Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Unit 7 Post



Part 1- the exercise
The exercise started out easy, and I was able to visualize a loved one, but when the woman noted to make a connection with the loved one, I found that hard, as I just can’t seem to connect with someone who is not physically there next to me. Again, the sound of the ocean waves made me sleepy, and also made me want to take a vacation. 

For meditative practices for the week, I have returned to doing yoga. I tried doing yoga back in the 90s when what I like to call the second wave of hippies emerged, and suddenly yoga was the popular thing to do. I tried it then, and I’ll admit, I found it hard, and did not have the patience for it. So I am trying it again. I did some poses for about 15 minutes three times this week. While it is still hard, I found that I have more patience this time around, but then again, I only just started doing it again, so my patience may wear thin. Nevertheless, I will try to continue doing yoga each week and see how far I get. I am hoping the yoga will help me to stop slouching so I can stand taller, and avoid developing osteoporosis.

Part 2:
“One cannot lead another where one has not gone before” is sort of like telling somebody not to be a hypocrite in a sense. That may not be the best analogy. You can’t really give parenting advice if you’re not a parent yourself. Basically, it is saying that you cannot help somebody to heal unless you have learned to heal yourself.  You can’t understand and teach the healing practices if you have not learned and practiced them for yourself. You must take your own advice before you give it to someone. For a health care provider who practices holistic healing instead of conventional medicine, he or she should practice the exercises and become familiar with them before having a patient do them. As far as my profession,  I don’t think this applies to me, since I do a lot of administrative work, and there isn’t really a cause for me to do a task before telling a client to do it because the things I do are completely different than what is expected of the clients. Psychological and spiritual growth can be implemented into my life as noted above, but continuing with my yoga exercises. I am also going to try to incorporate some daily prayers instead of praying whenever I think about it.

3 comments:

  1. Donna,
    I think it's great that you are getting back to yoga. I have been trying to do the same and am thinking about getting some home yoga dvd's to do instead of a class. I tend to come up with an excuse as why not to go at that time.
    I also agree with you definition on the saying. So many people think they know things and they have never tried them. I know that I thought I knew things about parenting that when I become a I really didn't know what I had been saying. It's funny how when you grow up you realize how important it is to go through things before giving advice.

    Good luck on your journey.

    Cindy

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  2. Hi Donna,
    I had a hard time with this practice as well as I just could not imagine worshiping a wise healer and wanting myself to become them, I want to be my own individual. I too found the waves to be very sleepy this time, and really just wanted to focus on them. So happy you've decided to take up yoga again, just remeber to keep positive and think that it will alter your posture and then it will... haha at least that's how I like to imagine things. When I do a workout that I don't particularity want to start, I tell myself that I'll feel much better after and I usually do.

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  3. Donna,
    I have also started a yoga class and I have enjoyed the mental focus that it gives me and I do feel much more centered after each class. I felt like yoga should be helping me become more flexible but I am finding that I am actually rather stiff in the morning! I know that it is just because I am still new to the poses and it will get better with time. I think that including daily prayers is a wonderful thing to do. I realize that most days I do not think about what I am thankful for and I should become more aware of the positive things in my life. Enjoyed your post Donna! Hope yoga gets better.
    Lindsey

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