Unit 10 REFLECTION

Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas. How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?

In my unit 3 personal assessment, I rated my physical well being a 5, my spiritual well being at a 9 and my psychological wellbeing at a 9. AT the moment, I score my physical well being at a 3, but my spiritual and psychological wellbeing remain the same. I have put on 10 pounds due to physical restrictions and improper diet. But my spiritually and psychologically well being remained the same. My faith in my God is still unshaken despite the many physical challenges I have been facing. Due to meditation and daily prayers my psychological well-being is still strong. I still see all the issues I am facing as obstacles to conquer.

Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.

I am still working hard on incorporating meditation as part of my weekly activities. I am yet to attend a religious service and I am slowing working toward my physical recovery even though I might be having a major surgery in about two to three weeks and I might have to work on a new plan to recover.

Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.

I am still practicing visualization because it is like taking a mini vacation without the hassle of a vacation and I love it.

Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

Meditation has been the hardest because finding the time and actually trying to focus. Because I have experience the positive benefits of many of the exercise I have practiced throughout the class. I feel confident in trying to help someone else reach that stage and be there for them every step.

 

UNIT 9 FINAL PROJECT

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?

It is essential for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because they will be able to lead by example and I also believe it will give them a greater intake of the importance of integral health practices benefits for them and enable them to also help their patients. They will understand and appreciate the relationships between each component

In order to achieve the goals for my optimal well being, I need to emphasize on the physical aspects and psychological aspect. Since my last doctor visit, I have been very limited on the physical exercises I used to do. Therefore, I am learning to practice yoga more and water aerobics because I can obtain the same benefits without causing more injury and allowing my body to heal. Meditation has helped deal with issues in a more positive way, but I still do not give it a priority in my life. I am putting medication as a requirement for me to do weekly. I am amazed by the positive energy I get from meditation.

II - Assessment:

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

When I took this assessment on 20 August 2013, I scored 5 for physical well being and 9 for spiritually and psychologically well being.  I will admit that my physical well being has declined to a 3. I have put on 10 pounds due to physical restrictions and improper diet. But my spiritually and psychologically well being remained the same. My faith in my God is still unshaken despite the many physical challenges I have been facing. Due to meditation and daily prayers my psychological well-being is still strong. I still see all the issues I am facing as obstacles to conquer.

According to Dacher, “meditation can be very powerful in expanding your mind and heart and serve as an antidote to anger and hatred. It can help shift your focus from personal love to universal loving kindness.” (Dacher, 2006)

III - Goal development:

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

Physical Goal - A few of my physical goals are to start to attend the Yoga Session offered every Wednesday at my local gym and to practice water aerobic twice a week and attend the swimming lesson session I sign for. My physical goals a few weeks ago were very different, but the doctor told me that I will not be running anytime so my body can recover after the surgery, but I still plan on climbing Mount Fuji while I am in Japan even if it takes me a whole week.

Spiritual Goal - My spiritual goal is to still to attend church at least once every month in order to meet with other people that share my beliefs.
Psychological Goal - My psychological goal is to make sure that I continue to maintain a positive outlook at life and to incorporate weekly meditation for at least 15 minutes or more.

 

 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.

As you have read above, I have had a declination to my physical well-being and I intend to improve on it without causing further injury to myself. Yoga will be beneficial to me because yoga will help to promote a balanced development of my physical, mental and spiritual being. It will also help to reduces stress and tension in the physical body by activating parasympathetic nervous system. (Yoga, 2013)

I also intend to practice more meditation because meditation is helpful for the body and very beneficial. Scientifically proven, meditation can help with stress, depression, and anxiety. It is helpful for the emotional problems of daily life, when things go wrong, it opens the heart and makes you more aware. (Gursam, 2009)

 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 have downloaded on my cell phone, MyFitnessPal which helps me keep a daily food intake diary and physical fitness. I am attending the swimming lesson and yoga session with a friend in order to keep tab on each other. I spoke to my family regarding attending church regularly and they are all on board for it. As far as meditation, I also have a reminder on my phone. After a few practices, it will become a habit. I will keep a calendar and diary and try to find some of the barriers that might have prevent me from progressing in some aspects and also the diary will help to maintain the progress by continuing the same practices.

References

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

Gursam, L. (2009, February 22). Importance of Meditation. Retrieved from LamaGursam.org: http://www.lamagursam.org/importance_of_meditation.html

Yoga, T. E. (2013, September 29). Retrieved from M&D INDIA: http://www.medindia.net/yoga-lifestyle/yoga-importance.htm

 

Unit 8

Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples

I will say visualization is the most beneficial to me because due to my hectic and stressful daily schedule. Practicing visualization has allowed me to escape for a moment and be in a peaceful surrounding for a few minutes which usually energized me and allowed me to be more relaxed and be ready to face the next challenge. It is like taking a vacation without having to pay for it and the tress of travelling. It allows me to see mostly the positive things in my life and not dwell much on the negativity that surround me. At work, I have a co-worker that is very unhappy at work and in his personal life and you can feel the negative energy from him; we share a small office unfortunately, so it is hard to escape his daily angry, grumpy path. Therefore trying to overcome his negative energy which he brings with him every day is hard but between visualization and meditation. I am doing much better than I thought I would, but all goes to visualization, meditation and my trust in my God to help me overcome any obstacle and not get caught in negativity.

