Unit 6

The Loving-Kindness exercise on page 93 was a little difficults for me. No that I do not want people to be freed of suffering or for them to have health, happiness, and wholeness. But it's easier for me to listen to soemthing than read and try to remember a saying to the point I can relax and really concentrate on the effects of the phrase. I was having to re-read the phrase to remember it and so it took me a while to expand my mind and heart. I have always been a "lover" my mom says, I have always loved people and everything around me. So this phrase is very easy for me to wish apon people. I always see the best in people and wish everyon the best. The assessment on page 115 was easier to remember but after each step of the assessment I was having to go back to the pages to read the question that I was supposed to ask myself. I am not sure I learned anything new about myself but discovered that I need to work on spiritual side. I have known this for awhile but really felt it when I did this assessment. I am 33 years old and am starting a family with my husband. I want to search what I really believe in and what I can share with my husband and our future children. I believe I was unbias to this assessment. Some exercises I can do is open up my spiritual charkra by meditation and yoga practice. Studying up on differnt religions and figuring out which one relates to me the best or makes me feel the most passionate about it. I liked these exercises in that they are really good for the soul, but i like to listen to the exercises more than reading them. I am able to relax more and concentrate on my mind and body more. Good experience though!

Unit 5 Post: The Subtle Mind

1.Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc. For me Loving Kindness was more relaxing then Subtle Mind, Loving Kindness was hard to do the things the man asked but his voice and the sounds for me were very relaxing. I found myself thinking a lot in Subtle Mind, I was relaxed but I couldn't just release my thoughts. At the end I sort of did, when she talked about disolving the images in your mind. I visualized the thoughts disolving into a blank room. To my surprise I was able to hold that for a few minutes. I have never been able to completely let my mind go with out any thoughts. I more try to focus on one thing, so in this exericse it was the sounds in the background. I think they are the same or very similar to Loving Kindness' sounds. I do not get frustrated at these exercises because I believe that mind has to work to get to this point, I do not expect my body to be physically fit without putting the work into it and maintaining that work. The mind will take just as much work but in a very different way. I am in my last term at school and believe that once I am done and have time to focus on me again I will start to do these types of exercises many times a week. Right now I just do 5-10 minutes of breathing/stretching meditation. To really "disolve" my thoughts will take many more practices. 2.Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life. For me out of the three I am physically well and believe to a degree I am mental well, spiritual wellness I do not have much of a connection to. I would love to get to the wholness that we are discussing. To get to be whole however you need to be physically, mentally, and spiratually well. I am trying to at least perfect two out of three and then really figure out the spiritual side and how I will incorporate this into my life.

Unit #4

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 had one of those days when I sat down to listen to the Loving Kindness exercise. I had a very busy day, very busy. When I finally was able to sit down and listen to the exercise I was super tired. I started the exercise not being able to concentrate, my mind was going a mile a minute. I had aches in my knees and lower back. Once I started to relax and really focus on her instructions, voice, and the water background I felt like I was in a trance. I really just melted into my bed. I was so relaxed! At one point I was concentrating on the water noise and nothing else. It was hard for me to really open my heart and give love the way she described. I thought about my husband, and of course I love him but not sure what exactly to think. I thought about how I am luckly to have him and we have a great life. I think I was too tired maybe to really relax and imagine all this stuff without falling asleep. I was too relaxed. I actaully ended up falling asleep at the end when she stopped giving instructions. Not sure how long I was out for but when I woke I felt calmer, much calmer then before I started. I would recommend this to someone. I think everyone should experience this along with forms of meditation. It's a great expereince to have. If I was able to do this exercise more I could probably concentrate and really experience it the way it is suppose to be. 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? The idea of mental workots are to strengthen your brain to train your brain to think positive, to love, to be kind, to be compassionate. Mental workouts give us health, happinness, and wholeness. Like our bodies we have to stay on top of the fitness for those muscles along with our brains. I think I generally a happy person but I do get stressed easly and tend to worry a lot. So I think mental workouts would help be overcome those feelings of stress and worry.