This week we were to practice the Loving Kindness exercise again. For me, this went similar to the last one. I was easily able to give myself loving kindness and when it came to loving someone close to me I was able to feel relief that I was able to give love to this person. Like before, I was able to breath in their sorrow and suffering and give back the love. I was able again to do the same for others. When completing the exercise, I felt relief again and felt good because I was able to share my love. They may not know it, but I believe it helps me when I interact with them again too. I seem to feel more compassionate after completing the exercise.
This week we were to complete an integral assessment on the areas we need development. For me, my weakness is my psycho-spiritual development. Most of the time I operate on surviving and many times I am reactive to the chaos in my life. I am not always able to look at things as a service to others or with loving kindness. My daily activities are more like chores that need to be done or just what I need to do because it's expected of me. When things are not going well, I am reactive and most of the time I am unable to react positively. I guess it becomes nature when things are not going well.
To address this area of weakness, I must incorporate the loving kindness exercise in my routine daily and/or the subtle mind exercise. These tend to have calming effects on me and help me to release stress and be more compassionate. By incorporating these into a daily routine I will feel more well. If I feel more well and less stressed then I know my health, in the biological sense, will benefit as well.
To address this same area of weakness, I need to look at my responsibilities as a service to others or how it helps others. I need to remind myself that it is not just work or a chore and that what I need to do is really benefiting and helping others. I need to share more loving kindness and compassion with others, not just because it will help me feel better, but it will make a difference for others as well.
Another area of weakness is my biological health. I know that I do not get out and exercise enough. So, another area of my development is to incorporate an exercise routine here in the near future. One, that I am hoping my husband will join in on as well.
Overall, completing this assessment helped me identify areas of opportunity to make my mind, body, and soul a top priority which supports my overall health and well being. It will be good to be healthier and less stress free. Maybe others will benefit from the positive changes in my life.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Subtle Mind Exercise
This week we covered the Subtle Mind exercise. For me it was overly calming and to a point it had me so relaxed I could have just fallen asleep. The only reason I didn't was because the voice came back and started talking again.
Focusing on my breath to keep my mind calm is a good stress reliever. I was able to do this easily, but this tends to work for me if I focus. After getting calm, I am able to lessen my grip on following the breath like the exercise suggests. I do however, from time to time, notice my mind moving to other thoughts. I see my front yard being cleaned up (just did this yesterday) and other things passing through my mind. All I need to do is focus again on the breathing and my focal point. Once relaxed again - I let go of my focus on the breathing. I am hearing just the waves and music in the back ground. Sometimes they too make you think of things, but overall it has it's own calming affect on me.
After focusing on nothing for a while other than my focal point and with my mind no longer wandering, I close my eyes briefly and just enjoy the silence and still mind. Then I find myself ready to sleep and the voice brings me back to the exercise. When the exercise is complete, I feel relaxed and stress free!
Comparing this exercise to the loving kindness exercise, I felt much more relaxed, but not as happy as I was by sharing my love for myself and others. I guess the feeling of sharing love even when others do not really know it was a relaxing and rewarding experience. I believe they are both great exercises to do from time to time.
The experience of these exercises has helped me spiritually, mentally, and physically. I feel better when I can relieve stress. Before it was hoping to release them by sharing my experiences in conversation or getting a massage. Although they are good from time to time, I feel better when I can relieve the stresses from the day or chaos on my own with the exercises. I feel more at peace with with my inner self if that makes sense. I do not feel like I am going to have a mental breakdown nearly as much and I feel like I can tackle other things more easily because I am not as emotionally drained. So in essence, when I feel great spiritually and mentally, it's helping me physically too!
I wonder if my classmates found this exercise a little less challenging. For me, it was much easier than focusing on someone needing my love and support in the loving kindness exercise. I did do okay with it because I had things on my mind that I could apply to the exercise, but if I hadn't had those things on my mind, I might have felt it was more difficult to complete. The subtle mind exercise - was really just about breathing and letting things go that came to mind - to be at peace and I found I could do just that.
