My Favorite Mental Exercises

I think my two favorite exercises have been the “meeting Asclepius” exercise and the visualization exercise on pages 144-145 of our text that we did this week.

As I stated last week the “meeting Asclepius” exercise helped me to feel connected to my father and his wisdom. It also helped me to be still and quiet and listen for God’s wisdom. It helped me to feel much better about my father’s Alzheimer’s disease and current mental condition also. I know that his declining health is not going to be easy to witness, but I think that this exercise may help me to better face that challenge.

I like the visualization exercise this week because as you can see from my last post we have been experiencing an ice storm here in Indiana. I have always thought that I showed some symptoms of seasonal affective disorder during the winter months and I think that this exercise will help me to combat those winter doldrums. The happy time I chose to picture was floating in my pool on a hot summer day. We have talked about the benefits of water for relaxation and I have always found this to be the most relaxing place on earth for me. I love to be outside with only the sounds of nature, in the cool water on a hot day. It makes me feel very centered, content and happy and gives me the outlook and energy to accomplish my tasks. Just a few minutes in the pool can make a huge difference on my mental state. So now, I know how I can tap into that feeling even when I can’t actually be in the pool which is a great thing to know since pool season is all too brief here in Indiana.