Unit 5

Of all the audio exercises we have done so far, I would have to say that this one has been the most enjoyable.  I still think there is too much down time between instruction but I realize that is when we are to grasp the idea of the different mind levels.  I have said this before, because this is an assignment, I don´t think that I totally let myself get lost in the exercise.  If I did not have to provide feedback than I would listen a little different.  I guess I should listen twice, once for the assignment and once for the benefit of what they are trying to get across.  The reason that I liked this one the best so far is because this is something that we have all tried before, to silence the mind that is.  I think by listening to this a couple of times per week and then lengthening the time like the guy suggested, I can see this being very productive.  I am still trying to achieve the witnessing mind and this is the best exercise I have listened to yet in hopes of achieving this. 

     This is the order that I believe these three wellness's fall into.  First is physical, then mental, then spiritual.  If we do not have physical wellness then we cannot focus fully on mental wellness.  By physical wellness, I don´t mean being the most fit person out there, I mean taking care of our body with the proper stimulation, proper rest, proper nutrients and being pain free.  By reaching these we can then focus on our mental wellness and once we can train our mind to be a witnessing mind then we can reach our deeper conscious and then be open to what spirituality really is.  I believe this is the order in how to obtain these but all three of these work together as one.  The way this is manifested in my life is that I view myself  on all three of these levels, although I have my strong points as well as my weak points, I know these three different wellness's are equal and bring me closer to having complete health and wellness from the inside out and not just in front of a mirror or what I try and tell myself. 

Unit 4

The first time I did this exercise was after massaging for 8 hours.  After my last client, I got the massage table ready for myself.  The room has a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for this type of exercise.  By the way, my table is very comfortable.  I started the exercise and I guess that I must have made it for maybe a couple of minutes before falling asleep.  Maybe, I should not do this after 8 hours of massage, and also not while laying on a great table.  A few days later, I tried this again with better results.  I would say this is not your typical guided imagery but I enjoyed it very much.  I´m a big believer in it is better to give than receive and it held true with this exercise.  I found it was easier to give my love to others than to give to myself.  I feel that I take care of myself pretty well and I pay attention to all aspects of my health.  By paying attention to my health, I feel that, that is the love I give myself.  I feel it´s hard for me to accept love more times than not and I think this is because I feel that I am a very self sufficient person.  I don´t feel comfortable if people have to go out their way to give me love or do something for me, but I do appreciate it very much but it´s still tough.  I guess that I can be a little stubborn.

     The way I view a mental workout is not necessarily the same as I view a physical workout.  Mental workouts keep your brain challenged and sharp.  I believe having an active brain speaks so much about how we carry ourselves.  Try talking with someone who basically shut their brain off a long time ago, it´s a dull conversation.  Of my grandparents, I am left with both of my grandma´s still alive.  One is as sharp as a knife but her physical body is not holding up well and my other grandma has Alzheimer's but her body is holding up great.  As we age I think it is very crucial to keep our mind activated and stimulated and doing things like tai-chi, learning something new, reading, crosswords, brain teasers are all great way to keep the brain and mind stimulated,and in good working condition.

unit 3

Hey there, Wish that I would have got these posted a little earlier this week but have been pretty occupied with family and work.  I´ll start with the audio exercise.  I would say that I enjoyed about the 1st ten minutes of it but then it got a little long.  I liked last weeks exercise when we had to focus on the blood more than this weeks with the breath and colors.  However, I felt that it was beneficial to listen to it.  I think that I have a different opinion when I have to write something about it, as opposed to just listening without having to comment on it. 

     I´m not a big fan of having to self-evaluate myself but I suppose it´s good to check in with yourself ever so often and see what you find.  At the moment, I guess that I would have to give myself a 7 in regards to my physical well-being.  Overall I would say that I am in really good shape but I have been in better shape.  At the moment I am not training for anything in particular other than my hobbies of kettlebells and strength training (not body building).  Although I have been more fit at times, I have total faith in my body that I can meet any challenge that life might throw at me, whether it´s on foot, bike, water, lifting objects or whatever it may be, i´m ready because I don´t take my physical health for granted, I believe it´s a gift and we should not waste it. 

     I would have to rate my spiritual well-being at 5.  I don´t automatically relate spirituality to going to church because when I do go to church it looks like a lot of people are daydreaming or are spaced out but I may be wrong.  Church was a very big part of my upbringing, from being an alter boy for years, even having to help the priest with mass before school and going to a catholic school.  I have asked myself the question before about why is it that both my daughters have been born with a rare disease that has left them bound to a wheelchair, feeding tube, lack of speech, lack of muscle control, and so on.  This has pretty much turned my wife and I into being nurses 1st and then parents and that can be confusing at times and also confusing for my healthy son.  I don´t know what exercises I could do to improve my spiritual health but I do get a lot of satisfaction caring for my girls in ways that most people cannot get unless they were in the same situation.

     My psychological well-being has been put to the test because of this experience with my girls.  I have spent weeks at a time in hospitals and many, many sleepless nights and also thought that I was watching my older girl take her last breath on a few occasions.  It really sucks to have to see your kids suffer.  Since their birth it has been pretty much been non stop and have not had to think but just react.  I would say that my psychological well-being is a 10 for the way I have handled this situation so far.  Everything I have said about my girls is not a sad story but a story of how precious life is and that we should not take anything for granted. 

unit 2 relaxation

Completed the relaxation exercise today and I was pleasantly surprised.  This one took a different approach to the follow along programs you might have listened to in the past.  The focus here was your blood not your breath.  Being a massage therapist i´m a big believer in good circulation of all the fluids in the body and that is one of my top priorities when giving a massage.  I feel this particular program kept the listener pretty busy but not overwhelmed, other programs can have either have too much instruction or not enough and you have to check to see if the thing is still playing.  I did like the fact that I was taken by surprise because of the focus on the blood. 

Welcome

Hi, got a rookie here.  Chugga is my nickname and Chuggaworldwide was my 1st email address which was made overseas, hence the worldwide.  I was born in 75 which means that at the time of creating this blog I am 37.  Grew up just south of Minneapolis and but have been living in Iceland the past few years.  Got here because of past employment, met my Rut here and blah, blah, blah.  I have three children Thor (10), Helena (8) and Emilia (6).   Life threw me a big curve ball when both of my daughters were born with a rare mitochondria disease.  This disease makes them 100% dependent on my wife and I for every single need of theirs, from eating, dressing, to all movements.  Our house, vehicle have all had to be built to handle two wheelchairs.  Not sure what their level of comprehension is but I do know that they are surrounded by love, warmth, and safety and I know that they can comprehend that because of their laughs and smiles.  I feel most bad for my son to have to endure this but I know it will make him a better man when he is older.  Just because life threw me a curve ball doesn´t mean that I did not knock the crap out of it.  There is not a day that goes by that I do not take for granted, from walking and talking to being able to express myself through my actions.