Hello everyone,
Random acts of kindness can be so rewarding. I was telling a friend about this class and I was telling her about random acts of kindness. It all started by me telling her about how I had helped some woman and how rewarded I felt for thinking of someone else. We discussed the positives and negatives. This past week she spent in New York and had a different perspective when she came back. She said the people seemed to be just "out for themselves." She has a heart of gold and would do just about anything for anyone. She told a man he had toilet paper on his shoe, he thanked her, and her friend said that no one else would have done that but a tourist. Another example that happened before she left is when we were hanging out and coming back to my house and there was a brick in the middle of the street, she pulled over and got out of her car and moved it so that no one would get hurt. It disgusts me to think that people can't look and see outside their bubble. If people were more concerned about others than the world would be a better place. Little acts of kindness add up to big deeds of love!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Unit 8 Optimal Well-being: Psychological, Spiritual, and Physical Keys to Health and Thriving
Hello everyone,
After reviewing the loving-kindness, and the subtle mind exercises, visualization, and meditation I must say that I had the most success with the subtle mind exercise and meditation, because I customized them to fit me. I had to work on the loving-kindness and visualization exercises, but then found it successful when practiced. I will admit I did not like them the first time and had to pep myself up to do them again. I can implement the subtle mind exercise and meditation in my personal life to foster "mental fitness" everyday by relieving frustrations and finding peace during my "me time" of the day. Specifically, I do this every Tuesday and Thursday during my aerobic fitness class! Let God and Let Go!
After reviewing the loving-kindness, and the subtle mind exercises, visualization, and meditation I must say that I had the most success with the subtle mind exercise and meditation, because I customized them to fit me. I had to work on the loving-kindness and visualization exercises, but then found it successful when practiced. I will admit I did not like them the first time and had to pep myself up to do them again. I can implement the subtle mind exercise and meditation in my personal life to foster "mental fitness" everyday by relieving frustrations and finding peace during my "me time" of the day. Specifically, I do this every Tuesday and Thursday during my aerobic fitness class! Let God and Let Go!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Path to Human Flourishing
Hello everyone,
I love this quote from the CD. "Human life is a work-in-progress in the great chain of existence that stretches from matter to life to mind, to spirit, from a fully unconscious to a fully conscious existence. These great stages of human development are reflected in the manifold endeavors of humanity, particularly in our efforts to advance the cause of health and healing. This effort has progressed from mere efforts at survival, to sophisticated treatments, prevention, health promotion, mind/body strategies, integrative therapies, and finally, in our time, to the emerging possibility of a full human flourishing. As humans we represent the tipping point, the opportunity, the instrument through which this great adventure of existence can be fully developed and realized. Ours is truly a precious life that is primed to grasp the human potential for a perfected health, happiness, and wholeness" (Dacher, 2006).
I love this quote from the CD. "Human life is a work-in-progress in the great chain of existence that stretches from matter to life to mind, to spirit, from a fully unconscious to a fully conscious existence. These great stages of human development are reflected in the manifold endeavors of humanity, particularly in our efforts to advance the cause of health and healing. This effort has progressed from mere efforts at survival, to sophisticated treatments, prevention, health promotion, mind/body strategies, integrative therapies, and finally, in our time, to the emerging possibility of a full human flourishing. As humans we represent the tipping point, the opportunity, the instrument through which this great adventure of existence can be fully developed and realized. Ours is truly a precious life that is primed to grasp the human potential for a perfected health, happiness, and wholeness" (Dacher, 2006).
Transformation of the Healer
Hello everyone,
As the saying goes, one cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself. Most important, providers of health care must work on their own spiritual evolution to actually experience what the model represents. To become integrally informed and take up an integral practice and then bring this new awareness to the practice of medicine can, transform the practitioner in such a way as to bring back the enjoyment of the doctor-patient relationship. It also empowers us to begin to make changes in the sociocultural problems that we see in medicine today. This tarnish, which is manifested as disease or "dis-ease" in our patients, can be the grace through which both healer and patient can transform their respective lives. Doctors/healers can not lead another/patient where one has not gone themselves. Yes, I feel that you do have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. Most importantly, you should want to do it for yourself first. Integral Medicine incorporates both disease and patient and also treats the healer by offering a model that provides an integral awareness, which puts meaning, purpose, and love back into the practice of medicine. I try to implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life everyday by praying and finding attitudes of gratitude.
As the saying goes, one cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself. Most important, providers of health care must work on their own spiritual evolution to actually experience what the model represents. To become integrally informed and take up an integral practice and then bring this new awareness to the practice of medicine can, transform the practitioner in such a way as to bring back the enjoyment of the doctor-patient relationship. It also empowers us to begin to make changes in the sociocultural problems that we see in medicine today. This tarnish, which is manifested as disease or "dis-ease" in our patients, can be the grace through which both healer and patient can transform their respective lives. Doctors/healers can not lead another/patient where one has not gone themselves. Yes, I feel that you do have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. Most importantly, you should want to do it for yourself first. Integral Medicine incorporates both disease and patient and also treats the healer by offering a model that provides an integral awareness, which puts meaning, purpose, and love back into the practice of medicine. I try to implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life everyday by praying and finding attitudes of gratitude.
