"Meeting Aesclepius"

The Meeting Aesclepius Practice was a very interesting exercise.  I admit I struggled with keeping my mind focused on the image I created. I found myself over and over trying to get back to the image, therefore I had little time to really spend on what the exercise said focus on.  My mind is extremely busy right now and I cannot complain, my thoughts are good thoughts. I have so many wonderful things going on right now.  Which is a turn around from all of the medical issues that have been going on for the last 90 days are so.  

I am going to have to go over this exercise again and again because I realize that it really takes time. Integral health, mindfulness practices, a subtle mind, calm abiding all of these things take time to develop.  I am impulsive and move quickly at times but I realize that those practices that have been successful in my life have taken me a lifetime to get right and I am still working on some.  I think once I realized this I was able to calm down and make the most of it. Mind was no longer asking am I doing this right, I begin to accept what I saw in my mind what I felt in my heart and I was able to flow with the exercise.

I believe like any other practice, once we make them habit we can benefit from them, mindfulness exercises as well as meditation can help develop the inner person. It helps us to reduce stress, relax, give thought to the important things, discard the negative things. It helps to calm our minds and allows us to have mental clarity. We have a heighten consciousness. The simplest thing sometimes is the hardest thing.  In order to continue toward the goal of Integral health, these exercises have to become daily habits, its the only way to get to the place that we want to be. The practice only enriches us and allows us to more and more be strengthen, then and only then can we teach others how to obtain Integral Health.


The statement "one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself". Is a very good statement. Sure we can have information and share it with others and they can benefit from the information if they choose to, however, when one has experienced something and shares the information from their experience, it always is more helpful because it becomes real to the hearer.  
When health and wellness practitioners share their personal experiences of different practices, clients and patients are more apt to want to take part in the practice because they believe they see the actual results. I think when when physicians and others show they live the life that they advise others to live, it validates them.  When they teach something and don't follow the teaching themselves, it is easy to discard the information as this must not be true because he or she does not follow the information themselves... For example a physician telling a patient that he should not smoke, it is bad for his health and is effecting him negatively but has the smell of cigarette smoke on him as well as a package of cigarettes in his shirt pocket.  That patient may focus so hard on what he sees and not what he hears. The information does not benefit him because he is looking at that physician's practice.  It is hypocritical I think.
I personally think that it is essential for me to do all I can to better my health if I am to be an example to my clients. It is my testimony of how my health has changed that has allowed me to help so many. I continue this journey of learning and sharing because not only am I concerned for my health but for the health of all I come in contact with. I believe knowing that others depend on me for advice and information health me keep going, helps me to keep working at it and finding the best solutions for health and wellness.

Universal Loving Kindness and the Integral Assessment

The Universal Loving Kindness exercise was a wonderful opportunity to put in words what I feel. I was able to say what I really feel in an intelligent way and put that in my spirit.  I am a helper, a healer, a nurturer, my concern is generally and usually for the health and well-being of another.  This exercise was and intelligent way for me to express my feelings in fewer words that are profound and powerful.  The interest thing about the next exercise or assessment was it makes me see how out of balance I am.  I am concerned about my health and well-being. I put everybody and everything above me, myself and I.  Although that can be seen as a good thing, it is not a balanced thing, therefore allowing myself to suffer in many areas, only keeps me from being all I can be to others.  I am learning that I have got to be at my best , to uplift, encourage, help others make the changes in their lives that I have made. It is very hard to convince someone that they can be healthy when they see you may be suffering in that area. 
I have come to know the root of my issues and I think that I must work on balancing the interpersonal and worldly parts of my life more so.  As much as I have learned about health, I believe that the root of some of my problems lies not in the biological but in these two quadrants.  I have not problem with either of the loving kindness practices, where I believe I can devote my attention is in the subtle mind practice. Learning how to tame the mind and regain my focus on how to fix some of the issues in my life.  I have already begin to think and meditate on them and how I have set goals for myself to take care of much needed task.  I have gone through a fierce battle with myself over taking care of some of my needs and stepping a way from helping others for a while. I remembered something I taught my church; it is hard to be a blessing to others when you are not blessed yourself. Meaning that if I do not take care of my immediate needs I will not be in a position to help others. I am going to have to take a little time an reacquaint myself with a few things that really are essential to my success.  I think I am headed in the right direction and it will not take me long to get in balance.

The Subtle Mind

I think this exercise is a very good exercise but it requires some work.  It is easy to become so relaxed that you just fall a sleep.  That defeats the purpose I think, it was very hard for me because I am currently dealing with pneumonia and trying to quiet the coughing is extremely hard and makes it hard to tame your mind when all on your mind is Please Stop Coughing!!!
I expected to get more out of this exercise than the Loving Kindness Exercise, I think because I practice Loving Kindness on a daily bases and although the exercise was profitable and allowed me to see some things, I believe this one would be more beneficial to me, to get me to the place I want to go.  Until I can learn to quiet my mind any and every where, I realize that I have to have the atmosphere for it. In a house with four girls ranging from 8 to 14 who love to talk and watch television with the volume up as loud as possible, does make it a little challenging.  Trying the exercise again when nobody but me was available, I found myself very in tuned for minutes and then wondering am I really doing this right? Am I fooling myself into thinking this is working an am I doing the exercise properly.  I am not sure but my challenge was with me this morning and I spent too much time dwelling on my thoughts.  For a brief moment I do remember the thoughts rising, hovering and then dissolving, only for  my mind to say, Am I doing this right?  I am a bit frustrated however I do believe it is beneficial and I must say it will require some time and effort and I will continue after it.

Loving kindness Exercise

This was an interesting exercise. I consider myself to be a loving kind person. I always try to show others love and kindness, it is easy for me and just natural. What was interesting about this exercise was my focus on an individual that I loved. I almost became emotional because I was flooded with how much I love this person and even though they know I love them, our relationships seems difficult sometimes.  This person just does not have the confidence in knowing how much they are loved.  I believe if she knew how unconditional love really is; she would have a whole new outlook on life.  This exercise cause me to flood my mind with the love I have for her and hoping that one day I will be able to show her just how much without having to go through all the hooplah we go through. I believe it was beneficial because it reminded me not to begin to put my feelings for her on the back burner to continue to show loving kindness at all cost.
This is an exercise I would recommend, I believe I know many people who could benefit from it, if no more but to change the direction of their thoughts. I think the suffering part of the exercise require a little more from me and it took a moment for it to penetrate, however with practice it will get better.

Mental workout is more than just putting in a tape, closing your eyes, relaxing, breathing and fifteen or twenty minutes later you feel less stressed. Mental work out is just like working your body there are a series of exercises to incorporate the whole body. It is the same thing with a mental workout; we have to put in the time, be dedicated to spend the time doing the exercises that will help us achieve the goal of integral health. It is important to understand the practice and not just merely go through the exercises.  Having an understanding better conditions us for success. Spending a few minutes a day a couple times a day can help us move toward our goal.  These exercises like any other requires a discipline. Time and practice can bring about change.