Creating Wellness - Unit 8 - Meditation & Visualization

Welcome to week 8 of Creating Wellness! The course is progressing amazingly fast....

This week's blog is as follows:

After reviewing the exercises and practice sessions thus far completed in this course I chose the Loving-Kindness and Subtle-mind exercises which seem to be most beneficial to me at this point.  I can implement these exercises in my personal life to foster ‘mental fitness’ by practicing them at least twice daily for 15-30 minutes each time, increasing my meditation times as necessary and depending upon circumstance. Continuing to practice the Loving-Kindness exercise will help me to develop my vision, progressing my transformation to the next step of practicing attainment of optimal flourishing. Practice of the subtle mind exercise will also help me to develop my inner self and expand my level of consciousness. Continuing with contemplative practice will help gain control of my mind and thoughts, becoming more mindful and intentional.

Yours in health,

Marcella Gracer

Meeting Aesclepius - A Meditation Exercise

Hello and welcome to week seven of Creating Wellness..... Integral Health transition is a real experience and I have come face to face with the reality of more change (for the better, but still change).

Part I

After a few attempts of completing the Meeting Asclepius mp3 for this week’s meditative exercise I was finally capable of creating the face of a wise person on which to focus. However, managing to hold the image for the length of time of the exercise was challenging and I found my mind wandering many times. Although I have practiced meditation for a few years now, I am finding the push of the course making it more challenging to stay focused because it feels like more of an assignment than a personal journey. This thought process transition of integral health is a new and changing experience for me, personally.

 I am sure there has been a fostering of some type in regard to my psychological and spiritual wellness because I am having thoughts of transition, albeit they are frightening. I realize the change will be for the better, but as this transformation takes place, the fact remains there are other transformations of my personal human experience taking place at the same time. All of these changes are bringing on emotional and physical responses requiring attention I am not strong enough to handle at this point in my life and schooling. As a definite eye opener, I have a long way to go before I am going to be one of the wise ones sharing the knowledge of greater human flourishing. Much practice is yet to be done! The best I can do is continue to practice as much as possible, keeping in mind the end result is the ultimate goal of optimal human flourishing at some level.

 Part II

The saying, “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005, p477)” simply states it is not possible for one to take another to a place they, themselves, have not yet traveled. To have simply read about the skills and pathways to integral health does not make any one of us an integral health healer. There is still much practice to be done, possibly years and years; along with the hopes of finding a teacher or mentor to help with the progression and transition of the thought process to create a greater wellness of the inner self to transcend from body to mind to spirit; only to gain the ability to share the same with others.

Respectfully,

Marcella Gracer

Universal Loving-Kindness; Integral Assessment

Hello, and welcome to Unit 6 of Creating Wellness~

This has been a challenging week for me, and I must say the lessons here taught in this course are not ones to be rushed through... With that being said, I will post my blog for this week and extend the greatest of apologies for the tardiness. May you all be well and happy!

The Universal Loving-Kindness exercise provided by Dacher I used went as follows…

“Close your eyes and for a minute or two rest into the natural ease of your mind and body, and repeat the following phrases for 10 minutes:

                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.

This mini-practice can be quite powerful in expanding your mind and heart. It can serve as an antidote to anger and hatred. It can help to shift your focus from personal love to universal loving-kindness. You can work it at any time (Dacher, 2006, p 93).”

My personal experience with this meditative exercise was not successful this week as I simply did not have the necessary emotional strength required to carry it through for any length of time. I believe there are those times when one is not as strong as usual and it is an acceptable state. However, I do appreciate the power it holds and look forward to restoring my own personal strength and pursuing the Universal Loving-Kindness exercise as a part of my daily meditation routine.

