a few days, so I was frantically cleaning today which took away from my college work.  So sitting down and trying to focus on assisting individuals gain or find what they need to succeed, was hard for me.  I'm going to be human and say what more can I do?  That is bad to say isn't it.

So based on the above situations I would have to say that when it comes to the integral assessment, I have areas that need to be worked on.  "When quiet, ask yourself, "What aspect of my life -psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly-is the source of difficulty and suffering?" (Dacher, 2006, p.115).  I think the obvious one is interpersonal aspect.  I was thinking about trying the Union exercise on page 92 of Dacher, with my husband.  I will have to of course pass it by him and hopefully I will get him to agree.  Has anyone done this exercise, if so how did it go and did it work?  Let me know what you think.

Thanks, Emily

Reference:

Dacher, E.S., (2006). Integral Health. The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health

Unit 5 Loving-Kindness vs. Subtle Mind

Welcome fellow enthusiasts,
I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the two exercises that were done over the last two weeks, Loving-Kindness vs. Subtle Mind.  Loving-Kindness exercise I found as an exercise that helped you focus on each area and broke up the time.  My focus kept moving and developing as the exercise went on.  The Subtle Mind I found more challenging.  There was a lot of time and not a lot of different focus areas.  I have to say that to keep my focus on my breathing I had to focus on my chest/abs movements.  I got to the point that the only thought that was going through my mind was breath in-breath out.  I had to bring myself back a couple of times, I felt that the exercise went on forever.  It was a long time for me to focus on breathing, I saw this exercise as a challenge, the competitor in me came out and I was determined to focus on me breathing.  I would not let myself give up, and I have to say that it would of been easier then fighting through it.  
Now it is time to talk about the connection of the spiritual to mental and physical wellness.  "This developmental movement from body to mind to spirit is a shift in experience and identity from the realm of the physical with its emphasis on survival, instinct and self to the more subtle and intangible realm of mental with its focus on ideas, intention, and interconnectedness to the most subtle spiritual realm of awareness, wisdom and oneness" (Dacher, 2006, p.80).  This quote sums up the connection between the three areas of wellness.  In my life I find that this process is a work in progress.  The physical-I try to exercise and eat right, take care of myself (Self).  The mental-I constantly come up with ideas and try to weigh them out and then put them into action.  The Spiritual- I pray everyday for the Lord to give me wisdom, knowledge and understanding in what ever situation I face (especially College work).  How do you all balance the three areas in your life and connect them together?  I would love to hear what you all have to say, let me know.
Thanks, Emily
Reference:
Dacher, E. 2006. Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health.

Unit 4 "Mental Workout"

Hello Health and Wellness Enthusiasts,

This blog is in response to the questions on “Mental Workout.”  I look at a mental workout a lot like a physical workout.  It may take time out of our day, be a bother but is so beneficial to our health.  Being a Physical Education teacher I work with students every day and am always addressing physical fitness.  I get to see the students from year to year and I can see the ones who have done nothing over the summer come back in the fall and I have to start all over to build back to when they left.  When we stop practicing/training we see a drop in our conditioning.  That is true for mental as well.

Research shows that training the mind leads to many benefits.  “Research studies and personal reports have also demonstrated that mental training can transform the mind by reducing disturbing emotions that cause anger, hatred, fear, worry, confusion and doubt while enhancing positive emotions such as patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance, and happiness” (Dacher, 2006, p. 63).  Based on this research it shows that this mental training can lead to improved defense to mental suffering and physical disease.  These mental workouts can help to reduce several emotional challenges that we may face during the day.  These mental exercises are important to bring our mental condition back up.  Just like physical training there are exercises that help certain parts of the body; mental exercises help deal with certain emotional distresses we may be feeling.  Just this week has anyone had an emotional distress occur?  If yes, how did you deal with it?  I would love to hear all your strategies to a better mental fitness.

Thanks, Emily

Reference:

Dacher, E.S., (2006). Integral Health. The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health

Unit 4 Loving-Kindness Exercise

Welcome all my health enthusiasts,

I enjoyed reading about practice 1: Loving-Kindness.  The first night (Wednesday) I started to do the loving-Kindness exercise I followed the book and did not do the recording.  I have to say that it was a little more difficult to just go by the text.  I would focus on one step at a time but after each step I would have to break my concentration to look at the book to see the next step.  This broke up the focus that I was striving to achieve.  From Thursday on I have used the recording and it works so much better I find myself following along and focused.  I do not lose this focus and there are no interruptions between the steps of the exercise.  This is an exercise that I have done every day since this week started for Unit 4, and have found this very beneficial.  I would recommend this recording exercise for anyone who wants to focus on the inward a little deeper. 

The other aspect to the success of this exercise for me was finding a quiet place.  Which is hard in a house of two young boys (one is going to turn 5 in nine days and the other one is turning 2 in Feb.) and not to mention my loving husband.  By the time I get the children to bed, my husband gets home and eats, gets his lunch ready for the next day, shower and then he sits down to relax in front of the TV.  Over the course of the evening he is in the kitchen, then master bathroom and in the living room.  There are not many places that I could go, that are quiet.  So I wait till he is relaxing in the living room and I go to the master bath, draw a bath and relax.  A great end to the day, it helps to relax me and then listening to the Loving-Kindness exercise causes me to relax my mind before bed.  I have to say focusing on the steps cause my mind to quiet and relax from all the jumbled thoughts that race. 

This exercise is working for me and I have to say I slept very well last night.  What works for all of you to relax and focus better?  Let me know if the exercise worked for you and/or your technique to relax.

Thanks, Emily