Looking back over my unit 3 exercises, I had put myself at a seven in all three categories. Honestly I think i'm still at a seven- but closer to an eight than I was when I started this class. I do not believe that improving yourself on a whole is something that can be accomplished "overnight" so to speak and recognizze that even though sometimes change is dreadlfully slow, it's still change none the less and it's still positive. I'm still exercising and eating right, I am still very comfortable and secure in my spiritual practices and my son is still making sound effects while I'm trying to write this, so my psyche is hanging in there as well. On the upside I found out yesterday that we have other options open to us as a family through the Army that will definitely allow me time to take a break and recouperate my mind so there is most definitely a light at the end of this tunnel now!
I have managed to squeeze in a bit more time for myself in the mornings with my exercises as well as making more time for family time. I am still not able to get out into nature quite as much as I'd like, but that has more to do with the rain and cold weather than anything so I wind up sitting on my porch instead of trekking through the wilderness but at least I'm still out in the sunshine and fresh air! I still love my crossword puzzles and I'm game to try and good brain teaser I can find.
Overall this class has taught me that no matter what, I still deserve time to focus on me and that I am just as important as doing the laundry, helping my son with a problem, going grocercy shopping, cleaning the litterbox, playing an online game with my hubby or any of the other number of things I tend to busy myself with. I deserve those few minutes in the morning to just slow down and refocus myself on my inner healing- and for that, I am extremely thankful! I've really enjoyed this class and learning from both the professor and my classmates and I hope everyone is able to leave the class with, at the very least, the knowledge that they too are worth the time it takes to do the exercises. Best wishes!
Jen
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Introduction:
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?Health and wellness professionals are here to help us achieve a healthy, whole and positive life. You cannot have those things if you are solely focused on one area of healing. It's like going grocery shopping for the month and only buying eggs... lots and lots of eggs. Eggs can be cooked many different ways, but they are still an egg and they still can't provide all the necessary nutrients the human body requires. Healing is the same way. Taking medicine isn't going to work well if you don't address underlying problems and associated issues and have the proper mind set to allow the healing process to blossom fully. Likewise, having the positive mind set or sheer faith is not going to save you if you need insulin for diabetes. There is a balance and that balance is completely out of whack for most of us. Thankfully this class has helped me begin to get mine back.
Right now I am trying to get used to my body... I know that sounds really strange but for someone that has been 100 lbs most of her life, gaining 30 lbs is life altering- but in a good way. As I've said before, I had Anorexia in high school and have struggled with it throughout my adult life as well. I recently got married and have moved to another state, so basically starting over. My hubby is an Army medic and my being underweight was one of the things that we talked about a lot, so we redid my diet, had a lot of crying sessions and he started making sure I ate breakfast every day... and lunch... and dinner.... and 30 lbs later here I am. But it's still weird. I know it's healthier- especially for my heart, but oye the aches and the more limited range of motion and my husband's wallet was absolutely screaming when I had to replace half of my wardrobe. So for right now I think I need to work on trying to maintain my proper body mass for my size, continue to eat healthy, try to regain some of my flexibility that I feel like I've lost and work on getting my mind used to the idea of having an actual body and not just skin and bones.
II Assessment:How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Overall I think I'm on the right track. I know that I have areas that definitely need improvement and other areas that could use a brushing off and smoothing of the edges, but again, overall I think I'm doing ok. I would like to be doing great- but I think we all would:) I think my biggest challenge right now is getting the psychology of my mind wrapped around the new size and shape of my body. But I have faith in my support system and I have faith in me, so I'll make it through and I'll be healthier and happier for it too. I think my strongest area is my spirituality and sometimes I lean on that so hard I think I'm going to knock it over- but it never fails and eventually things find their way to where they are supposed to be- including myself.
III Goal development:List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
Physically: I want to maintain: I want my weight to stay at least at or above 130lbs.. permanently. Being underweight is not healthy in any manner for the mind, body or spirit, and I need to continue to recognize this. I also want to get my Yoga routine back to where it was... I've missed quite a few days here and there and I don't want it to turn into a habit.
