Unit 9 - Final Project

Dacher so stated, that “to become the agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life” (Dacher, 2006).  I believe it is imperative for health and wellness professionals to lead by example, not just a “do as I say” mentality.  I do not believe that such a professional could possibly have the necessary credibility unless he or she was “walking the walk.”  Individually, I believe that if we grow and develop ourselves psychologically, spiritually and physically we will convey a radiance of health and a sense of complete peacefulness and serenity about ourselves that all others will want to also possess it.

The journey to integral health is one that will encompass a lifetime.  I will continue to grow and learn psychologically, spiritually and physically the rest of my life.  My daily practices will need to include activities and practices in affect every facet of my being.  Outward appearances are obviously what others see first so it is imperative that my current standard of physical health be continued and improved upon.  My spirituality prayerfully will continue to mature daily, weekly and with each passing year and through the spiritual and physical growth psychological growth will naturally follow. 

Upon reflection, my physical well-being I would say is 9 out of 10.   For the past 12 years I have made physical health a comprehensive priority.  As a personal trainer, I workout daily six days a week, eat extremely healthy and consume whole, organic and unprocessed foods as the healthy fuel for my body and as a result have little to no health issues, rarely get sick and in the best shape of my life as I am about to turn 50 this coming year.  I have chosen nutrition and fitness as a career so that I can share my passion with others and help them be proactive with health rather than reactive once disease and illness have set in. 

My spiritual well-being I would assess at 7 out of 10 only because I believe that spiritual maturity cannot really come until much later in life.  I attend church weekly and absolutely love my church family and what it represents and does in our community.  I know that with time I will become more and more mature in this realm.  I possess a deep desire to help others and feel it creates a connectedness like no other.  Prayer and meditation on the Word has helped me grow to the point that I am currently at and I know with the continued study groups at my church I will only get better and better!            

My psychological health is probably that I need to work on most.  I am the product of a very dysfunctional family and it has affected me for years in a negative way.  I have sought counselling over the years and feel it has been beneficial however it will most likely always be an area that I feel requires nurturing and attention to better myself and feel whole.  Exercise and meditation have helped me focus on this aspect I know that through the continuation of these instruments, they will make me a better person.

“The more you learn, the less you know” is a common quote that is extremely applicable to my development as to psychological, spiritual, and physical aspects. My goal of being an educated leader in nutritional and fitness counseling requires my commitment to complete health, happiness and wholeness through integral health.  Graduation is on the horizon for me as January 8th will start my last term at Kaplan and I for one cannot wait to put this degree into action by helping others achieve health, happiness and wholeness!

 

 

 

Unit 8 - Review

I have really enjoyed all of the exercises that we have had to attempt through this class and the teachings of relaxation could not have come at a better time for me.  I thought I was pretty relaxed until we were "forced" to turn off our minds with each exercise and it proved to be difficult at times.  Personally, the Loving-Kindness Exercise was my favorite.  I naturally tend to put others before me and this just seemed to click perfectly and easily.  I thought of my daughter during this exercise and 2013 has been an extremely difficult year for both her and I, but through the grace of God she is still alive and this exercise gave me back the peaceful, loving feelings that I had so treasured.  The Simple Mind Exercise was the other practice that I found to be very beneficial.  It allowed me to calm my mind and find a little tranquility in the moment which is often difficult based on my crazy schedule.  I think both exercises are ones that can be done randomly and when needed, to add a little sanity and peace into the day.  Thinking of others helps to take the focus off myself and allows me to forget about the stress and troubles that seem to be enormous when in actuality they are not.  Have a great week everyone!

