A Better Path to Wholeness

Hello,

I have used contemplative practices for years, mostly in the form of deep breathing and visualization, but I have found that mindfulness meditation and healing meditation to be my two new favorites.  I have been able to evolve my mental abilities, clarity, empathy, sensitivity, compassion, courage, patience and resilience.  It has also heightened my capacity of intimacy and loving-kindness as purported by Dacher (Dacher, 2006).  Don’t misunderstand, I still do my deep breathing exercise daily, but that is mostly to relax and I used visualization when I feel the need to get away.   But since I've  learned how to used visualization with healing meditation and mindfulness or subtle mind to look deep inside and identify troubling thoughts and emotions, my everyday experiences have greatly improved.  I have found these practices to be very beneficial in helping me cope with negative situations and negative people.  I don't allow their words and attitudes to pollute my mental and/or emotional essence.

How can I use these practices in my professional life?  That's a good question that required some intense thought.  My major is Health and Wellness and my professional area is in preventive medicine.  My community suffers from a lot of preventive illness that are the result of lifestyle behavior.  Two of the most common negative behaviors are smoking and alcohol consumption.  We do have a growing prescription drug problem, and there are dietary issues that also complicate matters, but smoking and alcohol consumption are the major factors affecting health in my community.  The outreach component is in place, but the tools currently being used are ineffective.  Currently we employ educational forums and brochures, but we need to implement workshops to empower the individuals.   I strongly feel that contemplative practices should be one of the workshops. 

Teaching the individual what's wrong with their current lifestyle is one thing, but teaching them how to affectively change is another.   When I worked with the diabetes outreach I told the groups about starting a walk team.  However none of them reported forming one in their neighborhood.  Finally I spoke with the neighborhood associations and we formed neighborhood walk teams and recruited members of outreach group.  It was successful. Over 80% of the members became members of the neighborhood walk team.  I think it is because we became proactive in setting them up thus eliminating the need for them to do it.  Some of the participants shared the idea with their families and church congregation and last year we had a local event "Walking for Prevention" that was formed by this group.  It was small but they did raise over $5000 in donations (Webber, 2009). 

Interactive activities have proven to be more effective than sit and learn.  When you participate you often take ownership. I know I never would have started meditation had it not been for my Philosophy teacher who thought enough of her class to incorporate it into her instructions.  It has had a profound effect on my life and I feel that even though some participants may not continue to use contemplative practices, those that do shall benefit and maybe find other forms to help them on the path to human flourishing.  

References:

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA, USA: Basic Health Publication, Inc.

Webber, V. N. (2009). PAL Annual Report. Fort Worth: Partners At Lunch.

You can't lead me where you haven't been

Hi,

Surely we have all heard the saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" in one form or another and most of us know what it means. I was once in a cultural sensitivity workshop and the speaker was talking about the mindset of poor black families. What she was saying didn't ring true for the neighborhoods I had worked in so I asked her where was she getting this information. Her response was cold and clinical so I felt the need to correct her. I started off my statement by saying that I was tired of hearing professional speak on a topic that they had no level of experience in. She was neither Black or qualified to speak about the Black experience because she had never bother to make that journey for herself. I proceeded to attack each of her bullet points. Ultimately I was asked to join the team and she was given another assignment.

There should be no exception when it comes to health. I am aware that in Western medicine doctors will prescribe medicines and recommend treatments for disease and illness without ever experiencing it for themselves but they do so relying information supplied by research and technology. Human flourishing is different... you cannot sincerely tell me about body-mind-spirit if you only believe in science. At some point you need to experience inner development from expanded consciousness and reading about something is different from experiencing something for yourself.

