Unit 10 - Assessing All of Me....

Greetings Wellness Peers!

Well, this has truly been a journey for me.  This may be the end of class however it is truly the beginning of my flourishing!

My level of physical well-being continues to go back and forth and it directly related to stress.  Right now at this very moment I am feeling the healthiest I felt since beginning this course.  With that said I feel that I have made progress. I am eating a little healthier than I did before and I am becoming more active.  As you already know I started Zumba classes (three times a week) right when this course began and I have managed to stick with it despite my aching bones, demanding school deadlines, and a very moody teenage daughter.  I just came back from a hand-dancing lesson at my community center and fellow-shipping with others, listening to music, and dancing for an hour did my body good.  Tennis is for the weekends so far and it seems to be helping with my stamina.  I feel that if I continue eating healthy and exercise regularly, my score will increase in this area.

My level of spiritual well-being has improved. Through practicing the meditative exercises, I am feeling a little more at peace and ready to accept things I could not control.  I am also doing a lot of reading in the area of spirituality and looking at different practices (Buddhism) to incorporate a better connection with myself, others and a higher power.  

My psychological well-being has also improved. I am convinced the reason is due to the improvements in the other two areas.  Yes, I have had some mini-meltdowns when I was physically not feeling well mid way and then at the end when I was notified about financial aid issues.  At the final hour all that was resolved and now that I am completing my final term at Kaplan, I am being relieved of a lot of the stress I experienced from trying to balance everything on minimal sleep. I am also very excited about the prospect of "me time", and although my doctor has not cleared me to work I do have opportunities to volunteer at a shelter for abused women and their children I am excited about that connecting me with the outside world (as well as a paid position in the near future).

Achieving physical wellness has been a struggle this term but I do see progress.  I feel I am making more strides in my goal of finding peace within myself.  This is so important to me and carries much weight.  People in my circle are noticing a difference in how I look at things.  My psychological wellness goals were to let go of what I cannot control, release some anger and stress. I found that I needed to speak my mind, quiet my  mind and just carve out quality time with just me. My stress level is pretty much the same however I am handling it differently which is healthier and better.  I am feeling very positive about all the free time I will have now at night and on weekends since I have completed my degree program. Yaaaay!

I have increased physical activity, I have surrounded myself with others that are interested in living a healthy harmonious life, and I am learning and practicing how to be in and enjoy the moments.  I am going to re-do all the exercises in July and August and continue to journal my feelings and progress.  I also plan on tackling and conquering the "Loving/Kindness" exercise without unease. That might be a tall order however I am hopeful and determined to forgive and be kind and loving to myself and others.

I do feel that I have developed in each area although it may be just baby steps. I am confident that I will continue to grow in each area as I become adept at meditation and mindful practice. Being able to identify my areas of need within the aspects of my life has been very beneficial, and the results of my progress rewarding. Lastly, I think the most rewarding aspect of this class was the camaraderie between students. I feel we have all shared personal experiences and in turn have been very supportive of each other. Online classes can be impersonal, so being able to open up on the blogs gave a sense of connectivity, and was also very therapeutic.  As I have already expressed, the most difficult struggle for me has been trying to come to terms with some of the pent-up feelings I have been trying to avoid. At this time I can honestly say my experiences with this course have given me better insight into what we need to achieve human flourishing.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and appreciate everyone's energy and support!

Peace & Blessings.

T.

Final - Becoming Whole!!!

Greetings Wellness Peers!

I.  Introduction:  Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

We have all heard the saying, “practice what you preach”.  I think it is crucial for professionals in any career to incorporate what they do into their own lives.  I wouldn’t go to a hairdresser with bad hair, a dentist with bad teeth, and certainly not a wellness professional that does not incorporate integral health practices into their own life. “To become agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life.” (Dacher, 2006, pg. 167).  It is crucial for professionals in the health and wellness field to incorporate integral health practices into their own lives before offering treatment to others. The reason for this is because it will help these professionals offer more expansive health care to each and every patient.  According to ( Dacher, 2006. p.167), when professionals implement integral health in to their own lives, they “will come to know that the alleviation of suffering and the ascent to human flourishing are more than ideas.” These professionals will than want to end needless suffering to the best of their ability and therefore, “the soul of medicine returns.”   When it comes to integral health, you can only learn so much from books and reading material. It is important to also experience the effects of a developed psychological, spiritual, and physical wholeness to fully grasp the possibilities of human flourishing. When we gain this confidence it gives us the ability to “help others and create a better world.” (Dacher, 2006, pg 167).

