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
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