1.
Complete the
"Meeting Asciepius" exercise on track #4 of the Dacher CD. Describe
your meditative practice(s) for the week and discuss the experience. Explain
how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or
spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life
to foster greater health and wellness?
This exercise was really challenging. To me, visualizing someone
beside me with a white beam coming out of their head and then imagining the
beam come out of my head…it’s kind of nuts! I am happy for those of you that
felt helped by this meditation but it was not for me. I am trying really hard
to make myself meditate but I think the process is not the best exercise for
me. I have learned how to take quiet time for myself to reflect and pray about
my day and that was a big step for me.
2.
Describe the saying:
"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (P.477) How does
this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation
to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and
spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual
growth in your personal life?
That is very true for the health and wellness profession. I was
living a life of soda, fast food and chocolate! It was tasty but I was not
healthy or happy. My diagnosis with Celiac disease is what made me become
obsessed with nutrition and diet. I have a good diet but I still struggle with
depression and anxiety. I think my weaknesses will help me connect to my
patients. If they can see that I am going through a lot of the same emotions
they are going through, then we can really bond. I think we should always be
developing our bodies and minds. How are we to expect our patients to grow if
we are not still trying to grow in our own lives? I am implementing growth by
praying and writing. Every day I discover something new. Each day I feel a
little closer to being the healthy, happy individual I know I can become.
~Amy Summey
Amy - I can see how meditation may not be for everybody. I have to admit that meditation did not come easy for me at first, my mind wandered and there was even one time that I fell asleep! What I found early on though was that it was relaxing and helped me calm my thoughts. It was this that I knew it was something I could try to master to bring a continued and needed calm in my life. I'm glad that you are finding other ways to sort out your thoughts with writing and prayer. Those are great tools of reflection also.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about your history of anxiety and depression being a stepping stone to relating to others. Empathy is an experience of life that can connect you with others and help them get through the same difficulties of life. Anxiety and depression can be very disabling, but really only to those who don't recognize their symptoms and give into them. You are on the right track to beating it just by knowing that it is a part of your life. You may have depression and anxiety, but it won't have you. Use it and learn from it! Our struggles can get us closer to what we want from our life and help us make decisions to cultivate all we need for human flourishing. Hope you are having a great week, Amy! I enjoyed your blog :-)
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI too struggle with the meditation,it will take some time. It does give me the down time that I need. My skills are not perfected, but I enjoy it. I agree with you on being truthful on who you are and sharing your life experiences to grow. I think patients know if you are not being truthful, they can see right through you.