Integral Assessment (Unit 6 Blog Post)

I can't believe we are in unit 6 already!  Over half-way through the class and I have learned so much, but still feel like I have so much more yet to learn.  Anyways...

The Integral Assessment is sort of a meditative state in which you focus on a few questions, and then search out and find the answers within yourself.  The first question is “what aspect of my life is causing suffering?”  For me, this aspect is the biological aspect.  I have been trying to get into shape and exercise more often, and this was going very well while I was training for the mud run, but since then I have had very little motivation to make time to exercise.  Along with this lack of motivation, I have been stressed out at work, and so have not been eating as healthy as I have been in the past, (not to mention I just has a family reunion this past weekend in Chicago, and they catered all sorts of Italian foods, along with Chicago style hot dogs, and I consciously made the decision to over eat for some stupid masochistic reason!).   I also discovered that if I am honest with myself, the unhealthy eating is almost an addiction, and that it does affect the way I feel.  I have tried to get back to healthier eating the last couple of days, and I feel better rested, more energetic, and already back to my motivated self.  I need to continue on this path and also make more time in my schedule for exercise.  The next question is “what aspect of my life is ready for growth?”  With this one, I waffled back and forth between psychospiritual and interpersonal.  I eventually ended up decided on psychospiritual, and decided that to grow, I need to get back to being outside in nature more.  I feel at ease in nature, and my meditation will grow to the next level if I practice it outside.

The loving kindness exercise I found helpful, but sort of like other meditations we have done so far in class.  However, I do appreciate getting more ideas for meditation mantras.  The more written ones I read and use, the more it will help me define my own meditation style, and the more I can refine my own personal mantras.  The more sources I can draw from, the more I can customize meditation to me.

Going through old photos with my grandmother, and ran across this one of my grandfather and grandmother from the mid 1960's.  She kept reminiscing about my "handsome" grandfather and his "big blue bedroom eyes."  Awkward when you grandmother talks about her sexual attractions.

~Catherine

Loving Kindness V. Subtle Mind (Unit 5 Blog)

Hello everyone.

Honestly, I found both the meditation from last week, and the one from this week just about equally frustrating and helpful.  I liked the guided imagery from last week, but found the amount of guidance annoying.  This week, there was less verbal guidance, but I have been so stressed and crazy running around this week, where it was difficult to focus my thoughts.  I found it difficult to let go of my frustrations and not follow the disruptive thoughts that kept coming to mind.  Because of my high stress level this week, I also found it difficult to get physically comfortable and relaxed enough to really get into and enjoy the meditation. 

This week I have definitely fully realized the connection between mind and body!  Being in a heightened state of stress as made me have headache, muscle tension, the inability to focus on tasks, and also made me not eat as healthy as I usually do, which has then made me feel even worse physically.  I knew that the mind and body were connected in before I began this class, but I never knew how much.  Because of the things I have learned the past few weeks, I am now able to not only recognize when my mind and body are affecting each other, but also articulate the reasons behind it. 

I hope you all had a better week than I did, and I wish us all a less stressful week to come!

~Catherine

Thank God Dacher Himself did not Voice the Relaxation for this Week (Unit 4 Blog)

My very first reaction to the loving-kindness exercise for this week, was "please Please PLEASE, tell him Dacher does not narrate the practice himself."  And he didn't so that was nice!  In all honesty, I found the end visualization of this weeks relaxation exercise to be the most helpful.  I listened to the recording after having my good day at work ruined by one customer at the very tail end of my shift.  During the last bit of the relaxation time, where we were to expand our circle of loving-kindness to everyone, I included that man, and it really helped me to get over the anger I felt at being treated badly.  Taking in all the negativity, stress, and bad vibes from the world, dissolving them within the self, and then exhaling out loving-kindness and peace was a very power technique and visualization.  I would recommend this to anyone who works in a stressful environment, or to anyone who has to deal with others they do not necessarily like, agree, or get along with.  

This week, Dacher also continued to discuss mental workouts, and mental fitness.  He states that by practicing either loving-kindness, or the subtle mind exercises for just one hour a day, we will begin to see a vast improvement in our psychospiritual health and wellness.  I think I might start with half an hour a day, then work up to an hour.  Right now, between working full time, and full time college classes it is hard for me to find a whole hour a day to relax, but I think I could manage 20 to 30 minutes!


On a side note, meditation has been a big help to me this week.  My brother's dog ran away and was hit and killed by a car.  She was just like a second niece; part of the family.  She was my study buddy when I dog sat, and a constant companion for about two months last year when my brother had to move, so she came and stayed with me until her was settled in.  I hope she knows how much she is missed and loved.

Queenie

 

Unit 3 Reflections

If I had to give myself a rating on a scale of 1 to 10 for each of three areas, (physical, spiritual and psychological) I would first focus on the physical aspects of myself.  This past weekend, I participated in the Mud Factor Seriously Fun 5k Obstacle Run, with my brother(all the money went to MS research, which our grandfather had).  I prepared myself more for the obstacles than the running, thinking they were going to be the difficult part, and I was wrong!  I after that experience, I think I would give myself a 5 for physical well being.  My body is not in poor shape, but I have just learned that it is not in as good of shape as I would have thought.  Next year, we want to participate in the Tough Mudder run, which is twice as long with twice as many obstacles, (all the proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project) so my goal over the next year is to go from a 5 to an 8.  My spiritual well being I will rate at a 7.  I have a fairly good relationship with the universe around me, and although not a practicing Catholic (for the most part) as I feel much more connected to God and the spirits in nature not in a church or cathedral, I know where I feel most connected.  I would like to improve to an 8 or 9, and be able to more articulately describe my sense of spirituality to others.

Lastly, I would give my psychological well being a 7 as well.  Although I have a fairly healthy mind, I am still overcome time to time by feelings of severe anxiety, dread, and apprehension.  I also have a tendency to hold onto stress, and not let it go.  I think that through mediation, I could work  up to a 9 in a fairly short amount of time, and be more at peace in times of stress.

As far as our guided meditation for this week, I felt it was a bit too long, although I did like the grounding phrases that accompanied each stage, and each part of the body.  I may use this technique again, but shorten it to fit my needs.  I may also listen to it again, and memorize each phrase with each part of the body, and use them for quick relaxation techniques along with deep breathing, when ever I feel anxious about something, or stressed and angry about work.

My brother and I after the Mud Run