week 7

I don’t know about this Meeting Asciepius exercise, I really enjoy the loving kindness and the subtle mind practice, they feel very beneficial and realistic.  I felt the Asciepius was too Sci Fi for me.  The beaming light from the throat, dissolving the other person and becoming them, I just didn’t vibe with this one.  I completely respect and appreciate the idea of looking to a wise person and learning from others.  I think this could be a great meditative exercise in some ways, but for me, I just felt weird and couldn’t help but to giggle at it all.  I do like the visualization part, having a thought to focus on and not trying to blank my mind is nice and really calming because I am not stressing about trying something so hard. 

I have to brag a little, but these practices have really helped me overcome my recent struggle with anxiety.  I have stopped taking my meds! I feel better than I have in a while, mentally.  I feel like I have found some of the strength of my mind. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the saying one cannot lead where one had not gone.  I really think this is true when talking about wellness.  If you are not striving to be well, you can not effectively help others to be well.  You can’t give the kind of wisdom and knowledge they need without having some personal level of understanding and experience for yourself.    

Week Six

Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise on p. 93.

I really like this exercise.  It is sad to say, but beginning meditation is hard, it takes devoting time to something new.  This exercise, keeps it simple, it is just four lines and ten minutes and does wonders for your mind and overall feeling.  I also really appreciate having a focus point, the words and the meaning and desire behind them.  Having a blank/still mind is not possible for me at this point. 

Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.105). Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why?

We take an inventory of the aspects of our life that need work and that we excel in.  There are six principles to the assessment.  1. Which aspects of our life are the most significant sources of distress?  Where is our greatest possibility for growth and development?  2. Both short term relief and long term relief need to be considered.  3.  Long term flourishing comes from the inner self and is sustained, short term pleasure comes from the outside.  4.  Psychospiritual development is essential.  5.  A true assessment needs deep listening and guidance.  6.  The assessment will need to be modified from time to time. 

At this point in time my most significant source of distress is my self esteem, my self acceptance.  I know this, and I chose to work to improve this, because it brings a deep sense of pain. 

What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

I don't really know, but I think the main thing is to stop beating myself up. 

Week Five Project

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0AkFP_qLf4aOGE1NWY4NTYtY2YxYy00NTFkLWI5YjItZDAxMGJiZTM4NjBi&hl=en

Week Five Blog

Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

The subtle mind was really really hard to do with the static noise.  I stopped the disc and continued to try, but being disrupted and not fallowing the disc with the ocean noise made it feel lacking.  I did concentrate my thoughts, and I did find myself wandering and returning to focusing on my breath, but I never felt unattached from my thoughts.  I would love to experience this though.  Overall it was relaxing. 

Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

I recently talked about having anxiety attacks on the discussion board, and the horrible physical and mental effects of the attacks.  With the lessons from this class, the loving kindness and subtle mind practices and prayer, I feel like I have nearly overcome this struggle.  I had an amazing experience with prayer the other day, I was working in the office, but could hear the TV in the front room, and the 700 club came on, and I thought about getting up to change the channel to hear something else I would rather listen to, but was busy so I kept working.  What I heard and fallowed has refreshed my previously lacking spiritual connection, and has helped me to feel helped by God.  The show prompted me to pray to be rescued from my struggle, and I did, and I felt like I was afterwards.  Since, I still run into problems in my mind, but I think of the prayer and I feel like it is all passing.  I feel more energetic, empowered, and hopeful now.  Overall, I am feeling so much better. 

Loving Kindness

This was a very positive experience for me.  It was hard for me as well.  I really really loved feeling the feelings of love and tenderness for my Husband, but I had a hard time sharing those with myself.  I don’t know why.  I also really loved sharing those feelings with my soul and spirit, this was not as hard.  The part of sharing those feelings with others was the easiest and the most powerful.  I imagined my Husbands suffering, and felt very happy after giving him health, happiness and wholeness.  I felt very proud and hopeful after giving the field of people health, happiness and wholeness.  I honestly feel a significant difference now from before the exercise.  I feel strong feelings of love and appreciate of the people in this world. 

I would strongly recommend this to others.  In fact I plan to share it.  I think that everyone is capable and has the desire to love and appreciate the people around them.  This feels like it will be truly helpful to my mind and body. 

A mental workout is similar to a physical work out.  It is hard to get started and stick with, so determination, perseverance, and diligence are needed.  It is a daily practice that required commitment if we want to see the benefits.  The research shows it benefits, and is worth the effort.  The benefits are improved health and mental wellbeing.  I can implement a mental workout by starting small, but doing it everyday.  Taking 5, 10 or 15 minutes each day to do the exercises.  This will grow, and continue to help improve.

I found that other students really didn’t like breathing in the problems/pain of others.  I can completely understand this.  I think I didn’t feel the same because of the mental approach I may have taken, I didn’t as much visualize placing that pain/illness inside myself as I just imagined taking it away and feeling the power and ability to do so.   

Unit three assignment

Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), where do you rate your A-physical wellbeing, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

A: 7

B: 4-9

C: 2-8

Rating (B and C) is hard, which to me means the low scored are deserved, because I allow so much fluctuation.  I no doubt have valid reasons to be upset, but I would ideally like to see that I handle things better, or more consistently. 

Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

A: Exercise, three times a week minimum. 

B: Pray more, ask for the help I need.

C: Control my thoughts, stay positive and hopeful.

What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

For the exercise, I have looked up local activities and found swimming and running groups I can attend.  We just bought an eliptical machine and home gym, so I need to use them :)... For the praying, it is all within myself, I need to build on my relationship with God.  For the controlling my thoughts, this is also internal, but there are some other tools I can use, possibly seek counseling.  The tools I learn in this class and all the others are very helpful, and making more of an effort to use them would help me tremendously.

Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.

The link to the exercise is broken, but as I discussed in the previous blog, I have done other relaxation exercises in the past.