Optimal Well-being

The two practices that I found to be the most beneficial are the Loving-Kindness practice and the Taste of Human Flourishing Visualization found on pages 144 and 145 in our Integral Healing text.  Both of these practices filled me with serenity, love and positive energy. These practices as well as the subtle mind practice and meeting Asclepius are all practices I implement into my life today. I gravitate towards the Loving-Kindness practice and the Taste of Human Flourishing Visualization, but I know the others are very important as well. 

To foster mental fitness I will continue practice these practices on a daily bases. I will also try to incorporate them more on days I am struggling with peace. For example, if I am having a rough day, I will take a few minutes to engage in the Loving-Kindness practice. This helps me step outside myself and my issues while sending good energy to others. 

Have a wonderful day!

Janena

Meeting Asciepius

Describe your meditative practice(s) for the week and discuss the experience.

I have really enjoyed this weeks practice. It was easy to get into the practice; I feel much more connected to this practice than almost any of the other ones we have done. (I connected with the Loving-Kindness practice too). I chose to create my wise person for my practice so this enabled me to create a relationship with her with no preexisting ‘stuff’. I really like the portion where we visualized the bean of light coming from the crown, throat and heart of our wise person to us. Overall, I think this practice helped my move to the next level in my practice. I really enjoyed it and will continue to practice it!

Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

I personally feel that the increase in my practice has increased my overall serenity. It is psychologically where I feel the impact when I’m lacking in serenity. By practicing daily, I have increased the serenity I already had. To foster greater wellness I will continue to mediate daily and continue to read about the integral approach to healing.

Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (P.477) How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

The saying basically is saying that unless someone has experienced something they cannot share it with someone else. How this applies to a wellness professional is that they must actively seek wellness and/or have achieved it if they wish to lead others to it.

I do think we have an obligation to our clients to develop all areas of our health. It is truly the only way we can pass it on to our clients.

Some ways I implement psychological and spiritual growth in my own life are through yoga, meditation and prayer. 

Thanks

Janena

Universal Loving Practice and Integral Assessment

I struggled with the universal loving practice. I really like the idea of the practice but I have absolutely no short term memory so I had to refer back to the book a lot and this interrupted my practice. I think that with time this practice will be awesome. I like that it is called the antidote for anger. Anger is one area that I have had to work on intensely through out my life. I can’t wait till I have this practice memorized!  

When I did the Integral Assessment I realized why some might not wish to engage in this style of healing. This might seem silly but the building of the assessment was demanding and perhaps, because I am a bit of a perfectionist (ok a total perfectionist), very time consuming. Moreover, without guidance or a wise healer as our book describes it, I can see how one might give up.

With that said, I found that the line of development that needs the most attention in my world is the fitness line of development in the biological aspect of human experience. Although I do stay physically active, I have no set routine. I used to workout regularly but I have slacked on it lately.  I practice yoga but I do not feel that my practice is necessarily physically challenging; it is more of a contemplative practice.

One thing that I would like to implement to foster growth in this area would be jogging. About six months ago I bought a jogging stroller for me and my daughter so that I could start jogging with her. Yes, I have been very busy with graduate admissions and graduate testing and wrapping up my BS but I never started jogging. So, that is the first thing I would like to do. The second thing would be to start a core workout. Whether that be at a gym or at home with a DVD, I would like to try that.

Janena

Subtle Mind Practice

For me, the Subtle Mind practice is harder than that Loving Kindness practice. I know that the former is longer so that might be one of the reasons; getting my mind to settle for that long is challenging for me. But I will say that I really like what the Subtle Mind practice emphasizes. The witnessing mind is awesome in my opinion. I do not get to that place every time I practice but I do get there occasionally and I really enjoy it.  

As far as spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness, I am sick right now so physical wellness wise I am struggling. But I am managing to stay positive. Mentally, I feel clearer but I don't know if that is because I finally feel that I am getting in my grove with my 4 classes or what. (week 5! I'm running a little behind on catching my grove, but it's all good). And spiritually, I rekindled my connection with my higher power a few years ago and feel like it just keeps getting better. So, overall, I am well! :)

Thanks for reading!

Janena