This week I used a lot of breathing and reading as a form of meditative practices.  I did complete the exercise meeting Aesclepius and for some unknown reason the idea of having a light burst from a person just kills the ability to quiet my mind.  Instead I see them in pain or about to explode and therefore can’t seem to focus on anything but the impending mess that I will have to clean up.  Another thing I had a problem with in this exercise is the idea that I need to become more like another person instead of clarifying and understanding the love, peace and knowledge within my mind.  While I do gain knowledge from the people I see as mentors; there are only parts of them that I want to understand and digest to help me with my personal path.  I did not enjoy this weeks practice. 

The phrase "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is very simple to me – without living out a full life of failures and achievements you can’t assist others on their journey.  This should be a motto for those in the health and wellness profession; because, without the failures of ourselves we cannot truly understand the struggles of our clients, patients, family or friends.  Since the idea of integral healing is to evolve oneself in all facets of life, all healthcare professionals should work on themselves instead of being stuck in place and making choices for others without truly understanding the problems that can be in their way on their healing path.  As life progresses our meditation practices are going to change and this acceptance of the change allows people to explore several different types of practices that will expand growth in the psychological and spiritual areas of our personal lives.