I found this exercise much more relaxing and enjoyable then the Loving Kindness exercise. I enjoyed the way the exercise was explained, and then there was no discussion or talking through the exercises. This left me more relaxed, I was able to focus more on my breathing and the sounds of the ocean and just kind of "float" into calmness. Last week's Loving kindness exercise had me frustrated-the voiceovers were too often, and the voice itself made me agitated and anxious.
It's very important to gain spiritual wellness, calmness, and peace for the benefits of total health. Focusing on breath is important not only in active physical exercise, but also in calming, peaceful, meditative exercises. It brings us focus and calms the mind. Losing clutter and noise from the mind helps us release anxiety and stress, and gives us a more positive outlook. This provides us with a clear mind to go through the stresses of life, and our daily activities, with a stronger sense of being about to deal, and handle things much better.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Unit 4 Mental Workouts
I have done other exercises like this one in the past. I did, however, find this exercise to be very long, and the sounds and voice almost put me to sleep. Halfway through, I started to lose focus and think about the things going on in my house, my schedule for the day, etc, which was frustrating. I tend to be a person that thrives on "doing" and being actively engaged, and I find relaxation in that manner. It is hard for me to "shut" out the world for periods longer then 10 minutes, unless I am going to sleep. This left me tired, a bit frazzled for time, and not feeling very peaceful due to that fact. The MP3 suggested, at the end, that one do this twice a day. If I spent an hour on this daily, I would surely not find peace, but simply lose an hour of my schedule. I have definitely found peace, and loving-kindness in shorter exercises. And, those left me feeling more awake and positive.
Mental workouts are important to one's overall well being. They give our mind time to move away from noise and into a feeling of contemplation and thoughtfulness.
Mental workouts are important to one's overall well being. They give our mind time to move away from noise and into a feeling of contemplation and thoughtfulness.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Rainbow Awareness Unit 3
Hello All:)
I LOVED this exercise, and have done something similar before in my journey:) This exercise brought me a feeling of peace and relaxation, which I greatly needed!
This semester is my 5th or 6th at Kaplan, and I am feeling a bit more stressed then usual. I think that I have Spring Fever;)
I moved to North Carolina 4 years ago after the most insane winter EVER in my home state of Maryland. I was, at the time, a single mom of four, homeschooling by day, and working as a waitress in a sports bar/club venue. (The Baltimore Ravens Bar, voted best by ESPN:)) The money was great, the pace was crazy, and it was a season that had the Raven's headed to playoffs. Unfortunately, it was also a season that included THREE blizzards, totaling 89 inches of snow, and we were NOT under any circumstance, to call out of work. My constant mantra was "I'm not a heart doctor, I am a waitress!"...I was told I could sleep in the bar if I got snowed in...with four children at home...not a chance. My job was on the line constantly, and the snow kept falling. My fiance' suggested that I move south to be with him, and the kids and I jumped at the chance. Fast forward to this winter...snow, ice, snow, ice, rinse, repeat. I am a sunshine girl, who loves the warmth, and I was NOT expecting this past winter! I just want to be outside!
SO...this semester has been hard. I just want to garden, sit in the sun, and enjoy the warmth! My children are involved in EVERYTHING, and I am as well. My computer calls to me constantly to get work done, school done, homeschool lessons logged. It's been stressful. This exercise was actually JUST what I needed to get my head focused and my feet grounded.
In rating my well being...physically, I'm giving myself a 7. I have been in top form since recovering from terrible eating disorders in my 20's. Fitness-healthy fitness, gave me a new life. However, I suffered from a slipped disk for 6 weeks during the holidays, and was flat on my back in intense pain. I gained 10 pounds and lost muscle mass in the process. In the last 7 weeks, I have gotten back on my treadmill daily, and even started 30 day shred. It's been hard, and I worry about my disk, but I am getting stronger and feeling much healthier these days. Spiritually, I find myself to be a 5. This makes me sad; I used to be heavily involved in the Unitarian Universalist church, which was very based on the teachings of this class. After moving, I have lost touch with my spiritual self, and I am on a journey to reclaim that. Psychologically-this is hard...I'll give myself an 8. My family went through a terrible ordeal last year with my oldest son, and it ripped out my heart and left our family damaged. It has been a hard road, but therapy has helped greatly.
My goals in these areas are clear and defined. Physically, I plan to continue the goal that I set 7 weeks ago, while adding in more strength training as I get stronger. I love my treadmill time-it is MY time:) Spiritually, this class is truly helping me bring this back into focus. Meditation is working wonders, and the exercises that we are doing are reminiscent of exactly what I used to do. Psychologically, my goal is to stick with therapy, though I am going less now. My therapist has obviously studied the techniques and teachings of this class, and we use this during my visits. I get very anxious when I think about what my family went through, and the whereabouts of my son currently, and these exercises help me to relax and move beyond the pain and worry. Life is a journey...It seems that whenever I get comfortable, life shakes me up and makes me grow again. It's all good:)
I loved this exercise because it reminded me of my past study of chakras. I instantly felt at peace, and other exercises concerning chakras came to mind, which helped greatly.
