I am very familiar with workouts, but rather the physical kind and not so much the mental variety.
The concept behind a "mental workout" is the continued practicing (training) of our brains to achieve a state of higher consciousness and with that improved healing capacities, therefore to benefit human flourishing. The benefits range from more personal compassion to peace and calm, delight and happiness, creativity, wisdom and compassion. To achieve these attributes one should get in the habit of practicing loving kindness daily, for example by engaging in meditation and periods of mindfulness.
Dunja :)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Loving Kindness in Practice (U4)
First of all I'd like to assure you that I do like to meditate, but I am actually realizing that there are some forms of meditation which really take me in and let me relax, while others have me fidgeting about with my mind wandering all over the place.
The exercise "Loving Kindness" was unfortunately one of the latter and I found myself less engaged and focused than I wanted to be. Even though I made several attempts, I just could not get into it, although I absolutely understood the concept of the practice. It did make me wonder though, isn't this "projected" loving kindness almost the same in principle as prayer for some people? I really enjoyed the first part of the exercise when we were asked to think about a person we truly cherish and to remember the feeling. Of course I thought immediately of my kids, but then I spent the next couple of minutes wondering if I am supposed to pick only one child? Then my mind went on to question why, followed by the refusal to, my mind wandered and I had concentration issues from the get-go. What I did achieve however, was a cozy, loving feeling within me, I always get this though when I think of my two lovely girls.
At this point however things got a bit more confusing to me, I remember listening to the sounds of the waves and caught myself thinking of our summer family vacation last year and how I'd really love to be on vacation on any beach (which actually made me relax a bit), followed by the question where and when, to the who and how, only to be brought back when the lady started talking again, which made me think I was missing the point of the exercise completely. Then it was suggested that I should attempt to be "at ease with my body's sensations". Well I hate to even admit it, but I failed in that, mainly because my tummy was very upset and achy from a birthday party in the afternoon and the pinch-ey feeling was not something I could just ignore. Additionally I found that I was not able to "observe my thoughts", as opposed to thinking them, again because I felt distracted and questioned the reason for certain actions we were supposed to undertake, which is by the way my habit in any situation, not just in this one. Unfortunately, I got even more distracted when the narrator implored upon us to "think of a suffering loved one", since I luckily don't have suffering loved ones and the mere thought made me uncomfortable I chose to skip that.
In the end I did enjoy the last part of the exercise when we were left to our own contemplation without narration, that is when I felt myself relax and my body calm down, which makes me believe that I personally do much better in meditation, if no one is talking to me and asking me to do stuff.
Would I recommend this exercise to friends? Absolutely, but mainly because I want other people to make up their own minds, as we learned in Unit 3 one of the guiding principals of integral health is that it is "person centered", therefore what works or doesn't work for me may be differently experienced by others.
Now I wonder if am I the only one that feels this way? I hope to hear from you.
Dunja :)
The exercise "Loving Kindness" was unfortunately one of the latter and I found myself less engaged and focused than I wanted to be. Even though I made several attempts, I just could not get into it, although I absolutely understood the concept of the practice. It did make me wonder though, isn't this "projected" loving kindness almost the same in principle as prayer for some people? I really enjoyed the first part of the exercise when we were asked to think about a person we truly cherish and to remember the feeling. Of course I thought immediately of my kids, but then I spent the next couple of minutes wondering if I am supposed to pick only one child? Then my mind went on to question why, followed by the refusal to, my mind wandered and I had concentration issues from the get-go. What I did achieve however, was a cozy, loving feeling within me, I always get this though when I think of my two lovely girls.
