How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?
Search for the answer. Then, I have some ideas...
There is a new science called psycho-nummerology that deals with the study of the brain.
Finding ways to enhance our brains ability to control our body, balance our emotions, and actions are what this type of study is based on.
Enhancing our brain, training our mind to do what we want it to do, to control our emotions and our health are goals we need to aspire to reach. Brain training is still in its infant stages. But, we can use practices and therapies in the meantime, while waiting for the perfect brain exercises to be discovered. We can search the web for the latest research. There is no right answer. You must do your own due diligence on this subject. There are many options that can really help. They are really quite easy. Look for them.
Learn how to balance your emotions, brain, body and soul.
I balance my psychological and spiritual growth in my life by exercising regularly to keep my emotions and body in check, and then by prayer, Bible reading, music, meditation on God and His creation, attributes, names and His character and further, by mental imagery on nice places like the beach or a walk in the woods, up a mountain and visualizing a source of water. Humor is a favorite way for me to make things lite when they are heavy, like imagining the opposite.
A few practices to get you going and check out for yourself are the following.
--Practice of Prayer
--Bible reading
--Music Therapy
--Humor Therapy
--Diaphragmatic Breathing
--Mental Visualization
--Brain games
--Physical exercise
--Nutrition education/enhancement for body balance and health
--Contemplative practices
--Meditation
--Yoga
--Stretching
--Replace negative with positive
--View beautiful pictures
The fields of the mind-body-soul are old and new in many ways, and wide open for searching for your perfect methods, practices, plans and programs. Do investigate this on your own to enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health. There are many angles, find your own unique angle or make it up to fit you. Come up with your own unique detailed daily program. You deserve to live a balanced life. Find the one/ones that are right for you. It really is quite quick and easy and very rewarding.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Obligations as a health professional...
As a health professional, we have an obligation to ourselves and to our clients to be progressively developing and maintaining our own health and wellness psychologically, physically, and spiritually. We need to be well-rounded, balanced, and healthy. We cannot describe the picture of health we would like for our clients to be, if we infact do not live by our own rules, standards and suggestions. If we try to explain why our clients/patients should do this or that for their health, and we don't do it ourself, our words are invalid. If our recommendations don't work for us, they won't work for them.
It is like telling our clients not to drink soda or smoke a cigarette, but, they see us doing that same behavior on our break at the picnic table behind the building. We loose all credibility if that is the case. It would be an outrageous thing to do. All respect would fly away, be lost and they would think we were a hypocrite of the highest degree with no integrity whatsoever.
As a health professional, if we cannot walk the walk we ask our clients and patients to walk, then we need to go back to school, major in another profession, and change our occupation. Just go do a non-health profession in which it does not matter if we were eating sugary-candy-bars, junky-no-nutrition-snacks, and drinking sugary-soda kinda-job all day -- going down a heart-attack-hill, high-colesterol clogging bogging-us-down quick-sand road, cancer-causing, imbalanced-hormone-neurochemical-transmitting-hang-gliding out-of-wack, gastrointestionally complicated track, with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus kind of imbalanced path that would not matter to our clients anyway. A path just like most people already choose. Why be different just join the crowd on the spiral downward sickness pit path.
No, no, no, a health professional needs to be different. A health professional needs to rise to the occasion, know where they are going, and where they should be headed, into the journey of the highest attainable health possible. Ever searching for better answers to life's quest for better health. In this journey, they travel far and wide, practicing and developing their own growth in all areas of psychological, physical and spiritual growth to effectively lead others the same way, telling the great success stories of vibrant health along the way to encourage and motivate and help others do the same. Health professionals need to live what they tell others to do, what is right and good for their health, what they know and will soon find out in their quest for better health journey.
It is like telling our clients not to drink soda or smoke a cigarette, but, they see us doing that same behavior on our break at the picnic table behind the building. We loose all credibility if that is the case. It would be an outrageous thing to do. All respect would fly away, be lost and they would think we were a hypocrite of the highest degree with no integrity whatsoever.
