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.