Unit 7 Blog

The "meeting Aesclepius" exercise was very fun! I enjoyed it although in the beginning I had trouble imagining the honored figure or person. I was listening to the waves and flute while trying to imagine my mother. It was extremely hard to do both at the same time. But, eventually I drained out the sounds and really got to focus and relax. I can easily tell the difference in my attitude and reactions to things or people in result of practicing the meditation exercises. This is healthier for myself and others. I am not as irritable, and I can witness more with intention, instead of reaction. I have learned that intention does not mean to be constantly happy or excited. Intention simply means your intent on doing something. Reaction is automatic, or, without contemplation. This means that intention can be an angry, annoyed, or sad, reaction, you just think it through first. This was a big lesson for me. If I had not learned this lesson and told my girlfriend, "instead of reacting, think about your actions before you do them" and saw me react instead of think, she would not believe that it helps, works, or even doubt that I can act with intention. This would be more exaggerated with a client in the health and professional world because they do not know you and need to trust you. If you can not take your own advice, how will you help change someone's life with that advice. They also might think you do not know what you are talking about. This is very necessary as a professional in the field. Meditation and mindfulness practices can improve the person physically, spiritually, and psychologically.  There are many types of meditation, one should try them out and find which one suits them best.

Unit 6 Exercise and Assessment

     The unit 6 exercise and integral assessment was very beneficial to me, in my opinion. I got a chance to relax and then think about myself and the aspects of my life, including the under and overdeveloped. The practice was a bit difficult, I would much rather listen to a podcast, but I did get a relaxed sense after the first few minutes, and after five minutes I began to think of how I am going to develop the underdeveloped aspects of my life, and, more importantly, what they are.

     I know the psycho-spiritual aspect of my life is underdeveloped. I do not know much about my own beliefs nor do I explore them very often. I tend to think about my mental aspect, and all of the pain in my life that has me beaten down. I have grown stronger from it, but I have also waited to do something about it for too long. I want to develop my beliefs and almost "find myself". Only then, can I become happier and healthier than ever. I put a lot of pressure into my racing, which does not really help. I think that I need to practice meditation throughout my day, along with giving myself some time for hobbies and relaxing. I find my hobby to help my emotional state tremendously. Hopefully, I can continue that and continue to learn and grow toward true integral health. I want to continue to help people in need, and care for the ones I love. That is also a great sense of love and caring that makes me feel better immediately.

Unit 5 Subtle Mind Exercise

     This exercise was much easier to follow for me, personally. I think it was easier to follow because I was in a quieter, more calm environment and because there were more direct directions. The analogy of "tying your mind to a stake in the ground" was one that I could easily relate to. The waves, again, relaxed me very much and it was soothing to hear. This activity taught me how to use my breath as a tool, a tool that allows me to let my mind "breath" or take a break in between thoughts.

     The connection with spiritual health and mental and physical wellness is something that I was missing for a long time. I did not believe in some core principles of Christianity, but I did believe in some. I had to look deep inside my mind to begin to look at all of my true personal beliefs. Once someone has healthy spiritual beliefs, they can reduce their stress levels and start to let go of all of the questions, thoughts, or feelings, that previously arose. They can be confident about themselves and their beliefs which is critical in optimal wellness.

Mental Practice: Unit 4

Keagan Nelson

1) I found this experience to be very difficult to follow. I was so relaxed by the crashing waves that I barely heard the speaker, almost as if I blocked her out. Maybe if I listened to it regularly I could get used to it and start to focus more. I would recommend this to anyone with a larger attention span, assuming that the person wants to perform this exercise. I think someone who does not want to do this exercise will fail terribly and possibly not even learn a thing.

2) Any mental exercise can increase the activity happening in the brain. With an increase of activity, the mind can start to perform at a higher level of awareness and consciousness. With this comes serious benefits, including but not limited to, improved emotional health, psychological health, spiritual health, and biological health. Meditation and stress reduction/ management practices can greatly improve psychological health. These practices can reduce worrying, stress, sadness, and improve happiness, wholeness, connectedness, and generally biological health.