As a health professional, if we cannot walk the walk we ask our clients and patients to walk, then we need to go back to school, major in another profession, and change our occupation. Just go do a non-health profession in which it does not matter if we were eating sugary-candy-bars, junky-no-nutrition-snacks, and drinking sugary-soda kinda-job all day -- going down a heart-attack-hill, high-colesterol clogging bogging-us-down quick-sand road, cancer-causing, imbalanced-hormone-neurochemical-transmitting-hang-gliding out-of-wack, gastrointestionally complicated track, with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus kind of imbalanced path that would not matter to our clients anyway. A path just like most people already choose. Why be different just join the crowd on the spiral downward sickness pit path.
No, no, no, a health professional needs to be different. A health professional needs to rise to the occasion, know where they are going, and where they should be headed, into the journey of the highest attainable health possible. Ever searching for better answers to life's quest for better health. In this journey, they travel far and wide, practicing and developing their own growth in all areas of psychological, physical and spiritual growth to effectively lead others the same way, telling the great success stories of vibrant health along the way to encourage and motivate and help others do the same. Health professionals need to live what they tell others to do, what is right and good for their health, what they know and will soon find out in their quest for better health journey.
Leading another...
"One cannot lead another where one has not gone" ...
Well, I suppose if you gave a map to your friend to the same place you were going, you could lead them to a place you have not gone, with a copy of that same map. The journey could be different for each of you, depending on where you stopped along the way. However, the destination would be much easier to describe in detail if you had been there in person yourself already. You could offer hints of where to stop along the way, things to do, and people to see to make the trip more interesting. But, each person is unique, and values different things, so we must all make the trip in our own way to the final destination.
To put this idea into professional practice, if I were going to help someone loose weight to improve their overall health and life, I would like them to know that I had been somewhere near where they were, so I could tell them about my journey and where I had been and how I had gotten to a better place. It would be more comforting and they could relate it to their coming desire to do the same and make it their own version. This would give them motivation and hope that if I accomplished this feat, so could they. It is doable.
An example, I used to wear my mothers clothes, size 12. I decided one day, I did not want to look like a size 12 when I should be a size 4 or 6. I was dressing into the next generation up, and did not belong in that generation of dressers. So, I started on a journey to loose the extra pounds I had picked up in the last couple of years. I went from a size 12 to a size 2, and had much difficulty finding clothes small enough to fit me in the ladies department of any store. Telling about this journey would be a good way to describe to another or lead another to where they wanted to be, by the example of the journey I had gone myself. To visualize this journey to another would help inspire and motivate and prove to them that I had been where they are and it is possible to leave that place and go to a better one, the way I did. A place where you will love and respect yourself, and feel oh so much better health wise in body and mind. Further, if I did go on that journey, they too could go there and be successful as well.
Well, I suppose if you gave a map to your friend to the same place you were going, you could lead them to a place you have not gone, with a copy of that same map. The journey could be different for each of you, depending on where you stopped along the way. However, the destination would be much easier to describe in detail if you had been there in person yourself already. You could offer hints of where to stop along the way, things to do, and people to see to make the trip more interesting. But, each person is unique, and values different things, so we must all make the trip in our own way to the final destination.
To put this idea into professional practice, if I were going to help someone loose weight to improve their overall health and life, I would like them to know that I had been somewhere near where they were, so I could tell them about my journey and where I had been and how I had gotten to a better place. It would be more comforting and they could relate it to their coming desire to do the same and make it their own version. This would give them motivation and hope that if I accomplished this feat, so could they. It is doable.
An example, I used to wear my mothers clothes, size 12. I decided one day, I did not want to look like a size 12 when I should be a size 4 or 6. I was dressing into the next generation up, and did not belong in that generation of dressers. So, I started on a journey to loose the extra pounds I had picked up in the last couple of years. I went from a size 12 to a size 2, and had much difficulty finding clothes small enough to fit me in the ladies department of any store. Telling about this journey would be a good way to describe to another or lead another to where they wanted to be, by the example of the journey I had gone myself. To visualize this journey to another would help inspire and motivate and prove to them that I had been where they are and it is possible to leave that place and go to a better one, the way I did. A place where you will love and respect yourself, and feel oh so much better health wise in body and mind. Further, if I did go on that journey, they too could go there and be successful as well.
