Ok...I am even having issues copying and pasting, hopefully this is all here, the titles were only showing up!• Have a great week! -Sara

 

 

Mental fitness is a huge part of integral health.

•It assists us on a path to human flourishing and strengthens the connection between mind, body and spirit.

•There are many different reasons to practice mental fitness.

•Research has proved this connection and has made us understand the connections in our bodies.

•There are different exercizes and activities that we can do to promote mental fitness in our lives.

 

•Mental fitness helps us develop our brain function so that we are able to feel clear and focused and concentrate more on things that matter.

•Mental Fitness is a way to train the mind so that we can develop a healthy inner life as well as an outer life.

•According to Dacher (2006) our minds are flexible, dynamic and expansive, so we are able to systematically train them to form a higher amount of inner development.

•Even with as little as an hour a day we are able to we will be able to experience a flourishing of our health and will no longer be limited to ordinary ideas of health and remedies (Dacher, 2006).

•This can then become a healing force for everything  and everyone we meet in life (Dacher, 2006).

 

•Some of the beginning research in this field was done by Dr. Robert Ader in the 1970’s.

•He conducted behavioral studies where he fed rats flavored saccharine sweetened water mixed with a drug that produced nausea.

•He discovered that the rats then began to associate sweet water with nausea even when he took out the nausea causing agent.

•He discovered that this was a learned behavior and it was triggered by just a sweet taste added to the water.

•The findings were that the rats were able to mentally alter their immune systems.

•This study shows that with mental training there is the possibility to train the mind to certain outcomes and expectations so that desirable outcomes can be achieved.

 

•Candace Pert led another breakthrough in this science.

•She discovered a series of natural body proteins that are called neuropeptides.

•They constantly circulate through the body and function as a mind body communication system.

•This research is extremely valuable to the science of mental fitness because it shows us that things that effect us in the physical realm may affect us in another way. One example of this is high levels of stress that effect us mentally. This stress can also adversely affect the way that the body functions, such as cardiac functions.

 

•Dr. Peter Schnall conducted a study in 1998 pertaining to work stress.

•His study was conducted on mid level business managers to determine what their experiences with job stresses were.

•The research determined that managers who felt like their job was more of a goal to achieve and a game were more likely to have lower levels of stress and stress related issues than managers who just felt that the job was a stress and had feelings of helplessness and were ultimately overwhelmed.

•This study is necessary to the mental health field because it shows us that outside stressors can affect our mind and body if we let them. This gives us a reason to train our minds and maintain a healthy level of mental fitness, so this dose not occur. 

 

 

•There are different mental fitness exercises that we can do to train our minds.

•One very beneficial exercise is the Loving Kindness exercise.

•Another kind is the Subtle Mind practice.

•There are other activities that are beneficial to keeping a fit mind.

 

 

•Loving kindness is almost like a form of meditation. It involves taking in all the bad and then releasing it. Through doing this people are able to feel free and at peace.

•This is an excellent way to train the mind.

•Dacher (2006) states that if these practices are taken on with anticipation and perseverance they will be able to turn into confidence and certainty.

 

•The way to begin is to become comfortable and still. To do this you must free yourself from distractions around you such as noises or televisions.

•You then begin by thinking of someone who you love who is dear to you  and focus on them. Then bring loving thoughts about them into your heart.

•Then it is time to turn these feelings towards your self and be at peace with them.

•Now it is time to give attention to the thoughts feelings and emotions that go through your mind and give them the love and care.

•Then turn to your inner mind and focus on the stillness, peace and gentleness. Give it your heart and welcome it to your mind.

•Last it is time to use all this love and welcome it into your life.

•Then we move this to thoughts about family and friends and then to strangers to make sure that we are able to psychologically flourish.

 

•This is a contemplative practice that we can use to train the mind.

•The subtle mind states that there are two different parts of the mind the clear and the moving. (Dacher, 2006). The clear mind is often clouded by the moving mind, so this is a way to quiet the moving mind so that we are able to control our mind more efficiently.

•This includes the concept of the witnessing mind. The witnessing mind is when we train ourselves to take a step back and look at what is going on and release the mental chatter that occurs.

•Calm abiding is another part of this. Calm abiding is when we achieve a stillness in our lives and maintain that stillness. This is an accomplishment because the mind is undisturbed by the normal things such as thoughts and feelings that normally bother us while trying to maintain calmness (Dacher, 2006).

 

•We begin the subtle mind with beginning a breathing exercises and make sure that that becomes the focal point of your concentration.

•Next as the breathing becomes more rhythmic then the mind will follow.

•We will ease our minds and then concentrate on the focal point of our breathing.

•Now we will watch our minds and notice all the wondering thoughts, emotions and images then let them fade away.

•Now it is time to pause and concentrate on witnessing the mental movements and learning about our own mind. This is when we are able to discover how the mind works.

•Next your mind will stabilize in the stillness (this may not occur in all sessions of practicing.) We can now explore our still minds.

•This calm abiding will naturally evolve into unity consciousness, and our mind will become clear, quiet stable open alert and all knowing.

•It is recommended to write down any thoughts that you have at the end of the session.

 

•There are many fun things that we are able to do to help along our processes of mental fitness.

•Things such as chess, Sudoku and crossword puzzles work to make sure that we stay mentally fit.

•Other ideas are yoga and meditation to spur the body into prime mental fitness.

•Another technique that has been beneficial is to try to do mental exercises while doing a physical workout to keep both the mind and  body in tip top condition.

 

•A main part of becoming and maintaining a healthy life is by practicing mental fitness.

•It will help us on our path of mental flourishing.

•Mental fitness serves many benefits.

•It has been proven by different research studies to be beneficial to our lives because there are connections between mind and body.

•There are different activities and exercises that can be done to achieve this mental fitness.

 

•Dacher E. (2006) Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA.

•Pannyavaro, V.  (1995) Loving Kindness Meditation. Accessed on February 6, 2011, http://www.buddhanet.net/metta_in.htm