Unit 4 - Loving Kindness

Loving-kindness practice enhance concern for the welfare of others. The first step was to think of someone you love with great tenderness.  Open you heart to fully experience this feelings.  Next, turn these feelings of care and affection toward yourself, being in a place of total peace.  The next step confused me when she shifted to thought.  I wasn't thinking about anything, I still connecting with this feeling of love.
When it was time to shift to the subtle mind, I didn't understand how to give my soul and mind to my heart.  I didn't know what it was suppose to feel like.  Visualization was on taking in your love ones and enemies suffering with a breath and breathing out health and wholeness for them with a breath.  I was doing ok until she asked me to do this for my enemies.  This messed up my whole train of thought.  My mind shifted and thought maybe my enemies wouldn't be sick if they weren't sooooo eevviill.  I am not going around making enemies but I do believe in reaping what you sow.  I hope there is someone out there feeling me. LOL :<)

A mental work-out is exercising our minds by progressive development of an expanded consciousness and its healing capacities (Dacher, 2006).  Some of the examples of a mental work-out and attitude is loving-kindness and a subtle mind.  Some of the benefits of loving-kindness is it attracts loving-kindness and calms our minds.  It opens our hearts for concern and compassion for the welfare of others and diminishes self-centeredness.  Another example is subtle mind which addresses witnessing, calm-abiding, and unity consciousness (Dacher, 2006).  This opens our minds and reveals a wisdom that knows the truth for our lives and existence.  I can operate in loving-kindness and wisdom which are essential elements that heal at the source and drive human flourishing (Dacher, 2006). 

Relaxation Exercise - The Crime of the Century

Based on my physical, spiritual, and psychological well being, I am not the same person I was 3 years ago.  I would rate my physical well-being a 9 because of my organic eating habits, some exercise, and going green.  I would rate my spiritual well-being a 9 because of meditation/prayer to God, reading the bible, and faith to believe.  I would rate my psychological well-being a 9 because I'm wiser, more patient, and I have learned how to laugh.

My goal is to exercise a least 3 days a week for 30-60 minutes for physical well-being.  My goal for psychological well-being is to keep stress at bay by guarding my heart  and not letting anything hold me in an unbalanced/unstable place.  My goal for my spiritual well-being is to trust God more.

There are a few exercises that I could incorporate in my life that would assist me moving forward.  I know aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises are needed for physical balance in the body.  I love to power-walk but incorporating some sprint running would elevate my heart rate more and that would be healthier for me.  I also have the Zumba Workout DVD.  Incorporating leg and arm weights would give my muscles more resistance and strength.  My exercise goal is to do aerobic (Zumba) twice a week for 30 minutes and power-walk once a week for 45 minutes.

The Crime of the Century Relaxation Exercise was on beams of lights, breathing, and the 7 colors of the rainbow. The exercise began by asking you to imagine that this big beam of white light was shining on your chest and as it glowed on your chest, 7 colors of the rainbow glowed around.  The next part of the exercise was for me to explain what the colors meant to me.  The coach began to separate the colored lights, with each light moving up to different parts of the body meaning something different.  I loved the first part of the exercise when I imagined the big white light shining on my chest and the colored lights glowed around it.  It became difficult when I tried to separate the lights and move the lights up to different parts of my body.  The deep breathing was really nice and kept me in a peaceful state.        

When I first began to listen to the audio on Journey on Relaxation, I instantly began to relax just listening to the music notes.  The music notes and the man's voice was very relaxing.  When I took the first slow deep breathe I felt my body began to relax by coming to a still peaceful rest.  I did not know that 80% of the body's blood is in the abdominal area.  The next step was redirecting the blood technique to the arms and hands while in this peaceful state.  This is done by mentally telling the blood in the abdominal area to go to the arms and hands and the sign that this was working is you will feel your muscles relax and a heaviness in these areas.  I don't know if this technique was working for me because my arms and hands were feeling heavy and warm from lack of rest before I started this technique.  I noticed the breathing techniques really relaxed me and my body felt more relaxed and calm after this exercise.  After the exercise, I felt more alert and peaceful.  I do believe this exercise can work to some extent on anyone and it sounds a lot like Yoga.  I will definitely do this exercise again.   

Welcome :<)

Welcome Everyone

My name is Juanita Lias and I have been attending Kaplan University for about 2 years.  I am pursuing by Bachelor's degree in Health & Wellness and looking forward to finishing this year.  I am currently enrolled in a Creating Wellness course and this blog is the beginning of tracking my journey through this course.  The first unit was an Introduction to Human Wellness: Psychological, Spiritual, and Physical.  I am currently in unit 2 (Transpersonal Psychology) in which I am learning that trans mean beyond conventional stages of personal development.  This course is 10 weeks long and I will be blogging every week.  I welcome you to take this interesting, mindful journey with me to see if this mind over matter really works.

I subscribed to 3 people today with a little feedback.  It is confirmed that my blogs are going through somehow.  Now if I can Just remember what I am doing -- that would be great. LOL :<)

I have never blogged before but I think it is going to be interesting to learn.  This is my first blog and I do not know if I am in the right place for it to post but let's give it a try.  If someone could tell me how to post to someone's blog that would be great.