Unit 7 - Meeting Aesclepius

Our assignment this week was one I think I really needed after a stressful holiday weekend of family, time constraints and school. The Meeting Aesclepius exercise really allowed me sit down for a moment, take the focus off all that I need to get done this week in a short time frame and just relax and calm down.  Often I, much like many others, feel like it is difficult to turn my mind off.  I focused this exercise on a dear friend of mine that is an amazing Godly women.  She is probably the most kind, considerate and genuine person I know and I strive to walk in the shoes that does.  I met her through the gym that I work at a few years ago and she is definitely the character bar that I set for all others.  She and her husband have helped me in ways that I could never repay nor would they ever ask.  Knowing her has made me a better person in so many ways.  She introduced me to the Church that we both attend and she is honestly the most giving person to everyone she meets, acquaintance or not.

The phrase "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is an awesome phrase.  In essence this phrase is all about practicing what we preach.  It absolutely applies to the health and wellness professional and I believe it IS an obligation not to do as I say but do as I do.  Can we take the advise of a doctor or nurse that tells us that we need to lose weight or stop smoking when he or she in turn is overweight or smokes?  Can you take the fitness advise of a fitness professional that is sedentary or is overweight?  I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words, so the best way I know to show someone what they should be doing for their health and wellness is demonstrate it myself and walk the walk!  I love the saying that Dacher utilized in this unit as well, "where you were yesterday, you cannot possibly be tomorrow."  Our path to health will change daily and we must strive to change for the better each day.  "Intention requires attention,"  without a conscious personal choice expressed through actions nothing will be gained.

Unit 6 - Universal Loving Kindness

Practice the Universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise.

 

This exercise was interesting to say the least.  I liked it, but struggled with it a bit.  I focused on my children and their suffering and then breathing health and happiness back into them.  My daughter was an easy choice because of her addition recovery and this is something that I have done for her for months through prayer.  My son is 18 and entering into the service after graduation, but he did his boot camp last summer between junior and senior year thus creating a bit of a power struggle between us.  He is still in high school but feels he is already a man for having left for three months last year.  The concept of this exercise is spot on, I am a form believer that you receive back what you give, so thinking of others is usually my first thought.  The problem is I always tend to put myself perpetually on the back burner as a single parent.  This exercise I think with practice could teach me how to not only think of others but of myself as well!

 

Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11.

 

This assessment was a real eye-opener. The psychospiritual and interpersonal aspects of my life need some significant improvement. I am relatively emotionally stable, but I feel so much pressure as a single parent, full-time student and with a stressful work load to make ends meet it often seems overwhelming. I am the type to put all others before myself  and want to be supportive and nurturing to everyone but I feel like I am the one with very little support, again it gets overwhelming. 

 

Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

 

Through this exercise I realized I really need to focus on my own emotional life, and building a better interpersonal relationship with my family of siblings and father in hopes of building a better support network.  I feel like the biological lines of development have sustained me for some time.  But my psychospiritual line and interpersonal line both need some serious scrutiny.  I believe one aspect that I need to work on is my reactionary issues.  I do tend to react quickly in hopes of trying to control certain situations, usually involving my kids.  I also need to work on the level of development with my family and begin forgiving them for feelings of hurt.

Unit 5 ~ The Simple Mind Exercise

Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

     I found the loving-kindness experience to be a much easier exercise than the subtle mind exercise.  I found that the loving kindness practice #1 exercise was more intriguing than the subtle mind practice #2 exercises. In the practice #1 exercise, we were asked to visualize a loved one who was suffering while we breathe in our in-breath. We were asked to allow the “dark cloud of suffering to ride the in-breath into our body” and then allowing them to completely dissolve in our heart (Dacher, 2006). The idea was to welcome all the loving-kindness into our heart thereby diminishing our self-centeredness and being able to share loving-kindness with others as we breathe out health, love and happiness. This exercise  however was quite beneficial as it did allow me to “rest in my natural state of peace and ease,” thus eliminating the stresses of life and leading me into the path of integral health and human flourishing (Dacher, 2006).  Relaxation at this juncture is hard to accomplish but I tried it first thing in the morning.  I did drift in and out of racing thoughts, but as Dacher indicated that with practice this will become easier and more effortless.  I do exercise regular medication and seem to do it better without the narrator talking and interrupting me.  My main focus was on the waves, I tried to put myself on a deserted beach with just the waves crashing.  It did seem to work well when I could accomplish the focusing away from the narration.

Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

     A connection of spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness is absolutely critical if an individual is to experience an interconnectedness.  It is also important for one to maintain a spiritual connection with a Higher Power.  This may not necessarily be God as we know Him but a Higher Power that allows for a spiritual connection.  Some people may not believe in Christianity or inn God at all but may seek another Higher Power.  One example of this I found very interesting, as I have stated before my daughter is in recovery from addiction.  She attends six meetings a week in which I attend a few with her,  in addition to my own Al-Anon group as well.  Many addicts are very "put out" with God and do not want the religious aspect being forced down their throat so to speak.  So in an effort to appease everyone the 12-Step Process focuses on a just a Higher Power without a "God" reference and Step #2  is "Came to believe that a Power higher than ourselves could restore us to sanity" (Al-Anon, 1992).  In doing this and keeping it generic, for a lack of a better word, it allows the individual to become spiritually connected and find a deeper sense of his or her self and their spiritual awareness which in turn helps them each cope mentally and physically with that person's life and their addiction without the threat of religion.  I attend church every week and for me personally I need that spiritual connection to get through my every day all week long.  My church is non-denominational and contemporary and I believe their focus on spiritual wellness is way beyond that of the traditional church.  I get a sense of peace, focus, joy, gratefulness and love every week just by walking through those doors!

References:

Al-Anon, W. O. (1992). The Courage To Change: One Day At A Time. Virginia Beach, VA: Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc. .

 

Unit 4 - Getting Started ~ Loving Kindness

 

Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?

 

I absolutely loved this exercise.  This is something that we are currently studying in our church.  Focusing on others more than ourselves.  I think the overall concept is an excellent way of coming out of potential depression, isolation and loneliness.  These are things I struggle with as I am a single parent that works full time and goes to school full time.  I do not always have the time that others have to socialize, spend time with family and friends or even date at this point which has a tendency to make me sink into self-pity.  I know that in the end the "prize" of graduation in March and the commitment I made 3 years ago to finish this degree was completely worth every second. My degree will enable me to help others through a mind, body and spirit capacity with nutrition and fitness, something I am very passionate about.  I did not find this exercise difficult in the least, it is something I try to do on my own daily and this exercise just helped me define my process.  I would absolutely recommend this to others, I think "moving out of ourselves" and purposefully thinking, praying and releasing thoughts about others helps us to focus on something other than ourselves, our problems and helps to circumvent stress.  I especially loved the section where we think of someone that is suffering.  For the last 8 months, I have been dealing with my 22 year-old daughter Taylor and her addiction to drugs.  This is not how she was raised but unfortunately she chose a path to mask her pain that took her down a very dark road.  I know this may sound strange and do not think I would have said this 8 months ago, but I am thankful that she and I have been given the "gift" of this adversity.  It has helped us both realize what we did wrong, her with her choice of addiction and me with my choice of enabling.  I love her more than words and I am happy to say today that she has been "clean" for almost 9 months.  She has chosen life and is willing to do all that is necessary to create the life she now wants.   I believe her psychospiritual growth is only beginning!

 

What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

A mental workout is just like working out the physical body. In a physical workout, the individual pushes the body to its limits and the body responds in turn with results.  The mind works exactly the same.  According to Dacher, "research studies and personal reports have also demonstrated that  mental training can transform the mind by reducing disturbing emotions that cause anger, hatred, fear, worry, confusion, and doubt while enhancing positive emotions such as patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance, and happiness" (Dacher, 2006).  I believe that I incorporate this mental work out daily when I actually do a physical workout.  I mediate during yoga and exercise allows me to get my mind straight through the generated endorphins.  I have always said that daily exercise for me is a cheap form of therapy and it is what has gotten me through many trials and adversities! Years of running has allowed for both mental and physical workouts.

Reference:

 

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc. .