Psychological: Stop reacting and start thinking: Some people eat when they are stressed out... I do too, but I only eat coffee and cigarettes- and apparently that does not constitute a meal. I have had a lot of success with the loving kindness exercises and I am very proud of that. I have never been able to “disconnect” myself from a situation that really upset me- especially if it was intentionally aimed at me. Right now, because of what I have learned in this class, as long as I can see it coming I can think before I react, breath for a little bit and be able to respond intelligently instead of emotionally. What I want to be able to do is the exact same thing- even when I can't see a conflict coming. Life happens, I know this, and sometimes we just aren't ready for it, but at least this way, I know that I can either adjust to any situation or know that eventually I will recover:)
Spiritually: I need to make time: I haven't had as much time as I would like to have in regards to being able to actively practice my faith. I've been inside the house way too much and I feel like I'm shutting doors in places I didn't even know were there. To me this is a bad thing, kind of like blocking a Chi flow. Sometimes it gets so bad I tell my husband it feels like my Chakras are scattered across the globe. What I need to do is stop making excuses and start making time. My spirituality is an important part of my life and it has as much right to my time as anything else does- it's also integral to my health.
IV Practices for personal health:What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
Physical: my Yoga!!! I need my yoga, I feel lost without it... ok maybe it's the quiet time involved with it that I miss too, but I need that as well! Eating right. I need to keep eating all three meals of the day- even if I am eating smaller portions, rather than just eating one meal at the end of the day.
Psychological: I need to be more self aware. Oftentimes I find myself reacting to a situation because either that's how I've always reacted to it or how I think I should react to it. I need to actively stop my mouth before it opens and consult with my brain about what I'm really about to say. Something else I can do to help my psychology is to play mind games! I love crossword puzzles and I love strategy and puzzle games on the computer. I like trying to find the difference in two almost identical pictures and optical illusions just trip me out. As long as I continue to exercise my mind then I'm on the right track to keeping my psychology in tact- until my son starts college and I go crazy from Empty Nest Syndrome, but that's a worry for another time:)
Spiritual: Meditation helps me in this department. It is hard for me to connect with my faith if I am surrounded by concrete, car horns and busy bodies that never stop. Meditating can take me away from the current circumstances and put me in a place that is calm and welcoming so that I can begin to recuperate my mind and work through any issues I might be experiencing.
V Commitment:How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
Honestly, this paper will be my best guide to the next couple of months and how well I can improve and then maintain my health. Having said that, this paper is just the beginning too. It's like a road map of where I am and where I want to be. Re-reading this paper in six months is either going to be a, “wow, I remember that and I'm so glad I stuck with it” or a, “I wrote a paper on healing goals?” moment... I'd like to think it's the first of those two options....
As far as Strategies go, my best one is my husband. We have a very cooperative relationship and by that I do not mean we just get along. Every day we are actively seeking ways to help each other achieve our goals as individuals, as a couple and as a family. He reminds me to eat breakfast (or just makes it for me because he knows I hate wasting food) and I help write his cue cards for the Promotion Board he has to study for. I'll play an online game with him for a bit to help him relax and he'll set up a nice bath for me the next night. It's little things that most people take for granted. We are pre-programmed to deal with big issues, maybe not gracefully, but we can see the big ones coming and we will respond and react to them (aka fight or flight reflex). The little issues however, usually get swept under the rug until they mutate into a giant carnivorous dust bunny on steroids that no one can deal with and then when it's big enough, it proceeds to roll over anything and everything that gets in its way. So yeah, my strategy is my husband and continuing what we do together in trying to make sure that we all meet our goals and we all are happy, healthy, and whole.
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?Health and wellness professionals are here to help us achieve a healthy, whole and positive life. You cannot have those things if you are solely focused on one area of healing. It's like going grocery shopping for the month and only buying eggs... lots and lots of eggs. Eggs can be cooked many different ways, but they are still an egg and they still can't provide all the necessary nutrients the human body requires. Healing is the same way. Taking medicine isn't going to work well if you don't address underlying problems and associated issues and have the proper mind set to allow the healing process to blossom fully. Likewise, having the positive mind set or sheer faith is not going to save you if you need insulin for diabetes. There is a balance and that balance is completely out of whack for most of us. Thankfully this class has helped me begin to get mine back.
