This week we were asked
to reflect on our experience with the journey to relaxation exercise. This was
an interesting meditation exercise where we were able to train our blood flow
from the abdominal area to our shoulders, arms, and hands. In this exercise the
speaker said that when relaxing, to think about our muscles in comparison to a
dry sponge. As we direct the blood flow to them, just as a dry sponge, the
blood flow to them will make them wet and relaxed. It was interesting to me
that my arms and hands actually felt warm and heavy. It was extremely difficult
to lift my arms during this exercise. Once I redirected the blood flow back to my
core, my muscles started feeling cooler and lighter. We have the ability to
redirect the flow of blood to any part of the body. The power of suggestion can
be used to control our bodies. Reflecting on this exercise ties into the
reading this week regarding training our minds. The motor cortex controls
muscle function. I was able to use this portion of my brain to control my
muscles and guide them into a relaxed state. Training programs such as this
exercise can help us reach robust health. When properly trained, these changes
in our minds can become permanent, leading us into human flourishing (Dacher,
2006).
References:
Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human
flourishing, Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Hello Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI have not tried the meditation for class yet, I will definitely try it tomorrow. Your exp sounds very interesting. I have not exp a meditation where my arms felt heavy. How long did you do the mediation for?
Hi Cindy
ReplyDeleteI really liked the guided meditation that we had this week. I felt like I was sinking into my bed the more relaxed I became. I wonder with the power of suggestion like you said if we would be easily hypnotized. People go to get help with weight loss and to stop smoking. I would think that the idea behind it is extremely similar to the guided meditation. What do you think?
Thank you for your comments. I listened to the entire meditaion exercise which lasted a little over 10 minutes. I also feel that hypnotizing someone is very similar to the meditation trance we go into when taking part in these exercieses. I know of a few people who took part in a few of these classes for weight loss and smoking. The initial results were positive, but shortly after they began their same habits once again. Perhaps with continued meditation in their routine they would have seen lasting results.
ReplyDeleteHi cindy
ReplyDeleteI tried the meditation and could not get into it like you, Im happy you did better than me.I usually do yoga to relax and I find it works for me better than a computer.I think this will work for other people very well and I hope they will enjoy it
Hi Walt. I'm sorry this exercise did not work for you. I actually listened to it on my phone with head phones plugged in. It may have helped that I was a little tired as it was, but I have a very vivid imagination and was able to picture my muscles doing exactly what was being explained. Yoga and other types of exercise are helpful too. I like to go for walks while listening to music. This takes me to another level and makes me forget much of my stress.
DeleteHello Cindy
ReplyDeleteI thought is exercise was very interesting and i realized that i have done this before just not knowing what it was that i was doing to cure a migraine. It took me a bit and i had to re-listen to it to get the full effect but once i was able to get it, it worked. I do Yoga on a pretty regular basis to relax.