Unit 5- The Subtle Mind

1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

           The Loving Kindness and the Subtle mind exercise were different, as the focus to get one to develop deeper levels of consciousness are different. The Loving Kindness focuses on one loves towards others, then directed to self; while Subtle mind directs the focus on breathing in order to clam the mind. I like the Subtle mind exercise; however, in the beginning it was a little difficult, as I am still new to guided meditation. Since the other exercises have the guider continuously talk to the individual, I was always anticipating directions. Hence, I had a difficult time with the long spaces between each instruction. However, the more that I conducted the exercise, the easier and more beneficial it became.

2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

            Spiritual wellness offers an individual with the ability to have inner peace, which is essential for mental and physical wellness. Inner peace helps to reduce stress levels that can affect mental and physical health. Personally, gaining inner peace has helped me address my overall health, as I am not only experiencing lower levels of stress, but also getting sick less.

Unit 4-Loving Kindness

1. Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?

This was a very interesting exercise; on the other hand, it kind of put me to sleep. As Dacher (2006) recommended, I personally did the exercise early in the morning, as my mind would be clearer; however, that did not work for me. Therefore, I redid the exercise late afternoon, as I tried to unwind from my busy day. As I went to the exercise, I found it beneficial, as they were asking to direct loving kindness to one’s self. Many times, we do not think of us loving our self in the way that we love others. The exercise allowed me to focus my love that I have for another on to myself. After a couple of time running through the exercise, it was easier for me to focus at the task that was being directed toward. I would recommend this exercise to others as it helps you learn to truly love one’s self and others.

2. What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

A mental workout out helps us condition our brains in order to achieve greater levels of consciousness and be more aware of our self (Dacher, 2006). The idea of working out your brain is similar to working out your body, to where your brain is able to reach different levels of consciousness. Alongside, as the mind and spirit are connected, by exercising your brain and releasing negatively, one is better able to achieve greater levels of human flourishing. Research indicates a mental workout offer many benefits, as it helps to change the brain’s circuitry, where functions of the brain, such as memories and attention can be improved (Dacher). By meditating, focusing on relaxation/breathing, simply practicing on clearing my mind, I am able to implement mental workouts in order to improve my psychological health. 

Reference

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic             Health Publications.

Unit 3- Reflection on Levels of Wellness

• Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal well-being), where do you rate your A-physical well-being, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

A.    I would rate my physical well-being as being a 9. As a personal trainer, I need to make sure that I practice what I preach. I workout on an almost daily basis, or try to keep active as much as I can. Additionally, I am very conscious about what I put in my body. All and all, I would say that I am a pretty healthy individual.

B.     I would rate spiritual well-being as being a 7. Up on till recently, I did not focus on this aspect of my being; however, I have been doing progressively better. I still have a lot to learn about myself, and have not reached my full capabilities.

C.     I would rate my psychological well-being as a 7. As I spend more incorporating relaxation and meditation techniques into my life, I feel that I have a solid foundation. However, as there is still much stress that I must deal with, I still face some moments of weakness.

• Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

A.    A physical goal is to be more consistent with some of my exercise routine and push myself past my current state; in other words I would like to challenge myself. In the past few years I have participate in races, such as Tough Mudder, the Spartan races, and others; however, I would like to push myself and participate more frequently.

B.     A spiritual goal of mine is to keep pushing myself forward and continue to learn more alternative techniques that will help me achieve greater levels of inner awareness.

C.     A psychological goal would be to learn to have more control over negative emotions, such as frustration, anger and worrying; additionally, being able to replace these negative emotions with positive ones.

• What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

A.    In order to assist my physical well-being I would implement more cardiovascular activities into my exercise routine.

B.     In order to enhance my spiritual well-being, I would like to meditate on a more frequent base. Also, I would like to incorporate exercise that will allow me to be more exposed to nature, such as rock-climbing or hiking.

C.     In order to enhance my psychological well-being, I would like to do activities that will allow me to express myself. I believe that individuals hold too much of their emotions inside, which affects psychological well-being.

• Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

This exercise was interesting, as I am not used to using guided meditation. The instructor provided great information; however, it was too over stimulating, as it was really difficult to feel full relaxation throughout the exercise. The visual cues creating many thoughts to pop into my head, which made it hard to focus. All in all, this was a different experience, which I would need to continue to practice in order to receive the full benefits from.

Unit 2-Journey on Relaxation exercise

As I continue to learn more about myself, I started to explore alternative technique in order to achieve more inner awareness. Recently, thanks to my wife, I started embarking on a journey to learn more about meditation and its benefits. Living in an urban setting, my life is extremely busy and full of stress. As I have experience in meditation, I had no problem doing the relaxation exercise. One thing that I notice is that the more that I practice meditation, the more that I am able to block out outside noises. Normally, I practice meditation by myself; however, this guided meditation was very interesting, as it allowed me to let my mind go. Additionally, I realize that stress levels on my muscles have decreased. These are practices that I highly recommend to anyone. 

Welcome

My Name is Daniel Riker, I am 27 years old, married and I live in New Jersey. Blogging is a new experience for me, but there are many benefits to writing things down. I hope to learn about all your journeys and learn new things from all of you, in order to live a more holistic lifestyle. Being in the health and wellness field, I understand the importance of the connection between the mind, body and soul work.