How perfect the timing for Dacher’s Integral Assessment. This assessment is a key tool for deciphering a meditative priority in one’s life (unless, of course, there is an emergent situation at hand). It can vary from day to day, even moment to moment; and knowing just what to focus on to best restore balance, harmony, and flourishing helps one to successfully attain optimal health and flourishing. Dacher suggests using the four quadrants, line, and levels of development to “begin a formal assessment while in a contemplative state. First, cultivate a still and silent mind. Next, focus full attention on the four quadrants of the integral map”; the four aspects of the human experience – psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and worldly – with developmental lines in all directions outward from the center- all leading to optimal human flourishing. “Then, take an inventory of the four aspects of life and determine which area needs attention most (Dacher, 2005, pp 114-5).” The author continues on with exact detail of how to complete this mental self-assessment for the purpose of Integral health.

Again, as with the previous meditative exercise above, I was incapable of completing either of these meditations this week in a timely fashion to fairly report in this blog. I do understand the concepts involved and the benefits to practicing these exercises daily. I believe that as my life calms down from recent travels, the death of a dear friend’s mother (aunt to me) after a tough battle with cancer, and to know her oldest daughter has very little time left, as well has taken its toll on my emotional strength these past weeks; and this particular week I was not able to academically produce appropriately. My greatest apologies are extended to my Professor and classmates, and particularly to myself. I feel this challenging time has been a good lesson of why integral health is so very important in anyone’s life and needs to be the standard health care practice of the future, starting today.

Activities and exercises I can participate in to foster greater wellness in all areas of my life right now would be to continue to address and treat each of the four aspects of my human experience as important keys to increased health and wellness of my body, mind, and spirit; making me a better person for the world as a whole. I will forgive myself for not being up to par this week, only motivating me to try harder next week; I will continue with my physical workout program increasing my ability to become a stronger person inside and out; and most of all I will continue with Contemplative Practice exercises to learn better access to my calm-abiding mind.

May you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy, productive week! As I wish the same for myself….

Yours in health,

Marcella

Source:

Dacher, ES   2006    Integral Health – The Path to Human Flourishing   Pub: Basic Health Publications, Inc.   Laguna Beach, CA

Mental Fitness - The Subtle Mind

Hello, and welcome to week five of ten! Half way through the term, and it's hard to believe!

The topic for our blog this week is about cultivating the subtle, calm-abiding mind. The Subtle Mind Exercise provided proved to be quite helpful.

This week’s Subtle Mind Exercise was much like that of last week, the Loving Kindness Exercise. They both offered calming direction and guidance throughout the exercises. The peaceful sound of the ocean’s waves provided simple focus, replacing the outside chatter of the world. It reminds me of when I go down to the ocean alone, and just sit and listen to the waves come and go. Similar to breath used as a focal point; which is helpful to me in shutting out the clutter of the mind, blocking my ability

The Loving Kindness exercise directs the listener to find the focal point of breath, to find the inner-self and become in touch with the inner-spirit; attention is then directed toward a  loved one and their suffering, using the intake breath to absorb the suffering and replacing the suffering with loving kindness via the exhaling breath. While focusing on the breath and using this focal point to remove suffering and replace it with loving kindness, the subtle-mind is visited and from there the ability for the listener to practice taking in the suffering of all mankind with each inhalation and replacing it with loving kindness for all mankind with each exhalation.

The Subtle Mind exercise also uses the breath as a focal point to clear the mind of outside noise and distraction, allowing for a better connection with the calm-abiding mind. As with the Loving Kindness exercise, this exercise begins with the first step of self and takes the listener through the last two levels of subtle-mind practice recognizing loved ones and, of course, reaching the stabilized, calm-abiding mind of unity and oneness.

I did not find either of these exercises difficult or frustrating. They were definitely calming and at times were able to put me into a light sleep. I could still hear the guide, when speaking, but was able to take my mind to a quiet place and feel the results of a calm mind.

Knowing lots of practice will be needed to become much more proficient at these exercises, but with daily practice (sometimes more than once a day, if possible) soon enough the ability for me to achieve a higher level of human flourishing will exist.

Yours in health,

Marcella