Week 7 Blog

I have conducted a few meditative practices this week.  I find that little meditative sessions throughout my day have been keeping me focused and grounded.  I have been taking a few minutes here and there to take deep breaths and clear my mind.  This week I have also focused a lot of my attention to nature.  I am truly enjoying the change of seasons that is taking place here in the Northeast.  Even today for example, I was getting ready to put my daughter into the car because we were on our way to do a few errands.  My daughter said to me I was just looking at the tree and it is so pretty.  I pulled her out of the car and held her.  I told her to look at that pretty green tree against the blue sky (the sky was such a pretty blue today) and the large white fluffy clouds.  I said, now that is pretty.  I told her to take a few deep breaths and enjoy the air too.  It was a nice little moment we had.

I will continue to take the few moments during the day to focus on me.  I find that just taking these moments has made me tune more into myself and my surroundings.  I hope that I will be able to get into a more ‘formal’ meditation practice in the near future.  I do find that taking time for yourself and mediating is therapeutic mentally and physically.

The saying, “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself’ (p 477) means that you cannot instruct someone properly down the road of integral health if you (the instructor) have not experienced it yourself.  As an instructor you are not able to give your student the real benefits and tips of mediation if you don’t mediate yourself. 

This applies to the health and wellness professional because it is important for the professional to believe and practice what they preach.  You would not want to go into a doctor who has been insisting you get the flu shot for example, because the professional feels that you need to have it to prevent this illness.  You would be very surprised if you found out the doctor himself does not get vaccinated for the flu shot because he believes that the vaccine causes more harm than good.  How would you feel about the doctor?  Would you trust him? 

You do have an obligation to your clients to develop your health, psychological, physical and spiritual body.  You cannot be a hypocrite and not practice what you are preaching.  It is just like an overweight doctor looking you in your eye and telling you that you are unhealthy and need to lose weight.  The doctor’s credibility would go right out the window. 

I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life my continuing my meditative practices.  I am starting to look at the world with new eyes.  I feel blessed and happiness when I am able to get up and start a new day.  I was never a morning person and hated to get up in the morning.  Now, I think of waking up as a gift and I find that I have a little more pep in my step in the morning.  Spiritually this is still a bit of a challenge for me.  I recently received a letter from my church to sign up for cottage meetings.  The cottage meetings are a forum to share fellowship.  I am thinking of signing up for these cottage meetings in hopes that I can find a spiritual path to follow.