Focusing on my breath to keep my mind calm is a good stress reliever. I was able to do this easily, but this tends to work for me if I focus. After getting calm, I am able to lessen my grip on following the breath like the exercise suggests. I do however, from time to time, notice my mind moving to other thoughts. I see my front yard being cleaned up (just did this yesterday) and other things passing through my mind. All I need to do is focus again on the breathing and my focal point. Once relaxed again - I let go of my focus on the breathing. I am hearing just the waves and music in the back ground. Sometimes they too make you think of things, but overall it has it's own calming affect on me.
After focusing on nothing for a while other than my focal point and with my mind no longer wandering, I close my eyes briefly and just enjoy the silence and still mind. Then I find myself ready to sleep and the voice brings me back to the exercise. When the exercise is complete, I feel relaxed and stress free!
Comparing this exercise to the loving kindness exercise, I felt much more relaxed, but not as happy as I was by sharing my love for myself and others. I guess the feeling of sharing love even when others do not really know it was a relaxing and rewarding experience. I believe they are both great exercises to do from time to time.
The experience of these exercises has helped me spiritually, mentally, and physically. I feel better when I can relieve stress. Before it was hoping to release them by sharing my experiences in conversation or getting a massage. Although they are good from time to time, I feel better when I can relieve the stresses from the day or chaos on my own with the exercises. I feel more at peace with with my inner self if that makes sense. I do not feel like I am going to have a mental breakdown nearly as much and I feel like I can tackle other things more easily because I am not as emotionally drained. So in essence, when I feel great spiritually and mentally, it's helping me physically too!
I wonder if my classmates found this exercise a little less challenging. For me, it was much easier than focusing on someone needing my love and support in the loving kindness exercise. I did do okay with it because I had things on my mind that I could apply to the exercise, but if I hadn't had those things on my mind, I might have felt it was more difficult to complete. The subtle mind exercise - was really just about breathing and letting things go that came to mind - to be at peace and I found I could do just that.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Concept of Mental Workout
The concept of mental workout basically means that we are using techniques to remove stress, to be more relaxed and at ease, and to be more at peace with ourselves. The techniques are varied, but all so far seem to have been with a similar focus and result. They require some effort and an open mind. They require commitment and consistency.
According to Dacher (2006), research shows that having a practice of mental workout that we are able to be of better mind, body, and spirit and where we have flourished our development to be calm, eased, and at peace.
We can set aside time each day to focus on using the techniques introduced over the course in order to keep working out our minds. We can keep on top of them by committing to our selves and our wellness by not giving up on the exercises when they are difficult.
Reference:
Dacher, E.S.(2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing (eBook). Basic Health Publications
Loving Kindness Exercise
This week we covered the loving kindness exercise. We started by thinking of someone close to us that we think of when it comes to loving someone. For me, I thought of my older son. He was my first born and I have cherished having him in my life. After reminiscing about my son and thinking about the love I have for him, I begin to move onto the next step. By this time, I am calm, happy, and relaxed. Next, I am feeling my own love for myself and trying to just enjoy the sensations I have, but letting go of them as well. Just relaxing.
The next stage in the exercise is to think of someone I love and their struggles. For me, this was my older son again. He has been facing some struggles and has been in a dark place lately. He has been reaching out for help. I feel his pain and want to help. During this part of the exercise I have the opportunity to remove some of his pain, or the pain that I can feel he has been experiencing. I breath deeply in, hold it in for a moment, and I can feel my heart, my love, dissolving his pain. I breath out as if I just let go of his pain and replaced it with my warm love, with my support, and with my kindness. I feel that he will know I am there helping to ease his sorrows.
Next in the exercise, we are asked to branch out to those suffering outside my immediate circle. I can see those suffering like my son who need my help. I repeat the exercise by breathing in their sorrows. I exhale and give them back my loving kindness. When this is completed for all of them, I can feel they know I have helped them...even if they don't realize it just yet.
The following step branches out to others. I begin to do the same for anyone that comes to mind. I am feeling relaxed because I feel like I am at more peace because others will be more at peace. I feel loved and I feel like I have shared my love for others. This makes me feel good. I feel stresses being removed from my life. My heart feels less strain and less heavy than it did when I just ached for others sorrows if that makes sense.
Even if these feelings are not quite what was intended, I feel like the exercise was a success because I feel relief from overwhelming stress. I feel like the remaining sorrows can be resolved much easier than before. I do not feel doom like I have in the last week. I feel free and uplifted.
