I have to admit that this week I wasn't as consistant with my meditations as I might normally be. Each day this last week I've been out either with my kids or my husband doing errands or other running around so that by the time I'm home again, I'm really too tired to think much less meditate! (I know it's a terrible excuse - but that was my life last week.) When I did get an opportunity to sit down and focus, I found that my meditation time was not of the quality that it has been in the past. My mind wandered all over the place like a drunken driver on the highway. The voices that I would normally be able to send to the back of my mind were refusing to budge - in fact they often remained in the forefront of my thoughts, screaming rather loudly for attention!
I did however do the meditation for Unit 7, "Meeting Asciepius." I found the narration to be quite interesting. At first - I had a difficult time picturing a "wise person" within my life; in fact I had to run the meditation through twice before I could sit down and develop a picture that I could work with. I finally settled on a Native American Medicine Woman that I once knew. She was in many ways very traditional, and in other ways she was very modern... yet in all ways, she was very wise. I hadn't thought of her for a long while. Using this particular meditation and focusing on her made the meditation that much more profound for me.
I think that for the next few sessions that I do in terms of quiet time, I will use my friend as the focus. Her presence enabled me to quiet down and go once again into that quiet space that I hadn't been able to access very well this last week.
The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" has a small bit of truth to it... certianly knowledge is the key... also having a good roadmap helps too! I think that it is important to realize that we are all on this planet together and that we are all journeying through life together. And while I might have extra weight, that doesn't mean that the knowledge I have is any less valid than the individual who might not have that extra weight. The key is that I'm aware of my condition and that like my client I'm working to take care of it!
If we wait until we have the "perfect bodies" or the "perfect set of knowledge" then we might as well never bother - we will spend our entire lives waiting rather than being on the front lines working with people and sharing what we do know. Remember that as teachers we are more often than not in fact the students. We may do the teaching, but we are also doing a lot of the learning as well!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Unit 6 - Loving Kindness / Integral Assessment
1. Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise.
I found that using the Universal Loving Kindness meditation was similar (at least to me) to using the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"), or using Taize prayers or reciting the Rosary. I find that if I use any one of those forms of prayer or meditation, any anger or malice that I might have had towards an individual has been diffused, and in its place is a sense of loving concern, and the beginnings of a sense of empathy and (hopefully) rapport where we can begin to connect as human beings instead of adversaries.
2. Complete the Integral Assessment.
An integral assesment means for me to assess where I am in terms of psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal and worldly development. I'm finding that this is a long term assessment and one that changes on a daily basis. Is there a particular weakness that I'm working on? No, not necessarily for there are many weaknesses in all aspects of my life. I am not perfect - so there is certianly more than enough room for me to grow and develop in all areas and aspects of my life.
3. Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?
The assessment process that I needed to be more cognatively aware of was my biological development. Fitness, nutrition and self regulation are just three of the areas that could use extra work and attention. For example, since I am no longer working full time, I no longer use the amount of calories that I might have ordinarily consumned... therefore I need to be more aware of what I eat. Using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate gives the illusion of eating a large portion. Learning to say no to seconds is another "exercise" that I can use. The point is that I am becoming responsive rather than reactive to food and it's call to "eat me!"
I found that using the Universal Loving Kindness meditation was similar (at least to me) to using the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"), or using Taize prayers or reciting the Rosary. I find that if I use any one of those forms of prayer or meditation, any anger or malice that I might have had towards an individual has been diffused, and in its place is a sense of loving concern, and the beginnings of a sense of empathy and (hopefully) rapport where we can begin to connect as human beings instead of adversaries.
2. Complete the Integral Assessment.
An integral assesment means for me to assess where I am in terms of psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal and worldly development. I'm finding that this is a long term assessment and one that changes on a daily basis. Is there a particular weakness that I'm working on? No, not necessarily for there are many weaknesses in all aspects of my life. I am not perfect - so there is certianly more than enough room for me to grow and develop in all areas and aspects of my life.
3. Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?
