Striving to achieve Mental Fitness

Hi fellow bloggers,
After reviewing the different exercises we have undertook during this course the two that I find most helpful toward my goal of reaching mental fitness in order of my favorite is the last one the creative visualization along with the subtle mind exercise followed by partaking in a yogi class.  I have started to implement this exercise into my routine daily and I use a quick deep breathing exercise when time is limited and I'm feeling rushed.  I find that for me the more I am able to do this exercise that the less I have to focus on my breathing and I can just rest in the stillness of it.  The ability to get the mind to a state of clarity you puy yourself into such a relaxed state that sometimes I cant tell if it's real or imagined.  There are times that I have to go back and concentrate on the breathing because of the inability to detach from things but all in all with this exercise the ability to reach a state of calm abiding.  By implementing this exercise in my life it has improved my mental fitness by giving me a fresh start on the day with a mind that is clear, uncluttered, open, stable and a connection with my body that helps with the imbalanced physiology aspects and clears me of all distrubing emotional thoughts.
I never knew the breath was such a powerful tool but when you think about it once we stop breathing we stop living so I find that this is one of the powerful exercises.  I find that adding a yoga class or going on a nature walk after this exercise really adds in strengthing my goal of reaching integral health.  I find that yogi strengthens the mind and body and really puts the finishing touching on achieving calm abiding.
The creative visualazation exercise I have only done twice but I think that this may become my favorite I can add this as a perfect way to end the day or to start it.  I have found that when you are in a positive frame of mind and are able to feel complete that it is easier to return those feeling to the family, friends, or complete strangers.  This exercise allows you to go to your memory bank and re experience different times that you were truly happy or felt whole and healthy it allows you to take those experiences and examine them letting them take over your body and basked in the radiance of it.  It allows you fully appreciate it what it felt like, how your body feels, special sounds or smells associated with that time.
It allows you to imerge in all the goodness of that moment.  Then it allows you to take all three thoughts and merge them into one single moment so you can experience happiness, wholeness and total health you experience a natural high that you and your mind created alone.
I plan to make both of these exercises a part of my daily actvities.  I currently do the subtle mind in the morning I wake up 45 minutes earlier but I still feel refreshed and I work at a fitness center who offers a yoga/pilatesi class first thing in the morning so after my morning practice of subtle mind head to exercise class and I find that I am so much better because of it.  I dropped my blood pressure reading from 130 over 90 to 114  over 72 so I am happy about that I hate taking medication and if I can do it naturally then I am happy.
I plan to implement the creative visualazation exercise into my nightly routine I found that when I completed that right before bed that I had the best sleep that I have had in a long time.  The images that this exercises projected and calm of my mind was just what I needed and the lasting effects of it makes it a lot easier to get out of bed and start my day with a postive out look.  The road to achieving mental fitness I think is not a easy one but with the tools of this class I am now sure it is attainable I look forward to reaching it one day.  I think the key is practice and more practice when I am able to reach the state of calm and clarity of the mind on a everyday basis then I will know that I am there.  Life stressors come and sometimes its hard to clear the mind but with practice it is getting a little bit easier day by day.