Right now I am trying to get used to my body... I know that sounds really strange but for someone that has been 100 lbs most of her life, gaining 30 lbs is life altering- but in a good way. As I've said before, I had Anorexia in high school and have struggled with it throughout my adult life as well. I recently got married and have moved to another state, so basically starting over. My hubby is an Army medic and my being underweight was one of the things that we talked about a lot, so we redid my diet, had a lot of crying sessions and he started making sure I ate breakfast every day... and lunch... and dinner.... and 30 lbs later here I am. But it's still weird. I know it's healthier- especially for my heart, but oye the aches and the more limited range of motion and my husband's wallet was absolutely screaming when I had to replace half of my wardrobe. So for right now I think I need to work on trying to maintain my proper body mass for my size, continue to eat healthy, try to regain some of my flexibility that I feel like I've lost and work on getting my mind used to the idea of having an actual body and not just skin and bones.
II Assessment:How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Overall I think I'm on the right track. I know that I have areas that definitely need improvement and other areas that could use a brushing off and smoothing of the edges, but again, overall I think I'm doing ok. I would like to be doing great- but I think we all would:) I think my biggest challenge right now is getting the psychology of my mind wrapped around the new size and shape of my body. But I have faith in my support system and I have faith in me, so I'll make it through and I'll be healthier and happier for it too. I think my strongest area is my spirituality and sometimes I lean on that so hard I think I'm going to knock it over- but it never fails and eventually things find their way to where they are supposed to be- including myself.
III Goal development:List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
Physically: I want to maintain: I want my weight to stay at least at or above 130lbs.. permanently. Being underweight is not healthy in any manner for the mind, body or spirit, and I need to continue to recognize this. I also want to get my Yoga routine back to where it was... I've missed quite a few days here and there and I don't want it to turn into a habit.
Psychological: Stop reacting and start thinking: Some people eat when they are stressed out... I do too, but I only eat coffee and cigarettes- and apparently that does not constitute a meal. I have had a lot of success with the loving kindness exercises and I am very proud of that. I have never been able to “disconnect” myself from a situation that really upset me- especially if it was intentionally aimed at me. Right now, because of what I have learned in this class, as long as I can see it coming I can think before I react, breath for a little bit and be able to respond intelligently instead of emotionally. What I want to be able to do is the exact same thing- even when I can't see a conflict coming. Life happens, I know this, and sometimes we just aren't ready for it, but at least this way, I know that I can either adjust to any situation or know that eventually I will recover:)
Spiritually: I need to make time: I haven't had as much time as I would like to have in regards to being able to actively practice my faith. I've been inside the house way too much and I feel like I'm shutting doors in places I didn't even know were there. To me this is a bad thing, kind of like blocking a Chi flow. Sometimes it gets so bad I tell my husband it feels like my Chakras are scattered across the globe. What I need to do is stop making excuses and start making time. My spirituality is an important part of my life and it has as much right to my time as anything else does- it's also integral to my health.
IV Practices for personal health:What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
Physical: my Yoga!!! I need my yoga, I feel lost without it... ok maybe it's the quiet time involved with it that I miss too, but I need that as well! Eating right. I need to keep eating all three meals of the day- even if I am eating smaller portions, rather than just eating one meal at the end of the day.
Psychological: I need to be more self aware. Oftentimes I find myself reacting to a situation because either that's how I've always reacted to it or how I think I should react to it. I need to actively stop my mouth before it opens and consult with my brain about what I'm really about to say. Something else I can do to help my psychology is to play mind games! I love crossword puzzles and I love strategy and puzzle games on the computer. I like trying to find the difference in two almost identical pictures and optical illusions just trip me out. As long as I continue to exercise my mind then I'm on the right track to keeping my psychology in tact- until my son starts college and I go crazy from Empty Nest Syndrome, but that's a worry for another time:)
Spiritual: Meditation helps me in this department. It is hard for me to connect with my faith if I am surrounded by concrete, car horns and busy bodies that never stop. Meditating can take me away from the current circumstances and put me in a place that is calm and welcoming so that I can begin to recuperate my mind and work through any issues I might be experiencing.
V Commitment:How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
Honestly, this paper will be my best guide to the next couple of months and how well I can improve and then maintain my health. Having said that, this paper is just the beginning too. It's like a road map of where I am and where I want to be. Re-reading this paper in six months is either going to be a, “wow, I remember that and I'm so glad I stuck with it” or a, “I wrote a paper on healing goals?” moment... I'd like to think it's the first of those two options....
