Unit 6

Practicing loving kindness was much easier to me. I think because for me, it has always been easier to  fulfilling or to do for others. I wish that more people would think about other humans and know that we all are more alike than different. That by helping our fellow neighbor we are helping ourselves, it was a great meditation exercise.

When the integral assessment came along, I did not know where to start? I know I am a working progress, I always been open about it. However, when you really start to analyze and think about the areas in your life you want to improve. The list just gets so much bigger. The area that I have chosen to grow and develop more is biological. Feel like I always claim to be a runner, and at one point I really was. However, now I find every excuse under the sun not to go to the gym! This week, it has been a bit difficult, because I’m working days and I don’t have the time that I used to. My next excuse is my homework, then finally not having anybody to keep and eye on my daughter. Although all legitimate excuses, there are ways to keep active even if you don’t go to the gym. I own a treadmill and I never take it out for a walk. It is now being used as a hanger. Sad but true!

I feel down, fat, and unattractive! I don’t fit well in clothes that I used to. I have this skinny girl in my head and every time I grab something that I think would fit me, I find myself very disappointed and sad not to be able to fit it.

I know that a good diet and exercise is the way, but I don’t know why I don’t just put the work into it? Again, I have crated a plan and I plan to really implement it. I am going to exercise every single day, regardless of what, where, and when. I am tired of feeling like this! I want to feel good about myself!!!

I will keep you all posted!!

Rosa

Unit 5 Subtle Mind

Your mental fitness practice this week incorporates the concept of the subtle mind (Dacher p.75). This week, replace the Loving Kindness exercise of unit four with Practice 2: The Subtle Mind practice mp3 (located in the Doc Sharing thread).

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

Ok so I fell a sleep! The subtle mind practice was a bit more relaxing for me. I lay on my bed, placed my laptop net to me and turned the volume all the way up. I lay flat, took of my watch, shoes and ponytail and started to listen to the breathing techniques. Once I started to visualize air coming into and out of my lungs, I passed out. I think it's a good thing or at least something different. During this exercise the chatter in my mind stop, but so did my mind. The benefit of this particular exercise is that I rested (napped) for at lest two hours, which I never do. My frustration is that I fell a sleep and was unable to accomplish quiet my mind but we awake.

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

The connection between my spirituality and my mental and physical wellness is as connected as my head is to the rest of my body! One support and affects the other. The only difference is that I can see and exercise my physical body in many ways. My mind and my spirituality are a bit complicated and subtle. So much is unknown and not tangible that it’s hard to measure. In my personal life these three concepts have manifested themselves in ways that I could clearly see that I had a problem with each one. I have come from a long way and consider myself more spiritual, mental, and physically matured. 

Unit 4 (loving-Kindness)

1.            Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?

 I found it very relaxing, I don’t know about you all out there, but I seem to find a very hard time staying focused on a particular time or thought. I started with just five minutes and found it very difficult to go any further than ten minutes. What does this mean? I wonder if it means that I’m not ready for it? Could someone just not be matured enough for the ability to quiet the mind? Or I’m I just over analyzing it? I also think that doing this on my own is not the best Idea for someone like myself. I’m the kind of person that put herself in last and if something or someone needs me I am quick to stop what I’m doing and attend to that persons needs before my own. Because I kid you not, the minute I lay and get really into my exercise, Ian urgent thought pops into my head and I have to get it done and its usually something for someone else. I would recommend meditation to anyone. I actually can wait to be good enough to get my daughter involved. I think being able to be this aware of your body and mind can be so beneficial to a growing young lady, during those difficult teenage years.

2.            What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

Mental workout is just like working out your physical body. When one works out and pushes their body to the limits, the body responds to the training. The mind works the same. According to Dacher, “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” (2006, pg. 63). As of now my way of implementing mental workout are by doing these types of exercises. However, I do think that for me running is my mental workout. Believe it or not my mind is the most quiet and relax when I’m running. I find myself most often praying during my running (not only to give me the strength to keep running).

Dacher, E., S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications

Unit 3

1.            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?

When rating my physical wellbeing I guess I can give myself a 6. I have not weight myself lately but I’m sure I’m still over my weight for my height. I just recently went shopping for pants and I fit in a size smaller and I feel great about that. I work out as much as I can; my problem is really balancing my night shifts at work, schoolwork, and wife and mom duties! Working out always gets cut off from my do to lists. When I do workout I was told to stay between 121 and 161 heart beats per minute, but that's like a very light jog. I try to stay at that pace but I can’t help it, I soon start running and I go up to 170 to 190 beats per minute. I don’t know if that's bad but I feel great! I just recently started to incorporate weights (by recently I mean today), I don’t know what to do and when to do it! I want to ask for assistance at the gym but trainers are just too expensive!

My spiritual well-being is a on going process. I give myself a 5. As I stated before I’m a changed woman after Afghanistan but I still have a long road ahead of me. I don’t attend a church and I don’t claim to be a religion. I placed my daughter in Catholic school because I do believe that Catholic school and a Catholic up bringing kept me from doing crazy things during my teenage years (not many but the major ones).

My psychological well-being is great! I give myself a proud 8! As I stated above before my deployment I was lost. I was in a bad state of mind and mad at the world. Logically I came back a bit on the edge for the first year but it all turned around and grew a lot as a person. I became clear of my past, present, and future.

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

My goal has always been to become a better person, as a matter of a fact that has always been my personal prayer. Physically I keep working out (mostly running), I may stop for a bit but I always get back into it. Spiritually I continue to search ways to exercise my spirituality by taking a course like this and learning to meditate, pray, etc.  Psychologically I have friends and family to talk with. I like to say that I live my life as an open book. It sometimes gets me in trouble but it’s my form of therapy.

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

Physically, keep running and maybe take up biking. I have a small interest in biking that I should look into it. Spiritually, my daughter is going to start going to Catholic school in the fall, so I should make it my business to attend mass or any extra activities my daughter is involved in. If that is to Doctrine for me then I should take up yoga or keep learning to meditate. Psychologically having lunch with a friend at least once a month to “unload” and “recharge” or if money is available a therapist! Oh a journal would be great! However, I am always afraid that someone would read my thoughts and know my secrets (I do not like that idea at all)!

After completing the relaxation exercise, I felt like I should do it again tomorrow! My mind wondered off so bad, I tuned the person talking out! For a while I had no idea what he was saying and I was in my own little movie! Its crazy how hard it is to focus. When I did get back on track I felt relaxed and in control over my breathing.