Yesterday, everything in my future began to fall into place in a very bazaar way. I firmly believe this alignment was due to my current and frequent practices in bonding with my inner-self.
So anyways, yesterday evening on smoke-free day 1 (smoke free day 2 just as successful!), after receiving some great news I started to feel a little anxious followed by some strong withdrawal symptoms. I decided to sweat it out...
It appeared to be a sunny day so I took my dog out for a two-mile run. Halfway through when I began to tire, a large dark cloud swallowed the sky. It started pouring rain very heavily, and I ran and ran, knowing I couldn't escape it. And you know what...? IT FELT GREAT!
I was so refreshed and couldn't help but smile at the cars passing by who probably saw my position as less than ideal. My dog and I were drenched. And I realized, I've been looking for an excuse to play in the rain for a long time now.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
My Own Level of Wellness
1.) A- physical well-being:
I'm going to have to give myself an '8' on this one. I consider myself to be physically fit, I constantly challenge myself everyday. I'm 5'11, 158 lbs, 14.2% body fat. I have a membership and take classes at Gold's Gym. I practice cardio exercise, weight-training, calisthenics, yoga, and a combination of yoga/tai chi/pilates...
However, I gave myself a -2 on this one because I am currently fighting a very bad addiction. I'm trying to stop my nasty smoking habit and replace it with more healthier relaxation techniques. I'm confronting this addiction very seriously, and am currently trying to stop it through peer-support, nicotine gum, and self-hypnosis/mediation.
B- spiritual well-being:
I'm going to rate myself at a confident '9'. I feel as though I have a very strong spirituality that I have sought after for as long as I can remember. I've often been referred to as an "old soul". I have strong beliefs and I keep them very close to me. I have an unconditional love for humanity and all life, but become very uncomfortable and even hurt whenever I sense negativity around me- even if it's not directed towards me. I only give myself a '9' because I hardly share my feelings or thoughts of spirituality with others. In fact, before this class I would have considered myself a "closet spiritualist". On the other hand, I do believe that society has enough change in store for me to one day feel more comfortable and open within it. Also, I myself have much to learn and develop before I reach my full spiritual potential.
C- psychological well-being:
I'm a '7.5' and working on it! I'm naturally an optimistic person but I do have some concerns considering my psychological health. I was first pushed into therapy at the age of two, and have willingly revisited during two other points of my life. It's always ended with the feeling of "well, this is as far as we can get, great progress! Here's the bill..." I wouldn't say I am necessary psychologically 'unhealthy' by any means. I just have room for improvement, and know the rest is up to me. I am mainly trying to deal with my inclusiveness, anxiety, and expressing my feelings to those I care about. These are high priorities for me.
2.) Goals for each area.
Physical: Overcome my embarrassing addiction without adding on those extra pounds! =)
Spiritual: Seek further unity and truth, as well as express more love.
Psychological: Discover more ways to integrally heal myself. Use my mind to mend my brain.
3.) Seek guidance and support to help me overcome my addiction, exercise my mind/body/spirit and eat healthy, practice meditation everyday. I also heard someone speak of Reiki while I was going over the seminar archive. I will have to do more research into the matter and perhaps find a professional to assist (I'd love any comments on the topic if you are knowledgeable).
4.) As far as the Crime of the Century exercise, you could say I found it very comforting... I put on my headphones and lied down on the floor so that my spine would be straight and I could just sink into the carpet. Unfortunately, the only time I found some peace to do it was at night. Needless to say I fell asleep somewhere in the aqua blue! Perhaps my subconscious still got the memo...
The next day I gave it another attempt and found the visualizations to be interesting, the final white light was very comforting. I am also currently doing other techniques and brain training to work on my imagery because I see it to be a very useful tool.
Does anyone have any thoughts on sharing helpful brain exercises and guided meditations in doc sharing?
~Thomas
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Anyone ever heard of Dowsing??
I suppose this is as good of a medium as any to discuss it. I'd like to know your thoughts/experiences.
I've recently stumbled upon the practice of Dowsing. It basically involves using instruments (such as pendulums and L-rods) to amplify subtle muscle movements in your hands. From my understanding, from the ideo-motor effect, our muscles relay information from our subconscious and super-conscious. Sort of like how your muscles will get an electric signal to move your arm if you think about throwing a ball, even though you may actually never move that arm.
