Unit 8

I couldn’t pick just two. I picked three; Loving Kindness, Visualization, and meditation. Since I have been practicing loving kindness I have made several (4) new friends. I usually try to stay away from my children’s friends parents beyond keeping track of them. But lately they have been coming to me for advice and support. I have realized that that is not a bad thing or uncomfortable. Having people to talk to about parenting issues, especially the parents of the kids that hang out with my kids, is very comforting. Visualization is another one I really like. I visualize myself at the gym and some time that day I’m there. Well, that’s one way to utilize visualization. I meditate daily. Sometimes more. Meditation keeps my mind calm while my household seems to be in chaos. My daughter is showing signs of being a drama queen, so it is imperative that I always stay calm and use reasoning to teach her by example. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I am sure it will help her.

Unit 7

I had to create a wise woman for my meditation. This wasn’t very difficult because I had previously done a similar meditation a few years ago, so I just recalled her to me. Having this person there with me always calms me. And, again, I have to say that water background is my favorite. After a few years of practicing visualization meditations a friend of mine asked if she could do a meditation with me. She wanted to see how far my meditative abilities had progressed. After I was in a meditative state she asked me to visualize an apple in my hand. Then she told me to “take” a bite of the apple. I swear on my life that what I’m about to tell you is the truth. I could taste the apple!

Unit 6

This week was a good week to practice loving-kindness. My daughter is in 7th grade and last Thursday two girls took pictures of her changing in the locker room after PE. It has been really hard to project loving-kindness. Especially since the girls aren't taking the situation seriously. And their parents aren't either. But I finally came to the conclusion that the most kind and loving thing I can do is to make sure they are held accountable for their actions. Me turning the other cheek would do absolutely no good to the girls.

Unit 5

I really like managing my breathing. It does have a calming effect on me. I always breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Lately there has been, right at the edge of my consciousness, this feeling of inadequacy that I can’t seem to get rid of. Usually, I can work through negative feeling effectively. So, I had some problems with this week’s exercise. I can go for a few minutes doing well with it, but then, here comes this feeling again. I think I’ll keep doing this exercise a lot more over the next couple months.