Unit 8: The Two Most Beneficial Practices

Reflecting on the exercises that I have completed thus far, I would have to say that the two most beneficial ones were the "Crime of the Century" and "Meeting Asclepius" exercises.

I have chosen the Rainbow visualization because I achieved the strongest results from this exercise. Upon completion of the visualization of each individual color and preparing to return to a full state of consciousness, I was unable to effectively shake off the meditative state I was in. Instead, I felt drained and a wavering line appeared while my eyes were still closed, and it interfered with my vision when I finally attempted to open them. I found that whether my eyes were open or closed I could see this line that now mimicked waves and an area of blue had now formed above the line with white light above that. It was as if it was opening up to the heavens. I believe that this blue light signified my weakest chakra. Light blue is the throat chakra and is associated with communication, expression of oneself and inner voice.

In the Meeting Asclepius exercise, I was pleasantly surprised when my grandmother appeared to me. I was able to visualize the white light coming from her, but I could not receive it the first time I tried the exercise. The second time I tried it, without using the CD, I was beginning to feel as if the white light was reaching me, but I still did not fully receive it. Both instances left me feeling lighter and filled me with joy. It was affirmation that my grandmother is still a part of my life. It also confirmed my strong feelings that the dreams I have in which we speak are a very real. I will continue to attempt this exercise as I feel that not only is it good for my soul, but that I will achieve other benefits from it.

I can implement the practice of meditative exercise and visualization into my personal life to foster mental fitness by continuing to work on these and other exercises that I have learned during this course, until I am able to achieve optimal results. I think that by being able to accomplish this, and by getting results from these exercises, that I will gain better insight into myself as well as become more receptive to future exercises. Each achievement will bring me a step closer to integral health.  

Unit 7: Meeting Aesclepius

Today I tried the "Meeting Aesclepius" exercise. I was sure my mother would emerge as the wise one, but instead I began to visualize my grandmother. This did not surprise me as my grandmother has appeared to me many times in dreams during difficult times.

At the start of the exercise I first visualized my grandmother as I saw her in my dreams standing in a garden smiling at me. As the exercise went on, I began to try and communicate to her.  Asking where she has gone and she would reply, “Nowhere, I am always with you.”

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself" (George, 2005, p.477). To me, this statement simply means that unless one has traveled a particular road themselves they cannot effectively guide another individual down it. Sure, it is possible to help the other individual navigate their way while walking by their side, but a true guide will walk ahead and will already knows where all the bumps, short cuts, and rest areas are.

In the case of the health & wellness professional, this saying applies to the experience of the provider. A health and wellness professional must become integrally educated through their own experience working with the integral model. Through experiencing integral medicine the provider is himself treated. The marriage of Western and integrative medicine, which combined treats the illness and the patient.

I must first develop my own psychological, physical, and spiritual growth much in the same manner that a football coach must know how to play the game. While there are some things that can be taught through a manual there are other things that need to be taught through demonstration and a deeper, personal understanding of the concept. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life through activities such as meditation, yoga, prayer, enjoying nature, and through contemplative practice.

George, L.E. (2005). Transformation of the healer: The application of Ken Wilber's integral model to family practice medicine. In M. Schlitz, T. Amorak, & M. Micozzi, Consciousness & healing: Integral approaches to mind-body medicine (pp. 465-477). St. Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.

Unit 6: Loving Kindness/Integral Assessment

I still do not feel that I had great success with the Loving Kindness meditation, but I will say that I made some progress. I found that I had less wandering thoughts this time. I also found that towards the end of the meditation when I was trying to send loving kindness to everyone, including enemies, I became very angry. I really do not know why, but I had trouble concentrating on the rest of the exercise because I was so upset. I hesitate to call it a coincidence especially given the fact that I got very uncomfortable during this part last time. I do not think that I am ready to embrace those who I am trying to forgive. I get uneasy at the thought of drawing their ills into my own heart.

I had a little trouble remembering what questions to ask myself during the integral assessment. Right now I feel that I must focus on the biological aspect of my life. I have only just begun to become active again. I started eating healthier and have started boxing classes, which I love! I have an extra 10-15 pounds to lose and I am confident that I will achieve my goal. I spent a couple of days last week walking and relaxing. Being in touch with nature besides doing something that is a calorie-burner really was good for my soul.

Unit 5: Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise.

The Subtle Mind was easier for me to complete as opposed to the Loving/Kindness exercise. While I understood what was intended of the Loving/Kindness exercise, I just could not do it. I wasn’t feeling what I thought I was expected to feel. Perhaps I was trying too hard. The exercise actually made me a little uncomfortable which is ironic considering I eventually fell asleep!

Although my mind tended to wander during both exercises it was encouraged during the Subtle Mind, up to a point. When my mind began to wander I was able to reel it back in by concentrating on my breathing. The narrator mentioned that we would have thoughts and images running through our mind and to acknowledge them but do not attach to them; just let them pass.

Spiritual wellness can be reached by first fostering a mind/body connection. This movement through stages is called biological flourishing in which we strive to reach a higher level of development. I can make the initial shift to a mind/body connection through contemplative practice, and by combining physical activity with mental focus. 

