Unit 8: Exercises and Practices

Throughout this course I have tried a variety of mental and physical exercises such as the loving kindness, subtle mind, visualization, meditation, yoga etc. There are three practices that have been most beneficial for me: visualization, meditation and yoga. I consider myself a dreamer (sometimes an escapists), who has no problem at all visualizing myself in a beautiful setting away from the stresses of everyday life.

I enjoy doing doing Hatha flow yoga because it helps me achieve a balance between mind and body. During class, we begin with relaxation exercises, move from one pose to another (asanas), concentrate on the breath (pranayama), and clear the mind through meditation at the end of the workout.

By incorporating visualizations in my meditation and yoga practices, I am able to release tension from my body and deal with stress and anxiety.

Unit 7: Asciepius Exercise

For this weeks exercise, I choose to focus on my mother. She is a very important person in my life and does so much for others. I aspire to be like her because no matter what someone has done to her, she forgives them and does not dwell on it. Her favorite saying is "Life is too short to stay mad at someone". I, myself have a harder time forgiving someone who has hurt me. I am stubborn so if a person does something bad enough to me I will not talk to them again until the apologize. If they do not apologize I may never acknowledge them again. I realize that sometimes you have to be a bigger person, however, I also know that there are people you should not waste your time on. Some people do not deserve to be a part of your life.

I really enjoyed the Asciepius exercise because it allowed me to focus on the qualities of my mother. Although I got emotional, her healing attributes became my focus and by the end of the exercise, a loving presence emanated through my body.

Just like exercise helps improve mood by relieving stress and anxiety, I have come to realize that practices such as positive thinking, loving-kindness, meditation, reiki and sound therapy offer the same benefits. I have incorporated many of these exercise into my life and my energy level has increased and I feel healthier and happier.

In my opinion the saying, "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" simply means that if your looking to alter certain areas of life, the best way to do so is by seeking advice from a trained health professional who has gone through similar challenges. It's important that the person helping you, understands how you feel and knows what steps you can take to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of your happiness. Anyone can go to school and learn cognitive psychology but the best type of therapists are those who have an innate ability to heal others- they genuinely understand your pain and know how to properly guide you in the right direction.

Unit 4: Loving-Kindness Exercise

I wish I could say this exercise worked for me, however, I had a hard time getting into it. I didn't like the style and terminology that was presented and I found my mind wandering. I was able to get myself in a relaxed state but I could not remain focused on just one person- it's hard to do this exercise if you have more than one person who is an important part of your life! I'm curious if anyone else had the same problem?

My concept of a mental workout is challenging yourself with something that doesn't come easy. With perseverance you get progress : )