Unit 4 Blog Post

Unit 4 Blog

1. I found the loving-kindness exercise to be more difficult than the previous ones that we have done. I read chapter six before I did the exercise, and even while reading I knew that adopting such a deeply rooted philosophy such as loving-kindness right off the bat would be difficult. While I think that adopting a philosophy such as loving kindness could greatly enhance a person’s life, I think that perhaps it will take much practice in order to truly feel the benefits that such a thing could bring. Even as the lady in the audio told me to breathe in another’s suffering and then breathe out health and happiness, I could not seem to truly focus on what she was saying. I did become relaxed by the pure breathing aspect of the exercise, but other than that, I did not feel much different at the end than I did when I started. Again, I feel that this is more of an advanced exercise that would best suit someone who has been practicing relaxation exercises for a long period. The

concept behind the mental workout is that just as an athlete must practice daily in order to attain ultimate physical fitness, the same goes for a person trying to gain better psychological fitness as well (Dacher, 2006). Routine “practice” must occur with mental relaxation exercises in order for a person to progress and move onto a more integral sense of health. Research shows that by doing regular mental exercises, a person will ultimately be able to attain a deeper level of consciousness than he or she had before (Dacher, 2006). A good way to incorporate mental workouts into one’s life is to schedule them just like regular appointments or daily activities. Just as a person would schedule “dentist appointment at 3pm”, a person should also schedule mental workouts throughout the day as well. Dacher (2006) says that a person should also have a comfortable spot that is specifically for mental workouts and that the best time to use that spot is early in the morning when one’s mind has not yet been overrun by the day’s activities. By using these methods, a person finds ample opportunity to take a little time each day to focus the mind and be able to reach that deeper level of consciousness.

Aimee Fairbanks

Unit 3 Blog Post

Hello everyone,

After reflecting on my physical, spiritual, and psychological well-being, I realized just how different I would rate these various aspects of myself. From a physical standpoint, I think I would rate myself as a 7. I try to eat healthy, and I do incorporate exercise into my schedule as often as possible. I have no real systemic illness, and I feel generally healthy. From a psychological standpoint, however, I do not always feel so well. I often let my mind get pulled in several different directions at once, and I become very easily tired and stressed out. As such, I would rate myself as a 5. I do think that my strongest sense of self is my spiritual self. I feel rather in tune with my purpose here in this life, and with a sense for a higher power of being. I can often find the beauty in the simple aspects of nature and life, and as such, I would rate myself as a 9 for spirituality.

A goal for my physical well-being would be to get more in shape and allow my body to release inner tensions. I think doing such would provide me with some "me time" and would help to reduce the stress that I feel psychologically. As such, a goal for my psychological self could also be finding stress reducing activities to help keep my mind more focused and less tired. While I feel pretty strongly about my spiritual side, I think I would like to continue to learn how to understand the meaning and my purpose in life by seeing the beauty in the simplicity of life.

To gain a better physical sense of self, I think that allowing exercise to be more regular or scheduled into my daily activities will greatly help. It will enable my body to be even more healthy and will also allow me some time to let the stresses of the day pass me by. From a psychological standpoint, I think that practicing mindfulness or meditation will enable me to practice keeping my mind centered on a single thought (such as deep breathing), which will not leave much room for me to worry about everything else that is bothering me in life. While meditation may also help me spirituality, I think that incorporating both prayer and keeping a journal will help me accomplish my goal of seeking a deeper purpose to life. Prayer will allow me to reconnect with that higher power and remind me of the meaning of life. I also think that writing down my spiritual thoughts in a journal will help me accomplish this feat as well as I can reflect on the good things I see in my environment and surroundings.

After completing the Crime of the Century exercise, I felt similar to the way I did last week with the last exercise. I did feel quite relaxed, but again, not reenergized. I also decided to do this activity at a different time of day than previously, but I found myself easily distracted by what was going on around me. I could hear my neighbors outside, the rain and the wind, and my dog drinking out of the toilet! I just could not seem to focus on the task at hand. Finally, I just paused the exercise and moved to an even quieter location (I thought I WAS in a quiet location at first!). After that, I did continue the exercise and found I was able to concentrate somewhat more than before. I liked envisioning the vibrant colors that the speaker was describing. I also found that when he said things like "now say to yourself, I feel centered", I could feel a true sense of calmness overtake my body. I think that it will take me some time to finally be able to fully concentrate on these visualization exercises, but until that time, I still really enjoy them!

Aimee Fairbanks

Unit 2 Reflection For the Journey On

Hello Classmates,

I must say that since I have had Dr. Stewart in a stress management and prevention class previously, I had a sense of deja vu when I heard this audio clip For the Journey On. Last semester, Dr. Stewart used to read us relaxing information that gave us instruction on how to breathe and focus our minds on relaxing. We were instructed to breathe in, hold our breath, then exhale slowly. It was very similar to what the gentleman in this audio clip did as well.

I absolutely love doing exercises such as this. I normally have a really hard time getting to sleep because I am always thinking over and over again in my head what I need to accomplish for the following day. After I tried some deep breathing exercises, however, I have found that I fall asleep quite soon after I hit the pillow. With this particular exercise, I found the man's voice to be very soothing, and I really connected with the whole "wet sponge" analogy. When he said to "lift up your hands", they truly did feel heavy, like I could not fully pick them up. I did feel my muscles relax quite a bit every time I would breathe in and out. I do feel like I need more practice in concentrating on the exercise itself, however. I think I am so used to having my mind run in 15 different directions all at once, and to focus on just one thing is very difficult for me. When the exercise was over, I also did not feel as energized as I was hoping. I actually felt too relaxed to get back up out of bed! Hopefully with more practice and with taking a few minutes out each day to perform relaxation exercises, my mind will better be able to focus on the goal at hand!

Aimee

Welcome Statement

Hello Classmates!

I would like to welcome all of you to my blog spot. I would like to introduce myself, and tell a little bit about my life. I am 23 years old, and am a registered dental hygienist working here in Florida, where I reside with my husband. I really enjoy going to the movies, watching my husband's football games, walking on the beach, and playing fisbee with my black lab Lucy. Even though I already graduated from a college here in Florida, I am attending Kaplan to receive my bachelor's in health in wellness, with the ultimate goal in mind to one day teach. After I graduate from Kaplan in Summer 2010, there are a few graduate programs I am looking into to continue to pursue my education. I look forward to meeting you all and reading all your blog posts!

Aimee

First Blog Entry

Hello Classmates!

This is my first blog entry for my Creating Wellness: Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing class with Dr. Stewart. Hope you all are able to find it! Thanks!

Aimee Fairbanks