Honestly, I need to develop all three areas to achieve my goals. I am considerably stronger physically then I am psychologically and spiritually. I would like to find balance between these three areas to obtain integral health.  Two areas that I need to develop in order to achieve optimal psychological, spiritual and physical wellness are the implementation of regular meditation and daily exercise. I’m confident that if I do develop these two strategies then my overall psychological, spiritual and physical health will improve drastically because these three factors will become more balanced as one.

II - Assessment:

How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

There are several exercises and/or processes which will successfully assess an individual’s need for psychological, spiritual and physical improvement. According to Dacher, a mini meditation exercise “can be quite powerful in expanding your mind and heart. Practice of meditation can serve as an antidote to anger and hatred as well as help to shift your focus from personal love to universal loving-kindness” (p.93).  I have a lot of built up anger and resentment from past abuse and trauma.  According to Dacher (p.115), an assessment process can also be completed by asking a series of questions. The five questions which may focus on healing and promoting integral development are:

1. “What aspect of my life-psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly- is the source of difficulty and suffering?” (Healing)

2. “What line of development is most essential for me at this time?” (Healing)

3. “What is my current level of development and what can I aim for.” (Healing)

4. “What area of my life is ready for growth and development?” (Promoting)

5. “What would the next level of development look like?” (Promoting)

Currently, my physical, spiritual and psychological wellbeing are scored as a 5 to 7. I think early in our class these numbers were higher. Not that anything has changed it is just that I am now more aware of how off centered I truly am. The numbers are low because I do not get enough physical exercise, my spirituality is tested with negative drama and due to moments of anxiety and depression my psychological state is sometimes in turmoil.

III - Goal Development:

List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.

Physical:

Continue with my Zumba classes. They are scheduled for one hour three times a week.  I am also interested in tennis and now that the pool is open I will incorporate swimming 5 days a week.  For now I will start with doing 4 laps and increase it by one lap every two weeks.

Spiritual:

To practice and master forgiveness by first starting with myself and then those who have hurt me will help me spiritually.  I recently started reading this Buddhist Boot Camp book. It is not necessarily about becoming a Buddhist but moreso incorporating their practices on a daily basis. To love oneself and to love and treat others with kindness. Believing in myself and others and trusting my higher power and knowing that what I put out in the universe is what I will get back. Looking for the positive in everything and everyone will also help me connect and be more loving and kind.

Psychological:

Stop my negative talk in my head and replace with positive talk. Quieting my mind through breathing, journaling and meditating are all effective ways to become psychologically fit.  This will allow me to not sweat the small stuff and teach me how to pick my battles by alleviating factors that cause undue stress.

IV - Practices for Personal Health:

What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.

Right now I believe that my personal life needs work because there are times when my psychological state is in complete turmoil due to moments of depression and anxiety. Two ways that I can foster my psychological health are by practicing mini meditations and gentle yoga exercises.

For many years my spirituality has also been tested due to the negative actions of others. Two ways that I can foster my spirituality are by believing in others for their good qualities and in me for being a beautiful human being. I can also improve my physical wellness by developing strategies to decrease periodic fatigue. A few ways that I can accomplish this task is to implement regular daily exercise, journal, and stop eating fast foods every day.

V - Commitment:

How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?

I will need to evaluation my progress consistently and in order to successfully achieve my goals to acquire optimal health and experience human flourishing. One strategy that I can use to accomplish this task is to keep a daily diary of progress levels. If certain levels appear to be lower than others, I can implement new processes which foster further growth in these areas.

After a few months of monitoring these levels of progress, I’m confident that I will be able to experience a balance between my psychological, spiritual and physical health. Once this balance is obtained, I will then try to ensure that this evaluation process remains a regular part of my daily life. I’m hoping that in 6 months I will not only see constant improvement but these practices will become secondary to breathing. 

I think I am going to assign an accountability partner. Perhaps I will assign a few folks.  I will do weekly check-ins via text, skype or even facebook inbox.  My inner circle knows how important this lifestyle change is to me and they will gladly participate to ensure I succeed.  After all they always wanted me to be happy, healthy and whole. Oh, I may even work this into my Mother/Daughter bonding J

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Unit 8 - Breathe Innnnnnnnnnnnnnn, Breathe Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut

Greetings Wellness Peers!

Ok, so I am not going to sugar coat this blog.....the more I learned about how everything is connected the more excited I got about taking charge of my destiny. The more clearer my destiny became to me the more challenges were presented to me by the Universe.  I have never worked so hard on throwing out negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones in my life.  Honestly, I enjoyed all of the exercises and practice sessions (with the exception of....yes, you remember: Loving-Kindness)!

