In this course we have learned about various exercises which help to improve our mental fitness (Loving-kindness, subtle mind, visualization, and meditation).  Out of these the two that I have found most beneficial are the visualization and meditation.  I had trouble staying focused when it comes to the subtle mind and the loving-kindness exercises.  I try to use a form of meditation, known as prayer.  There for a while I was very dedicated to praying on a daily basis, and I seemed to have such a bright outlook even when stressful times occured.  Prayer is a great way to improve your spirituality and your mental health.  When we have a higher being to look to we maintain a sense of hope which keeps us from becoming sad and depressed.  I really enjoyed visualization when speaking of nature, because nature really relaxes me.  I love camping and hiking which help me to be able to visualize nature.  The peace and tranquility that nature gives you can help you to move from a depressive state to a more manic state very quickly.  I love to look at the clouds when laying on a blanket or think about the birds singing during a sunny spring day.  I also love to listen to the crickets around a pond on a warm summer evening.  These are sounds that can calm the most frustrated mind.

I find that it doesn't take but a few minutes to perform either of these forms of mindfulness.  Meditation and visualization work well in any environment, but is best practiced in a quiet and relaxed environment. 

I have used visualization and deep breathing to lower my blood pressure at the doctor's office, since I have white coat syndrome.  I always am asked if I have high blood pressure because I am borderline hypertensive when my doctor sees me.  I never have high blood pressure. 

Other ways you can meditate are to remove yourself from the noisy environment and just close your eyes and stop thinking completely.  This helps me when I become overwhelmed at work and only have a few minutes to take a break.

We have to understand simple ways to reduce our stress levels to be healthy is the world today due to its chaotic pace and techology.

Tracy

Again, I had difficulty becoming fully engaged in this exercise at first. My mind kept wandering back and forth with a few distractions in my house. I thought of my great-grandmother. She was always there for me as a child. She fed me cheese and crackers and let me stay up late watching the Oak Ridge Boys and Hee Haw. Those were the good ole days! this exercise made me remember many memories of her that I had suppressed. I had forgotten many of them from a conscous state.

Mindfulness and meditation are great ways to increase our self-awareness whether it be of our body or our mind. It helps to calm the senses and let us understand our areas of weakness. These exercises help us to connect mentally and physically with ourselves. In order to foster these practices in my life, I will continue to find ways to reflect on my total body, not just the physical state, but also the psychological and spiritual states. This helps us to live and function with intention.

The phrase "one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is a great way of summaraizing that we cannot help others if we don't set the example first. Others will be more apt to follow our ways if they see that we witness to them and that what we do affects how we function. If they see that by meditating we can escape illness and become happy, healthy individuals, they will be more likely to try them. We are here for others to help them make positive lifestyle changes so that they can escape disease and ill health.

I can implement spiritual growth in my life by just reading scripture more and understanding it so that I can live the life I strive for others to follow. Psychologically, I can grow by learning to only take on as much as I can handle and not more than I can handle. Keeping priorities and letting go of the small things that tend to stress us out but really don't matter.

Human Flourishing

In performing the Loving-kindness activity this week, I was able to realize that great joy can be felt in thinking of others and their needs, because I can offer so much for those who are dear in my heart.  When we are continually busy in our own schedules and activities, we tend to lose sight of others.  I was pleased to be able to think about those in other countries that are less fortunate than I am.  I remember this when I begin to feel down so that I can quit sulking in my misery and be reminded of how blessed I really am. 
I would recommend that others gain knowledge of loving-kindness so that they too can reach out for optimal human growth and development mentally and spiritually.

During the integral assessment of my life, I realized that I deeply miss being able to spend time with my three chidlren.  My job has taken too much time away from them.  This has been a struggle that I have been dealing with for a while now.  Since school has started that has also taken time away from them.  They are onlylittle once.  I need to find balance in my interpersonal and my psychospiritual dimensions of human flourishing.  In finding balance in these areas, I can strengthen my wellness as well as improve my overall happiness.  I can now recognize what area needs developed and need to establish goals to work toward this balance.  A personal goal for me would be to prioritize job duties so that they don't interfere with family time.  Schedule family outings and time after school to improve one on one time with each of my children at least two days a week.

This assessment will need to be redone every so often to address areas of weakness that need new goals to stay healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Tracy

Hello everyone,
This week's exercise was to listen to a audio presentation on finding the subtle mind.  It asked us to find a focal point to direct our attention to and try to stay focused on it throughout the activity.  This exercise was to help us find our inner peace and calmness that allowed us to redirect any outside thoughts and feelings in a disciplined manner.

The loving-kindness activity last week asked us to rid our minds of negative thoughts and feelings to find a peace from within, while improving our physical health by reducing and ridding our minds of stress.
The subtle mind activity this week was to find a stillness within our bodies and our minds that relaxed us to focus on one thing which was our breath. 

I found it difficult to focus on one focal point, but when going back to my breath was able to redirect my mind.  It is difficult to keep our minds focused on one thing at a time, since it is so accustomed to changing lanes throughout our daily lives.  Many people multitask at work and home due to their busy schedules, as do I.  I was able to reach a sense of relaxation with both activities, which helped me to sleep better, and feel relaxed for a while after. 
The sublte mind activity would take the most practice, but each activity makes us become more aware of our spiritual and mental self.

The connection that our spiritual wellness has on our physical wellness is enormous.  By being able to relax our minds we are also able to relax our bodies, which brings an overwhelming sense of peace and calmness within our whole body.  We are able to focus better and find a way to neutralize our emotions.  This connection manifested in my life my teaching me to let go of stress and stressful emotions to improve my physical well being.  It made my muscles relax, and my blood pressure reduce.

This is a great way to reduce stress no matter what it is.