At this point however things got a bit more confusing to me, I remember listening to the sounds of the waves and caught myself thinking of our summer family vacation last year and how I'd really love to be on vacation on any beach (which actually made me relax a bit), followed by the question where and when, to the who and how, only to be brought back when the lady started talking again, which made me think I was missing the point of the exercise completely. Then it was suggested that I should attempt to be "at ease with my body's sensations". Well I hate to even admit it, but I failed in that, mainly because my tummy was very upset and achy from a birthday party in the afternoon and the pinch-ey feeling was not something I could just ignore. Additionally I found that I was not able to "observe my thoughts", as opposed to thinking them, again because I felt distracted and questioned the reason for certain actions we were supposed to undertake, which is by the way my habit in any situation, not just in this one. Unfortunately, I got even more distracted when the narrator implored upon us to "think of a suffering loved one", since I luckily don't have suffering loved ones and the mere thought made me uncomfortable I chose to skip that.
In the end I did enjoy the last part of the exercise when we were left to our own contemplation without narration, that is when I felt myself relax and my body calm down, which makes me believe that I personally do much better in meditation, if no one is talking to me and asking me to do stuff.
Would I recommend this exercise to friends? Absolutely, but mainly because I want other people to make up their own minds, as we learned in Unit 3 one of the guiding principals of integral health is that it is "person centered", therefore what works or doesn't work for me may be differently experienced by others.
This picture was taken by me at Beverly Beach, OR last summer
Now I wonder if am I the only one that feels this way? I hope to hear from you.
Dunja :)
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Color me happy (U3)
It took me three attempts to get through the relaxation exercise, the first time I was relaxed alright, I actually fell asleep for an hour and a half while listening to it. The second time I my mind kept wandering to all the things I needed to do, we currently have visitors and it is hard to find a space and time to be on my own right now. Then, the third and final time I finally made it through, I listened attentively, tried to visualize the colors suggested, emerging from different parts of my body. I relaxed because the narrator has a relatively pleasant voice, only I am not sure how effective the color visualization was in the end, I felt silly and just couldn't commit to the idea. I suppose when I meditate I truly enjoy gentle guidance that seizes after awhile, to allow me time to self-reflect and deepen my silence, the chattering keeps my mind wandering.
I just today have committed myself to completing another Deepak Chopra meditation challenge, I previously completed the one around Christmas 2012 and I loved it, it is done at ones own pace and very, very relaxing. You are all invited to join, it is absolutely free and easy to participate:
Deepak Chopra 21-Day Meditation Challenge
See you there?
Dunja :)
I just today have committed myself to completing another Deepak Chopra meditation challenge, I previously completed the one around Christmas 2012 and I loved it, it is done at ones own pace and very, very relaxing. You are all invited to join, it is absolutely free and easy to participate:
Deepak Chopra 21-Day Meditation Challenge
See you there?
Dunja :)
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Am I well or what?? (unit 3)
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It happens very often to me, daily in fact, that I am contemplating my
personal wellness. I am usually aware of my physical and even mental state and
try to pay close attention to my nutrition or other aspects of my life.
However, I often get the feeling that my "balanced" approach of
personal wellness, yet in its relative infancy, is like trying to handle a
marionette puppet, loads of strings to make the thing move beautifully in
unison, yet I am not a very skilled operator yet. What I mean by that is that I
never feel as if all my strings are pulled appropriately and timely and I am
not yet functioning in total harmony, even though I am trying. Just to give an
example: I will pay close attention to my nutrition, but I am just not getting
enough sleep or rest. Other days again I exercise and sleep, but I am not
eating good, or enough, or timely. Then there are days on which I eat fine, but
have no time to myself and stress is getting out of hand. The
"golden" spot has eluded me yet, this time when all my proverbial ducks
are neatly in a row and I eat well, rest enough, get my exercise, meditate
and participate in meaningful social interaction. Is it wishful thinking to
achieve that perfect harmony?
Here is what I know: I. AM. CONSCIOUSLY. AND. CONSTANTLY. WORKING. ON. IT.
I consider this a great thing, in fact, as sign of personal progress. Isn't awareness truly the first real step toward change? Every day I learn more about life, wellness, health and myself. Change is implemented slowly, for example I completely changed my own and my family’s nutritional habits over the past two years and constantly improves in small steps; this process was not an overnight occurrence. Furthermore, I know I need more rest and more time for myself and therefore I try to remind myself to go earlier to bed, to avoid the things I know stress me out and try to make time for meditation. It's the consistence I feel I am lacking and I try to cut myself some slack about that. I understand that wellness is a process and should not be stressful. I try to practice being kind to myself and not to beat myself up over the things I cannot change, this mindset has brought me more inner peace than any visualization could, because it starts in the inside.
