Unit 6 Blog Entry
May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness and wholeness

I attempted to practice the above exercise this week and felt like I truly meant each of the words that I spoke - until a few days ago, after a confrontation with a person that I have been good friends with.  I was angry at some of the words that she spoke and since I don't like the feeling of anger, I focused on her when practicing the above.  I found it very difficult at first, but I then decided that I wanted to choose not to be angry and wish her all the best.

Normally, I would say that my capacity to extend loving-kindess is something that I practice often in my life.  If I pass an accident, I pray for whoever is in the car asking God to provide them healing and safety.  If I pass an ambulance in front of a home, I normally will pray for the individual who is receiving care.  But this situation really upset me and I really had to make a choice to say the words and really mean them.  I actually could feel the anger go away.

Designing my integral practice revealed an area that I need to develop immediately involves my body.  I am having some health challenges that are ready for growth and development.  Some of my thoughts of actions are to plan out my meal choices and commit to an exercise program as my physician has recommended.  While I was doing this assignment, I got a call from my physician's nurse with my lab results which stressed to me again - this is the area that I must focus on to promote integral health.
Barbara

Unit 5 - Lovingkindness vs Subtle Mind

Hi everyone,

Last week, I reported that I really struggled with listening and practicing the loving kindness mind state.  My mind was like a run-away train and I could not WAIT for the recording to end.

This week while listening to the subtle mind recording, I found myself more willing to listen, and go through the process.  It seemed that my patience lasted longer and I could actually visualize the mind chatter and not get pulled into its enticement as much as in the past.  This experience encouraged me to go back and listen again to the lovingkindess recording. 

I have a friend who died last week after several years of battling a cancerous brain tumor.  I was not aware of how much his passing was weighing in on my subconscious mind until practicing the loving kindess recording.  I finally had a sense of letting go and accepting his passing, while releasing fear, doubt, anger about why he had to die.

If you never gain control of your mind, you miss out on opportunities to access what is really going on within you.  Why are you feeling anxious, experiencing emotions that end up affecting how you respond to your daily activities.  It is important to not just want to exercise the physical portion of our body, but to exercise the mental state because carrying around negative thought patterns and emotions can eventually affect the workings of the physical body. 

Unit 4

After listening to the Loving-kindness mp3 and the mind practice mp3, I found it very hard to concentrate and to quiet the mind chatter.  I tried to make my grandmother the focal point, but it seemed like everything that I needed to do or just the most odd things found its way to my mind, so it was truly a battle to focus.  Concentrating on my breathing seemed to work the best for me, and it actually seemed to slow down my thoughts and felt very relaxing. 

I do agree that this is something that must be practiced and you would get better doing it after a while.  I have always been leery in doing any type of meditation or visualization because of hearing negative stories about “opening up your mind” to spirits.  I still struggle with this concept so the only time that I feel comfortable about doing this is when I focus my thoughts on thinking about the Lord or scriptures that come from the Bible. 

I must admit that after participating in the above practice, I felt more at peace with the quietness that I felt and even when I returned back to my daily tasks at work, that same peaceful feeling was with me for the rest of the day.  I am not sure if I would recommend this practice to anyone yet – I think I need to learn more myself and see the results in my own life first.

The concept of mental workout consist of exercising your mind just like you work out your body to make it strong through stimulating activities, quieting the mind from chatter, worries, cares of the day.  Participating in cognitive activities can help to maintain your mental alertness and reduces the distractions that come to rob you of your time and talent. 

I joined a website called Lumosity and I use the many tools that help to give you a mental workout.  According to Lumosity there is “a possible link between lifetime cognitive engagement and Alzheimer's.  Each day counts when it comes to the fight against cognitive decline, according to a 2012 study from Berkeley University. Researchers analyzed 75 older individuals' brains for signs of beta-amyloids, which are linked to Alzheimer's Disease. Participants who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities had lower levels of beta-amyloids.  But of these participants, those who stimulated their brains in early to middle life had the lowest levels of beta-amyloid accumulation — and this association held true regardless of age, sex, and education”.

Visit the website – I really enjoy the various cognitive workouts that help to strengthen your mind and memory.  www.lumosity.com