Finding Aesclepius

This week I have attended four yoga classes that have helped me incorporate meditation in to my daily practice.  When I am trying to make something a daily habit I first have to treat it like an appointment so I can set aside a specific time to do it.  Yoga class has been very helpful in keeping me balanced this week.  I have had a lot on my mind with some current relationships and yoga has helped me to calm my mind.  Completing the Meeting Aesclepius exercise was quite interesting.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and I did find it relaxing but not one of my favorites.  I first started out with the visualizations of the old person that I love and trust.  I can see how tying to connect with someone with great strength and wisdom could be helpful but I think that I eventually started to fall asleep with the waves.  I did end the exercise feeling calm and relaxed.  I think that the meditations that I have completed this week have helped me remain conscious of how I am feeling and how I treat others.  In order to keep myself grounded I would like to continue with the meditations and yoga so I can remind myself of  my intentions of wanting to project loving-kindness and keep an open mind.

The saying “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (George, n.d., p. 477), means to me that in order for me to help others become healthier or explore their deeper consciousness I cannot just tell them about what I’ve read or heard, I have to go through the motions myself to get a deeper understanding.  This saying makes me think of an overweight medical professional trying to stress to their patient how important it is to eat right, exercise, and take care of themselves.  The patient just isn’t going to listen to them because obviously the medical professional doesn’t even know how to do it for themselves.  I think that we do have an obligation to develop ourselves physically, psychologically, and spiritually so that we can project ourselves as trustworthy leaders that have walked the trail so we can show others the way.  I think that it would be difficult to take care of others if we are not in a stable spot emotionally and spiritually.  I believe that meditation, yoga, and prayer are the best exercises for me to increase my psychological, spiritual, and physical health.  I hope that along my journey I find other exercises or practices that can assist me in furthering my progress.

George, L. E. (n.d.). Transformation of the healer: The application of Ken Wilber’s integral health model to family practice medicine. In M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, & M. S. Micozzi, Consciousness & healing: Integral approaches to mind-body medicine. (pp. 465-477). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.