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.