I would grade myself as a 7 in terms of physical well-being (I am healthy, rarely get sick and feel fit as a fiddle, yet I wish I was more buff and regularly active as I used to be), a 9 when it comes to spiritual and psychological well-being (as I am truly happy and content to be at this particular place in my life with my family, my children, my school and all the opportunities I have to further explore freely). No 10's here, because there is always room for improvement. My short-term goals are to make it to the gym three times per week, to start attending one yoga class per week and to take one nice, long walk per week in the fresh air with my children. I think it will just take planning and organization to make sure I don't over-schedule myself and sacrifice my time in order to play catch-up with life. Or, get stuck in a book and reading my time away while neglecting the priorities. Have I mentioned that I am easily sidetracked?
I'd love to hear from you, what are your obstacles on the road to personal wellness?
Dunja :)
Here is what I know: I. AM. CONSCIOUSLY. AND. CONSTANTLY. WORKING. ON. IT.
I consider this a great thing, in fact, as sign of personal progress. Isn't awareness truly the first real step toward change? Every day I learn more about life, wellness, health and myself. Change is implemented slowly, for example I completely changed my own and my family’s nutritional habits over the past two years and constantly improves in small steps; this process was not an overnight occurrence. Furthermore, I know I need more rest and more time for myself and therefore I try to remind myself to go earlier to bed, to avoid the things I know stress me out and try to make time for meditation. It's the consistence I feel I am lacking and I try to cut myself some slack about that. I understand that wellness is a process and should not be stressful. I try to practice being kind to myself and not to beat myself up over the things I cannot change, this mindset has brought me more inner peace than any visualization could, because it starts in the inside.
I would grade myself as a 7 in terms of physical well-being (I am healthy, rarely get sick and feel fit as a fiddle, yet I wish I was more buff and regularly active as I used to be), a 9 when it comes to spiritual and psychological well-being (as I am truly happy and content to be at this particular place in my life with my family, my children, my school and all the opportunities I have to further explore freely). No 10's here, because there is always room for improvement. My short-term goals are to make it to the gym three times per week, to start attending one yoga class per week and to take one nice, long walk per week in the fresh air with my children. I think it will just take planning and organization to make sure I don't over-schedule myself and sacrifice my time in order to play catch-up with life. Or, get stuck in a book and reading my time away while neglecting the priorities. Have I mentioned that I am easily sidetracked?
I'd love to hear from you, what are your obstacles on the road to personal wellness?
Dunja :)
(These are my beautiful flowers, from my sweet husband this Valentine's Day)
Friday, February 8, 2013
It's a mind thing? (unit 2)
I have to admit that I feel pretty stressed out so far in my new class. There, I said it. I feel overwhelmed, because so far everything seems so disorganized to me and I don't know where to start in my tasks that need completion this week for my school class.
As I was sitting on my computer trying to make sense out of my tasks, I realized how cold I was, so decided to eat breakfast and then listen to this relaxation exercise.
Relaxation and Mindfulness
Admittedly, it was hard to focus and it took me quite awhile to calm myself and pay close attention to the 13 minute audio segment. Eventually I realized that I let myself relax enough to feel the heavy arms, to not want to move a muscle and at the end, to "move" my blood back into my abdomen, but that is honestly where my experience ended. Other than the heaviness, my fingers and hands remained ice cold and I still feel nervous and stressed out. So what gives? Did I not have an open enough mind to do this exercise? Did I not pay close attention? Ultimately I know that I just really have a hard time letting go, it usually takes me way longer than 13 minutes to become calm and collected, additionally when I am cold there is nothing that gets me warm but a hot shower, exercise, or hot tea - no amount of visualization seems to get me comfortable. I may try this exercise again when I am more at ease and not anxious, hopefully this evening.
