Hello everybody, I hope I am getting better at this.

The Loving-Kindness exercise was much easier compare to the Subtle Mind.  But it made me realize how unfocused I am even when I seem to be paying close attention to my task or to my homework.  My hands might be busy, but my mind and my thoughts are all over the place.  Until yesterday afternoon (Thursday) I had not given much credence to quieting my thoughts.  I was trying to do my homework, but there seemed to be so much noise in the house that I just couldn’t focus or even function for that matter.  After 30 minutes of attempting to get started, I got up, put on my sneakers and went for and went for a walk.  For some time now I have been practicing diaphragmatic breathing when I walk or exercise, so while I was walking I focused on my breathing.  Pretty soon the noises quieted and I was able to focus.  I should have brought pencil and paper with me because I figured out exactly what I wanted to write in this blog.  Although it will take some time and a lot more practice to get the Subtle Mind exercise, I think this practice will really be a good one when focus and too many random thoughts become a problem.  I wondered as I am writing this if this practice might help those with ADD.

Mental health is defines as a state of well-being where the individual realizes his own potential and can cope with everything life throws at him and is still able to make a contribution to his community.  Physical wellness is the ability to maintain the healthy qualities in life that will get us through our daily activities without a lot of fatigue and physical stress.  Spiritual wellness is the ability to find and establish peace and harmony in our lives.  I believe each of these three areas of wellness contributes a third to your overall well-being.  If even one of these is off kilter, then it throws the entire body out of harmony.  Together they work to establish a sense of overall health and well-being. 

References:  World Health Organizaion, article, retrieved from the website on August 30, 2013 http://ww w.who.int/features/factfiles/mentalhealth/en/   

University of California Riverside Human Resources, article,The Seven Dimensions of Wellness, retrieved from the website on 8-30-2013, http://welness.ucr.edu/seven_dimensions.html

My experience with the mental workout was very enlightening.  Many times in the past when I have prayed or meditated, I focused on myself and my own problems.  I have never thought of  myself as being selfish, but in all honesty, when I put myself and my problems above everyone else’s, that is exactly what I am.  When I meditate and prayed for someone else, it made me feel whole, calm, and more aware of how blessed I am.  I found the experience beneficial because it gave me a rest from thinking about my own problems.  

I would recommend it to others.  I feel that a lot of the problems we have in the American society today is because people are too focused on their own problems.  This past week an armed gunman walked into an elementary school and threatened to kill everyone there.  But a young woman who was a school employee calmly talked with the man and convinced him to give himself up and as a result no one was hurt or killed.  The young woman has been interviewed time and time again, but I believe it was her compassion and her faith that helped her keep the gunman calm.  If we could all behave this way, I think we could diffuse many of the volatile situations that happen every day. 

The concept of mental workout is much like a physical workout.  It is an exercise that strengthens the brain and the psychospiritual development.  Research has proven that we can learn to be compassionate and kind.  We don’t have to the aggressive bullies that many of us in America have become.  Mental workouts take the focus off ourselves and this can foster better psychological health.

Resources:  Dacher, Elliott S.; Integral Health:  The Path to Human Flourishing; 2006; Basic Health Publications, Inc.; Laguna Beach, California

Reflections

Based on my reflections, I rate my spiritual well-being on a scale of 1 to 10 as a 10.  I rate my psychological as a 9 and my physical as an 8.  My spiritual well-being is the most important part of my being.  I suppose that throws my psychological and physical off just a little and maybe I should work on bringing all three into balance.  I believe my spiritual well-being is more developed because I exercise it more than the others.  I go to church and worship.  I pray and meditate.  I read materials that nourish my spirit.  If I paid at least that much attention to the other elements of my being, I think I would be a lot more rounded.  Some activities I could implement to assist in moving toward my physical goal are to get into the best physical shape possible.  I can engage in more physical activities in my day and by eating healthy and adopting a healthy lifestyle.  For my psychological well-being, I could engage my brain in intellectual games; learn a new language, or even Sudoku.   I feel that with a little effort, I can truly bring my physical, psychological and spiritual well-being into balance.

I enjoyed the exercise.  I felt it was very beneficial in helping me to relax and feel calm.  I liked that the exercise used the colors of the rainbow.  For me a rainbow symbolizes hope.

Hello and welcome to Debbie’s Path to Health and Well-being.  My journey on relaxation exercises was not an easy route.  I do often became upset at work when the computer didn’t work or I had to correct someone else’s careless errors that I had adopted this way of life and I would forever be stressed and frustrated at work.  Then one morning instead of guzzling cups of coffee and silently suffering through another system’s failure, I went outside and took a walk.  Thus began my path to well-being and health.  I use my morning walk to get rid of any stress I’m experiencing.  It is also a way to get in a fifteen minute aerobic exercise routine.   These 15-minute breaks have become the best coffee-breaks I’ve ever experienced!