"Meeting Aseiepius" or "Meeting my God"
A short review of the "Meeting Asciepius" is as follows. I changed it to my version as "Meeting my God" Let the mind seem like a waterfall loud and raging, then with practice it seems like a running mountain stream, then like a lazy river or like calm abiding, then progresses to a slow flowing river, that reunites with the still deep stable ocean like unity consciousness. Aiming at inner freedom is one goal to seek.
In meeting Asciepius or our subtle mind, we visualize a very wise and loving man. God is the choice of my skillful teacher whom I respect and feel a special sense of connection to, because I know Him. He is stabilized in front of me, in my imagination, and I am trying to carefully observe Him. We are made in His image. He is my inner healer, not my subtle mind, but Him. I reflect on His qualities, characteristics, peace, wisdom, compassion, and His joy. His image and qualities are my focal point. The ocean waves are a nice calm sound. A strong beam of white light from his head to my mind as purified my thoughts and images, transforming my thoughts to be like His, so I can understand how He wants me to think and understand life. To serve others, and understand that love is the greatest of all.
Next, I can imagine and envision another beam of light coming from His throat to mine, and it makes my speech become wise like His speech. Finally, I see the final beam of light coming from the heart of this wise person, to mine, bathing and purifying my heart with kindness, love and compassion, transforming it into a heart of living-kindness and wisdom. Wow, this is just what I need, a new heart! I think I love this exercise. If I do this every day, I may get closer to this heart as I would like to do and maybe even keep this heart and spread and share it with others! This is my favorite contemplative meditative practice yet. I try to experience my purified heart and emulate Him. I do not want to become this person, for then my job would be too big and I would never get any sleep. Further, He is much better at His job than I. My brain is like a dot compared to His.
The entire image of this wise on is like a big bright light and it comes into me and make me wise like Him. It feels overwhelming. I love to feel the love of the inner healer, in mind, speech, and heart. This person is God and his son Jesus. I welcome them into my life. I hope He does make my inner heart to mirror His, full of love and compassion for myself and others. (Asciepius is not my God, nor ever will be, for I serve a true and living God who is real and alive today, His name is Jehovah or I Am). The natural essence of my heart and mind knows Him.
I have customized this practice to make it my own.
This practice helps to heal my body, mind, and spirit, to a calm mental stress-free state, and gives the gift of wholeness with a trained inner mind. God is my guide, healer, inner essence, and gift giver. I will continue to contemplate on Him for peace. To know Him is to know wisdom.
In meeting Asciepius or our subtle mind, we visualize a very wise and loving man. God is the choice of my skillful teacher whom I respect and feel a special sense of connection to, because I know Him. He is stabilized in front of me, in my imagination, and I am trying to carefully observe Him. We are made in His image. He is my inner healer, not my subtle mind, but Him. I reflect on His qualities, characteristics, peace, wisdom, compassion, and His joy. His image and qualities are my focal point. The ocean waves are a nice calm sound. A strong beam of white light from his head to my mind as purified my thoughts and images, transforming my thoughts to be like His, so I can understand how He wants me to think and understand life. To serve others, and understand that love is the greatest of all.
Next, I can imagine and envision another beam of light coming from His throat to mine, and it makes my speech become wise like His speech. Finally, I see the final beam of light coming from the heart of this wise person, to mine, bathing and purifying my heart with kindness, love and compassion, transforming it into a heart of living-kindness and wisdom. Wow, this is just what I need, a new heart! I think I love this exercise. If I do this every day, I may get closer to this heart as I would like to do and maybe even keep this heart and spread and share it with others! This is my favorite contemplative meditative practice yet. I try to experience my purified heart and emulate Him. I do not want to become this person, for then my job would be too big and I would never get any sleep. Further, He is much better at His job than I. My brain is like a dot compared to His.