As I was sitting on my computer trying to make sense out of my tasks, I realized how cold I was, so decided to eat breakfast and then listen to this relaxation exercise.
Relaxation and Mindfulness
Admittedly, it was hard to focus and it took me quite awhile to calm myself and pay close attention to the 13 minute audio segment. Eventually I realized that I let myself relax enough to feel the heavy arms, to not want to move a muscle and at the end, to "move" my blood back into my abdomen, but that is honestly where my experience ended. Other than the heaviness, my fingers and hands remained ice cold and I still feel nervous and stressed out. So what gives? Did I not have an open enough mind to do this exercise? Did I not pay close attention? Ultimately I know that I just really have a hard time letting go, it usually takes me way longer than 13 minutes to become calm and collected, additionally when I am cold there is nothing that gets me warm but a hot shower, exercise, or hot tea - no amount of visualization seems to get me comfortable. I may try this exercise again when I am more at ease and not anxious, hopefully this evening.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Welcome to my blog - Is it spring yet? (unit 2)
Hi, I am Dunja and I created this blog as part of a learning process that is meant to assist me and possibly others in finding out more about how and on which levels the body and mind are connected and how we each can utilize different strategies to our own and mutual benefit.
I have recently started exploring a more spiritual approach to life and am dabbling in various ongoing efforts, ranging from simple meditation, yoga, to "just" plain mindfulness, smelling the roses so to speak and finding a "feel" for things in my life. Such an occasion presented itself to me just this morning, unexpectedly but recognizable, as I have started learning to keep my senses more attuned to my surroundings.
It sure felt mellow outside today, here in the great Northwest! As I returned this morning from dropping my two lovely girls off at the school bus, I noticed that I already have spring bloomers doing their thing in my front yard! Funny, this tiny show of color helped me lighten my steps and attack my days' goals with renewed vigor. I love spring, the possibilities of new growth, getting back into my garden, the prospect for more light and sunshine and warmth.
I also read a wonderful article today titled "The Myth of Discipline". In this piece the author elaborates on why he thinks that discipline is non-existent, often overemphasized upon and confused with love. He theorizes that all there is in the universe is love and anything we are is a direct result of what we love most. I would very much recommend this article to anyone that has ever questioned their own (or others') perceived lack of discipline in achieving goals. Here is the link:
The Myth of Discipline
One thing is certain; I will take this article to heart because it struck a cord of understanding within me. Furthermore I have decided today, after contemplating this with a dear friend, that I will create a vision board, it will serve as personal, visual reminder of my goals, the things that are important to me, as well as short term and long term goals, all uplifting reminders of life being positive and beautiful.
What made you think today?
I have recently started exploring a more spiritual approach to life and am dabbling in various ongoing efforts, ranging from simple meditation, yoga, to "just" plain mindfulness, smelling the roses so to speak and finding a "feel" for things in my life. Such an occasion presented itself to me just this morning, unexpectedly but recognizable, as I have started learning to keep my senses more attuned to my surroundings.
It sure felt mellow outside today, here in the great Northwest! As I returned this morning from dropping my two lovely girls off at the school bus, I noticed that I already have spring bloomers doing their thing in my front yard! Funny, this tiny show of color helped me lighten my steps and attack my days' goals with renewed vigor. I love spring, the possibilities of new growth, getting back into my garden, the prospect for more light and sunshine and warmth.
I also read a wonderful article today titled "The Myth of Discipline". In this piece the author elaborates on why he thinks that discipline is non-existent, often overemphasized upon and confused with love. He theorizes that all there is in the universe is love and anything we are is a direct result of what we love most. I would very much recommend this article to anyone that has ever questioned their own (or others') perceived lack of discipline in achieving goals. Here is the link:
The Myth of Discipline
One thing is certain; I will take this article to heart because it struck a cord of understanding within me. Furthermore I have decided today, after contemplating this with a dear friend, that I will create a vision board, it will serve as personal, visual reminder of my goals, the things that are important to me, as well as short term and long term goals, all uplifting reminders of life being positive and beautiful.
What made you think today?
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