If you'd like more info on chakras, this is a chart that can give you a better idea:)
For now, keep your feet grounded, your heart full of love, and your mind at peace:)
Sami
I LOVED this exercise, and have done something similar before in my journey:) This exercise brought me a feeling of peace and relaxation, which I greatly needed!
This semester is my 5th or 6th at Kaplan, and I am feeling a bit more stressed then usual. I think that I have Spring Fever;)
I moved to North Carolina 4 years ago after the most insane winter EVER in my home state of Maryland. I was, at the time, a single mom of four, homeschooling by day, and working as a waitress in a sports bar/club venue. (The Baltimore Ravens Bar, voted best by ESPN:)) The money was great, the pace was crazy, and it was a season that had the Raven's headed to playoffs. Unfortunately, it was also a season that included THREE blizzards, totaling 89 inches of snow, and we were NOT under any circumstance, to call out of work. My constant mantra was "I'm not a heart doctor, I am a waitress!"...I was told I could sleep in the bar if I got snowed in...with four children at home...not a chance. My job was on the line constantly, and the snow kept falling. My fiance' suggested that I move south to be with him, and the kids and I jumped at the chance. Fast forward to this winter...snow, ice, snow, ice, rinse, repeat. I am a sunshine girl, who loves the warmth, and I was NOT expecting this past winter! I just want to be outside!
SO...this semester has been hard. I just want to garden, sit in the sun, and enjoy the warmth! My children are involved in EVERYTHING, and I am as well. My computer calls to me constantly to get work done, school done, homeschool lessons logged. It's been stressful. This exercise was actually JUST what I needed to get my head focused and my feet grounded.
In rating my well being...physically, I'm giving myself a 7. I have been in top form since recovering from terrible eating disorders in my 20's. Fitness-healthy fitness, gave me a new life. However, I suffered from a slipped disk for 6 weeks during the holidays, and was flat on my back in intense pain. I gained 10 pounds and lost muscle mass in the process. In the last 7 weeks, I have gotten back on my treadmill daily, and even started 30 day shred. It's been hard, and I worry about my disk, but I am getting stronger and feeling much healthier these days. Spiritually, I find myself to be a 5. This makes me sad; I used to be heavily involved in the Unitarian Universalist church, which was very based on the teachings of this class. After moving, I have lost touch with my spiritual self, and I am on a journey to reclaim that. Psychologically-this is hard...I'll give myself an 8. My family went through a terrible ordeal last year with my oldest son, and it ripped out my heart and left our family damaged. It has been a hard road, but therapy has helped greatly.
My goals in these areas are clear and defined. Physically, I plan to continue the goal that I set 7 weeks ago, while adding in more strength training as I get stronger. I love my treadmill time-it is MY time:) Spiritually, this class is truly helping me bring this back into focus. Meditation is working wonders, and the exercises that we are doing are reminiscent of exactly what I used to do. Psychologically, my goal is to stick with therapy, though I am going less now. My therapist has obviously studied the techniques and teachings of this class, and we use this during my visits. I get very anxious when I think about what my family went through, and the whereabouts of my son currently, and these exercises help me to relax and move beyond the pain and worry. Life is a journey...It seems that whenever I get comfortable, life shakes me up and makes me grow again. It's all good:)
I loved this exercise because it reminded me of my past study of chakras. I instantly felt at peace, and other exercises concerning chakras came to mind, which helped greatly.
If you'd like more info on chakras, this is a chart that can give you a better idea:)
For now, keep your feet grounded, your heart full of love, and your mind at peace:)
Sami
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Welcome:) Unit 2
Welcome to my blog-my journey to creating wellness starts here:)
I am a very busy mom of four, we homeschool, and we are involved heavily in community and activities. My brain goes a million miles a minute most of the time. My main focus with this blog is to slow down, reflect, be in the moment, and learn more about spiritual wellness. Mindfullness has been a goal of mine for quite awhile, and I practice moments of it daily:) It helps to clear the mind, and bring me into the moment, to be present, and appreciate the "pause" in time. Peace~ Sami
I am a very busy mom of four, we homeschool, and we are involved heavily in community and activities. My brain goes a million miles a minute most of the time. My main focus with this blog is to slow down, reflect, be in the moment, and learn more about spiritual wellness. Mindfullness has been a goal of mine for quite awhile, and I practice moments of it daily:) It helps to clear the mind, and bring me into the moment, to be present, and appreciate the "pause" in time. Peace~ Sami
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