The entire image of this wise on is like a big bright light and it comes into me and make me wise like Him. It feels overwhelming. I love to feel the love of the inner healer, in mind, speech, and heart. This person is God and his son Jesus. I welcome them into my life. I hope He does make my inner heart to mirror His, full of love and compassion for myself and others. (Asciepius is not my God, nor ever will be, for I serve a true and living God who is real and alive today, His name is Jehovah or I Am). The natural essence of my heart and mind knows Him.
I have customized this practice to make it my own.
This practice helps to heal my body, mind, and spirit, to a calm mental stress-free state, and gives the gift of wholeness with a trained inner mind. God is my guide, healer, inner essence, and gift giver. I will continue to contemplate on Him for peace. To know Him is to know wisdom.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
After silencing my mind and focusing my full attention on the four quadrants of the integral map, I began a personal mental inventory of the four aspects of my life. I realized there was a lot of work to do. I think this assessment is a tool of motivation for me and others to realize our current level of development lapses. It really makes you think about what you can improve in your life when you 'see 'the big picture of yourself. For me I will always need to improve the psychospiritual area. This
would probably be my main area of development that needs attention causing the balance to be uneven. Praying more often is a way I can develop this area more. Reading the Bible and meditating on it, and thanksgiving and compassion is another practice I can increase.
My second area needing more attention is the biological aspect of nutrition. I know what I need to do, but doing it is the hard part. Eating raw more often than not is the key for me. I can start adding a spinach salad a couple days a week and add raw spinach to the home-made quiche I make. I can seek spinach recipes on the web as well to motivate myself. Adding raw broccoli and carrots on the days I don't spinach is another option I can start to practice.
would probably be my main area of development that needs attention causing the balance to be uneven. Praying more often is a way I can develop this area more. Reading the Bible and meditating on it, and thanksgiving and compassion is another practice I can increase.
My second area needing more attention is the biological aspect of nutrition. I know what I need to do, but doing it is the hard part. Eating raw more often than not is the key for me. I can start adding a spinach salad a couple days a week and add raw spinach to the home-made quiche I make. I can seek spinach recipes on the web as well to motivate myself. Adding raw broccoli and carrots on the days I don't spinach is another option I can start to practice.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The "UNIVERSAL LOVING-KINDNESS",(p.93), in my opinion, unlike the authors', does not apply to intimate romantic relationships other than the one I am in with my own husband. I do not agree with this author-of-the-book, Integral Health, or his ideas about sharing my physical intimacy and even my emotional intimacy with all my relationships, strangers, and even my enemy's. This to me is not normal, it is not moral and it has no integrity whatsoever associated or connected with this kind of behavior.
Saying a 4-sentence chant over and over for 10 minutes, wishing no more suffering, health, happiness and wholeness on all people is a nice thot, but, does not really expand my mind or heart. I already have a big heart and expanded mind. This 4-sentence chant just reminds me of doing kind deeds for others who may be suffering, to help them be happier.
I have already read in the Good Book, the Bible, which happens to be the most popular book in the world, to love my neighbor as I love myself, which I try to do. Did you ever hear of the golden rule? It has been around for a long, long, time. I think repeating the golden rule for 10 minutes would be a better option, until it was in our heads real solid.
Saying a 4-sentence chant over and over for 10 minutes, wishing no more suffering, health, happiness and wholeness on all people is a nice thot, but, does not really expand my mind or heart. I already have a big heart and expanded mind. This 4-sentence chant just reminds me of doing kind deeds for others who may be suffering, to help them be happier.
I have already read in the Good Book, the Bible, which happens to be the most popular book in the world, to love my neighbor as I love myself, which I try to do. Did you ever hear of the golden rule? It has been around for a long, long, time. I think repeating the golden rule for 10 minutes would be a better option, until it was in our heads real solid.
