Moving out

The past week I have gotten really behind on all of my practices.  A freak water heater accident flooded our basement and my room Monday night, and my landlady did not deal with the situation properly.  By Friday, when she finally decided the situation was bad enough to bring in professionals, they informed us it was too late and that there is already mildew in our drywall.  We now have to evacuate the home before April 30th.  My home smells, I am about to be homeless, I am stressing hard about work, my cat and school and being so busy made it easier for me to make excuses for skipping reflection time.  I am constantly 'starting again' and I have found that my practices really do help me stay calm and focused during this hectic time.

Group Dinner

Last Sunday, we got together for a mindful meal, finally! And it was delicious.

I don't think we were the most mindful in planning the meal... since we were all stuffed by the end and had lots of leftovers.  Next time - and there will be a next time - we will be planning more accordingly.

When I was preparing my food, I was trying to remember Thich Nhat Hanh's example of treating everyday like a picnic.  So, much like a picnic, for mindful potluck meal I really tried to enjoy every part of the preparation just as equally to the actual meal eating and socializing time. 

It was a really fun time and a really nice time to get to know people on a deeper level. I am really looking forward to our next meal.


Post-dinner group pic :)

Group Dinner

Our group dinner was so awesome on Sunday! I am glad we decided to do that and boy was I full! I was glad we all made it and everyone brought a dish that was vegetarian! =) and everything tasted SO good! haha weve got to eat together more! haha I ended up having a catastrophe at my house this week and the fact that my week started with that really grounded me and helped me to stay calm and focused this week.  Our hot water tank exploded and flooded the basement (including my room).  Our landlady has been SUCH a hassle and it was not until today (4 days later) that we even got a mold inspector here and took out the padding under the carpets and base boards.  My cat and I cannot stay in my room and this has been a HUGE source of stress in my life.  Luckily I have been sticking to my practices and it is helping me get through this!

Mar 24 - Apr 6

Due to increased interest on Well-being, I am taking Heal110: Personal Health. In the past weeks, the course focused on personal fitness, managing stress and nutrition. All three topics were crucial for everyone who are longing for a wellness. Also, all three categories have recommendations and suggestions for individuals to stay healthy. Working out at least 150 minutes in a week, reappraisal and reframing- viewing what happened in the past from different view and add positive thoughts-, and eating healthy with a balance were the example of each topic. Although I do not fully match up to recommendations from all three (fitness, managing stress and nutrition) topics for wellness, I found that I am in serious need of consuming enough water each day.

It is well known that we can live without food for almost two months, but we cannot survive without water over seven days because human body is about 65 percent water and dependent on water every day. If one is dehydrated, his or her organs will not be able to handle its function. And most importantly, the brain –which consists of 75 percent water and controls water in the body- would not be able to function properly.

I learned that individuals need to drink at least 64 ounces of water since we lose 64-80 ounces of water a day through from organ movements, urination, and even from normal exhalation. The regular water bottle is about 16.9 ounces, so consuming at least about four water bottles is recommended. I barely drink one bottle a day, which means that I am not even close to the minimum request of my body. And this is the reason why I feel staying hydrated is in greatest need of attention in my life.

In the past years, I have been limping after a simple exercise such as yoga, moving meditation and Pilates. Sometimes, I thought I was okay, but the instructors used to ask me if I am alright. In addition to this, I often felt dizzy when I stand up from sitting in one positing or after picking up something in a quick motion. Moreover, I had unknown twitch around the core of my body. After listening to the lecture and skimming articles about the importance of water, I think I can eliminate all these physical problems simply by drinking enough water consciously.

 

 

 

Mar 24 - Apr 6

I usually wake up in the middle of night around 3~4AM. I don’t know the exact reason, but I think it is about body clock. As many of you know, exercising is my one of the mindful practices for this semester. I use running machine and elliptical machine usually, but do Pilates two times a week for about an hour. One thing I noticed about my sleep pattern is that I take deeper sleep than in the past. The only thing I have changed was exercising, so I searched if there is a connection between Pilates and Sleep. And there was! I found that Pilates could be helpful for those who have trouble sleeping. Joseph Pilates suggested spinal rolling exercises- wall roll down, roll back, spine stretch, etc- for better and deeper sleep. The exercise massages the spine, relax the nerves and restore natural flexibility. For those who want to try Pilates, there’s the link! Spine stretch--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDVLJKjk-s4 .

well-being check

So I have been struggling with my some of my classes and I really broke down. I told myself after one of my required classes that I didn’t want to become a teacher. I feel because I am just having that anxiety of being close to graduation that I still haven’t got my exams for Praxis and licensure in yet and I mentally freaked myself out. But really after this one required class I can take my Praxis.  I have struggled with a learning disability my entire school career, since elementary school, and I feel like my “wall” has gotten taller and harder to overcome.  I feel like I am struggling with some of my other well-being practices because I get inside my head.  I just had my advising appointment and realized that it would be very stupid of me to give up now, because I am so close to graduation and am eligible for accelerated master’s program.  I feel I just have to really work even hard and not give up on myself or my future, and seriously work on mediation and keeping a clear focused mind, even though it is going to be hard.

My New Pets!!

So Sunday the 24 of March my sisters and I decided to go to our local farming store for some supplies. But not just any type of supplies. We got living, breathing, walking supplies! Actually pets… baby chickens to be exact.  We were actually going to get two but ended up with six, 6 little fuzzy birds. The lady at the farming store actually said we have to leave with six…it’s the policy, then we can get six FREE! But what are we going to do with six chickens, really?! We actually don’t have enough room for 12 chickens.  Any way these new additions to our house hold actually caused a stir with my dog, he got a bit jealous. But taking care of them and nurturing them and keeping them clean has brought awareness to how much time and patience it takes to care for a baby animal, let alone and other living thing. So as an addition to my well-being practice I am adding caring for my chickens, all which have a name, and having them become use to human hands. Once they are grown big enough we are sending them to our friends farm where they can live healthily in open space and air. Then we can get a rooster to join their coop.