Mindfulness Meditation
the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment -to-moment basis
Most common form of practice is to sit in a lotus position in a quiet environment
Teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body
“Sati”:Buddhist concept of moment to moment awareness of present events
Thomas William Rhys Davids identified mindfulness as the closest translation for english speakers to understand Sati
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Derived from the Buddhist four attitudinal qualities that form the foundation of the Buddhist ethical system: Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity
A mental state of unselfish and unconditional kindness to all beings as Buddhism teaches that all living beings are inextricably connected
To strengthen feelings of kindness and connection towards others and our own image of ourselves Thus allowing for a more positive and empthatic outlook
“May I be filledwith loving kindness May I be well May I be peaceful and at ease May I be happy”
Movement Meditation
Moving through various positions with a mindful and slow pace to create a connection between body and mind
Tai chi comes from Chinese philosophy of Taosim Yoga is based on Hinduism and is later adopted by Buddhism
Movment Meditation can take a multitude of forms each equally helpful and is dependent on the indivudual’s personal taste
Helps lower stress, release stagnant energy, and strengthen our mind-body connection
Hatha Yoga is the most commonly practiced version in the West
Visualization Meditation
First popularized following the 1984 Olympics when Russian Olympians began to use the technique to improve performance
Creating a strong image can boost motivation reduce depression and stress
To envision your success and believe in yourself
It aims to remove the thoughts that would cause you to sidetrack and get into your own head
A type of meditation that requires concentrating on one or more mental images to help focus and center the mind and body
Generalized Anxiety Disorders
a condition of excessive worry about everyday issues and situations
Symptoms:
Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
Being easily fatigued
Having difficulty concentrating
Being irritable
Having headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, or unxplained pains
Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep
While having anxiety is a natural feeling. If it is affecting your daily life to a unhealthy degree it needs to be addressed
Causes:
when you can’t cope well with your internal stress
Gentics, mainly the areas of the brain that control fear and anxiety
Treament methods:
Medicine
Counseling (cognitive behavioral therapy, or psychotherapy)
Relaxation techniques
Working with a therapist to boost coping skills
Making lifestyle changes to reduce stress and avoid stimulating substances
Helpful Environments: A space that removes them from their headspace and giving them a chance to breathe. Give them a sense of saftey
Depression
Symptoms:
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest a ecting how you feel, think and bhave and can lead to a variety of emotional and phyiscal problems
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities
Sleepdistrubances, including insomnia or sleeping too much; Lack of energy
reduced/increased appetite and weight loss/gain
Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
1 in 6 people experience depression in their lifetime
Causes:
Personality: low self-esteem or overly self-critcal
Family history: More likely to develop it if another family member had depression
Isolation: Cut o from family and friends
Substance abuse: a harsh coping method
Illness: Some injuries to the head can a ect your brain chemicals
Treatment methods:
Self-help: Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and spending time with people
Many people hide it and it is their choice but we should provide them with a space to openly express their emotions. A space that keeps them grounded
Counseling: Counseling or psychotherapy is talking with a mental health professional
Alternative medicine: Therapy may include massage, acupuncture, hypnosis and biofeedback.
Medication: Prescription medicine called antidepressants
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
A mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event (either experiencing it or witnessing it)
Symptoms: 4 types of PTSD symptoms
Intrusive memories
-Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event
- Flashbacks (reliving the event)
Avoidance
- Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the event
- Avoiding places, activties or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
-negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world
- hopelessness about the future
- memory problems
- di culty mainting close relationships
-feel detached/numb towards family friends and emotion
Changes in phyiscal and emotional reactions
-easily startled or frightened and on guard for danger
- self-destructive behavior
- trouble sleeping, concentrating and overwhelmed
Causes:
-Stressful experiences
-family history of anxiety and depression
-individual level of temperament -brain regulationg of chemicals and hormones response to stress
Treatment methods:
-Medication/psychotherapy
-teaching you skills to address your symptoms
-helping your outlook on yourself and others
-learning coping methods
-treating other problems often related to traumatic experiences
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
The anxiety or apprehension surrounding missing out on things such as social events, gatherings, and the latest gossip/news
Symptoms: avoiding FOMO
-fatigue, headaches, lack of motivation, burnout
FOMO
-large amounts of anxiety and lonliness -showcases symptoms of depression
Causes:
-Innate desire for social connection and belonging -Lack of connection can cause emotional and physical distress
To properly avoid FOMO -digital detox -spending quality time with yourself and others -practice meditation and mindfulness
Joshua Tree (Indian Cove)
History
-Early residents lived in small villages in or near water -1870 cattle farmers let their cattle eat the tall grass that grew in the park -1906 Antiquieties Act establish Joshua Tree National Monument and protects 825,000 acres
Site features:
-Multitude of trees and decent vegetation -The altitude of the area to make sure there is a decent breeze -preferably not near the towering rock formations
The dry atmosphere of the area creates a very vibrant color from the sunlight
There appears to be a large amount of rockformation and small patches of vegetation scattered throughout
The ground is fairly uneven, we will have to see how dusty it would get
Challenges:
-The Heat of the desert
-The proximity to the nearest store/civilization
-Making sure there is plenty of wind ow but be aware of dust
-access to roads
