Unit 8 Exercises

Throughout this course, I have learned a lot about the different exercises to become more aware and achieve human flourishing.  One of the exercises that I believe helped me the most is loving-kindness.  It helped me to keep my mind open and sweet, feel my heart giving love to others and to the world.  I could experience inner peace and the necessity of giving love to people around me.  I could get relax and release the tension of the regular day.  I can practice this exercise to quiet my mind and open my heart, especially when I know someone needs love.  This would help me train my mind as well, and achieve happiness and that sense of wholeness.

The other exercise is the subtle mind.  Probably this one was somewhat challenging, but I think is very beneficial.  Develop the ability of quiet my mind, and achieve a witnessing mind is something will help me in the present and in my future live.  Discover the power we have, and have the knowledge of controlling my mind will be the perfect way to achieve everything I ever wanted.  I would continue practicing these exercises to foster my mental fitness and achieve human flourishing.

~Yesica Gonzalez. 

Unit 7 Blog

I have to be very honest this time; the Aesclepius exercise was somewhat annoying for me.  The pauses between the voices were too long, and instead of relaxing me, made me lose focus and concentration.  Probably, with another exercise I would be able to get concentrated and experience it better.  I definitely believe this type of exercise can help my overall health and wellness, but I have to get used to it.  The best way to quiet my mind and perform the exercise is by practicing it.  Therefore, I will start dedicating a few minutes daily until I can perform it well and get the maximum results. 

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" this saying not only applies to the Health and Wellness professionals, if not to any profession and any area of live.  If I have not gone through a path, I cannot lead anyone because I do not know which way is the right one.  It is incongruent if I am sick give advices of health to a person, or if I am obese telling someone how to lose weight.  Therefore, in this profession we definitely have an obligation to develop our own psychologically, physically, and spiritually health.  I can implement psychologically growth in my personal life by applying and putting into practice the knowledge gained in my career.  Additionally, I need to lead with the example and practice all the principles that will help my well-being.

~Yesica Gonzalez. 

Unit 6

The loving-kindness exercise made me feel like if I was a source of health, happiness, and wholeness.  I felt I could give peace, health, and happiness to the whole world.  I could open my heart and my soul, and at the end of the exercise, I felt so happy.  The assessment process helped me realize that I have to improve in different areas of my live.  I am ready to grow and develop those areas. I learned that in every experience I could have, I have to stop and ask myself how can I handle that experience? Instead of thinking, why that experience is happening to me?  The area I chose to develop is psychospiritual.  I think meditation can help me improve this area because is going to help me feel connected with my divine self.  Reading the Bible can help me as well.

~Yesica Gonzalez.

Unit 5

“There are direct relation between the breath and the mind” (Dacher).  The loving kindness and subtle mind exercise are similar in the music used with the waves of the ocean as background.  The loving kindness exercise has the focus of loving yourself and sends to someone you love health, happiness, and wholeness.  The subtle mind exercise has the focus of quiet and calm your mind, this exercise helps us to develop the witnessing mind. 

My experience with these exercises was overall positive.  The loving kindness was easier than the subtle mind one because I could concentrate and focus my mind in the instructions, but the subtle mind was kind of challenging.  The reason why it was challenging for me it was because I could not calm my mind enough to follow all the instructions.  I think I have to practice more frequently to dominate my mind.

On the other hand, spiritual wellness is connected to mental and physical wellness because when we are lost spiritually is more difficult to calm our mind and have overall wellness.  In my life when I feel spiritually disconnected, I feel something is missing in my life.  Like I am not complete and I have like a hole that needs to be filled.  The connection of spiritual, mental, and physical wellness is what I think would make me feel happy and complete. 

Reference:

Dacher, E. (2006).  Integral health: The path to human flourishing.  Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

~Yesica Gonzalez