As far as Strategies go, my best one is my husband. We have a very cooperative relationship and by that I do not mean we just get along. Every day we are actively seeking ways to help each other achieve our goals as individuals, as a couple and as a family. He reminds me to eat breakfast (or just makes it for me because he knows I hate wasting food) and I help write his cue cards for the Promotion Board he has to study for. I'll play an online game with him for a bit to help him relax and he'll set up a nice bath for me the next night. It's little things that most people take for granted. We are pre-programmed to deal with big issues, maybe not gracefully, but we can see the big ones coming and we will respond and react to them (aka fight or flight reflex). The little issues however, usually get swept under the rug until they mutate into a giant carnivorous dust bunny on steroids that no one can deal with and then when it's big enough, it proceeds to roll over anything and everything that gets in its way. So yeah, my strategy is my husband and continuing what we do together in trying to make sure that we all meet our goals and we all are happy, healthy, and whole.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My 2 Favorite Exercises
Personally I gained the most out of the loving-kindess and the Asciepius exercises. Looking at the blogs of my classmates, it seems as thought I am not alone in this assessment. The loving-kindness exercise helped me open my heart to others and to not be so self centered. The Asciepius exercise put me in touch with my inner Healer, with whom I suspected was lurking around in there somewhere but I was never really able to connect with.
By continuing to include both of these exercises with my physical workout as part of my "total" workout each week I should theoretically be able to maintain- of course we all know that life happens and sometimes it happens a lot faster and more chaotic than other times. That's part of what I love about all of the exercises that we've tried so far. You don't have to get it perfect the first time, or even the second or third time. You have time, you have the capacity to learn and experience what feels right and works for you, it's not a case of "oh you're doing it all wrong".
So for now, I will continue to put one foot in front of the other, try to fill my heart with love and compassion for others while following my own inner healer and I will remember that I am human just like everyone else, but that being human also makes me unique.
Jen R.
By continuing to include both of these exercises with my physical workout as part of my "total" workout each week I should theoretically be able to maintain- of course we all know that life happens and sometimes it happens a lot faster and more chaotic than other times. That's part of what I love about all of the exercises that we've tried so far. You don't have to get it perfect the first time, or even the second or third time. You have time, you have the capacity to learn and experience what feels right and works for you, it's not a case of "oh you're doing it all wrong".
So for now, I will continue to put one foot in front of the other, try to fill my heart with love and compassion for others while following my own inner healer and I will remember that I am human just like everyone else, but that being human also makes me unique.
Jen R.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
My Inner Healer
This week, I wanted to try something new and as I was listening to the woman on the cd tell me to envision someone wise my grandfather popped into my head. Without even realizing it, during this exercise I was doing something "new", but I didn't recognize it until I was reading the other blogs and reflecting on my personal journey. When someone says, "picture someone wise" I always think of my grandfather- this may not seem odd but in fact it is. I've never met my grandfather, he was killed in Vietnam long before I was born, but I have spent the last decade of my life searching for people that served with him to try to get a personalized view of the man that he was. Time and time again I would receive e-mails about how my grandfather seemed to be a man beyond his years.
He was an officer and a pilot in a unit that did recon and intel missions that were mostly classified (and unfortunately still are). On a rainy early morning mission, his OV-1C Mohawk was shot down just after take off, both he and his co-pilot were killed and there was significant damage to both of their bodies- so much to the point that I am not sure that they were able to separate the two for burial. After the crash a soldier was dispatched with a team to attempt a recovery mission. That soldier wrote a letter to my grandmother ten years after the crash.
He said that my grandfather was a role model and that the men in the unit were devastated by the crash. My grandfather was a firm believer in Christ and while he did not push his beliefs on others, he was always there to lend support to them and to remind them that there was a higher power. He held firm in his beliefs and morals and even in the face of adversary and certain death he never swayed from what he believed in. My grandfather had such an impact on this man that after his tour was complete in Vietnam he joined the Seminary and became a Missionary of God. The letter was postmarked from Papa New Guinea and Rev. Fiebeg said that he was writing the letter to let my grandmother know that he appreciated my grandfather and the remarkable man, soldier and follower of Christ that he was.
To me, the word wise means a lot of things and if it were a person, I still believe it would be the man I never met but have learned so much about. I have seen one picture of him- and it was taken during his tour in Vietnam in the mechanic's shop, so when I went to see him in my mind I saw him in his flight suit, with a silly look on his face with his head turned halfway around and kind of cocked to one side. Going through this weeks exercise brought me even closer to my grandfathers memory. This healer within me has the characteristics, ethics, morals and drive that I want to exercise within my own life. To be able to be thrust into the middle of such chaos and yet never lose sight of who you are or why you are there is something that most of us take for granted and then fail miserably at. But to be able to rise above the chaos and shine for others to see and take comfort in, to me, that truly is a wise man.
