UNIT 8 BLOG

Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples

The two exercises that I found to be most useful from this course were the subtle mind exercise and the loving-kindness exrcise. As many others have noted, many aspects of these exercises are much like prayer. Personally, I feel that prayer is a great way to implement these practices. Another way that I can implement these practices is by using the tips provided in training the mind to alter perception of stressors. For example; rather than viewing a task as yet another responsiblity, I can view it as a step toward achieving a goal (i.e. obtaining my career, paying off my car, etc). Many of the issues that cause stress in my life are things that are out of my control anyway. I need to look at these issues as what they are, out of my control, and focus more on things that I can actually change.

UNIT 7 BLOG

My meditation practice for the week consisted of focusing on positive thoughts. I also incorporated some of the techniques from the loving kindness meditation exercise as some of my stress was related to what my close friend was going through. Meditation is a great way to analyze the root of a stressor which was very helpful for my psychological wellness.  I found that acknowledging the stressor and focusing on a more positive outcome helped me to face the stressors and move on. I will continue to meditate long after this class, it is actually my only form of mental relaxation.

In regards to the saying "one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself", it means that it is difficult to effectively teach someone without being knowledgeable on the topic yourself. We cannot preach the importance of wellness as a whole, if we have nothing to compare it to. It is also easier to empathize with someone that is unsuccessful if we have tried and failed in the past as well. I know that I can implement psychological and spiritual growth into my own life by practicing these relaxation exercises and also taking what I believe in most deeply and implementing it into how I go about solving a problem or managing stress. 

UNIT 6 BLOG

I will admit that I did not expect the Loving Kindness meditation to have the impact that it did on me! First, I began the exercise completely focused on myself and how it would make me feel more relaxed and at ease with my struggles. I realized that the transition from focusing on my own problems to focusing on the problems faced by others, really allowed me to empathize. When I repeated the phrase in my mind for 10 minutes, I truly began to realize that my problems are minimal compared to the collective faced by the general population.

 

The integral assessment was really helpful in identifying areas of my life which need focus and attention. This assessment directs all attention toward personal concerns and stressors, then gradually peels them back until your are left to focus on the problem you do not want to face. The good thing about this assessment is it makes you feel as though addressing the issue (s) gives you a sense of control over them. It helped me to understand what my goals are in diminshing the stressor and what I can do to reach those goals. One of the exercises that I will continue to implement, long after I am through with this class is meditation. I honestly had no idea of the sense of awareness to be gained from it. After these exercises and meditation, I do not feel trapped under my problems, I realize that if there is a way to resolve them, a clear mind is the first step in doing so.

UNIT 5 BLOG

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

While I found both exercises particularly relaxing, I enjoyed the loving kindness exercise a little more. Both exercises seemed to have the same goal ultimately, which was to obtain a "peace of mind". The loving kindness exercise seemed to focus more on actually adressing the issue while the subtle mind exercise seemed to focus more on clearing the mind. Aside from these similarities and differences between the two, I found them equally useful. They both helped me to achieve a relaxed state by the end.

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

Spiritual, mental, and physical wellness are completely different types of wellness but are interconnected. These types of wellness are intertwined so that health or illness in either can have an effect on the others. The connection between mental and physical health are impacting my life at this moment. I do not want to get too much into detail but I am going through a great deal of stress. I have noticed a rapid decline in my physical health since the onset of this particular stressor. I notice that on days where I do not feel as stressed, my body is not as sore and I am also not as exhausted. I have been trying all of the exercises that we have covered so far to alleviate mental stress. I have to say that it has been working, although I know I have a long way to go and need to eliminate the stressor.