UNIT 5 - THE KEY ROLE OF THOUGHT IN WELLNESS AND HEALING

1.  COMPARE AND CONTRAST

In the Loving-Kindness exercise, the focus is more on learning to love yourself so that you’ll be able to show love towards not only your family but also to strangers and enemies alike.  The exercise shows how to take on suffering and replace it with health and joy.  The Subtle Mind exercise focuses more on the levels of higher consciousness.  Practicing the breathing techniques helps to tame and stabilize the mind by developing a witnessing consciousness.  As witnessing replaces grasping and clinging, we progressively experience calm-abiding, and that leads to evolving into unity consciousness.

2.  THE CONNECTION OF SPIRITUAL WELLNESS AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLNESS

When our mind is transformed to a higher level of consciousness, we have the capability of controlling our own body movements such as blood pressure and pulse, skin temperature, the rhythmic beat of a racing heart, and bowel motility.  According to Dacher, these practices are not only mental and spiritual practices but also mind/body practices.  As we still the mind, the body moves with it (Dacher, 2006).

These practices are evident in my daily activity as I journey towards a more wholesome lifestyle.

Anita

Reference: Dacher, E. (2006). Ingeral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:
    Basic Publications, Inc.

Loving-Kindness Exercise

The relaxing exercise on loving-kindness is the kind of exercise that allows individuals such as myself to examine those situations that are uncomfortable and sometimes very difficult in which to deal with.

I am a bit of a recluse and sometimes it is difficult for me to share such private thoughts with those whom I don't know; especially when I'm doing it in a way that is so public.

The passing of two sisters, two brothers, and one nephew over the span of less than four years is a bit much.  Additionally, I've been married to my husband of 12 years whom I was on the verge of leaving not too long ago.  .  A younger sister and brother died of heart failure, which I feel could have been prevented.  Oldest brother died of drowning while trying to save a child (I think this is the highest form of giving or loving-kindness); and the recent death of my sister almost took me over the edge.  She battled cancer for six years and had recently had several mini strokes which no one knew about.  She suffered in silence and the cancer spread to her brain.  She never gained consciousness.  My mother is still alive and well today.  Can you imagine the toll this takes on a mother who has lost four children and one grandson?  Just thinking about this bring tears to my eyes.  Not because of sadness but of joy and happiness

You see, I keep saying everyday, this class to me is very personal and I truly believe it is God's will for me to be here at this time and place in my life. He's preparing me for the next step.

It is through these exercises and the communications of your discussions, that my level of consciousness is being enhanced and expanded, as I continue my journey towards integral healing of health, happiness, and wholeness.

In conclusion, I welcomed these types of exercise techiques as they help me to diminish  negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings, and focus my attention  onto the shores of possibilties of health and wellness that is within each of us.

 I have already begun to share this valuable knowledge with my husband, children, and siblings.

Anita

UNIT 4 Mind-Body-Spirit Paradigm

To obtain and sustain a "mental workout" requires a daily dose of psychological practice and exercise.  The lesson notes that results can be seen after an hour everyday of mental activity towards the road to health, happiness, and wholeness (Dacher, 2006).  Personally, I practice this technique everyday for about 30 minutes.

Everyone knows that anything worthwhile requires work, so preseverance is the key.  You can't win a marathon, or be a top NFL player unless you are mentally and physically able to do, and this requires intense and daily training.  The mind is no different.  To say it is one thing but doing it requires the right stuff (compassion, loving-kindness), and sustaining it requires growth and development (subtle mind, peace, wisdom, happiness, and wholeness).

In fostering my own psychological health and well-being, I'm beginning to see the results of my mental workout as I grow and devlop towards psychological flourishing.

Anita

Reference:

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

Welcome Statement

This is my first blog site for my health and wellness class.  I would like to say welcome and please feel free to stop by and leave a comment or just to say hi.