The reason I first started meditation was because a teacher told me how it had helped her to relax. She told the class that it was easy and inexpensive and could be done in as little as 5 minutes.  She guided us in class and I did feel refreshed when we finished. I enjoyed a whole semester of 5 to 10 minute trips and I have been hooked every since. To me, that's why that statement rings true. If she didn't meditate she would not have been able to successfully guide us. I used the heat of the sun to calm me so I think that's why I still use light and heat today. Now I am open to experience different paths to human flourishing, as a new traveler, I would much prefer an experience guide so that when I share my adventures with someone else there won't be so many hills and valleys.

Teal

Sincerely Seeking Aesclepius

Hello,

I have enjoyed the guided meditation Meeting Aesclepius several times and each time I feel refreshed and energized.  I have not however been able to picture myself or anyone else as the elusive Aesclepius.  Instead I have just been enjoying the healing light of golden radiance.  That's what seems to work best for me.

I find time to meditate everyday.  I start with the 5 golden minutes upon awakening ad then I take a few minutes in the morning to just still my mind before I start my day.  Some days I used Meeting Aesclepius and other days the Sublte Mind Practice, and everyday I practice deep breathing and some form of visualization.   These practices not only help to keep my stress level down, but they also help my disposition.  I don't just react to situations, I consciously respond.  In addition to being much calmer, I don't allow my family's nonsense upset me anymore. 

Using these simple practices has allowed me to see my own areas of imperfection.  I think that's a good thing.  Now that I know, I can work on them.  As I continue on this journey of discovery, hopefully I will eventually reach the pinnacle of discovering that I am Aesclepius.  Until then I will continue to bathe in the radiance of love and healing and reap the benefits of mindful consciousness.

Teal

The Journey Continues

Hello,

I learned to remove self many years ago when I wanted to expand my spiritual walk.  The loving kindness meditation practice reminds me of a prayer I heard a woman once say.  She asked GOD to forgive all her sins, both known and unknown.  This is essentially what the loving kindness meditation does for me… it allows me to detect any anger or hostile feelings I may have toward someone, both known and unknown. 

Dacher’s assessment tool has served to further enhance my journey to enlightenment.  It helps me to look deeply within and make conscious decisions about my current psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and worldly existence.  Knowing which areas you need to work on will allow you to choose the right practice for development.  In taking a personal inventory, it caused me not only to reflect, but to evaluate my level in each domain.  What I found validated my perceived levels of low development and highlighted that there was still room for growth in other areas. 

According to Dacher, it is not necessary to fully develop every aspect of integral development because they are all interconnected, but you do need to develop at least one (Dacher, 2006).  My personal assessment revealed the following: 

1.       The aspect of my life that causes me the most difficulty and suffering is Interpersonal.  Although I have taken personal responsibility for my health or lack of health, my family interaction usually stimulates most of my anger.  Since I have been practicing loving-kindness I’ve noticed and so has my family members a change.  I have found that instead of hanging up when I feel that what they are saying is senseless, I now listen and decide if I’m going to offer some advice.  When I do, it is often presented in a mediation format instead of my usual arbitration format.

2.      Since family and relationships are an important element in my life, I feel strongly that this is the area of my life that requires the most attention.  I am not rude or condescending, but I am somewhat distant to those outside of my immediate circle which currently consist of three sisters, one niece and her family, and my daughter and her daughters.   Somehow I have allowed myself to “un-friend” them. I have little or no contact with them nor do I ever find myself thinking about them.  The group I am thinking about is my dead brother’s children.  I treat that entire side of the family as if they died with my brother, and it’s just me who treats them that way. The loving kindness exercise allowed me to see the hidden anger I have toward his wife and how it has allowed me to disregard my own nieces and nephew.

3.      As far as my psychospiritual development, I am good with it.  There is still room for improvement since I haven’t actually experience the life giving light of GOD, but I am good with myself and others.  But my goal is to become truly at peace with everyone instead of “mourning the loss” of people I don’t want to deal with.  That’s what you do initially when you are trying to obtain loving kindness, but you are supposed to return when you are stronger to make those amends.  Apparently I just bury you and move on.