Birds, turtles, fish, water Lilly's and wind were the main attractions on the 18 mile bike trail today. What a serene way to settle my emotions, calm my mind and enjoy the great outdoors! I calm my mind by reeving it up first, then cooling it back down; somehow, that works great, not to mention the physical workout that is an added benefit to riding a mountain bike all those miles in the great outdoors!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Today on the bike trail, I saw 3 vultures teasing an alligator. Who wanted to eat who was still a mystery. I think they were both trying to manipulate the other to a point of figuring out how to get a good bite in, but it did not happen. One of the vultures was hopping up and down with wings spread, toward the gator, teasing "try to get me, I dare you" so the gator inched closer and closer, but, the vulture just kept backing up as he hopped, laughing I'm sure. The gator finally went back into the canal and gave up. They were both just as determined to get each other, but, both lost! Did those vultures really think the gator was just going to lay down and die so they could eat him? Ha!
I almost ran over two black snakes on the trail as well, one was half up and had its head up like it was going to strike, I just barely saw him at the last second and turned, barely missing running over his tail. Wow, that was close. If it truly was a black snake, it was not poisonous, no worries.
I almost ran over two black snakes on the trail as well, one was half up and had its head up like it was going to strike, I just barely saw him at the last second and turned, barely missing running over his tail. Wow, that was close. If it truly was a black snake, it was not poisonous, no worries.
The subtle mind is all about breathing. In the subtle mind if you still the breath you still the mind. A peaceful breath is a peaceful mind. The first concentration is to use your breath as your focal point, although, I find it so hard to keep a focus on the breath. My mind runs all over the universe. I tried to settle into the natural ease of my body, returning my mind back to the breath or my anchor/focal point, when my mind or thoughts would wander, but it is hard to keep taming my busy mind. It is a process like the CD said, and it will be something I must get used to. Being patient and not so much reacting to everything. I am supposed to witness things without reacting to them. In our witnessing consciousness or healthy psychology, we can stop, see, understand, make choices about our thoughts and feelings and have clearer intentions (but no quick reactivity anymore).
We can see it/things/thoughts/feelings/images, whats in our head rolling around, our mental activity, but not grasp it, just see it. We can still our mind. Not hold on to the mental activity, just see it and let go of it and let it fade away and just witness it come and go. We can control the mental chatter, shut it down, turn it off and be in stillness again focusing on breath only.
This is how I understand the Subtle mind. It is really a control of my emotions not grabbing a thought, especially a disturbing thought, and running with it. I can see it, acknowledge that disturbing thought or image, and let it go. It is like I am in control. My thoughts do not control me anymore, I control them. I don't react.
If I were to compare the Loving-kindness(LK) practice, with the subtle mind exercise, I like the first one more. In the loving-kindness practice, it is enjoyable to think of a loved one, and open my heart to their thots. I do not like to think about the bad sensations, as it suggests, but, I try not to grasp at it, as the CD says. This will take me more time to learn for me. It is easier to give the good thots and images more attention. Letting a loved ones suffering come into my heart and body is hard for me. I would rather think it than breath it. I would rather think of help and joy for them than breath it in and out of my heart and body. This is a whole new concept, not easy or sure I can do this. Imagining a circle of strangers and taking in their suffering is hard. I can imagine someone I know better. I can do it if I imagine a flood, or landslide and get sad for the people on TV that this happened to. (I do cry when I see things like that on TV, does that count I wonder?)
Observing and not grasping. Loving myself, feeling a natural rest, ease, and openness is hard for me, but necessary according to the LK practice. I have thot of others more in my life and turning it to myself is harder for me.
Both practices do not allow grasping the thots, feelings and/or images of the mind, but, just observation. The natural home is awareness of and not the grasping of what we observe with our mind.
I take the mind-body connection to mean that we need to keep our mind stable, not upset or stressed, but under complete control. Our body and the way we treat it, needs to be controlled. If we don't control what we eat, we will end up weighing 400 pounds. If we do not eat healthy, we could get cancer or die of a heart attack, or high blood pressure could lead to a heart attack. Our exercise, diet, habits, all need to be balanced with our mind and emotions to have a flourishing life. I personally ride a bike many miles a day (26 today) to keep a mental and physical balance. I feel successful and productive after I have done my routine. This makes me feel balanced and keeps my body balanced.
