Live for the Journey.........

In looking back on my personal assessment for Unit 3 and comparing it to today, because of  this class I feel I am a little bit wiser in all of these areas. In my Unit 3 assessment I found myself to be just above average in both my spiritual and psychological well-being, and above average in my physical well-being. While I am still going strong with my physical state by maintaining my fitness and nutrition regimen, my psychological and spiritual self still needs a little more nurturing. My psychological self was struggling previously due to the sleepless nights with a newborn and a 3 year old.  But now that my baby is sleeping a little longer I am able to feel a little more mentally ‘normal’—I give myself a 7. As for my spirituality, I am still working on that, and remain at a 6.  It is important for me to find the spiritual activity that fits me and my family the best, so I will keep trying different things until I am successful.  

Consistency is what I need to work on when it comes to maintaining growth and wellness practices in my life.  I must constantly remind myself that, just like my heart needs its daily workout, so does my mind and spirit. Although for me, the daily cardio sessions I do are just as crucial for my mind as they are for my body, there are many contemplative methods that I need to learn about.  It is one thing to achieve a level of relaxation and quite another thing to know the meaning behind it. Many people, me included, just go through the motions without truly understanding what we are doing.  It is more important to know the meaning behind our actions in order to truly be in the moment. I am committed to working out physically through exercise, mentally through diaphragmatic breathing and meditation,  and spiritually through visualization.
I take the words “health and wellness” very seriously and personally feel that they are two of the most important things in life. If you think about it, without “health and wellness” what do you really have? Living a healthy lifestyle is a priority for me because I truly feel that if you do not take care of yourself first you cannot take care of others. Optimum health starts from within me” is going to be my life motto from this day forward.  This is my health philosophy, and this is how I will obtain integral health and help support others in doing so as well. I truly believe that you cannot have one facet of each domain without having the others, so the challenge for me is having a balance between the three.  I also feel that you never truly achieve integral health, that it is a constant journey of maintaining it—hopefully my journey is a long one. Best of luck to all.

The State of My Integral Health......

Best of luck to everyone....it has been a pleasure getting to know you all!

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?

            The research surrounding the mind-body-spirit focus, according to Dacher (2006), further reiterates the importance of how they are connected and the vital role this relationship plays in health and healing. Just like negative health behaviors like anxiety and stress have the power to physically alter our physiology; positive health behaviors have just as much power.  This means that we have the power to train our minds to adapt to stressors through the many outlets that facilitate this process (p. 11). As a health and wellness professional, it is crucial that I am knowledgeable on the mind-body-spirit focus when addressing the needs of my client. With this knowledge I can offer my client alternative methods to achieve health and wellness and cater a program specifically for them.  Meditation, prayer, and visualization are all examples of exercises that may help my client achieve optimum health through the mind-body-spirit connection.

Consistency is what I need to work on when it comes to maintaining growth and wellness practices in my life.  I must constantly remind myself that, just like my heart needs its daily workout, so does my mind. Although for me, the daily cardio sessions I do are just as crucial for my mind as they are for my body.  Dacher defines the concept of a “mental workout” to mean that one must put in the necessary time, learn as much as they can, and consistently practice health and wellness measures in order to achieve integral health (2006, p. 65). Like I mentioned before, my daily physical exercise is my mental and physical therapy but I am aware that there are many contemplative methods that I need to learn about.  It is one thing to achieve a level of relaxation and quite another thing to knowing the meaning behind it. Many people, me included, just go through the motions without truly understanding what we are doing.  It is more important to know the meaning behind our actions in order to truly be in the moment. This is the hardest thing to achieve, but it is a basic concept that separates the good from the best.

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

I truly believe that you cannot have one facet of each domain without having the others, so the challenge for me is having a balance between the three.  I also feel that you never truly achieve integral health, that it is a constant journey of maintaining it. Our society is one that promotes success as a measurement of worth and the so-called “American work ethic” is a reflection of this.  We work too much in order to buy the best things we think we need, which only keeps us content until the next new thing catches our eye. It is a vicious cycle—one that I admit to have gotten caught up in.  The good thing is that I am aware of my actions, and I am trying to revaluate what makes me happy.

Since I view proper nutrition and exercise as a way of life, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my physical well-being as an 8. Although I am adamant about getting my daily exercise fix and eating well, there is always room for improvement.  I view my spiritual well-being a little differently though—around a 6.  I really do not subscribe to a particular religion per se, but I do believe in a higher power—even more so after the birth of my children.  As a child we did attend church on Sundays but as I got older it seemed to play a less important role.  As my children get older I will need to expose them to the more spiritual elements of life so that they may have an open mind.  As for my psychological well-being, that is always up for debate lately—a 7 on a good day! Because I have a 16 week old and a 3 year old in my house, sleep is non-existent and my patience is often worn thin. Though this is a temporary hardship, the effects of sleep deprivation do have a negative effect my mind.  I am a work in progress.