The assessment process that I needed to be more cognatively aware of was my biological development. Fitness, nutrition and self regulation are just three of the areas that could use extra work and attention. For example, since I am no longer working full time, I no longer use the amount of calories that I might have ordinarily consumned... therefore I need to be more aware of what I eat. Using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate gives the illusion of eating a large portion. Learning to say no to seconds is another "exercise" that I can use. The point is that I am becoming responsive rather than reactive to food and it's call to "eat me!"
Monday, January 18, 2010
Unit 5 - The 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 exercise and listen to track #3 on the Dacher CD.
1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
In the loving kindness exercise (#1) the focus of the meditation was on the physical body... getting yourself calm down physically in order to experience the mental aspects of the meditation. In exercise two, the focus is more on training the mind to develop the ability to experience the more subtle levels of the mind. This is where we experience healing. I can't say specifically that I experienced any major frustration with the exercise other than my eldest son coming into the room and violently bringing me "back to reality."
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
We are by our nature a spiritual being - the problem is that we don't normally spend time getting into contact or reconnecting with that spiritual aspect of us. As a result, that part of us is usually neglected - that is until we become ill or under seige from illness or stress related disorders. By getting in touch with our inner selves that spiritiual part of us, we begin to learn to unlease the hidden powers that we all possess.
For myself, I do a short period of daily contemplative prayer and meditation that helps to create that connection between my spiritual wellness and my physical and mental wellness. On those days when I decide that I "don't have enough time" I find myself more flustered, more stressed out and a more difficult person to get along with. As a result, I'm learning to NOT miss any time. It's sort of like waking up in the morning and saying "good morning" to yourself!
1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
In the loving kindness exercise (#1) the focus of the meditation was on the physical body... getting yourself calm down physically in order to experience the mental aspects of the meditation. In exercise two, the focus is more on training the mind to develop the ability to experience the more subtle levels of the mind. This is where we experience healing. I can't say specifically that I experienced any major frustration with the exercise other than my eldest son coming into the room and violently bringing me "back to reality."
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
We are by our nature a spiritual being - the problem is that we don't normally spend time getting into contact or reconnecting with that spiritual aspect of us. As a result, that part of us is usually neglected - that is until we become ill or under seige from illness or stress related disorders. By getting in touch with our inner selves that spiritiual part of us, we begin to learn to unlease the hidden powers that we all possess.
For myself, I do a short period of daily contemplative prayer and meditation that helps to create that connection between my spiritual wellness and my physical and mental wellness. On those days when I decide that I "don't have enough time" I find myself more flustered, more stressed out and a more difficult person to get along with. As a result, I'm learning to NOT miss any time. It's sort of like waking up in the morning and saying "good morning" to yourself!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Day Three - WinterFeast for the Soul
Since this we are all participating in meditation - I thought that I would post this to encourage others to join with me. When we meditate and pray as a group the effect is that much more powerful! Thank you.
What nine months does for the embryoJelaluddin Rumi
Forty early mornings will do
For your growing awareness"
Please Join me on a 40 day 40 minute retreat at Winter Feast for the Soul!
There are a variety of traditions available for one to take part in, from Insight Meditations to Christian Contempleative prayer to Native American chant.
Blessings & Peace,
Carol L. Kent
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Bridge to Mental Fitness
In order to make my presentation fit the E-Blog & Google requirements, I had to cut a couple frames and pictures... however the message remains the same! I hope that everyone enjoys this! Thank you.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Blog for 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?
At home, I have several meditation tapes that I can listen to at any time. Most of them were tapes that my mother had gotten when she was actively a member of the Church of Religious Science and was working as a Practioner (an individual who has undergone two to three years of training in learning how to produce positive affirmations and "treatments" for people.) Some of these tapes are on losing weight, others are on just simply relaxing. But none of them addressed this particular topic, "loving kindness."
At first, I had a difficult time settling down and concentrating. My husband was walking down the hallway, the cats were meowing and people were walking by the apartment. So I had to stop the player until such time as things began to settle down and I could focus. Once I was able to focus, the exercise was not difficult at all. In fact it was rather pleasant.
