Unit 8 Blog

The practices I will integrate into my daily life are the Loving Kindness Practice and the Meeting Aesclepius practice. Specifically, I find the practice of breathing in suffering and melting it in the heart. As a health and wellness professional, I have to be aware of the interaction of the energy transfer between myself and my client. It is very important to be able to dispel negative energy rather than internalize it. I have found myself calling upon this practice to move this energy in an appropriate way. The meeting Aesclepius practice has been a visualization that I am really drawn to. I think it is good for me to visualize spiritual leaders and take on the qualities I admire about them. I also like that it incorporates chakra tuning by visualizing light emanating from the energy centers. Whether I continue to listen to the guider visualization, I have internalized this practice and will call upon it during my meditation practice. I do meditate regularly and these practices have helped inspire me to maintain a consistent practice. I have enjoyed and benefited from these practices and the class over all. I appreciate that I have been able to work toward earning a degree in Health and Wellness. I wish you all health and happiness.

Love, 

Tonia

unit 7 blog; Meeting Asciepius & Spiritual Leadership

I liked the “Meeting Asciepius” meditation most of all the practices we have done in this class. Asciepius is the Greek God of healing that represents the subtle mind. The narrator of the meditation suggested we visualize a spiritually evolved leader, whether real or fictional, alive or dead. Perhaps because I have had Tibet on my mind a lot lately, and he is arguably the wisest spiritual leader of our time, I envisioned His Holiness The Fourteenth Dali Lama. He is considered to be the reincarnation of The Boddhisatva, an aspect of Buddha, personified. Every time I sit to do this meditation, he is the first person to come to my mind. I visualize his smiling face. I can hear his light hearted giggle and his profoundly simplistic words of wisdom. I see the points of light emanating from the crown of his head, his ajnya chakra (third eye), his throat, and his heart center. I do feel the connection between his energy centers to mine. I can feel the balancing, healing effect of the bond. I especially focus on the throat chakra, because this important center for communication is an area that needs considerable maintenance. I often find it difficult to express myself, particularly amidst adversity, when I need most to speak up. I will continue this practice, and hope that it will continue to help me find my voice and deepen my understanding of my higher Self.

 Namaste.

नमस्ते

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself.” This concept makes perfect sense to me as a health and wellness professional. I can only teach my student what I have learned. I can not possibly show someone how to do something I have not learned. In this way, my abilities as a healer are limited. This is why I owe it to myself and my clients to continually develop in all aspects of my life, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I do believe I keep this in mind as I strive to make life my practice. I try to eat well and exercise, to train my mind through education and contemplative practice, and to evolve spiritually by reading or listening to spiritual guidance, participating in group spiritual activities, and am increasing drawn to take deep spiritual journeys that will take me to places I have never been before, physically, mentally and spiritually. 

In twelve hours from now, I will be boarding an airplane to China. I have never been out of the U.S. before. I am excited, a little nervous and afraid. It is a journey that is sure to be interesting and exciting. The trip is really for my child and her class. I am a chaperone. I will spend a week in Beijing, where I will have some free time, for the kids will be with host families. I plan on visiting the Lama Temple, taking Qi Gong class, and receiving Traditional Chinese Medical Treatments such as “Fire Glass”. The second week will be busier for chaperoning as we tour the country. It has been many years leading up to this amazing journey. I’m sure I will grow in many ways through this experience. My only regret is that I did not book an extended trip to visit Tibet. I had intended to, but I let excuses of time and money constraints stop me from really following this dream. Upon this realization that I let my fear get in the way of fulfilling my dream at this time, I tried to change my plans, but alas, it was too late. One needs to obtain permits to enter Tibet. It is a politically sensitive issue. I need to correct this. Once I have my degree in Health and Wellness, I am going to take a good long voyage to a spiritual place, where I can bring my children with me, so that we can all live our lives to the fullest, and remain firmly on a path to flourishing.

