"Meeting Asciepius" exercise:
I really like track #4 on the Dacher CD. I find it very calming. It does seem to get easier to keep my
mind focused for longer periods, the more times that I spend the time doing it! This last time I actually
felt myself calm and slow down. I felt like my body actually relaxed and my mind went into a meditative
stillness. I guess I achieved the "calm-abiding" part for the first time. By my actions of doing these meditation practices on the entire Dacher CD, I am feeling kinder and more compassionate. I find when a
critical or judgemental thought crosses my mind, I grab it and re-direct it to a kinder and gentler, chosen
thought. I don't do it 100% of the time, but I do find that I am able to choose my actions rather than just
react to stress. I can continue to foster this change by continuing to practice some meditative practices on a regular basis. I know this will increase my mental, physical and spiritual self. I do want to feel happy and filled with joy most every day. I know life will throw in changes and I want to learn to accept these and not be thrown off balance.
"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" means the same to me as "you cannot judge another man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins"! I feel this means there is so much that we do not know and we cannot teach unless it is from a place where we have been or understood. I think that what being a mentor means. You are helping teach teach someone in the area that you have achieved success in. This can apply to a health and wellness professional by medical doctors and psychologists both doing some personal work in the spiritual field. It would be positive if they could experience different styles of meditation, yoga, pilates, body work, counseling, etc. I think they could understand their patients much better and offer alternative methods when one is not working. I think each professional does have an obligation to develop themselves both mentally, physically and spiritually. This would open all kinds of healing and the right method for each individual could be discovered. I personally can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my life by continuing in my monthly counseling group where I do meditative journeying and by making other meditations exercises a regular part of my life. I can continue to grow calmer and handle stress in positive ways and this will teach others by my example. I will continue to spend time in nature. I will aim to do that each day and if I don't make that ,I will add extra time on the week-ends as this is spiritually healing for me.
Therese
A defiantly agree with you. I feel that any one profession that is in the field of guiding someone physically, spiritually, or psychologically should have their own experiences and practices through these fields. This gives a person of a perspective or mind frame in which a person might be facing and allow them to really direct appropriately. Especially when some people go to these professionals for help and have not be down that road, these leaves the person feeling as though they are taking advice from a person that has no experience in the subject what so ever. Who would want to take advice from someone that has no idea what they are going through? Not a lot.
ReplyDeleteHi Therese,
ReplyDeleteYou know it take some very mature people to understand what that saying really means. Many of us do not want to abid by that saying because we feel we know everythings. I think even when peoplw has known someone who have been through things that they have not they still find themeselves judging, or giving advise. I always try to lend a ear to my fellow neighbors before giving my opinion,because everyone is not lookig for that when telling you things. If I have not personally expierenced something then I will try to direct people to ones that I know have or knows hpw to deal with the situation at hand. Great Post!
Ulaunda Cobb
thanks for the responses - Kap & Ulaunda,
ReplyDeleteI have been to counselors before that could only help for a short amount of time and then it was time for me to find someone that had been down a path closer to mine. The others just really could not help even though I am sure they thought they could. I would not believe in someone's advice that had just read about the topic!!
Therese
Therese,
ReplyDeleteI, too, have found that I am becoming calmer and less to react. I am making a point to take the loving-kindness approach to everything and just try to slow down. The easiest thing that I have found is just to smile at people but not in a fake way but to truely smile with an open heart and a welcoming spirit.
As professionals, we have to have been where our patient are. They are coming to us, asking for our help, we have to understand them and understand where they are on their journey. Many patient feel more at ease knowing they you personally undestand them and how they feel because you have been there. They see that you have done and accomplished what you are asking them to do and will use your guidence as a motivational too. tammie
tammie