Unit 4: Loving Kindness

Julia Roberts made it look easy in "Eat, Pray, Love"...travel to India and find enlightenment; sit, meditate, voila! If only it were that simple. For several years now I have been delving into the literature, the soundscapes, the stillness - and yes, I am still waiting for the breakthrough. The loving kindness exercise was interesting and I found it helpful, although I need longer than the mp3 allows to get around the swirling madness in my head. My biggest problem seems to be getting around the seemingly never ending thoughts that are so hard to silence. I did find that this exercise helped with that as I could focus on others rather than my own mental blocks and as a result feel that this may be precisely the way to get around myself. A springboard, so to speak. There is nothing that I have found quite like compassion for others (be they human or animal) to lead one to a peaceful frame of mind. Having done this exercise three days this week, I am feeling hopeful and will continue. It must be working as my dogs are even calmer and they are, after all, mirrors of my energy. As I write this they are all curled peacefully on various pieces of furniture snoozing to soundscapes in the background. I would definitely recommend this exercise to others.

As I relish the peace and quiet of my Saturday solitude (the teenager is at a friends house tonight), I hate to think about mental workouts, but just as the body needs exercise to stay in shape and ward off disease, so does the mind. I am not a fan of puzzles, and it was always suggested that puzzles were good workouts for the mind. Today there are innumerable websites where one can find interesting and beneficial games for brain stimulation. For those of us that aren't quite ready for the mental gym there are also some simple workouts to get started. My doctor told me to remember to "stretch" my brain before working out...i.e..saying the alphabet in words (that start with each letter), counting backwards, making lists of 20 friends you've had, or all of the vehicles you've owned, etc. Workouts don't necessarily have to be brain teasers. Changing the way you do things can make the brain work differently - for instance, when I broke my right wrist, I had to use my left hand and find interesting ways to do things. I would not say that I am ambidextrous by any means, but I now eat with both hands equally or find myself eating with my left hand at times without really noticing. Think of all the things you do everyday..from your morning routine to getting into bed at night and change small details..take a different route to work, etc. Without really considering it, these small changes make you think differently.

 It's funny how we can get almost robotic in our daily lives. This morning I was really happy because a flower bloomed in my front yard...I even took a picture of it. A few years ago I would have walked by and not even noticed it...I think that's progress.

Unit 3 - The Crime of the Century

This relaxation exercise was an interesting take on the color theory I spoke of before. I like the use of colors, symbols, body, and breathing as a means to relaxation. Since I could not give the exercise my undivided attention when I heard it, I did not really benefit, but I can see where someone might. I listened to probably a hundred of these looking for those that I found beneficial and my favorite is still the color pyramid. It is similar to this one only you start at the bottom of the pyramid (purple) and progress to the top of the pyramid (healing white light). I began with the taped recording and now do it on my own which allows me to stay at one level (color) as long as I like before travelling on to the next. Overall, I feel that this type of relaxation technique is very effective and can be tailored to one's individual needs.

Unit 3 - Wellness

You know the old saying that people appear in your life for a reason and for each there is a purpose and a season? I can honestly attribute my "awakening" to one such experience eight years ago. Something about this person really got under my skin and I came to realize as time went on that I had been living in a bubble for many years concerning who I was and why, among other things. Based on experiences of the past decade or so, I can say that I have broken out of my bubble to recognize the possibilities and the potential but I know that as far as enlightenment goes...I have a long journey ahead of me. On a scale of 1 to 10, I believe I would now rate myself as follows:

Physical wellbeing - 3 (I have regressed from the gym rat of four years ago to a less than comfortable state)
Psychological wellbeing - 6 (I have learned a lot about what makes me tick and what I need to do and not do to continue forward)
Spiritual wellbeing - 8 (I have accepted my own beliefs as valid, albeit not mainstream, and recognize     potential for continued growth)

This is quite an improvement from the person I was a decade ago, walking around with a big "why?" bubble over my head, so I am beginning to see a glimmer of that path we speak of and am excited about the journey!

Goals:

Physical - continue with my exercise program and maintain focus.
Psychological - continue to remind myself of how far I have come so that I may continue forward; one day at a time.
Spiritual - continue looking within for my own answers.

These sound general, but I have had to learn the art of being kind to myself. Being a breadwinner, mom, wife, student - for so long really took it's toll and I was the last one I worried about. Validating myself and my own needs and desires was quite an accomplishment for me and took many years. Now I am focused on doing what is good for me - diet and exercise, spending time with my dogs and going to rescue events (my passion and great psychological therapy), and continuing to delve into Eastern religion and culture.

Unit 2: Journey On...

This relaxation exercise is very similar to some that I use which were suggested to me by my hypnotist. This one is somewhat different as it focuses on blood flow as a relaxation technique. I did not enjoy this one as much as some of mine which use light as the method of relaxation. I guess it has to do with the more biological aspect of this exercise as opposed to the one I prefer which is a more spiritual method of relaxation. They both work basically the same way, progressive relaxation and revitalizing near the end. I am also an insomniac and I find that listening to this at bedtime helps me to relax and fall asleep. Of course you don't want to use one that revitalizes you at the end or you will be up all night!

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. I have mixed feelings about this blogging thing so bare with me if you will. I am a rather private person, and generally do not care to post thoughts on the internet, but since we must....!

Welcome

ser·en·dip·i·ty - an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident (dictionary.com, 2012).

^{I have always loved the word serendipity, and oddly enough, it describes pretty well how I usually stumble upon life's mysteries by accident, when they are least expected. So although, I am definitely not much of a blogger, here's to new experiences and personal discoveries!}