We can see it/things/thoughts/feelings/images, whats in our head rolling around, our mental activity, but not grasp it, just see it. We can still our mind. Not hold on to the mental activity, just see it and let go of it and let it fade away and just witness it come and go. We can control the mental chatter, shut it down, turn it off and be in stillness again focusing on breath only.
This is how I understand the Subtle mind. It is really a control of my emotions not grabbing a thought, especially a disturbing thought, and running with it. I can see it, acknowledge that disturbing thought or image, and let it go. It is like I am in control. My thoughts do not control me anymore, I control them. I don't react.
If I were to compare the Loving-kindness(LK) practice, with the subtle mind exercise, I like the first one more. In the loving-kindness practice, it is enjoyable to think of a loved one, and open my heart to their thots. I do not like to think about the bad sensations, as it suggests, but, I try not to grasp at it, as the CD says. This will take me more time to learn for me. It is easier to give the good thots and images more attention. Letting a loved ones suffering come into my heart and body is hard for me. I would rather think it than breath it. I would rather think of help and joy for them than breath it in and out of my heart and body. This is a whole new concept, not easy or sure I can do this. Imagining a circle of strangers and taking in their suffering is hard. I can imagine someone I know better. I can do it if I imagine a flood, or landslide and get sad for the people on TV that this happened to. (I do cry when I see things like that on TV, does that count I wonder?)
Observing and not grasping. Loving myself, feeling a natural rest, ease, and openness is hard for me, but necessary according to the LK practice. I have thot of others more in my life and turning it to myself is harder for me.
Both practices do not allow grasping the thots, feelings and/or images of the mind, but, just observation. The natural home is awareness of and not the grasping of what we observe with our mind.
I take the mind-body connection to mean that we need to keep our mind stable, not upset or stressed, but under complete control. Our body and the way we treat it, needs to be controlled. If we don't control what we eat, we will end up weighing 400 pounds. If we do not eat healthy, we could get cancer or die of a heart attack, or high blood pressure could lead to a heart attack. Our exercise, diet, habits, all need to be balanced with our mind and emotions to have a flourishing life. I personally ride a bike many miles a day (26 today) to keep a mental and physical balance. I feel successful and productive after I have done my routine. This makes me feel balanced and keeps my body balanced.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The Loving kindness CD by Elliott Dacher, was new and yes, beneficial to a point. The waves crashing on the beach shore were nice soothing and inviting me to the beach.
Trying to think of stillness, peace, and loving-kindness in my heart, was calming. As the narrator said, welcome it and let it be. I loved thinking about my loved one. It brought me pleasure and happiness.
Some of the content seemed a little weird, and odd, like taking an inbreath of a loved ones suffering, and all I had to do is breath it into my heart, then breath out on out breath giving health and joy to the suffering one, (like that would really happen for real if we believe it). Taking in the suffering of strangers was kinda odd to. It was a new-worded experience I was not expecting.
Embracing enemies, taking in their suffering, and giving out health, happiness, and wholeness was a challenge for me as well.
The constant lapping of the waves on shore, were calming, the solo flute was curious and compelling. The peaceful sounds together and actually put me to sleep before the CD was over.
Trying to think of stillness, peace, and loving-kindness in my heart, was calming. As the narrator said, welcome it and let it be. I loved thinking about my loved one. It brought me pleasure and happiness.
Some of the content seemed a little weird, and odd, like taking an inbreath of a loved ones suffering, and all I had to do is breath it into my heart, then breath out on out breath giving health and joy to the suffering one, (like that would really happen for real if we believe it). Taking in the suffering of strangers was kinda odd to. It was a new-worded experience I was not expecting.
Embracing enemies, taking in their suffering, and giving out health, happiness, and wholeness was a challenge for me as well.
The constant lapping of the waves on shore, were calming, the solo flute was curious and compelling. The peaceful sounds together and actually put me to sleep before the CD was over.
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