An Asclepian Practice...

   When reflecting upon this week’s mindful exercise I found it difficult to focus on a wise entity or person, and take in all that is wise, truthful, and great about this person. I felt that absorbing the light from this person may not be as healing as I thought in my mind. My mind would stray and I would ask myself if the light from this person was pure? What if there is an unsettled negativity or ill manifestation lurking within this person that could impose negative energy inside of me? So, I struggled with finding the perfect entity to absorb light from. After a few minutes of giving light and loving-kindness to this person I felt that I should look inside myself to the purity of my higher self and reabsorb the white light emanating from my spirit while reinforcing the loving-kindness.

    I can certainly feel the inner growth and unity transpiring within myself. The mindful practices have much to offer in unity consciousness and integral healing As a health care professional I should continue with these mindful practices as a modification to my past lifestyle, indefinitely, for better health and wellness for myself, and to teach others the healing practice as well. By doing so, not only will I achieve a higher level of human flourishing, I will also be a good role model/teacher for those who long for integral health, and whom are tired of being beat down from needless suffering. Without practicing the art of wellness for myself -it would be hard to convince others to practice. By teaching others about the path we have walked ourselves we would be teaching based on our own experiences; shining light where one finds darkness. When we heal ourselves we become enabled to help others. We can only receive what we put out into the universe.

Man in the mirror

    I recently engaged myself  in an integral assessment, asking myself to reveal any difficulties in my life- psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly, I found the most challenging to be the biological aspect. I struggle with attaining enough fitness during any one week that allows me flourishing in the mind/body connection. Diet is yet another factor that is tough to handle- especially in this day and age where convenience can be king. The foods and water we put into our bodies fuel our minds and give us strength. If we are what we think then we can most certainly feel what we put into our bellies.

    Witnessing the mind and its tendencies has been a real eye opener. By witnessing such I have become better about filtering out the nonsense and dissolving any negative thoughts. Thus, witnessing the mind and calm-abiding are two areas that are most important for me to further develop in my life. These are foundational in my spiritual connectedness and growth, and give rise to me responding with intention rather than reacting to life’s challenges.  These qualities further enhance my overall psychospiritual awareness and growth, fueling integral health and well-being.

    I believe in the practice of meditation so much that I have made it part of my daily practice. Whether I am on a machine at the gym, hiking amongst nature, or engaged in yoga- I witness a higher level of self that comforts me in the unison of all things. I feel a spiritual awakening taking place. The biggest challenge for me is to stray away from the three poisons of attachment, hatred, and close-mindedness-with the first one being the most challenging for me to overcome because of the appeal of material things in life.

    It is clear to me ore than ever before that yoga, fitness, and qigong should indefinitely be incorporated into my life as a way to sustain better health and well-being and to propel myself further along the road to spiritual flourishing. I believe these kinds of exercises can be helpful for anyone seeking a higher level of well-being.

    Below is a loving-kindness meditation exercise from Elliot Dacher’s (2006) text. Feel free to explore its effects. Close your eyes and find a comfortable, restful position. Repeat the loving-kindness exercise above for 10 minutes.

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.

May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.

May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.

References

Dacher, Elliott. (2006). INTEGRAL HEALTH: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications Press.

Mental Slavery

    “When we free our self from mental slavery we access a clear and still mind.” While listening and trying to adhere to the subtle mind instructional mp3 I noticed just how often my thoughts flow at random from my busy life to bombarding images. I have a busy mind. Focusing on my breath enhanced my awareness and kept me anchored for minutes at a time. Sporadically, I would witness my mind jumping to different busy thoughts about my day, or people in general, and would heighten my levels of distress. It is only when I witness this happening that I was able to anchor myself by bringing my attention back to my breath, calming the mind, and resting in the stillness that I had created for myself.   

    This sort of practice undoubtedly brought harmony and unity to my mind/body. It is impossible to work out the mind and body separate from each other (Dacher, 2006). Afterwards I felt rested, and energized, not to mention my thought and focus were clearer. I felt a wellness sensation sweep through my spiritual, mental, and physical self. It is through this practice that I am able to manifest a deeper connection in my personal life. The feeling that becomes me post practice is similar to acting with loving-kindness. When we practice unconditional loving-kindness we are reinforcing our health and wellness by not letting distress tear us down. By witnessing the mind we are able to respond with intention.

    Elliot Dacher reveals that “this witnessing capacity is what we should seek to develop first”, thus gaining from our mental tendencies (2006). We must free our minds from wandering aimlessly. As we calm the mind we abide in stillness where intention replaces reactivity. “It is like a great ocean unaffected by the rising and falling of waves.” (Dacher,2006). This is a foundational concept to climbing the ladder to psychospiritual flourishing.

Reference

Dacher, Elliott. (2006). INTEGRAL HEALTH: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications Press.

Loving Kindness

I found the loving kindness mp3 to be very beneficial. I felt very light on my feet and in my chest. It was a total euphoric feeling to embrace loving kindness and dissolve any bad energy within and fill it up with unconditional love. I can see how this sort of eustress type application can certainly help people shed the stress, which is the culprit for many western morbidities.

Daily practice of loving kindness for just 5-10 minutes a day can make a world of difference and bring about a stimulation of inner peace for anyone seeking it. Schedule some time each day for the SELF. Unify higher levels of consciousness and shed needless suffering!

"Fueling thyself with loving-kindness and “digesting” unhealthy attitudes, or mental images, is a sanctuary for the aspiring healing heart."

                                     - Cory Swonson

Below is a link to other meditation mp3's that I found interesting. Seek out what works for you!

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm