Unit #8

The most beneficial practice for me has been the subtle mind exercise.  It eases my mind and lifts the negativity from my body.  It leads you on a journey of forgiveness even when you didn’t realize you needed it.  It has helped break the walls down to lead to a life of positive feelings and forgiveness.

I took each person who I felt negativity toward and wrote those negative feelings on a piece of paper.  I didn’t mix them onto one piece of paper.  I felt they all needed their own separate sheet to rid myself of the negativity just for that person.  After I felt I was done with all the negativity of each person, I held a burning party.  It was very therapeutic and refreshing.  I could feel the negativity wash away and recommend this for anyone who needs to lighten their mind, body and spirit.  Getting rid of these negative events allow for mental fitness to occur without any blocks.

The second beneficial practice for me is meditation.  I have many I use now for different moments in my life.  The soothing words and music allow me to get into a better frame of mind so I can handle anything that comes my way.  Meditation doesn’t have to be a long session to get you in a better mood or state of mind.  I have a couple 5 minute meditations that bring my mental state back to a calmer time with more focus. Great mental fitness can be achieved using meditation.  I love to visualize myself on a relaxing vacation listening to the sound of the water, feeling the cool breeze and warming sun all at the same time.  It brings me peace and serenity.  My mind is very open and carefree after a mental vacation.

I use both of these practices on a regular basis.  I feel my mental state can use all the fitness it can get so why not incorporate more than one technique.  As I learn more techniques that improve my mental fitness, I add them to my daily routine.  The more the merrier.  

Unit #7

My meditative practices for the week consisted of a chakra meditation and practicing Reiki on myself.  The “Meeting Asciepius” exercise was hard for me the first couple of times doing it.  I kept visualizing my grandmother with the light coming through her which made me think of death.  It is an uncomfortable feeling to associate the light with death, but my grandmother is in her late 70s.  I guess the fear of losing her is what made me uncomfortable.  So I tried the exercise again and saw the light as a positive energy flowing through her to give her energy and strength.

Meditation has greatly increased my psychological and spiritual wellness.  I have felt a great amount of release from the anger I had bottled up for years.  My spirit feels lighter.  I feel more connected to my inner self since I chose to incorporate meditation into my daily schedule.

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself.”  This means to me that you can’t take someone on a journey that you haven’t traveled on without getting them lost.  It’s hard to lead a person to the wonders of self-healing if you haven’t already experienced the journey yourself.  There aren’t many people who will follow someone who hasn’t already done it. 

The same is true for a health and wellness professional.  A client will be more willing to try a new procedure or therapy if they professional has had a personal experience or a lot of knowledge about the recommendation.  I had never experienced a massage before starting my training as a massage therapist.  It was a requirement to experience other therapist’s work and techniques.  This opened my eyes to how unique people can be in their techniques and therapies they offer.  One therapy I experienced was reflexology.  If I hadn’t tried it, I wouldn’t be able to refer my clients.  Will I could, but would they really take the recommendation seriously?  They might consider it, but probably wouldn’t try it.

We have an obligation to our clients to develop our health psychologically, spiritually and physically.  We can’t give our best to clients if we aren’t at our best.  Professionals need to take care of themselves before they can care for others.  If I’m having a bad day, my massage will make the client feel bad as well.  They won’t come back if they feel bad when they leave.

I already implement psychological and spiritual growth in my life with meditation and affirmations.  I also have hobbies like crocheting which helps my growth.  I’m sure there are more things to incorporate to continue my growth.  What ideas can you come up with and how will it help me grow?

Unit #6

Universal loving-kindness exercise gives an intense feeling of my heart expanding when saying the words.  I did struggle with forgiveness until using this exercise.  Forgiveness is a great focus for growth and development.  It is the best way to release negativity and let the good back into my life.

This exercise was a great start to wellness.  The best therapy I found to implement forgiveness was writing a letter to the ones who hurt me.  I was holding on to the negativity because I couldn’t find a way to talk to the person or they couldn’t be found.  Once I threw all the negativity onto paper, I felt relief.  The true freedom came from the burning party I had to completely get rid of the negativity.  I use this same procedure whenever I need to release myself from negativity.

The Integral Assessment helped me analyze my inner issues which have been paralyzing my ability to love myself and help others.   The goal has been to learn to love myself and take care of me for a change.  This goal will lead to the ultimate goal to help others.  I will really be able to care for others once I understand myself better.

I have been using positive affirmations and listening to inspiring talks all the time.  They really boost my spirits and make me feel like a much better person.  There are so many websites on how to do proper positive affirmations which can be extremely beneficial and an easy therapy.