Om Shanti

ॐ शांति

Personal Integral Assessment & Universal Loving Kindness

1. Psychospiritual
1. conative
1. I am motivated by a desire to serve others. It used to be that I sought external validation for my good deeds. Today I am more content with the feeling that comes from within when I do for others. 
2. cognitive
1. I am constantly seeking knowledge and experience.I am a perpetual student, always taking workshops and classes with a goal of personal and career growth in mind.
3. emotional
1. I do have codependent tendencies and wish I were less reactive in some situations. Recognizing these tendencies has been a gradual process. I do think I have come a long way with this. 
2. Interpersonal
1. personal
1. I have a pretty good relationship with myself. I try to be honest with myself about my strengths and weaknesses.   I try every day to be the best person I can be, and I work on forgiveness to myself for mistakes I have made and my short comings. 
2. family
1. My family relationships are a weak link for me. I am geographically very distant from most of my relatives and some of the key figures in my life suffer from drug and alcohol addiction, so these relationships can be strained. I love my children, but parenthood comes with challenges. As frustrating as it is sometimes, parenthood is an excellent opportunity for personal growth.
3. community
1. I would like to develop more in this area. I am not all that involved in my community. I find myself being ‘too busy’ and I am a little shy and introverted. I used to volunteer at my child’s school frequently, but at her age there is not as much need. My son will start kindergarten in August. I will have more opportunities to volunteer with his class. I have taken steps to be more involved in that I just signed up to have a booth promoting my spa at the local street fair coming up in a couple of months. I also attended an event at a meditation center where I felt comfortable. I do belong to various ‘communities’ of Yogis, Bodyworkers, and Energy Workers. I would like to be more involved with all of them.
3. Biological
1. Fitness
1. I engage in a moderate amount of physical activity. My favorites are yoga and hiking which are all good for developing the mind, body, spirit connection. I should do more strength training exercise and more aerobic activity as well. 
2. Nutrition
1. I am aware of what it takes to eat healthy in respect to personal nutritive requirements, environmental impact and respect to animals. I try to purchase organic, sustainable, minimally if at all processed foods, but also balance a tight budget. Recently I have notices my body physically reacting to processed sugary foods, so I have restricted them greatly. Even with this awareness, I think my diet could be healthier.
3. self regulation
1. I take some time to meditate daily. I have gotten progressively more consistent and more at ease with practice. I also take acupuncture regularly, chiropractic and massage therapy when ever I can.
4. Worldly
1. work 
1. My work is all about nourishing people’s bodies, minds, and spirits. There is always opportunity to go deeper, but I am fulfilled in the work I do, for it feeds my spirit as well as my pocketbook. My work inspires me to go deeper, to learn more, to become more intuitive.
2. social activism
1. I do hold a deep desire to help make the world a better place, however I find myself often holding back on this. I often put my busyness, the logistics of my life first. I used to go out on a limb in protests and do more volunteer work before I became a parent. I find myself using my kids as an excuse why I can not contribute at this time. I am too busy. I haven’t the money. It’s too dangerous. These are all excuses I need to turn around and learn to work with. I need to teach my children the value of standing up for what you believe in. It is worth my time to give to others. 
3. generativity
1. I do enjoy sharing and teaching others what I have learned. One of the the most rewarding aspects of my work is empowering others with the tools that help them flourish in their own lives. 

The goal of my personal integral assessment is to reduce my suffering and promote my flourishing. In this process I am able to see what aspects of my life are significant sources of distress and which areas hold the greatest possibilities for growth and development. Resolutions are made in this process that address both short term relief and long term relief from suffering. Clear distinctions can be made between what gives immediate pleasure and what supports long term flourishing. The process aids in development of psycho-spiritual aspects which are essential for spiritual health. The assessment requires guidance and listening on a deep level addressing the aspects of our being that are ripe for development here and now. The most important thing to remember in the process is that I am perfect just the way I am.  I am not anxious bout non-perfection because everything is as it should be.

This assessment and the Universal Loving Kindness exercise serve to remind me that my real goals, what really fulfills me, has little to do with material success, but with service. I am now ready to explore ways that I can integrate more community service into my life. This service must include my children. I am ready and willing to serve. I am ready and willing to receive. I am healthy, happy, gracious, free. I am free to choose my own destiny.