4.      I sincerely need to work on my Interpersonal development since it has been the most ignored.  When I embarked on my journey for self improvement it had little to do with human flourishing.  I was only concerned with my spiritual development and have spent years working toward that end.  Now I realize that this isn’t enough and that I need to work on the other areas of being.  I know I need healing in this area because personal relationships that involve suffering have a tendency to affect ones health.  I have two nieces that live with me that suffered migraines before moving here.  Both of them felt abandoned and unloved.  Since they’ve been here the youngest has only complained of headaches twice, and both of them were during the first month on moving here.  They’re both aware that we love them and that their mother’s are just incapable of showing love. 

I meditate every day alternating between loving-kindness, mindfulness, and healing.  I use to just do mindfulness because of the affects of stress.  CAM practices have always been important to me, but as Dacher pointed out, they were still used primarily as an external approach.  I used meditation and massages to relieve stress only.  I never really thought to apply them for health purposes.  That has all changed.  Understanding integral health and its practices has opened my eyes to the possibility of acquiring so much more.  I now find myself listening to guided healing meditation, loving-kindness meditation, mindfulness practices, and taking a few more mental vacations (visualization).  I seem a lot more approachable to my family. 

My even asked me if I had found a lover.  When I realized that he was serious I told he him yeah… I found myself and the right to love and accept all of me.   I am not sure that he believed me, but he has been giving me extra attention.  He even did one of the exercises with me.  That in itself was a miracle.  With that being said, I fully look forward to the next level on my journey without any type of anticipation.  I am open to being surprised.  So far, every action has resulted in a positive reaction and the law of reciprocity, we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us, has been proven true (Cialdini, 1993).  You really can get what you give.

References:

Cialdini, R. B. (1993). The Law of Reciprocity . Retrieved 02 12, 2012, from Coach: http://lawofreciprocity.com/

Dacher, M. E. (2006). Integral Health The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA, USA: Basic Health Publication, Inc.

Spiritual Wellness

Hello again,

Our exercise asked us to explain the connection between spiritual wellness and mental and physical wellness.  Personally I feel that my spirituality helps to bring balance to my life, both physically and mentally.  Some people choose to believe in the healing power of medicine, but all of my life I have been exposed to the healing power of prayer or if you prefer cosmic consciousness.  I believe that it is the spiritual aspect of my life that allows me to see the good in others, to hope for their best, and enjoy their prosperity without malice or ill intent.  It is the true source of my joy and happiness.

Dacher's step require that you obtain mental clarity before you can reach spiritual flourishing.  When it comes to human flourishing, this fact may true, I really don't know.  What I have seen is that most people who claim they have a direct line to GOD and HIS blessing all claim optimal health and well-being, so even from the religious point-of-view, Dacher has some validity in his statement.  I feel that in order to enjoy the full impact each component is necessary.  I think that there must be a balance between the body/mind/spirit and that is the real connection.  Each compliments the other, each at some point is dependent upon the other to obtain optimal health, happiness, and wholeness.

The Subtle Mind Exercise - Unit 5

Hello,

Once again I am slow in writing about my experience, but I found that it is necessary to repeat the exercise before I can truly comment.  I listened to the audio without listening to the loving-kindness one and found it to be very relaxing and somewhat confusing.  That was on my first attempt.  I listened to the first audio the next day, and then followed with the new one.  This time I actually understood the premise: a quite mind.

Once I understood that the random thoughts were capturing my attention and refused to allow them to hold me captive, I was actually able to focus on my breathing.  I used the sound of the ocean in the background to adjust my breathing pattern and from that point it was a remarkable experience.  I was able to lie their and enjoy the silence of my mind... no thoughts about the kids, my husband, the dogs, just a quiet bliss. 

This was remarkable because I have never experience complete mental rest.  My mind is always thinking about something.  So this was definitely a different experience.  I emerged rested but not sleepy, my mind felt refreshed and my thoughts were actually clearer.  I will continue to do both of the exercises until the stillness becomes a natural ability.

Teal