Practicing Mental and Spiritual Health

I feel that all of the exercises and meditations that we have completed in this class have been successful in some ways. The most common reason that an exercise was less helpful, usually, has more to do with my inability to let go of daily life. Because of this reason, I went back and tried those again. I found that both of our "Loving-Kindness" exercises to be greatly helpful in my own life. Not only do I look past my own suffering and onto the suffering of others, I learn to dissolve it as well. The simple act of wishing strangers well has been endlessly moving and positive for me. I also found that the "Subtle-Mind" exercise was able to give me insight into what my biggest opportunities for improvement actually were. In the last few weeks, I have implemented a daily exercise routine that I use in conjunction with these mental exercises. I have found that if I mentally allow myself to complete any of these while physically moving and pushing myself increasingly harder, I reach an amazing new realm of peace. I am sure that I will continue to use these exercises in my life, because that is exactly what integral health is about.

The Subtle Mind

This week we have focused on Dascher's Subtle Mind, and while I found it to be easier to achieve than last week's Loving Kindness exercise, I still was not extremely successful. I think this has much to do with my upcoming wedding closing in quickly and realizing that I am not finding time to allow for relaxation and meditation as much as I would like.

This is leading me to lose the positive connection that my spiritual wellness adds to my mental and physical wellness. I am finding that because I do not allow time for spiritual activities, that I am becoming more stressed. This, in turn, leads me to being more stressed because I am not allowing time for spiritual activities. It is a vicious cycle. I must make the time to fully commit to my spiritual well-being. I can no longer allow stress to take over and worry to grow roots.

I also spent the last week absolving a detrimental relationship that has been causing me heartache for a while. I allowed a person to drown me in her own negativity until I could no longer keep my head above water. This week's reading helped me realize how harmful holding onto that relationship was for me, so I simply let it go. I feel relief and sadness at the same time, but I now realize that I should not have allowed someone to affect how I viewed my own life. If I can give anyone advice, it is to love those who truly love you as well. Do not harbor guilt for dissolving friendships/relationships that cause you harm. You are an amazing person and require more than that.