Unit 4 The Mind-Body-Spirit Paradigm

           This exercise was the most difficult for me thus far. I found the opportunity to relax and reflect very beneficial, but at times I felt myself wanting to move on to the next step, because it seemed that the reflection time was a little lengthy. It could have been due to the fact that I had something else to complete afterwards, so I couldn’t really get the full benefits of it. I found it difficult at first to carry out such suggestions as breathing in pain and suffering and then exhaling out peace and healing, because I couldn’t pick just one individual as I have three people who are near and dear to me who are experiencing some serious health challenges. Perhaps I could repeat the exercise focusing on each one individually.

            I would recommend this exercise to others, because it helps us to bring about an awareness of the thoughts and feelings we have towards ourselves and others, which helps us in rechanneling those thoughts to bring about a sense of peace and balance overall.

            The concept of a “mental workout” is much the same as a physical workout. We must train our mind on a daily basis to evolve in our psychospiritual life (Dacher, 2006). Research has proven an overall change in countenance, peace, joy and serenity (Dacher, 2006).

   

Reference

Dacher, E.S. (2006) Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna

            Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Unit 3 The Mind-Body Connection

       Balance between the mind, body, and spirit is key to possessing an overall state of well-being. It has been quite a struggle for me to maintain a healthy balance between the three. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would currently rate my physical well-being at about a 5, spiritual well-being a 8, and psychological well-being at 6. This is how the ratings stand currently, because of me stepping into a new teaching position in which I am having to dedicate much more time outside of the classroom environment to prepare. This has actually increased my prayer and devotion time, but has decreased the time I dedicate towards physical activity and exercise.

           

        My goal to aid increase my physical well-being is to walk one mile a day. Spiritually, I would like to increase my prayer and Bible study time to an hour per day. Psychologically, I would like to take 10-minute breaks per hour of work or study that include deep-breathing techniques and stretching.

       I am not quite sure why a relaxation exercise would be entitled “The Crime of the Century”. Maybe because it couldn’t be legal to be able to achieve that level of relaxation (lol). This exercise helped bring about a greater awareness of the different aspects of my life, and helped me to assess those areas one by one. Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to forget that I am loved, because I am unbalanced (indigo). I love colors and visuals, so that will help me to remember and the positive affirmations associated with each region to keep an overall balance in body and in each part of my life.

"Relax, Relate, Release

This journey on relaxation was just what the doctor ordered. The instructor’s voice was so soothing as he guided me step by step on how to use my mind to carry out the relaxation techniques without moving my body. I could actually feel the warmth and heaviness of my arms and hands to my surprise. The mind can truly do marvelous things!