The benefit of this is by "programming" your dowsing tools to a yes/no/maybe answer and then asking 'specific' questions that only your subconscious or super-conscious would know. This seems to be a vital tool considering our super-conscious has a wealth of information that is far beyond our own knowledge and is not constrained to physics or time.
After the military found over an eighty percent success rate with the dowsing methods they soon began using it for their missions. Whether it be locating a fallen enemy plane, tracking a target, submarines, or whatever have you. Since then the top secret clearance has been removed and many of the dowsers became public and some even teach these methods of honing in on your "intuition" (The earliest dowsers date all the way back to the "water-finders" who used a stick shaped in a 'Y', I'm sure you've seen them). Some even go as far as to say that dowsers date back as long as humans. Dowsing can be used to track a specific geological target, a time line, or even more broader questions of the future events.
After stumbling upon this and some learning materials, I was eager to test it. I chose the pendulum method (which was first only some nail-clippers tied to some dental floss) and I began practicing this method.
I would have to say that it was surely successful in my own experiences. In my first attempt, I successfully found a hidden coin under 1 of 10 plastic cups in a matter of a minute (trying for too long apparently buries the right answer in Analytical Overload [AOL]). Okay, 10% chance..I'll buy that.
Next practice, I found a location in the state of Texas where I have never been or heard of. Just a picture and name of the site, and a blank map of Texas. It turned out to be in about a 100 mile radius that I had outlined using my make-shift dowsing tools. I began to be pretty impressed.
I then drew a map of my entire house and told my girlfriend to hide my car keys anywhere she pleases. I decided on a 2 foot area and looked there, keys were within my perimeters. Now I'm a believer and looking forward to the horse-race season! =)
Using dowsing requires specific steps and plenty of practice, much like anything else. I'd say it's definitely worth researching.
Albert Einstein gave his position on the matter, "I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, however, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time."
Thoughts??
I've recently stumbled upon the practice of Dowsing. It basically involves using instruments (such as pendulums and L-rods) to amplify subtle muscle movements in your hands. From my understanding, from the ideo-motor effect, our muscles relay information from our subconscious and super-conscious. Sort of like how your muscles will get an electric signal to move your arm if you think about throwing a ball, even though you may actually never move that arm.
The benefit of this is by "programming" your dowsing tools to a yes/no/maybe answer and then asking 'specific' questions that only your subconscious or super-conscious would know. This seems to be a vital tool considering our super-conscious has a wealth of information that is far beyond our own knowledge and is not constrained to physics or time.
After the military found over an eighty percent success rate with the dowsing methods they soon began using it for their missions. Whether it be locating a fallen enemy plane, tracking a target, submarines, or whatever have you. Since then the top secret clearance has been removed and many of the dowsers became public and some even teach these methods of honing in on your "intuition" (The earliest dowsers date all the way back to the "water-finders" who used a stick shaped in a 'Y', I'm sure you've seen them). Some even go as far as to say that dowsers date back as long as humans. Dowsing can be used to track a specific geological target, a time line, or even more broader questions of the future events.
After stumbling upon this and some learning materials, I was eager to test it. I chose the pendulum method (which was first only some nail-clippers tied to some dental floss) and I began practicing this method.
I would have to say that it was surely successful in my own experiences. In my first attempt, I successfully found a hidden coin under 1 of 10 plastic cups in a matter of a minute (trying for too long apparently buries the right answer in Analytical Overload [AOL]). Okay, 10% chance..I'll buy that.
Next practice, I found a location in the state of Texas where I have never been or heard of. Just a picture and name of the site, and a blank map of Texas. It turned out to be in about a 100 mile radius that I had outlined using my make-shift dowsing tools. I began to be pretty impressed.
I then drew a map of my entire house and told my girlfriend to hide my car keys anywhere she pleases. I decided on a 2 foot area and looked there, keys were within my perimeters. Now I'm a believer and looking forward to the horse-race season! =)
Using dowsing requires specific steps and plenty of practice, much like anything else. I'd say it's definitely worth researching.
Albert Einstein gave his position on the matter, "I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, however, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time."
Thoughts??
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Reflective Statement
I practiced my relaxation technique last Tuesday as I was preparing for my trip out of town (I'm now in Virginia visiting friends and family for a wedding). I figured it was a good of time as any considering I usually get a little wound up while I'm packing and taking care of everything that needs to be done before I leave town.
