This week's exercise was good and bad for me. Good because I focused on my Grandfather, who everyone has told me I look and act like. It felt good to focus so intently on a person until you feel their presence surrounding you. I was really close to him so at one point I felt sadness because of how much I miss him, which was not what the exercise wanted me to feel. Once, that happened I lost my concentration all together. This is why I say the exercise was good and bad for me.
As, I have stated in previous blog entries and discussion board post, I practice meditation on my own and started doing so during my Mother's struggle with breast cancer. Meditation helps me focus and maintain my calmness during challenging time. I also feel more at peace with myself and the things I have learned and am still learning about who I really am. I definitely feel my psychological and spiritual state is much healthier since starting my practice.
The Consciousness &Healing - Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine describes the statement one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself as “the ability to see the divine in everyone and treat each individual as though he or she were Christ or Buddha himself can transform suffering of illness into the grace of healing.” I think this is telling health and wellness professional to value their patients and genuinely focus on healing as a transformative process that will benefit both parties. I do not feel people who choose to be health and wellness professionals can effectively perform their jobs if they themselves are not psychologically, physically, and spiritually healthy. I think it becomes a matter of 'practice what you preach'.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you. This exercise could be good and bad for some people. My dad was a huge influence in my life, so when it first asked to focus on someone who was wise, etc. I automatically thought of him. I lost my dad nearly 3 years ago, but as I focused on him and felt him near me, I was filled with overwhelming sadness as well because I missed him so much. I ended up focusing on someone else to do this exercise because I wanted to reap the most rewards and benefit and I did not want my emotional state to be what held me back from achieving or receiving all that I could.
Thanks for your honesty and openess and just know that you are not alone in what you are feeling.
Is your mom still struggling with breast cancer? And if so, is she open to share any of this information from this class with? Is she able to meditate as well? It might help her keep a more positive attitude, release negative energy and negative toxins, and she may even receive pain relief if she is open to that.
Thanks for sharing!
Kris Sinclair
Kris, thanks for commenting on my post. Unfortunately, my Mother did not win her fight with breast cancer. She died November 20, 2011. She was a part of a support group and a member taught her and me how to meditate. I have been doing it since that time and it has helped me alot. But, I still have a long way to go before I will feel completely whole again.
DeleteI can understand how you feel, do you think when you think of wise people, it usually tends to be based around tghose that are a lot older, such as grandparents because of the experiences they have encountered and the wisdom they have learned over the year? I can understand what your saying, I admired my grandfather as well and since hes been gone for almost 15 years, I can understand your sadness but at the same time you feel comfortable thinking about him.
ReplyDeleteJohn, thanks for commenting on my post. I do usually think of an older person when I think of someone being wise. You are right, it has alot to do with their life experience. In my eyes my Grandfather could do no wrong and what he said was the gospel. But, that's probably true for most people we admire when we are growing up, before the world gets a hold of us.
DeleteStephen until this class I had tried meditation practices but I don't think I truly understood what meditation was. As we have progressed through these exercises I feel I have a better understanding and therefore ability to practice meditation. There is still much to learn, I don't think we will ever stop learning. We all benefit from finding a place to release our feeling and process our thoughts. Your mentioned your grandfather, even though you felt good and bad, the memory of him is so very special. You went to a place where you felt comfortable, where you needed to be at that moment. This may be a healing process for you, a way to heal your heart and find that joy he brought. I am sure you will visit these feeling over the next few days or even weeks. Revel in the loss and the happiness.
ReplyDeleteAnita
Anita, thanks for the reply. I was comfortable and then the exercise made me see I had not really dealt with the my Grandfather's passing. It's going to take time but I think I'm ready to face it, the loss and the happiness.
DeleteYou took the words right out of my mouth, or should I say blog entry! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, a health and wellness professional must have a grasp on what it means to be physically, psychologically, and spiritually healthy in order to successfully guide others down the same path toward integral health. "Practice what you preach!" How can we help others reach their wellness goals if we don't appreciate the practices themselves in our personal lives? It's impossible to do.
I am sorry you had to experience the reminder of your loss. It's difficult to go through. I am finding it challenging to find words, the right words...just know that my heart goes out to you on that note.
How has your meditation practice changed, grown or evolved over time? I'd be interested in your experiences with this process.
Have a blessed week!
Melissa Rasberry
Melissa, honestly at first meditation was hard for me because I started during a traumatic time in my life. I brought too much noise into my practice. Luckily, I had someone to teach me how to focus and make all the other distractions fade. I have come face to face with unpleasant things about myself, but I have also discovered strengths I didn't give myself credit for. Meditation is apart of my lifestyle now. I know I still have so much to learn going forward and I am open to it. It's amazing what we learn when we are quiet with ourselves.
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