The subtle mind and meditation were the best practices for me. I enjoyed the subtle mind practice because it allowed me to focus on my breathing and when doing so I was less likely to drift and able to decrease my racing thoughts. I feel that in order to obtain “mental fitness” I need to be able to focus and train my mind to become tame and not get distracted as easily with the dark side.  I feel that the subtle mind and meditation allowed me to do this more effectively than the others. I can implement these into my personal life by setting aside 20 minutes a day and practicing them. I think that meditation and focusing on my breathing will make my mind more calm and allow me to become a more patient loving and giving person. In order to achieve mental fitness, it has to be worked on every day in order to achieve the results that lead to human flourishing.

As you all I know I struggled with the Loving Kindness exercise.  I am thinking about incorporating this practice on the weekend as I believe it will help me in forgiving myself and others who have harmed me as well as it will help me learn to accept things I cannot change. I want a peace of mind and in order to achieve that I feel I need to be loving towards other and treating all I come into contact with respect and kindness. This one will probably take some time however I do believe I will benefit greatly and live a healthier lifestyle if I am able to master it.

Peace & Blessings

T.

HW420 - Unit 7 Meditation Practices

Greetings Wellness Peers!

Hoping your week went much smoother than mine.  Ever hear of the saying "when it rains it pours?" Yup, that pretty much sums up my week.  I started off with good intentions and a positive outlook on what I knew would be a difficult task (attending a funeral) however I got blind sided with time sensitive financial issues with Kaplan that had me running around like a chicken with no head. Sigh.

Suffice it to say I was not able to fully embrace this week's activities for the betterment of my health however below is what I grasped:

1. Complete the Meeting Aesculapius and describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience.

I listened to the clip on meeting Aesclepius several times today. The flute and the sounds of the waves should be in the entire clip to remain in a relaxed state.  I felt as though I did not enjoy this session as much as the one that focuses on just my breathing. I began to lose focus on the exercise pretty early on and just could not get myself to settle down. 

I can understand the three phases of the mind where at first our mind is described like a waterfall, downing in continuous thoughts, to a stiller mind as represented by a fast paced mountain stream, and finally as calm as fiords and bays.

The only thing that I have changed is, being alert to focused breathing, repeating positive thoughts and being alert when a thought, feeling or image enters, and then making a conscious choice whether to dwell on the thought or just let it dissipate are return to exercise.

I can not say that I felt any new compassion, wisdom, or open heat. I am not discouraged and will continue to practice until I see things unfold and perhaps do as suggested by finding a mentor (or two) to assist me in excelling in spiritual growth pattern.  

Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness.

In that regard, I am stilling the mind and at the same time being my own eye witness to these experiences. Thus far, I achieve small steps in attempting to have a calm-abiding mind allowing me to experience a inner peace. I have put these experiments into my daily routine when I commute to and from work minus the radio

How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

I will continue to implement these practices everywhere, my next job, in a meeting, commuting to all my doctor appointments or my daughter's school, when I am doing mundane tasks, household chores, mowing and tending the garden, at the same time will transform these seemingly meaningless tasks into a deeper meaning of service radiating compassion.

2. Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477).

I probably shouldn't be preaching to others about what it takes to have a healthy mind, body and spirit if I don't follow my own advice.  I do believe that I have an obligation to my clients to be developing my health psychologically, physically, and spiritually because that is a good way to give the best advice possible.  I want to know firsthand what it is that I am telling my patients about what is good for them.  I plan to continue the meditation exercises, yoga and practicing loving-kindness to everyone person that crosses my path. In other words, if you have never experienced personal growth, and a deeper understanding of how all phases of the human experience affect individuals how can you expect to show others. One must experience their own spiritual transformation, improve their coping skills, and find an outlet so their health, happiness, and wholeness becomes complete.

3.  How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? 

 Healthcare professionals day in and day out hear the ailments of others repetitiously. Their own health may be at risk if they do not take ownership of fostering spiritual growth.

Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? 

Absolutely, if you are not in the best of health, your clients will soon lose faith in your ability to minimize their pain and suffering.

How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life? 

Dacher supplied a few contemplative exercises that we can partake in at any time. Through perseverance, practice, frustration, ridicule and whatever falls into your path, one can successfully develop psychospiritual quadrant. As I mentioned earlier, I make the time to practice while driving to my appointments and my daughter's school, and mowing the yard. Next on the agenda is transferring this to cleaning out my house to the point where I can apply this to my daily chores (hoping to decrease it to weekly...or maybe once a month).

Peace & Blessings

T.