 

Caroline Mckinstry

Unit 7

Complete the Meeting Aesclepius mp3 (located in the Doc Sharing area). Describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

Due to terrible weather here, I did not have a chance to experience this specific meditation. But I love meditation, mostly visualizing. My workload is heavy on a daily basis, but being able to meditate a few minutes every day allows me to rejuvenate and energized for the next day. My first line supervisor worries that I will soon burn out, but I feel fine because I take the time out of the day or the week to allow myself to relax and find peace and calmness.

Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477). How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

As a Soldier, we learned as young leaders never to have a subordinate do something you are not willing to do yourself or has not done yourself. Meaning it is hard to help an individual accomplish something you have not done. Any leader in any field should lead by example. How can you convince someone to live a healthier lifestyle if you are willing to follow your own advices? I think I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life by setting realistic goals until I reach my desired goals.

Unit 6: Loving Kindness Exercise and Integral Assessment Process

The first two minutes of the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise were hard to focus, but as I say each word and finish each sentence, I felt happier and more peaceful inside. As I repeat each sentence over and over, I feel peace surrounded me from outside. I felt complete relaxation and I felt as I was healing too. It was very powerful and enlightening for me. I was able to get a good night sleep.

I chose interpersonal development for the Integral Assessment Process because as my injury is worsening, I will soon be out of a very stable job that I am great at. My family income will be affected. I will be staying at home for a while as I recover from my surgery and I have been working since 16 years of age. What do I do at home?

I need to focus on practicing the meditation exercises I have learned to keep my mental fitness sharp because I am going to have to rely heavily on my mental agility to make the transition from being employed to unemployed and from having physical restrictions for a few months to a year. I need to allow myself to fully recover without feeling guilty when I am not capable of doing something that I used to.

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

Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise.

The Loving Kindness exercise forces you to visualize and feel different experiences within one exercise. Both exercises require you to be at peace and at ease. The Subtle Mind Exercise which is so far my favorite showed a direct relationship between the breath and the mind. Peaceful breathing pattern leads to a peaceful mind. We learn that we can use our breath to tame and stabilize the mind.

Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

I have started to use the technique of slow and deep breathing a while ago. It does not always work for me, but this one was one of the best for me. The last one was hard for me to focus. With this one, I was able to attain a moment of silence where I think my mind stopped to think for a moment. I felt at peace and felt fully relaxed. I had a terrible migraine prior to starting the exercise, but did the exercise anyway. I have not felt the migraine since then.

Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness.

Physical Wellness – It is the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows us to get through our daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress.

 Spiritual Wellness – It is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives.

Mental Wellness - It is the ability to understand ourselves and cope with the challenges life can bring.

In order to obtain wellness, we need a full integration of states of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Each of them acts and interacts with each other in a way that contributes to our own quality of life

Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

I have always had bad luck with my health since I was a child. But I am learning that if the mind is healthy the body will respond as healthy and the spirit will be all knowing and healthy as well. Therefore, I can use what I am learning to improve my overall health. I would like to take less medication. So far, I am finding that I am still physically and mentally fit because my mind is stronger and has not failed me. I would like to keep on making it stronger in order to achieve my goal of a good health.

References:

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

Wellness, S. D. (2012, September 27). Retrieved from University of California, Riverside: http://wellness.ucr.edu/seven_dimensions.html

 

 

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?

I exercise daily physically to keep physically fit and try to read an entire book of 100 pages or more throughout a month and play games that keep my mind sharp. Therefore, I can understand the concept of “mental workout” as a way to maintain to exercise this part of the mind and maintain your psychospiritual wellness. We all understand that in order to create wellness and health dealing with the whole body, we must not only deal with a part, but deal with the whole body and mind. Therefore, I can see how the concept of “mental workout “plays a great role. It is like trying to reach the road to happiness, health, and wholeness with daily exercise and commitment

Research indicates that it can release tension and we can better focus on more positive thoughts. There are proven benefits of mental workout that mental training can alleviate anxiety something that I deal with sometimes and has both long term and short term benefits.

 In order to implement mental workout in my own life which I am in great need of. I will try to also incorporate this meditation into my weekly activities because meditation so far has helped me renew my energy and feel more at peace with myself and my surrounding.

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

I was able to feel some calmness mostly after such an exhausting weekend and feel a bit energized and peaceful. However, it was very hard trying to focus. Part of my mind was focusing on the waves which were so relaxing and trying to focus on the words were a bit challenging. As in everything in life” practice makes perfect” I will keep on practicing. I will definitely recommend it to others mostly my sister because she has deal with a lot at young age and has been trying to become pregnant for a few years but has not gotten lucky. I think this type of exercise will help to relax and find peace within and maybe she will be able to conceive.

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