While I was listening to the tape, I saw myself at the beach with the ocean behind me and all of the people that I've ever come in contact with in my life in front of me on the sand. I saw myself walking around shaking hands with people, giving or receiving hugs; or just simply touching someone on the shoulder, breathing in a "dark cloud" and releaseing a rainbow over the individual. One of the things that I noted is that when I first started, my back felt like it was on fire - the pain was almost intolerable. As I walked along the beach, I noticed that my back no longer felt like it was on fire... I felt a soothing coolness start to come over it. At the end of the session the people faded away and I was left alone on the beach... but I wasn't sorrowful or lonely - I was definitely at peace.
This is an exercise that I would recommend to others at the start of their day and even as a way of closing out their day. In religious communities, members start their day with morning prayer and end their day with evening prayer or compline (the last prayer of the hours just before bedtime). I could easily see this as becoming part of my evening prayer routine or my compline routine.
2. What is the concept of “Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
The concept of a 'mental workout' is similar to an athlete who trains for a marathon or an individual who goes to the gym for a physical workout. It is a series of exercises, learning how to relax, learning how to focus and learning how to turn the healing powers of our mind on. Aw we were not born already knowing the language that we speak - we had to learn it... so too do we have to learn how to focus, and how to heal ourselves. We also need to understand that by doing so, we come into a sacred space within ourselves - so we also learn how to treat ourselves as sacred vessels.
How can I implement mental workouts? I do this type of meditation on a "quasi-regular" basis already... however I need to do it on a "regular" basis in order for it to become effective. Exercising one's muscles once every three to four days does not provide the adequate opportunity for muscles to expand, to stretch or to grow. It is only through regular exercise every other day or every day that muscles have the opportunity to stretch and to grow and to strength. Likewise so with one's' brain and with their mind. Daily or exercise through reading, prayer or contemplative prayer or meditation / visualization teaches us how to go down into the deeper levels of ourselves to the source of our energy and our power. Both for ourselves and for the people that we will ultimately serve.
At home, I have several meditation tapes that I can listen to at any time. Most of them were tapes that my mother had gotten when she was actively a member of the Church of Religious Science and was working as a Practioner (an individual who has undergone two to three years of training in learning how to produce positive affirmations and "treatments" for people.) Some of these tapes are on losing weight, others are on just simply relaxing. But none of them addressed this particular topic, "loving kindness."
At first, I had a difficult time settling down and concentrating. My husband was walking down the hallway, the cats were meowing and people were walking by the apartment. So I had to stop the player until such time as things began to settle down and I could focus. Once I was able to focus, the exercise was not difficult at all. In fact it was rather pleasant.
While I was listening to the tape, I saw myself at the beach with the ocean behind me and all of the people that I've ever come in contact with in my life in front of me on the sand. I saw myself walking around shaking hands with people, giving or receiving hugs; or just simply touching someone on the shoulder, breathing in a "dark cloud" and releaseing a rainbow over the individual. One of the things that I noted is that when I first started, my back felt like it was on fire - the pain was almost intolerable. As I walked along the beach, I noticed that my back no longer felt like it was on fire... I felt a soothing coolness start to come over it. At the end of the session the people faded away and I was left alone on the beach... but I wasn't sorrowful or lonely - I was definitely at peace.
This is an exercise that I would recommend to others at the start of their day and even as a way of closing out their day. In religious communities, members start their day with morning prayer and end their day with evening prayer or compline (the last prayer of the hours just before bedtime). I could easily see this as becoming part of my evening prayer routine or my compline routine.
2. What is the concept of “Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
The concept of a 'mental workout' is similar to an athlete who trains for a marathon or an individual who goes to the gym for a physical workout. It is a series of exercises, learning how to relax, learning how to focus and learning how to turn the healing powers of our mind on. Aw we were not born already knowing the language that we speak - we had to learn it... so too do we have to learn how to focus, and how to heal ourselves. We also need to understand that by doing so, we come into a sacred space within ourselves - so we also learn how to treat ourselves as sacred vessels.