Unit 7 The Meeting Aesclepian Exercise
Hello everyone,
This exercise used visualization to focus on a "wise" person that we respect, which was hard for me to do at first. I liked Harriet Cianci's voice, it is more soothing for mediation. The image of our mentor becomes our focal point, focusing on compassion, joy, and love. Then, I stabilized the image and envisioned it purifying our hearts, thoughts, and speech into a peaceful state. Finally, I felt purified and like my heart had been transformed and filled with loving-kindness and wisdom. In this sense we experience, Asclepian healing and the total "wise one" as a skillfull teacher, experiencing wise guidance of mind, heart, and speech. I felt relaxed after I completed this exercise. I was able to relax, breath, and stretch. I like the closing statements of this exercise. Through daily practice our lives will unfold like a lotus flower encompassing mind, body, and spirit as we flourish towards integral health. Our inner essence is a support, guide or gift, giving healing by irradicating mental distress/stress related illnesses as we move towards integral health. Mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in my psychological or spiritual wellness by making me more aware of those "focal points" in my life and how to deal with them. I will definetely continue to apply these practices in my life to foster greater health and wellness.
This exercise used visualization to focus on a "wise" person that we respect, which was hard for me to do at first. I liked Harriet Cianci's voice, it is more soothing for mediation. The image of our mentor becomes our focal point, focusing on compassion, joy, and love. Then, I stabilized the image and envisioned it purifying our hearts, thoughts, and speech into a peaceful state. Finally, I felt purified and like my heart had been transformed and filled with loving-kindness and wisdom. In this sense we experience, Asclepian healing and the total "wise one" as a skillfull teacher, experiencing wise guidance of mind, heart, and speech. I felt relaxed after I completed this exercise. I was able to relax, breath, and stretch. I like the closing statements of this exercise. Through daily practice our lives will unfold like a lotus flower encompassing mind, body, and spirit as we flourish towards integral health. Our inner essence is a support, guide or gift, giving healing by irradicating mental distress/stress related illnesses as we move towards integral health. Mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in my psychological or spiritual wellness by making me more aware of those "focal points" in my life and how to deal with them. I will definetely continue to apply these practices in my life to foster greater health and wellness.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Integral Assessment
Hello everyone,
The integral assessment is the tool we need to choose to transform our health and life from conventional to integral, from ordinary to precious. This is an integral process of taking inventory in our lives, or analyzing our lives, finding our weaknesses and changing our lives for the better. The integral assessment takes a careful look at our current circumstances, identifying the aspects of our life that require attention, determining the specific changes we wish to address, and establishing a program of integral practice that will promote change.
The Six Principles of Integral Assessment are:
1.) The goal of integral health is to alleviate needless suffering and promote human flourishing.
2.) Integral health recognizes the distinction between short-term relief of needless suffering and permanent relief.
3.) Integral health recognizes the distinction between immediate pleasure and long-term flourishing.
4.) Psychospiritual development is an essential component of integral health.
5.) Integral assessment relies on deep listening and guidance.
6.) Integral assessment addresses the aspects, levels, and lines of development that are relevant to our current circumstance.
I absolutely love the integral assessment, because it gives me a chance to really evaluate my life. This is something that I practice anyway. My listening and communicating skills and how I express myself would be the areas that I choose to be a focus of growth and development, because they need constant working on. Some specific exercises or activities that I can implement to foster greater wellness in this area is to journal more to explore the depth of the situation in order to overcome/resolve it.
No more pain and suffering!
The integral assessment is the tool we need to choose to transform our health and life from conventional to integral, from ordinary to precious. This is an integral process of taking inventory in our lives, or analyzing our lives, finding our weaknesses and changing our lives for the better. The integral assessment takes a careful look at our current circumstances, identifying the aspects of our life that require attention, determining the specific changes we wish to address, and establishing a program of integral practice that will promote change.
The Six Principles of Integral Assessment are:
1.) The goal of integral health is to alleviate needless suffering and promote human flourishing.
2.) Integral health recognizes the distinction between short-term relief of needless suffering and permanent relief.
3.) Integral health recognizes the distinction between immediate pleasure and long-term flourishing.
4.) Psychospiritual development is an essential component of integral health.
5.) Integral assessment relies on deep listening and guidance.
6.) Integral assessment addresses the aspects, levels, and lines of development that are relevant to our current circumstance.
I absolutely love the integral assessment, because it gives me a chance to really evaluate my life. This is something that I practice anyway. My listening and communicating skills and how I express myself would be the areas that I choose to be a focus of growth and development, because they need constant working on. Some specific exercises or activities that I can implement to foster greater wellness in this area is to journal more to explore the depth of the situation in order to overcome/resolve it.
No more pain and suffering!
The Loving-Kindness Exercise Re-visited
Hello everyone,
So, I tried the loving-kindness practice again this week and got much better results. Every time I do it, it just keeps getting better! I will be honest and admit that I did not give it a chance at first and mislabeled/prejudged it. I'm glad that I gave it another chance, because it's growing on me now. This practice is now like my therapy that I practice at least once a day and I write more personally about it in my diary. I think about my troubles and plans to fix them. I also think about expressing my feelings of love, sharing love, and opening up to love. It's hard when you have been hurt, but there are always challenges or obstacles in life that we must overcome. Giving and receiving loving-kindness attracts loving-kindness, it is a cycle!
LIVE-LOVE-LAUGH!!!
So, I tried the loving-kindness practice again this week and got much better results. Every time I do it, it just keeps getting better! I will be honest and admit that I did not give it a chance at first and mislabeled/prejudged it. I'm glad that I gave it another chance, because it's growing on me now. This practice is now like my therapy that I practice at least once a day and I write more personally about it in my diary. I think about my troubles and plans to fix them. I also think about expressing my feelings of love, sharing love, and opening up to love. It's hard when you have been hurt, but there are always challenges or obstacles in life that we must overcome. Giving and receiving loving-kindness attracts loving-kindness, it is a cycle!
LIVE-LOVE-LAUGH!!!
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