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

My goal for my physical well-being is to increase my daily running mileage, keep lifting my weights, and to maintain a balanced diet. My spiritual goal revolves around my children and introducing religion into their lives. As for my psychological well-being…easy…get more than 3 hours of sleep!  This is easier said than done, especially when my time is already limited with a family, school, and work. They are all important goals to me though and I am working on finding the right balance between the three. For me, it all comes down to time management and finding the right balance between work and play.  Like everyone else, I never seem to have enough time in the day so I must prioritize accordingly. Although I try to make taking time for myself a priority, sometimes life gets in the way and I must go with the flow. I am the type of person that works better with a schedule, so I try and stick to one.  It is difficult to nurture the physical, spiritual, and psychological equally, and so it seems that one always suffers.  All I can do is try my best to look after myself and my family--hopefully the rest will just fall into place.

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.

In order to obtain integral health, as noted by Dacher, there are certain activities that promote health for the mind-body connection.  Dacher views physical fitness as separate from mind-body fitness and argues that one should spend as much time on cultivating the physical as the mind-body (p. 82).  For me, exercise—running in particular--is both my mental and physical therapy.  I tend to differ a little with Dacher in that I personally view the physical act of running itself enhances my mind-body connection. I find that detoxing the body through exercise is something I need to do daily—not just for the physical benefits but also for the mental. I think that if most people looked at exercise that way maybe they would be more likely to engage in some form of it.  Most people look at exercise as a chore, when in reality they should view it as a free form of health care and therapy wrapped into one. Exercise rids the body of the built up toxins that hang around and distract our vital organs and enables them go about doing the job they were originally intended to do.  It is really one of the best preventative measures, along with proper nutrition, that we have the ability to control and implement in our lives (Seaward, 2009).

I also incorporate visualization practices into my life in order to achieve a level of mental and physical relaxation. Visualization is easier for me to implement than meditation, and I am able to practice it anywhere. Visualization, as noted by Seaward (2009), is a way of sending conscious positive energy to the emotional control center of the brain. When coupled with proper diaphragmatic breathing, it is a powerful tool to reduce stress and studies have shown it to be an effective supplement to conventional medicine and the natural healing process (p.355).  

Although I do not subscribe to a particular god, I do believe in a higher power.  I also think that it is important to embrace spirituality in any form and integrate it into our lives. I feel that there is a direct connection between our mind, body and spiritual wellness but the challenge is balancing the three.  For instance, I feel most connected to a spiritual state when I give of myself to others in the form of volunteering etc.  The sense of joy I receive from helping others directly benefits my mind and body.  I also embrace my spirituality by being among the elements of nature.  For me, there is not a more calming effect than the solitude of nature.  This I feel is one of the simplest and organic ways to achieve spiritual wellness in my life.

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 take the words “health and wellness” very seriously and personally feel that they are two of the most important things in life. If you think about it, without “health and wellness” what do you really have? Living a healthy lifestyle is a priority for me because I truly feel that if you do not take care of yourself first you cannot take care of others. I am also fortunate that I have a family that shares my views and we support each other in the pursuit of optimum health. Unfortunately, many people do not realize just how important health and wellness are until they experience an unfortunate health event or tragedy in their own lives.

“Optimum health starts from within me” is going to be my life motto from this day forward.  This is my health philosophy, and this is how I will obtain integral health.  I feel that I have a choice to make every day; I can succumb to life’s negativity and stressors or deal and learn from them—I choose the latter.  My ability to do this has gotten easier as I get older and significant life experiences tend to put things into better perspective. I am also a firm believer that no one can do it alone, support is crucial in life. By looking at the bigger picture-will this really matter to me in a day or week’s time, or even 5 hours from now--more often than not, the answer is an emphatic no. Hopefully, my outlook and lifestyle will enable me to live at least 50 more years—I think I am on the right path in my pursuit of integral health.

REFERENCES

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

Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (6^th edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers

The Power Is In Your Hands

I chose transformation through work and mindfulness practices as the two most beneficial and important exercises I can use in my life. The essential steps of transformation through work, according to Dacher (2006), enable us to reshape what has been given us into what we aspire it to be. This is important because no matter how we--or the world around us--view the work we do, there is always an opportunity to learn from it and teach others. The vital steps of transformation include practicing work as a service by asking what you can do for others and projecting kindness where there may not be any; Always look at the big picture when doing tasks that may seem minuscule because no matter how small the task, it is still important to the overall scheme of things; Work also has the ability to affect us both positively and negatively, so it is important that one approaches it in a positive way (p. 101). I think these steps are a brilliant way to look at not only work, but life itself. It is all in how you view the act you are doing. You can make things miserable or make the best of it—the power is in your hands.

