Thursday, April 11, 2013
Week 7 - Meeting Aesclepius
This week’s meditative practice, Meeting Aesclepius, started out great and for a while I was able to focus completely and do exactly as the exercise instructed. For whatever reason though, when the white light was to shine down on the person, my concentration broke and my mind became full of all kinds of thoughts, feelings, and I actually started to become anxious. Try as I might, I was not able to return to the calm and focused state that I experienced just moments earlier. I do feel that meditation fosters spiritual and psychological wellness by clearing our minds of clutter that only causes confusion and animosity. I am going to have to take the meditative exercises in small doses and work my way up because it just seems that my attention span is extremely short for these types of practices these days. I am going to make an honest effort to practice and utilize contemplative exercises in the future because I do believe that it fosters greater health and wellness.
I used to work with a cardiologist who was about 75 pounds overweight, smoked like a freight train, and became short of breath just walking from one exam room to the next. He would always preach to his patients the importance of diet, exercise, and proper health which included cessation of smoking and avoiding excessive alcohol intake. Needless to say, the cardiologist did not last here in town for very long because the patients simply did not care for someone who did not take care of himself telling them what changes they needed to make to improve their health. I believe this story could be represented by the following saying: “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005, p. 477). I do not think that I am obligated to my patients to develop my health psychologically, physically, or spiritually. I choose to want to better my integral health which will enable me to respond to a patient’s needs better. My personal psychological and spiritual growth is an ongoing process which will develop and mature throughout the rest of my life.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., and Micozzi, M.S. (2005). Consciousness and healing: Integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St Louis, MO: Churchill Livingstone.
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Hi Tennille,
ReplyDeleteI have responded to you two times now and it doesn't show up. ??? Anyway, try and try again.......I enjoyed your post and could so relate to the fact that when the white light came, you seemed to lose interest. I did too. I was good and relaxed and really with the program until the white light. I guess we will have to keep on working on these exercises. I also appreciated what you said about being obligated to your patients. I do not feel obligated to my service, but I do wish to be healthier and I keep my profession in the back of my mind as I move forward. I too am a burned out nurse. I love helping people, but this profession is tough and demanding. Keep doing what you do best.
Sharon
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your persistence and your kind words. Nursing is a very tough job but I love what I do and honestly can not imagine doing any other job (except somedays, mostly when we are extremely busy and feel like we are drowning, we joke about wanting to be a Wal-Mart greeter). Nursing is demanding on our mind, body , and soul. Hopefully I will someday be able to use what I have learned from this class to improve myself so that I can be a better nurse to and for my patients.
Blessings,
Tennille
Tenille,
ReplyDeleteI follow your blogs because you're so honest about your experiences with the exercises even when the results are less than stellar. This was my week to bomb out completely. After shoulder surgery, nursing a cold/allergy mix that has me rumbling like thunder in my chest, I could NOT focus on this exercise at all. My mind wandered from the discomfort in my chest to that in my shoulder and then taunted and dormented me with drivel that typically doesn't stir my conscious mind during quiet times. So, in a few weeks I will try again from a new space of focus and calm..
I did appreciate your story about the unhealthy cardiologist. I can totally relate. I refuse to take medical advice from practitioners who do not practice what they preach in some form or fashion. Wellness is not about perfection by any means, but you give from a healthy space when you pursue health and wholeness - I think that is what drives the cycle.
Anita Cain
Anita,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that you have had a couple of rough weeks. I pray that you feel better soon! I work in the operating room and we do shoulder surgeries all the time....and I see how much pain the patients are in afterwards. I honestly don't know how you are keeping it all together.
Thanks for reading and following my post. I have a tendency of being brutally honest. My daughter says "if you don't want to know the truth...then don't ask Mom". :) When it comes to this class I feel like the only way to learn and grow into the integrally healthy person that I need and want to be is by being honest first with myself and then with others.
I pray for your speedy recovery!
Tennille
Tennille,
ReplyDeleteThese meditative practices aren't as easy as I thought that they would be. It takes quiet, alone time to really be able to focus on them and even though they are designed to help clear your mind, I think you have to kind of go in with a slow, clear mind to begin with otherwise its hard to start off. Thats how it is for me anyways. This practice was different for me. For some reason it was very overwhelming and emotional. I don't know if that means it was good or bad. The fact that you became anxious and had all kinds of thoughts and feelings may be an indicator that it was working for you also. My heart started racing at one point and I didn't know what to do. It was all new to me. I didn't want to do it again because I was left feeling very unsure of it all. These type of practices are a slow process and take time. Also, they aren't for everyone, so don't feel bad if you feel like they just aren't for you. I'm still trying to decide whether or not they will actually benefit me. I wish you the best of luck finding your groove with these practices. :)
Laura Beote
Tennille,
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you were able to get some results from this exercise. I did not get the same results. I remember the first time I started listening to Meditation Podcasts on my I-phone. I laughed at the whole idea that it could make a difference. I remember me and my husband lying on the sofas in our living room stating how crap the whole meditation idea was. However, about 5 minutes into the exercise the whole house was quiet and we both we so involved in the exercise that when it finished we no longer looked at meditation as crap. I have tried many different meditation exercises some work for me and some do not. I say that to say this, find a meditation exercise that works best for your life and you will find it easy to incorporate into your daily life.
Marinda