The meeting Aesculapius meditation opened my heart to the healer within allowing the ego to move aside for a moment and "just be". Using a wise persons image is an awesome way to enter the depths of the mind to see the true you beyond the false image of ourselves. I have found that mindfulness has deepened my relationship with family and friends by increasing the compassion for others. Many times I get wrapped up in life and forget to be in the moment of calm-abiding. The best way for me to apply this in life is to remember to take time for myself and get in a quiet place and do these types of exercises.

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is something that I try to live by because it is easy to tell someone what they may being doing wrong if you have not experienced it yourself. As a health and wellness professional I feel it is important to relate in some way to the client so that what you are saying to them is felt not heard. We remember how the feeling of what someone says not so much the actual words. In the position of a health professional it is important to assist in the development of the client on all levels until your services are no longer needed. Psychological and spiritual growth is the essence of life. On the other side is decay and death, so I choose to grow!!

Loving Kindness exercise

Ok folks, all I can say is wow!!! to the loving kindness practice. At first, I was just going along with the ladies voice and trying to listen to her, but once the brainwaves started to even out then it was this nice flow of peace and love that took over. I think the ocean waves did it for me, because I was able to vividly see the images of the people I was using to bring in loving kindness. For me, the exercise works and I will be implementing it because it feels good and opens up the heart center.

The latest research underscores the importance of staying mentally engaged — not just by doing crossword puzzles but by challenging yourself to learn a new language, read a book you've never read before or take up a new hobby. "The brain loves novelty, it loves a challenge," says Laura L. Carstensen, Ph.D., director of Stanford University's Center on Longevity (M.D. Rosen. Sharpen Your Mind with These Mental Workouts.). In my own time the game on my phone that has been sharpening the mind is "Jumbline", where letters and scrambled and you have to make words out of them to move on to the next round...super fun!!!


M.D. Rosen. How to Improve your Mind with these Mental Workouts. 
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-06-2013/sharpen-your-mind-with-mental-workouts.html