How can I implement mental workouts? I do this type of meditation on a "quasi-regular" basis already... however I need to do it on a "regular" basis in order for it to become effective. Exercising one's muscles once every three to four days does not provide the adequate opportunity for muscles to expand, to stretch or to grow. It is only through regular exercise every other day or every day that muscles have the opportunity to stretch and to grow and to strength. Likewise so with one's' brain and with their mind. Daily or exercise through reading, prayer or contemplative prayer or meditation / visualization teaches us how to go down into the deeper levels of ourselves to the source of our energy and our power. Both for ourselves and for the people that we will ultimately serve.
Blog for Unit 3
I've been absent from class for a little while as I had to move from my home to an apartment. Moving is such a "joy" (not really). Both myself & my husband are disabled and we had to rely upon the services of my youngest son & his girlfriend (and their wacky schedule) to move us... which is why everything took twice as long as it should have. But except for the unpacking and the occassional misplaced text book, I think I'm up & running again.
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?
I rate my physical well-being at a 7, only because I have just gone on disability for late - stage arthritis in my lower back and I'm no longer capable of working in direct patient care. I have two strikes against me in terms of health - I'm overweight and I'm sedentary. The apartment complex that I've moved into has a pool and a small workout room which I hope to start making use of (especially the pool once it thaws out). My spiritual well being... that is a little harder to assess. I'm above a 7, yet I'm not a 10 because I'm still seeking, still learning, still growing. As Franciscan, I follow a rule of life that includes both study , worship, prayer and simplicity. (The concept of simplicity is still a little difficult to grasp at times). Psychologcially I would have to rate my well being at an 8 at this time. Occassionally, I have minor bouts of depression but for the most part I'm okay. I would like to say that like people, most I believe that I'm still growing, still learning.
2. Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).
A goal for me physically would be to loose 5 pounds, spiritually to be more consistant in my morning prayer, psychologically - to be more positive in my thinking.
3. What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?
Physically: Go more often to the gym for water aerobic exercises instead of once a week - go three times a week.
Spiritually: Go to bed thirty minutes earlier and get up thirty minutes earlier to have "alone" time to do morning prayer.
Psychologically: Be more cognizant of what is coming out of my mouth. It's hard to be "self loving" when all you hear from yourself is, "I hate my body".
4. Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century
This exercise was shorter than some I have done in the past - yet very effective in learning how to calm oneself down and focus.
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?
I rate my physical well-being at a 7, only because I have just gone on disability for late - stage arthritis in my lower back and I'm no longer capable of working in direct patient care. I have two strikes against me in terms of health - I'm overweight and I'm sedentary. The apartment complex that I've moved into has a pool and a small workout room which I hope to start making use of (especially the pool once it thaws out). My spiritual well being... that is a little harder to assess. I'm above a 7, yet I'm not a 10 because I'm still seeking, still learning, still growing. As Franciscan, I follow a rule of life that includes both study , worship, prayer and simplicity. (The concept of simplicity is still a little difficult to grasp at times). Psychologcially I would have to rate my well being at an 8 at this time. Occassionally, I have minor bouts of depression but for the most part I'm okay. I would like to say that like people, most I believe that I'm still growing, still learning.
2. Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).
A goal for me physically would be to loose 5 pounds, spiritually to be more consistant in my morning prayer, psychologically - to be more positive in my thinking.
3. What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?
Physically: Go more often to the gym for water aerobic exercises instead of once a week - go three times a week.
Spiritually: Go to bed thirty minutes earlier and get up thirty minutes earlier to have "alone" time to do morning prayer.
Psychologically: Be more cognizant of what is coming out of my mouth. It's hard to be "self loving" when all you hear from yourself is, "I hate my body".
4. Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century
This exercise was shorter than some I have done in the past - yet very effective in learning how to calm oneself down and focus.
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