- Jen R.
He was an officer and a pilot in a unit that did recon and intel missions that were mostly classified (and unfortunately still are). On a rainy early morning mission, his OV-1C Mohawk was shot down just after take off, both he and his co-pilot were killed and there was significant damage to both of their bodies- so much to the point that I am not sure that they were able to separate the two for burial. After the crash a soldier was dispatched with a team to attempt a recovery mission. That soldier wrote a letter to my grandmother ten years after the crash.
He said that my grandfather was a role model and that the men in the unit were devastated by the crash. My grandfather was a firm believer in Christ and while he did not push his beliefs on others, he was always there to lend support to them and to remind them that there was a higher power. He held firm in his beliefs and morals and even in the face of adversary and certain death he never swayed from what he believed in. My grandfather had such an impact on this man that after his tour was complete in Vietnam he joined the Seminary and became a Missionary of God. The letter was postmarked from Papa New Guinea and Rev. Fiebeg said that he was writing the letter to let my grandmother know that he appreciated my grandfather and the remarkable man, soldier and follower of Christ that he was.
To me, the word wise means a lot of things and if it were a person, I still believe it would be the man I never met but have learned so much about. I have seen one picture of him- and it was taken during his tour in Vietnam in the mechanic's shop, so when I went to see him in my mind I saw him in his flight suit, with a silly look on his face with his head turned halfway around and kind of cocked to one side. Going through this weeks exercise brought me even closer to my grandfathers memory. This healer within me has the characteristics, ethics, morals and drive that I want to exercise within my own life. To be able to be thrust into the middle of such chaos and yet never lose sight of who you are or why you are there is something that most of us take for granted and then fail miserably at. But to be able to rise above the chaos and shine for others to see and take comfort in, to me, that truly is a wise man.
- Jen R.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Universal Loving Kindness
I have to say I rather enjoyed this week's exercise even if it felt a little awkward to me. I have always had a strong desire to help others, even when I was a child. I don't know if this came from the way I was raised, if it happened when my parents divorced and I grew up ultra fast at the age of eight or what. Regardless of how it happened, it landed me in the field of emergency medicine. I have no qualms about going into the unknown and trying to put someone back together. But that's why this week's exercises felt a bid odd to me. I use my body and the training in my mind to help others, therefore I'm not exactly used to using my thought process in my mind to do the same thing.
I will say though, that it was as equally gratifying as if I were helping someone hands on. I am a very strong believer in the positive thought process and the management and flow of energy within a human being. This exercise helped me to apply that belief with the knowledge of medicine that I already had and use it in a different (but still positive and beneficial) manner.
Right now I think I am ready to work on my family area. I have always been extremely involved with everything that my family does and lately due to homework, housework, life stressors and everything under the sun that could possibly go wrong.... has(including the siding being blown off the side of the apartment in our latest wind storm). So I think it's time for me to take a step back- even if a baby step back is all I can manage at this point, and re-evaluate and develope a plan on how to find my groove with my family again. Here's hoping for sunshine and less wind!
-Jen R.
I will say though, that it was as equally gratifying as if I were helping someone hands on. I am a very strong believer in the positive thought process and the management and flow of energy within a human being. This exercise helped me to apply that belief with the knowledge of medicine that I already had and use it in a different (but still positive and beneficial) manner.
Right now I think I am ready to work on my family area. I have always been extremely involved with everything that my family does and lately due to homework, housework, life stressors and everything under the sun that could possibly go wrong.... has(including the siding being blown off the side of the apartment in our latest wind storm). So I think it's time for me to take a step back- even if a baby step back is all I can manage at this point, and re-evaluate and develope a plan on how to find my groove with my family again. Here's hoping for sunshine and less wind!
-Jen R.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Subtle Mind
I have to say I really enjoyed this weeks exercise- especially after having such a hard time with the exercises last week. I opted to use the rise and fall of my chest as my focal point and was able to immediately find a comfortable rhythm. I have had asthma since I was a child so focusing on my breathing has always kind of been a priority- especially when having an attack and the need to stay calm is so important.