The term “mindfulness” requires one to be cognizant of all their actions. Not just asking “why am I choosing this action?”, but “what are the consequences of the action"? This practice is almost non-existent in our “instant gratification’ based culture. More often than not we do not think before we act or speak, which tends to prove consequential to both people and things we may not even realize. Going through life with a selfish form of tunnel vision is not only detrimental to achieving health and wellness, but may impede others from achieving their own balance. In the health care industry, and life itself, there can be no negative results from integrating “mindfulness” practices into everyday life. These practices can only enhance relationships by putting the focus on others and what can best be done to fit their needs. I think that if many people realized that what they put out into this world comes back to them, they would undoubtedly think before acting (Dacher, 2006, p. 118).

Dacher, E. S. (2006). “Interpersonal flourishing”. Integral Health: The Path to Human

Flourishing.  Laguna Beach. CA: Basic Health Publications

Breathe In....Breathe Out...Happy Holidays Everyone!

Because I seem to have trouble reaching a full meditative state, I use breathing exercises and visualization as a means of increasing my psychological wellness.  I tend to forget how to breathe the most natural and healthy way and by engaging in a diaphragmatic breathing exercise it enables me to relax. It also helps me clear my mind because I am concentrating on the proper breathing technique instead of all of the things I need to get done today. It has a deeply relaxing effect over me, and I need a little extra relaxation to get through the additional stress that the holidays seem to bring. 

I always seem to find those that struggle in their lives, and have the ability to learn from it and teach others, the most admirable of individuals. How great a gift it is to others when you can take a roadblock in life and use your wisdom to turn it into an expressway for others so that they do not have to go through the same experience. To me, this is the true sense of giving oneself to another. This statement parallels the  “practicing what you preach” idea.  It reminds me of when I was growing up and my mother—who was a smoker—would preach to me about the dangers of smoking. The irony of it though, was that because I had a mother that smoked, I therefore had no desire to do so.  But I also would never criticize anyone who may have struggled, or is currently struggling with, a negative health behavior such as smoking because their experience may be used to benefit others in the future. A person’s past  negative health behaviors may be used to help those who are currently  engaging in these behaviors. For example, a drug and alcohol counselor who has battled with addictions themselves maybe able to offer more credibility and insight into why a person struggles with addiction. Their experiences may also enable the struggling addict to trust their guidance more.

Lend me your ear……….

The Loving Kindness meditation and the Integral Assessment are both great lessons in selflessness. Learning to truly be in the moment, whether it is as a listener to others or as a caretaker, is a gift of healing not only for others but for oneself. Personally, I feel that being a good listener is a strong character trait to behold.  I think that the majority of people just want to be heard and not necessarily advised all the time. I often find myself wanting to help out my friends with some advice for their current woes, but then I have to remind myself that it is not about me right now. Sure, I have the best of intentions with wanting to help them, but unless the words “what do you think?” come out of their mouths—I keep mine shut.  More often than not people know the answers to their problems and just need a sympathetic ear to vent to. Also, many times people are dreading looking inside themselves for these answers because they are frightened at what the truth will reveal.  These people need to work through these problems on their own, but the help of a good listener never hurts.

Unit 5 Project: Mind and Body Workout

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0Re7fTS4hWgYWE2MGM5N2YtOTYzZS00NDM4LWFiMjMtOTQwNzgzMjk5ZGZl&hl=en

Trying to Tame My Wandering Mind.....

In comparing and contrasting the Loving Kindness exercise with the Subtle mind exercise, I found the latter to be more conducive to my nature. I found the Living Kindness exercise to be more beneficial in that it forced me to focus on others and not just myself.  I am finding that my mind is not so subtle, therefore the long pauses in this audio made it hard for me to embrace and release the myriad mental distractions I had.  It is indeed a difficult task to tame the wandering mind. Although I did find the breathe and mind connection exercise very relaxing and the fact that I can implement it anytime is a wonderful thing.

Although I do not subscribe to a particular god, I do believe in a higher power.  I also think that it is important to embrace spirituality in any form and integrate it into our lives. I feel that there is a direct connection between our mind, body and spiritual wellness but the challenge is balancing the three.  For instance, I feel most connected to a spiritual state when I give of myself to others in the form of volunteering etc.  The sense of joy I receive from helping others directly benefits my mind and body. This I feel is one of the simplest and organic ways to achieve spiritual, mental, and physical wellness in my life.