Week 4

1. Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?

I found the exercise to be quite relaxing and helpful even when allowing loving kindness to flow to my enemies. This part especially feels healing and after doing this, I feel unaffected by stressful situations (at least for a little while).

1. What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

Mental workout is a term used for a disciplined meditation that we intentionally do everyday for the improvement of our wellbeing. 

Week 3

1. Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), where do you rate your A-physical wellbeing, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

My ratings were much higher a year ago when I was such a positive person about everything in life. But, once I read the book "The Disappearance of the Universe", I became depressed.. not caring about much in life. I think the book is supposed to have the opposite effect but for me, I took it very hard knowing that all we need to do in life is wake up because none of this is real.

So,

 Physical wellbeing: Normally a 7 or 8 but since I'm pregnant, I don't feel as good as normal. So, currently it's a 5 or 6.

Spiritual well being at the moment is not good. Maybe 3.

Psychological well being: 4

1. Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

Of course my goal for these would be to raise 2-3 points. I stopped doing as much meditation as I was doing last year and I think this has greatly affected my outlook on life.

1. What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

Read more, exercise more, meditate more, eat more raw foods, maintain a garden, read to my children, make a list of what I'm thankful for..

1. Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

I liked the relaxation exercise. I recognized it as a chakra clearing exercise which I usually find very helpful. 

Welcome to the first post.. have you meditated before?

I absolutely love guided meditations. I keep them on the my ipod and listen to them when i take naps or go to sleep at night. I like to keep them to 15-20 minutes so that I have just enough time to fall asleep. So, the relaxation exercise was very familiar to me. I have tried meditating on my own without a guided  audio aid and I have a really difficult time focusing. Has anyone else found that they respond better to guided meditations? I love the feeling after waking up. My body feels good and feels as if I had exercised the night before because of the increased oxygen flow and energy surging throughout my body.

Christan T.