Oh wow...Kaplan has gone over the edge now. Can I be honest? Good.
Here is the deal...even if those "exercises" somehow brought me to a peaceful place, the extra loud static at the end scared the stuffin out of me! So...I'm driving along, minding my own business, listening to the 2 exercises (as I had to wait to get the CD) when the god-awful static almost made me drive into the oncoming lane. Yep, thats good for my mental well being....watching a semi come straight towards me!
Her voice and the guy in between?? OMG! I'd rather someone drive a hot poker into my head.
Why can't they hire someone like...oh I dunno...HUGH JACKMAN to deliver the message, or...SEAL...he could sing it to us...
Am I being negative? No...I'm just being honest. I'm also frustrated with reading 100 plus pages of an E-BOOK this week....why can't we get a 600 page book in print? (Stress Class) E-book and Edith and Archie leading meditations...hmmmmm again...I am writing to the Dean ;-)
I love meditations, my own...in my own space and time...I cannot quiet my mind when my mind is trying to run away form the voices trying to soothe it. It's like listening to heavy metal when you went to hear Boz Scaggs. (Never mind young students!) ;-)
There, I feel better...now I am pouring some wine...listening to the sounds of nature (grapes growing)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Mental Workouts
I can honestly say that I find it easier to hike to the top of a mountain or ride my bike 70 miles than to do a mental workout. I tried the other morning, on my deck, watching the sun rise across the river....blue skies, mountains, birds....heaven. I plunked down all intent on 20 minutes of gentle thoughts and feeling the freshness wash over me...
OK...I feel so much better....surely that was at least 20 minutes, right? I looked at my watch... 4 minutes and 46 seconds....sigh....this is hard!
Then I felt agitated....I mean....I have STUFF to do and this is hardly burning up any calories. Good Lord....OK,...eyes close...here we go....
.....rolls and flows of angel hair, ice cream castles in the air, feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way...la la la la la
Am I supposed to sing? Where's the instructions?? Can I drink coffee while doing my mental workout?
So, the mental workout, like the physical, is an ongoing process, one that will enhance our capacity to be more grounded, centered, to live in loving kindness and to become deeper aware, spiritually, pyschologically, mentally. It is vital to warding off stress and truly flourishing in our humanness. I have an easier time focusing on peace and nothingness when I am hiking, when I am in nature. I truly believe my daily hikes have helped so much with keeping me from getting too stressed during this difficult time in (most) of our lives.
I have commited to watching the sunrise, from my deck every beautiful morning this spring and summer and not feeling like I have to RUSH off to the gym, until after BOB (big orange ball) makes his grand debut, every morning. ;-)
OK...I feel so much better....surely that was at least 20 minutes, right? I looked at my watch... 4 minutes and 46 seconds....sigh....this is hard!
Then I felt agitated....I mean....I have STUFF to do and this is hardly burning up any calories. Good Lord....OK,...eyes close...here we go....
.....rolls and flows of angel hair, ice cream castles in the air, feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way...la la la la la
Am I supposed to sing? Where's the instructions?? Can I drink coffee while doing my mental workout?
So, the mental workout, like the physical, is an ongoing process, one that will enhance our capacity to be more grounded, centered, to live in loving kindness and to become deeper aware, spiritually, pyschologically, mentally. It is vital to warding off stress and truly flourishing in our humanness. I have an easier time focusing on peace and nothingness when I am hiking, when I am in nature. I truly believe my daily hikes have helped so much with keeping me from getting too stressed during this difficult time in (most) of our lives.
I have commited to watching the sunrise, from my deck every beautiful morning this spring and summer and not feeling like I have to RUSH off to the gym, until after BOB (big orange ball) makes his grand debut, every morning. ;-)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
How do I
A) get rid of "frustrated in CDA"? It appears at the top of every blog and it was meant to be a title for one!
B) find your blogs? do I go sign into your url ?
C) can anyone "see me" ? Am in the loop still?
bloggities...I will master them if it is the last thing I do! "She died doing what she loved..."
;-)
B) find your blogs? do I go sign into your url ?
C) can anyone "see me" ? Am in the loop still?
bloggities...I will master them if it is the last thing I do! "She died doing what she loved..."
;-)
My well being, at least from my point of view!