Unit 4 - Loving Kindness

Tonight I tried the Loving/Kindness exercise lying down on my bed in my quiet room with the light off. I began to envision my son as the one I hold loving feels for, but my fiancé kept popping into my head as well. It was as if they were battling for my attention. I also found my mind wandering tremendously to things that had nothing to do with the exercise. Embarrassingly I actually fell asleep! So I started all over again. Every time I get to the part where we are to extend loving-kindness to enemies I get a very uneasy feeling. I would say this has to do with a lot of resentment I have towards my brother over an argument we had about 3 weeks ago.

Mental Workout:
The concept of the mental workout is to exercise and train your mind as you would your body; to practice as you would practice during physical training. If we are to evolve our psychospiritual life we need to work at it just as we would anything else for at least an hour a day. The goal of the practice is to progress towards an expanded consciousness and greater healing capacities.

Research indicates that the benefits of a mental workout include transformation of the mind in which disturbing, negative emotions such as anger, hatred, and fear are diminished; and positive emotions such as patience, acceptance, happiness, and loving-kindness are enhanced. Resistance to disease as well as mental stress is enhanced as well. Developing the capacity to heal leads to an overall state of well-being.

Implementing mental workouts to foster my psychological health would entail taking time each day to peacefully engage in contemplative practice. Even just a short while such as fifteen minutes can be sufficient to start out with, and then the amount of time spent on the exercises can be increased gradually.

Unit 3 Blog - Physical Well-being, Spiritual Well-being and Psychological Well-being

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most optimal well-being, I rate my physical, spiritual, & psychological well-being as: Physical-7, Spiritual-6 and Psychological-6.

Physically, I feel pretty healthy, but I know I can do better.  About a year ago I had my gall bladder removed due to pain that I had been experiencing related to a car accident.  When the doctor checked me, he told me that I needed to have my gall bladder removed if it continued to be painful.  I did some research and found that the gall bladder stores bile which helps your body break down foods that are high in fat.  I am Hispanic and I must admit that I do indulge in the stereotypical unhealthy foods.  It was then that I realized that I needed to make a change in my eating habits and exercise more.  Other than this, I would consider myself to be somewhat healthy.  I am a little over weight and I am not on any daily medication so there is no excuse for me not to live a healthier lifestyle. My goals for my physical well-being are to lose some weight, eat healthier and exercise more. The things I need to implement in my life to achieve them are to become more active and exercise 3 to 5 times weekly, and start a healthy diet to lose weight.  This will take dedication and determination to accomplish this.

Spiritually, I feel I need to continue to grow as there is always opportunity for growth.  I used to live with my aunt and she was studying ayurveda and spiritual healing.  Her learnings also brushed off on me as well as her eating habits.  We used to do cleansing and detoxify our bodies naturally and holistically.  I learned that Spirituality involves the recognition and acceptance of a God (Brahman, El, Elohim, Tao, Allah) beyond our own intelligence and with whom we can have a relationship. This God can provide an experience of inspiration, joy, security, peace of mind, and guidance that goes beyond what is possible in the absence of the conviction that such a power exists.  My spirituality is deep within me and I will only continue to grow and become stronger now. My goals are to continue to grow spiritually. This can be done by continuing to go to church, learning with my pastors and reading God's word. Meditating can also help me to grow spiritually by clearing my mind and letting my spirit flow.

Psychologically, I need to learn not to let stress get to me. Like most people, I allow my mind to become full of every day challenges. I also have a hard time with letting go of the past.  My mind begins to wander and the stress sets in. My goals are to lessen the stress, let go of the past and have a clearer mind that doesn't wander as much. Meditation, yoga and exercise will help me to accomplish these goals.

The Crime of the Century relaxation exercise was very helpful and a stress reliever.  Through this class, I found deep breathing to be very relaxing.  I literally feel the stress flowing from the top of my head all the way down through my body and out my feet. The narrator’s voice was soothing and as he started at the base of the spine and worked the way up to the top of the head I felt myself relax even more and I was starting to become centered and balanced.

Unit 2 Blog - Welcome to Relaxation

Welcome to my spiritual wellness journey. I am very eager to learn about integral health, how to connect the mind and body as well as finding spiritual wellness. So far, I have learned that my mind can affect not only my body, but my spirit as well.  I am looking forward to learning as much as I can while I embark on this journey of self transformation with all of you so that we can achieve happiness in our life, wholeness and health.

As I lay in my bed in total uninterrupted silence and started the Journey on Relaxation exercise, I immediately closed my eyes and focused on my relaxation.  The narrator’s voice and the music are very soothing. When I began taking deep breaths, I found myself becoming more and more relaxed and in tuned with my mind and body. I felt warmth all over my body and felt the blood flowing throughout my veins. The narrator asked me to raise my arms and I felt them to be heavy perhaps because I was so relaxed.  It is truly amazing how the mind really affects the body.  At the end of this exercise, it made me appreciate how important it is to take time to relax.  It helped me to relieve my stress and get rid of all of the tension I was carrying.  This is something that I will definitely incorporate as part of my daily routine.