Unit 5 The Subtle Mind Exercise

The subtle mind exercise was very enlightening and very deep with insightfulness on how to let go of thoughts, feelings, and images to feel the calmness and peace that is still in your mind. The breathing in and out helped me to focus better through the exercise. Every time my mind would wonder I would get it back to calmness with my breathing and the thoughts, feelings, and images would dissolve away. It was very much similar toward the loving-kindness exercise as with breathing in something of the past and breathing out peace for yourself and someone else. I feel I benefited from this exercise by breathing through what was heavy in my mind to calmness and peacefulness.

I see that spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness is vitally important for anyone to experience human flourishing. It is important there is a spiritual connection to a higher power through meditation and prayer. This helps the mental and physical aspect of someone’s life. Also, proper nutrition and exercise are important for the body to experience physical and mental wellness.  However, the body, mind, and soul are affected from a higher power connection; therefore, a spiritual connection can relieve someone from various illnesses and stresses of life.

In my personal life the connection is manifested by allowing me to experience calmness, peace, forgiveness, and to become more patient with others as well as with myself. It makes me more aware and I have more appreciation too.

Unit 4: The Mind-Body-Spirit Paradigm

My experience on practicing loving-kindness was very relaxing, peaceful, and made me feel better about myself and people around me. I found it very beneficial to practice loving-kindness daily within my body, mind, and spirit. At first, it was difficult to let go of some things but when I did it made the practice and experience that much more successful to me. I would recommend this practice to others because it may help someone in distress or someone holding bad feelings in their heart to release them so you can fully love yourself and forgive others.

“Mental workout” is utilizing contemplative practices which help to tame the mind’s ongoing mental activities and train the mind along with opening one’s heart, broadening consciousness, and moving towards psychospiritual flourishing. The main purpose is to progress in the development of an expanded consciousness and to heal within the mind, body, and spirit. Loving-kindness and subtle mind are the two contemplative practices.

By practicing loving-kindness a person can open their hearts to others and reduce their selfishness therefore growing toward the development of psychospiritual flourishing. Subtle mind addresses 3 levels to open the mind and to reveal insightful wisdom of truth of life and existence. Proven benefits are awareness and experiences of the mind with its many levels in healing and developing the qualities of human flourishing which are health, happiness, and wholeness.

In order to foster my psychological health with mental workouts, I can devote at least a half hour to an hour a day of my time to incorporate the practices of either loving-kindness or subtle mind. This can bring me peace and calmness and I can benefit with good happiness, health, and wholeness from within.

Unit 3 The Mind-Body Connection

Hey Everybody,
     I rate my physical well-being as a 7 because I work out 3 to 4 times per week, I rate my spiritual well-being a 7 because I do go to Sunday mass weekly, and I rate my psychological well-being a 7 because I am self aware about my life and the direction I am going these days.
A goal in my physical well-being could be to do more walking and ride my bike for cardio, a goal in my spiritual well-being could be to be more involved with the church organization called Knights of Columbus, and a goal in my psychological well-being is too stay positive in all my relationships and not let any negativity get to me whether it is family, friends, girlfriend, all relationships.
I can go to the park for a walk in the morning, I can ask to volunteer at community events with the Knights of Columbus, and I can use deep breathing and calming techniques to control those negative feelings and replace them with positive actions and thoughts.
The exercise was different but beneficial as I could picture the rainbow of colors going through my body and I had a sense of peace, acceptance, and wholeness. It felt great to realize all these things by repeating the words and visualizing all the colors going through me. It seemed everything was connected and everything truly has a purpose.

Unit 2 Journey On Relaxation

Hey Everyone,
     While doing the relaxation exercise I was surprised on how well it was working. I really did feel the blood from my GI tract flow toward my shoulders, my arms, and my hands. I did feel how heavy it was and near impossible to lift my arms up or even move them. The power of suggestion to control the body really made me feel relaxed, calm, peaceful, but not in a tired or sleepy way but more energized. I felt so great after the exercise I tried it again with my legs and my feet. I am sold on this exercise and I will continue to do it because it feels very amazing to me. So we really do have the power to control how blood flows and how the mind can direct the blood and redirect it for a great relaxation technique.