I would rate my physical well being at a 9. I only say this because as always, I am never "perfect" enough. I have weight trained consistently for 25 years now. I do aerobic activity at least 6 days per week, I enjoy all my outdoor pursuits. I am the picture of physical health
My spiritual well being...hmmmm, that is something I see no end to, in other words, do we really ever "arrive", like the great zen masters? I would love to go to far away lands and do nothing but work on spiritual awareness. I'll give myself a 7 for my constant searching & growth in this area.
Psychological well being. Well, I can tell you from my 20's and 30's I have made tremendous strides in terms of becoming patient, controlling anger, seeing anothers position, having empathy and compassion... Again, always room for growth and silencing the monkey mind!
Goals for each.
Physical: I plan to get into a steady diet of Pilates and join a cycle racing team.
Spiritual: I always seek a higher counsel...I beleive, especially in terms of spirit, what we seek, we shall find.
Psychological: I am practicing the art of responding rather than reacting. I have been doing this for about 2 years now. Sometimes, I blow it. Always though when I have done it, the rewards have been great. A response takes some thinking, some time...it is good for us to allow that rather than just say things we will regret. Also, I tend to run away from difficult issues or circumstances. I stop now, everytime, turn around, and deal with it, head on. Very scary but its getting easier and it is so empowering to change a negative behavior.
Actions/exercises
1.) Just do it!
2.) I read more about buddhism, hinduism, etc...I search, as I said. I just met a man who practices a form of Hinduism, he is a tango instructor and you can feel how peaceful he is. So, we practice dance and we talk alot about his experiences. I will get the name of it and post it.
3.) I think I already explained that.
Relaxation exercise---stay tuned!
My spiritual well being...hmmmm, that is something I see no end to, in other words, do we really ever "arrive", like the great zen masters? I would love to go to far away lands and do nothing but work on spiritual awareness. I'll give myself a 7 for my constant searching & growth in this area.
Psychological well being. Well, I can tell you from my 20's and 30's I have made tremendous strides in terms of becoming patient, controlling anger, seeing anothers position, having empathy and compassion... Again, always room for growth and silencing the monkey mind!
Goals for each.
Physical: I plan to get into a steady diet of Pilates and join a cycle racing team.
Spiritual: I always seek a higher counsel...I beleive, especially in terms of spirit, what we seek, we shall find.
Psychological: I am practicing the art of responding rather than reacting. I have been doing this for about 2 years now. Sometimes, I blow it. Always though when I have done it, the rewards have been great. A response takes some thinking, some time...it is good for us to allow that rather than just say things we will regret. Also, I tend to run away from difficult issues or circumstances. I stop now, everytime, turn around, and deal with it, head on. Very scary but its getting easier and it is so empowering to change a negative behavior.
Actions/exercises
1.) Just do it!
2.) I read more about buddhism, hinduism, etc...I search, as I said. I just met a man who practices a form of Hinduism, he is a tango instructor and you can feel how peaceful he is. So, we practice dance and we talk alot about his experiences. I will get the name of it and post it.
3.) I think I already explained that.
Relaxation exercise---stay tuned!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Yippy! I have arrived! A weary old grasshopper but at last I made it into the land of blog!
To be honest on my experience with the "journey" meditation...I was resisting doing it late in the evening as I was cooking for Easter brunch and feeling a ton of pressure. I was thinking..."I have no time to be all tingly and relaxed." So...I forced myself to just do it. The first few minutes my mind was saying: "are you crazy...you have work to do, now stop this!" Then...suddenly, I just went with his soothing voice and let myself slip into the experience. When it was done I covered and put away the desserts I was working on and went to bed, knowing a rested me Saturday morning would be much better than an exhausted me. I slept great, got everything done that I needed to on Saturday (except schoolwork) ;) and brunch was a huge success Sunday!
Rest, especially when you are certain there isn't time too!
To be honest on my experience with the "journey" meditation...I was resisting doing it late in the evening as I was cooking for Easter brunch and feeling a ton of pressure. I was thinking..."I have no time to be all tingly and relaxed." So...I forced myself to just do it. The first few minutes my mind was saying: "are you crazy...you have work to do, now stop this!" Then...suddenly, I just went with his soothing voice and let myself slip into the experience. When it was done I covered and put away the desserts I was working on and went to bed, knowing a rested me Saturday morning would be much better than an exhausted me. I slept great, got everything done that I needed to on Saturday (except schoolwork) ;) and brunch was a huge success Sunday!
Rest, especially when you are certain there isn't time too!
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