The next stage in the exercise is to think of someone I love and their struggles. For me, this was my older son again. He has been facing some struggles and has been in a dark place lately. He has been reaching out for help. I feel his pain and want to help. During this part of the exercise I have the opportunity to remove some of his pain, or the pain that I can feel he has been experiencing. I breath deeply in, hold it in for a moment, and I can feel my heart, my love, dissolving his pain. I breath out as if I just let go of his pain and replaced it with my warm love, with my support, and with my kindness. I feel that he will know I am there helping to ease his sorrows.
Next in the exercise, we are asked to branch out to those suffering outside my immediate circle. I can see those suffering like my son who need my help. I repeat the exercise by breathing in their sorrows. I exhale and give them back my loving kindness. When this is completed for all of them, I can feel they know I have helped them...even if they don't realize it just yet.
The following step branches out to others. I begin to do the same for anyone that comes to mind. I am feeling relaxed because I feel like I am at more peace because others will be more at peace. I feel loved and I feel like I have shared my love for others. This makes me feel good. I feel stresses being removed from my life. My heart feels less strain and less heavy than it did when I just ached for others sorrows if that makes sense.
Even if these feelings are not quite what was intended, I feel like the exercise was a success because I feel relief from overwhelming stress. I feel like the remaining sorrows can be resolved much easier than before. I do not feel doom like I have in the last week. I feel free and uplifted.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Physical, Spiritual, and Psychological
Good day everyone!
This week we were asked to rate ourselves in the physical, spiritual, and psychological areas on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best. As of lately, I would have to say my scores in these areas are lower than they used to be. Currently I would rate them as:
Physical = 5
Spiritual = 4
Psychological = 6
For me to improve these areas I need to be able to remove the activities of my children and their friends (they are riff-raff) so I can get back to a less stressful way of life. Also, I need to introduce more stress reliving activities such as the relaxation exercises I performed the last couple of weeks in my health and wellness class.
My goals are to try to take my life back and set boundaries for my children and their friends and to make time for the relaxation exercises even when my class is over where I am learning about them is over. I would like to commit to the relaxation exercises, learn to be disciplined to try to be less negative, and to find more quiet and alone time for my sanity!
This week we covered a relaxation exercise, the Rainbow Meditation, which uses colors of a prism to identify with being grounded, centered, being loved, being able to love, having a meaningful purpose, having balance, and being connected.
Personally I didn't like this one as much as the one before from last week, but once I was able to get through the exercise without a houseful of riff-raff distracting my efforts (interrupted on 4 previous attempts) I was able to relax. I did feel all of these things for a bit., but I believe it would have gone better if I could have just had the successful 1st attempt. I might have done the 5th attempt to soon after being interrupted the two times before it.
Well I'm out for now and can't wait to see what my classmates thought of this exercise.
Elicia
This week we were asked to rate ourselves in the physical, spiritual, and psychological areas on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best. As of lately, I would have to say my scores in these areas are lower than they used to be. Currently I would rate them as:
Physical = 5
Spiritual = 4
Psychological = 6
For me to improve these areas I need to be able to remove the activities of my children and their friends (they are riff-raff) so I can get back to a less stressful way of life. Also, I need to introduce more stress reliving activities such as the relaxation exercises I performed the last couple of weeks in my health and wellness class.
My goals are to try to take my life back and set boundaries for my children and their friends and to make time for the relaxation exercises even when my class is over where I am learning about them is over. I would like to commit to the relaxation exercises, learn to be disciplined to try to be less negative, and to find more quiet and alone time for my sanity!
This week we covered a relaxation exercise, the Rainbow Meditation, which uses colors of a prism to identify with being grounded, centered, being loved, being able to love, having a meaningful purpose, having balance, and being connected.
Personally I didn't like this one as much as the one before from last week, but once I was able to get through the exercise without a houseful of riff-raff distracting my efforts (interrupted on 4 previous attempts) I was able to relax. I did feel all of these things for a bit., but I believe it would have gone better if I could have just had the successful 1st attempt. I might have done the 5th attempt to soon after being interrupted the two times before it.
Well I'm out for now and can't wait to see what my classmates thought of this exercise.
Elicia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)