Unit 4:
Question 1- Describe your experience. (Did you find it beneficial? Difficult?) Why or Why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or Why not?
Answer: I found this experience to be totally relaxing for my mind and body. There was one point in the exercise that became overwhelming for me but since I had chosen a place of solitude I could allow myself to react to whatever feelings I had. Towards the end where you envision people you have difficulties with or consider your enemy revealed to me people I never even thought of in that way before. I really need to find out why I thought of them at that particular moment. I will continue to do this exercise as often as I can. It showed me how much I need to really start focusing on me and my own inner peace. My daughter who is away at school is currently experiencing a difficult time, she is a resident assistant at her college and it is very stressful for her. I know that this would help her.
Question 2- What is the concept of Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
Answer: (1). The concept of a mental workout is to gain the maximum benefit from contemplative practice(Dacher, pg.65) much like a purposeful physical exercise(training) for the body improves the heart and overall health; The mind also needs a “workout” or training. (2). Research studies indicate that when go through either physical or mental training and stop the results will diminish and we will see a drop off in our conditioning and perseverance is necessary to gain or maintain desired results.(3). Now that I see how much this process helps me to relax I will try to incorporate some of the techniques used in this unit in my daily life or at least a few times a week. I know that in order to really “foster” psychological health I will have to commit to it like regular exercise.
I found this exercise to be very relaxing as well. It helped me to focus on a lot of things I never consider. Some of us seem to not understand how important the inner self is. We focus more on the outside than we do the inside. It is true that inner beauty is so much more important than what's on the outside.
ReplyDeleteHello Mary,
ReplyDeleteMental workouts should be part of our everyday life; or it should be a "rule" to practice them at least once a week. Could you imagine how the interaction with other people could be so much nicer? Everyone would be enjoying a good level of psychological health.