Unit 6, Time Keeps on Slippin, Slippin, Slippin, into the Future

Hello everyone.
This week another exercise of the mind. The exercise and assessment process started fairly well. It did not, however, end well. The effort and task of repeating sentences just does not fit well with me. I discovered that I prefer a more visual and audio (where I listen) experience than actually physically interacting in the process. I have chosen to focus on getting to know ME better and more in depth. Hopefully, this will put me in a better position to allow others to get to know the real me, in depth.  Some specific exercises or activities that I can implement to foster greater wellness in this area are to push myself to mental and physical limits; to openly communicate to those closest to me about real issues and how I truly feel about them. Life is a journey and I have not reached my destination yet!
Until next week, stay safe and show someone special how much you really care. Joe

Subtle Mind Exercise

Hello my healthy minded friends.
My overall experience with the subtle mind exerice was more relaxing and pleasurable than the loving kindness exercise. The man's voice in the beginning was a little annoying and the woman's more soothing (at first); eventually her voice became an agrivation as well. I love the sound of the waves crashing into the shore. However, the break in the sounds, tape, or recording was very noticeable and this was a small distractor to me. And then to hear the voices with instructions, then nothing, then voices, arrrrgggg. I would have found it more relaxing to just have the sounds of the water; the steady, soothing pattern. I am out of town on business and in a hotel room. So, for this exercise I have total silence and no physical distractors (son, wife, dogs, etc.).
For me, there is a connection between spiritual, mental, and physical wellness. They are inter-related. The more spiritually connected I get, the stronger or healthier my mind and body. As my mind grows stronger or more fit, there is a direct coorelation to my physical health. As I see my physical health improve, there are positive impacts on my mental and spiritual health. It is a snowball affect of the mind, body, and spiritual health and I like it! This is another tool to add to the toolbox. I think I want to try it on a beach with the sounds of actual waves crashing in, the sun shining down, wind blowing across my face, and sand between my toes. Ahhhhh, until next time! Stay relaxed my friends. Joe

Loving Kindness Exercise

Loving Kindness, how fitting a title. My experience was good. For some reason, it was not as beneficial for me as other exercises.  This may have nothing to do with the exercise itself and have more to do with external distractors. I was unable to maintain a clear focus on the task at hand so was not in the right mindset going into it.  I plan to attempt the exercise a second time with a more controlled environment. I would you recommend this to others and suggest to “set the scene” to the best of one’s ability. I may try an exercise two or three times before getting it right. An exercise which works for one, may not be beneficial to someone else. Each individual must find what works for him or herself.

The concept of "mental workout" is to specifically train the brain. Research indicates there are the proven benefits of a mental workout. I am doing daily exercise with Luminosity and hope to see improvements with my mental and psychological health.

Joe

 

Unit Three Exercise

Wellness, as a person centered orientation, relies heavily on the concept that the individual is aware of his/her strengths and needs. However there is often little encouragement or expectation for the individual to self-reflect or take a holistic personal inventory or to convey their awareness with their health practitioner. Take a moment to reflect on your own level of wellness; physically, psychologically, and spiritually, and then answer the following questions in your blog (journal).

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

I rate my physical well-being an eight (8) because despite my age, I am in better condition than most. I acknowledge there is still room for improvement and I would like to lose about 15 pounds.

I rate my spiritual well-being a seven (7). I am not where I want to be, but I know I am on the right path and live with the right philosophies. There is even more room for growth in this area.

My psychological well-being is rated a nine (9). I have a good grasp of things but also understand this is my perspective. My wife may give a little different rating.

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

One goal in the physical area is to decrease my weight and body fat percentage.

My spiritual goal is to get closer to God.

My psychological goal is to improve my understanding and ability to build relationships.

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

For my physical goal, I will implement getting more physical activity EVERY day along with eating smaller portions and eliminating poor food choices.

An activity I can implement for my spiritual goal is to communicate with my pastor my goal and seek guidance.

For my psychological goal, I will simply increase the frequency I communicate with others while focusing on what is said and asking for feedback (when appropriate).

4.        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 peaceful. The music in the background was a crucial piece to the relaxation. My focus was on the words and doing exactly what was said; visualizing what was said helped my focus. The downside of my experience is where the location of my laptop is located. There were a lot of distractions which competed with my attention. If this exercise was conducted in a more appropriate location, it would have been more beneficial.