Unit 8: Looking Back

The two exercises that I have found to be the most beneficial for me personally have been the Subtle mind and Visualization.  Subtle mind helped me to slow my life down in a perceptive and realize what is important and taught me to not focus on or spend too much time on the little things that just add to stress levels.  Visualization helped me to stop and see where I wanted a situation to end; therefore, giving me the chance to stop and see what needed to be done and in what order things needed to be done in order for me to reach my overall goal.  The subtle mind practice I can use when I feel myself getting too stressed and overwhelmed.  I can just back away from the situation at hand and take a few minutes to look at the bigger picture (I have an hour drive to work, so this is a great time for me to think). The visualization practice can come into handy lately as I apply for the master’s programs I am interested in.  By using this technique I can slow things down into steps instead of overwhelming myself and trying to do everything at once.  

Meeting Aesclepius

I found it extremely difficult to focus and actually calm myself down enough to truly meditate.  For the last five days I have been in a constant state of arousal and feeling like I’ve been on a 24/7 adrenaline rush.  I work in Grapevine, TX and I am not sure how many of you live around here or at least heard what has been going on in the small suburbs of Grapevine.  Last Monday (February 11), a Florida fugitive that was being transferred escaped in Grapevine (less than a mile from my work) and the FBI was brought in immediately.  From Monday-Friday there have been FBI agents walking up and down the wooded areas and ditches around here (which I never realized how much of this place is all wooded area until last week).  Everyone in the area has been in a constant state of panic, therefore, calming down was in an easy task for me to do.  Not to worry though, they caught the man this past Saturday; everything is slowly getting back to normal around here. 

I have to constantly remind myself throughout my day to take a step back from the hassles of life and just breathe.  That is the best way for me personally to continue applying these practices in order to increase my health and wellness. 

The saying, “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself”, is one of my favorite sayings.  How can someone possibly and 100 percent help someone if they don’t know what the person is going through?  This applies GREATLY to health and wellness.  I work with children who have severe learning disabilities, visual tracking problems, ADHD, anxiety disorders, etc…. When I was younger I spent almost every day doing visual tracking therapy because my eyes were so weak; also leading to and playing a role in the learning disability I grew up with.  My brother that is 8 months older than me has severe anxiety disorders and ADHD.  There is not a lot of stuff I see at work that I didn’t either experience myself or that I haven’t experienced just living with my brother.  It gives people hope to know that there is a way to overcome situations and I am proof of that for me.   

Integral Assessment/Univeral Loving Kindness

Out of the Universal Loving Kindness exercise and the Integral Assessment; I would have to say that I preferred the Integral Assessment.  The Universal Loving Kindness exercise was a great exercise; however, I feel like I gained more and learned more about myself from the Integral Assessment.  The Integral Assessment helped me to focus on certain areas of my life that aren’t exactly where I want them to be.  I took lots of time to focus on the Integral Assessment and really think about my life and the people and situations in it.  I realized that even though times are tough; I still have the world’s greatest friends that will always have my back, I have a family that I couldn’t even dream of living without, and I have a job most people would die for… overall, I found out that even though I am not exactly where I want to be in life I still have more than I could have ever asked for.  The area in my life that I focused on with it comes to growth and development has to do with my physical health.  I use to be an extremely athletic person and ever since I quit playing I stopped working out.  My body and energy level are not what they use to be and I don’t like it one bit.  Ever since starting this assessment a week ago, I have decided to do something about that.  I started an intensity workout video with my best friend (and even though I couldn’t walk for a few days) I still feel better than I have in the last seven years! For me, everything is mental.  If I make up my mind that I am going to do something; there isn’t a whole lot anyone can do it change it.  In order to improve in this area I just have to make sure that I keep my positive mind set and the motivation from my friend to help me.   

Loving Kindness vs Subtile Mind

I actually liked both the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtile Mind exercise.  I would have to say that the Subtile Mind was probably my favorite though.  I have never in my life been that relaxed after doing one of these exercises.  I didn't fall asleep but I got REALLY close.  I was totally and completely relaxed.  The Loving Kindness one had me thinking a little more; therefore, I wasn't able to get completely relaxed like I was with the Subtile Mind exercise.  I have found that the more open-minded and connected I feel the healthier and more relaxed I feel.  When I am positive and truly know in my mind that everything will be okay in the end, I feel healtier and more relaxed and ready to take on the world!