I kicked off my shoes, clicked out the recline lever on my chair, propped up my feet, and slid on my headphones (I've often found headphones to be more effective in such situations because of the noise canceling and true stereo sound). I would have to say that overall even though the session was quite short (I could have stayed in that state all day if I could have!), it was more constructive than other techniques I have tried in the past. I have found that I am a little sensitive to such practices and have experienced more success in it than other people I know.
I really enjoyed focusing my mind into moving all the blood from my gut into the arteries of my limbs. With each breath I fell more and more into a comfortable, relaxed, state. I soon found the heavy and warm feeling throughout my arms and hands. This technique was new to me and proved to be very beneficial. I first immediately noticed my shoulders relaxing (I often carry my stress here and it shows in neck pains), this was a great relief to me. Throughout the practice I managed to fall into almost a sleep-like state while also being extremely aware (but unaffected) of my surroundings.
It may sound strange but when I'm in such a state I like to focus my awareness in the room I am, and then see how far I can "float up" and stretch my awareness across the entire city if I can.
Over all, I would say this particular relaxation technique was very successful for me and I have since tried to mirror the same feelings and practice as I was on my plan trip, considering I had little to do in between my class readings. I'm excited and looking forward to discovering new ways to connect with myself, those around me, and improving my integral health.
~Thomas
I kicked off my shoes, clicked out the recline lever on my chair, propped up my feet, and slid on my headphones (I've often found headphones to be more effective in such situations because of the noise canceling and true stereo sound). I would have to say that overall even though the session was quite short (I could have stayed in that state all day if I could have!), it was more constructive than other techniques I have tried in the past. I have found that I am a little sensitive to such practices and have experienced more success in it than other people I know.
I really enjoyed focusing my mind into moving all the blood from my gut into the arteries of my limbs. With each breath I fell more and more into a comfortable, relaxed, state. I soon found the heavy and warm feeling throughout my arms and hands. This technique was new to me and proved to be very beneficial. I first immediately noticed my shoulders relaxing (I often carry my stress here and it shows in neck pains), this was a great relief to me. Throughout the practice I managed to fall into almost a sleep-like state while also being extremely aware (but unaffected) of my surroundings.
It may sound strange but when I'm in such a state I like to focus my awareness in the room I am, and then see how far I can "float up" and stretch my awareness across the entire city if I can.
Over all, I would say this particular relaxation technique was very successful for me and I have since tried to mirror the same feelings and practice as I was on my plan trip, considering I had little to do in between my class readings. I'm excited and looking forward to discovering new ways to connect with myself, those around me, and improving my integral health.
~Thomas
Welcome Statement
Hello Everyone!
This is my first blog so I'm a little excited and apprehensive at the same time! On the other hand, I'm interested in using this new medium for educational purposes. I like the relaxed and more informal approach to interacting with everyone. Although I can say Kaplan has trained me well in paying close attention to my grammar and "netique" while writing online! I suppose old habits are hard to break. I am looking forward to this new type of venture. This will be my first and only health and wellness class as I plan to graduate in August.
By the way, my main goal in completing this course is to rid myself of the medication I'm on. I currently have to take medicine for my anxiety, stress, and even sleeping pills... I am way too young to be dependent on these! SO, with the help of this class I plan to wean myself off of my medication for personal as well as monetary reasons
Can't wait to read everyone's blogs =)
~Thomas
**Here is a recent and cheesey picture of me...
This is my first blog so I'm a little excited and apprehensive at the same time! On the other hand, I'm interested in using this new medium for educational purposes. I like the relaxed and more informal approach to interacting with everyone. Although I can say Kaplan has trained me well in paying close attention to my grammar and "netique" while writing online! I suppose old habits are hard to break. I am looking forward to this new type of venture. This will be my first and only health and wellness class as I plan to graduate in August.
By the way, my main goal in completing this course is to rid myself of the medication I'm on. I currently have to take medicine for my anxiety, stress, and even sleeping pills... I am way too young to be dependent on these! SO, with the help of this class I plan to wean myself off of my medication for personal as well as monetary reasons
Can't wait to read everyone's blogs =)
~Thomas
**Here is a recent and cheesey picture of me...
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