The Integral Assessment - Flourishing

Loving-Kindness:

I’m finding the more that I practice this meditation exercise the easier it is.  I coming to understand that practicing this is more helpful in my daily relationships and the very day task that use to be boring or unfulfilling have meaning.  As I’m cooking, and cleaning, working out and shopping---my day is more focused on others and finding ways to “do” things for others.  Hold that door for the next person coming through, grabbing the shopping cart to put away for the lady who seems to be in a rush, saying a prayer for the cabby guy in the line in front of me at the post office.  I can truly state that my road rage has come down bunches!  ;-)

Integral Assessment:

This was very exciting for me!  I loved this exercise; I love lists and order so this is right up my ally.  I’m always making mini-wish-lists for the areas of my life I’m feeling “empty” in. 

This assessment is highly personal and very changing depending on what is going on in one’s life.  We use our understanding of the four quadrants, lines and levels of development to begin a formal assessment of one self.  What can we do to improve the four quadrants, psychospiritual, and biological, interpersonal and worldly –how can we further develop the lines into higher levels of being.

What do we need to improve and/or change? 

As I practice this new program I found that I was indeed lacking in my worldly quadrant.  I founded that I can improve in my biological area and my psychospiritual and interpersonal quadrants are now being improved.  The exercises that I could do to improve in my biological area are:  Self-regulation went it come to fitness and continue to maintain a healthy diet and quit smoking.  The exercises that I could do to improve my worldly area is become more involved social activism.

I know this list will change and grow as I learn to “see” inward and view others as the precious being that that are and come to know myself as someone who is becoming.

Love and Peace to all:

Darlene

Mental Fitness Power Point Presentation Unit 5

A Subtle Mind

Hello To All:

            As I compare the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise I find that I liked the Subtle mind exercise better than the Loving Kindness.  It was easier for me to stay focused by using my breath and the ocean sound was nice and relaxing.  It could be that I’m becoming more accustomed to meditation in this form, but I found the Subtle mind was easier to follow.

            Even before this class the realization that everything is connected was true for me, if I was off in any one area of my wellness I wasn’t complete in all of them.  I believe that we are a spirit, we have a mind, and we live in a body, if one area is off balance than it will so up in one or both of the others.

Thanks,

Darlene

“Loving Kindness”

Hello Everyone:

            This mediation exercise was very interesting to me.  I did have a hard time staying focused the first few times I tried it, but it was easier each time I tried.  I liked the idea of sending out loving kindness to those that you love, but I had to try really hard for those I count as my enemies.  Forgiveness is still new to me and I’m trying to break the habit of not sending out the “I wish you bad luck” to those that hurt me.  But I’m working on it…I’m getting better, I promise! J

Loving Kindness to All---I really mean IT!

Darlene

Wellness: Reflection Of My Physically, Psychologically, and Spiritually:

Scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal well-being)

Physically:

As I reflect on my physical well-being I would have to give myself a 6.  There is lots of room for improvement but I’m in overall good health with no illness or health concerns at this time other than my weight.  With this ongoing weight issue, I’m making small changes one at a time; I’ve cleaned up my diet and now choose healthy, clean foods, drink more water and don’t eat out as much.  This week I started exercising again and will add more each day until I’m working out at least 5 days a week.  Wish me luck!  Also, I’ve continue to be a ‘non-smoker’ for one week now…yea, go me!  Pray for my continued success.

Goal:  To workout 5-6 days a week by the end of the year.

Psychologically:

            My Psychological well-being I would rate as a 5 but is coming back.  After a year of grieving the loss of my mother, my first grandchild and my job I’m on my way to “feeling” again.  No words can state the depression that overwhelmed me for the last year, but with the help from my God, my family, and my friends, as well as becoming a student of health and wellness at Kaplan, I happy to say that I’m an over-comer!  There are still days when my thoughts want to overcome me, but with the tools that I’ve learned through, this class and others I will not become a victim. 

            Goal:  Learn to be still and become more grateful, forgiving, and thankful. 

Spiritually: 

My Spiritual growth is the healthiest part of my well-being. I would rate this a 8 because there is always room for growth!   I’ve always turned to God for my strength.  Without Him I would have given up a long time ago and would have never been able to make it through the last year.  So days I would do nothing but sit and mediate on what the Bible “says” that I am in Christ and that was all I could do for that day.  I would make “faith” statements like, “I am the head and not the tail, I am above and not beneath, I am strong and not weak.”  There were days that I didn’t “feel” like I was but I kept on repeating these until they were my truth.

            Goal:  Continue to grow in Christ.

Relaxation Exercise:  “The Crime of the Century”:

            With this class and the Stress Management class I attained last term I have learned how to meditate and have come to look forward to my daily meditation time.  Although I’m not sure what the colors have to do with the different areas of ones body, learning to meditate as been very helpful to me in my daily stress management and health.

Rainbow Meditation:

·         Red: (Base of Spine) - Grounded - safe and comfortable.

·         Orange:  (Above the belly button) - Centered – confident, self worthy.

·         Bright Yellow:  (Upper Stomach Area) - Loved

·         Emerald Green:  Heart – Able to love – share positive feelings with others.

·         Aqua Blue:  Throat – Meaningful purpose, creativity, set goals

·         Indigo Blue:  Forehead – Balance within one self

·         Violent:  Crown – Connected to a bigger part of the universe.

Love and Peace to All:

Darlene