The one thing that really kind of surprised me is how quickly I shut out my daily worries. I'm a multitasker and generally I have a lot going on in my mind on what needs to be done, in what order, at what time, etc., but when I got laid down and was just focusing on the rise and fall of my chest everything just kind of melted away. Pretty soon I found myself thinking I was a dandelion seed floating around this weird world of images that were also floating through my mind. None of them were really screaming for my attention or trying to draw me into them, they were just sort of there- it was rather weird... but at the same time very comforting. I think it was when I recognized that the things on my mind would still be there when I was done with my exercise that I was truly able to emerse myself into this exercise.
I didn't come out of it tired this time, I felt more awake and alive than anything and am now setting up some time this weekend so that I can go out into nature and try this out there. I love being surrounded by trees and plants and hearing the out of doors so I really want to experience the results from inside my home out there and see if they are better or worse (hopefully better).
-Jen R.
The one thing that really kind of surprised me is how quickly I shut out my daily worries. I'm a multitasker and generally I have a lot going on in my mind on what needs to be done, in what order, at what time, etc., but when I got laid down and was just focusing on the rise and fall of my chest everything just kind of melted away. Pretty soon I found myself thinking I was a dandelion seed floating around this weird world of images that were also floating through my mind. None of them were really screaming for my attention or trying to draw me into them, they were just sort of there- it was rather weird... but at the same time very comforting. I think it was when I recognized that the things on my mind would still be there when I was done with my exercise that I was truly able to emerse myself into this exercise.
I didn't come out of it tired this time, I felt more awake and alive than anything and am now setting up some time this weekend so that I can go out into nature and try this out there. I love being surrounded by trees and plants and hearing the out of doors so I really want to experience the results from inside my home out there and see if they are better or worse (hopefully better).
-Jen R.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Loving Kindess
I have to admit, I had a bit of an issue with this exercise. But we'll get to that in a moment:)
I have managed to successfully find a good time and place to do my exercises, right after I put my son on the bus and my husband has gone out the door to work- it's just the cat and I so I feel pretty comfortable. I decided to just sit smack in the middle of the living room floor and use a colorful gecko I have hanging on my wall as a focal point. The gecko belonged to my little brother who was lost in a freak accident so it brings me peace in a strange sort of way.
I found the exercise to be very easy to follow and did not have any difficulty with the breathing technique or the setting up of the mental state during the beginning of the exercise. What I did have an issue with was the in and out breaths.
I have always done just the opposite with my breathing exercises, in with the good and out with the bad. in through the nose, out through the mouth. There are a number of reasons for this, but mainly becuase I was taught when I breath in the body is being filled with light and visualizing breathing in a rainbow can help with this. When I breath out, the body is purging the negative thoughts and emotions and allowing more room for the light. Visualizing exhaling black smoke is my personal choice for this part. So when the book said to breath in the negative thoughts and to allow them to dissolve in your heart and then to exhale the good ideals and emotions to help the one you are thinking of, it threw me for a loop. I did attempt the exercise the way it was presented but I felt very uncomfortable doing so as I have been breathing in the good and out the bad for so many years now. Oddly enough, after I did the exercise the way the book had it, I felt like I "had" to go back and do it the way that I have always done it- I know, I'm weird >,>
Jen
I have managed to successfully find a good time and place to do my exercises, right after I put my son on the bus and my husband has gone out the door to work- it's just the cat and I so I feel pretty comfortable. I decided to just sit smack in the middle of the living room floor and use a colorful gecko I have hanging on my wall as a focal point. The gecko belonged to my little brother who was lost in a freak accident so it brings me peace in a strange sort of way.
I found the exercise to be very easy to follow and did not have any difficulty with the breathing technique or the setting up of the mental state during the beginning of the exercise. What I did have an issue with was the in and out breaths.
I have always done just the opposite with my breathing exercises, in with the good and out with the bad. in through the nose, out through the mouth. There are a number of reasons for this, but mainly becuase I was taught when I breath in the body is being filled with light and visualizing breathing in a rainbow can help with this. When I breath out, the body is purging the negative thoughts and emotions and allowing more room for the light. Visualizing exhaling black smoke is my personal choice for this part. So when the book said to breath in the negative thoughts and to allow them to dissolve in your heart and then to exhale the good ideals and emotions to help the one you are thinking of, it threw me for a loop. I did attempt the exercise the way it was presented but I felt very uncomfortable doing so as I have been breathing in the good and out the bad for so many years now. Oddly enough, after I did the exercise the way the book had it, I felt like I "had" to go back and do it the way that I have always done it- I know, I'm weird >,>
Jen
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