Namaste

Wellness; The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection

ॐ नमः शिवायः ॐ नमः शिवायः ॐ नमः शिवायः

शांति शांति शांति

Chanting of mantra is a tool utilized by most spiritual disciplines to help bring a person into higher mental and spiritual planes. Repetition of mantra is for the mind what repetition of physical exercise is for the body. Chanting Om Namah Shivaya over and over again is said to help bring one closer to enlightenment. Chanting Shanti is an invocation foe world peace. It is generally accepted as fact that in order to have a healthy physical body we need to eat nutritious food and exercise on a regular basis. The more well rounded our diet is and our workouts are, the stronger we are physically and mentally. It is a proven fact that poor nutrition and lack of physical activity can lead to mental health issues such as depression, attention deficit, and aggression. What we eat and our activity levels effect the chemistry of our brains for better or worse. Neglecting our physical and mental health perpetuates a downward spiraling of stress hormones. Nourishing our bodies as the temple of spirit propels us into the energetic vortex that uplifts us to higher planes of being. Many disciplines of conventional health ideology address one or two of these aspects. We acknowledge going to the gym for a workout as working on the physical and mental plane, but it lacks spiritual connection. Being involved in a church may strengthen the psycho-spiritual component of our being, but does little for our physical body. I am very drawn to yoga because it is a practice, a way of life really, that works on all levels of being, all layers of human experience. Yogic philosophy gives guidance as to how to nourish the body through diet and exercise, how to strengthen the mind through disciplined, repetition of mental exercises in contemplation and present moment awareness. It teaches us how to nourish our spirits through love, gratitude and forgiveness. The practice of yoga has made a profound effect on my health on all levels. Because of yoga my physical body is strong and flexible. I am acutely aware of how I use my body in various activities, so I am less likely to injure myself because of mindless misuse of my body. I have been able to work through old wounds, working on forgiveness, living a life aware of how we create our reality. Karma means action, like Newton's law of equal and opposite reactions, as is the law of karma. By and large, the things we do for better or worse lay the foundation for what lies ahead, so living a life that is virtuous helps one to keep a clear conscious, a light heart, and open mind. 

नमस्ते,

मंगला

Tonia

Into the Depths of the Mind

Both the Loving Kindness practice and the Subtle Mind practice are beneficial, but they explore different aspects of the mind. The loving kindness practice explores the outer layer of the mind. It takes the mind on a journey outward, expanding consciousness and love to all sentient beings. The Subtle Mind practice is more of a journey inward. It focuses on quieting the active mind and focusing on the deeper layers of the mind, moving toward calm abiding and unity consciousness. I like both practices and find them easier to get into with repetition. I have integrated into my life the piece of the Loving Kindness practice  where we breath in the suffering of another, letting it melt away. Whenever I find my mind wandering to someone’s suffering or I am working with a client, I invoke this practice. I have found it to be a useful tool for dispelling negative energy. The subtle mind practice, so far has been a good meditation, but I’ve only listened to it for a few days now. I will need more time to see how it will effect my life. I’m sure it will help me to increase my level of calm abiding and move me toward unity consciousness.

Get Psyched With a Mental Workout

You are in bondage by your own consciousness and you can be free  by your own consciousness. It's only a matter of turning the angel of the mind. - Baba Hari Dass

Many of us are aware of the importance of exercise training for physical fitness, and today more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of mental training for cognitive, emotional, and spiritual fitness. Daily practice of contemplation, to develop an expanded consciousness, serves to evolve our psycho-spiritual life, to access our greatest potential and highest Self. These practices have been utilized and taught for thousands of years, across many religions and cultures. We are fortunate today to have access to so many spiritual teachers, psychology books, and practices at our disposal. It has been proven that studying a little every day is better for cognitive memory than cramming. Studies have also shown that people who continuously learn have a lower instance of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. When we make a sustained effort to grow emotionally through contemplative practices, we improve our relationships with ourselves and with others. This evolves into greater awareness and connection to our higher Self, a spiritual evolution.