Unit 10 final post

I cannot believe it has come to an end.  It has been a great experience and I have learned a lot through this course.  Looking back at our coursework, I have realized that maybe I need to make some changes in my life.  Recently I have had a lot going on and I have not been able to start this new journey of me.  I have had some bumps in my road, and hopefully in the near future that will change.

I was able to review my coursework that I did in unit 3 and see where I rated my psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being.  All three were ranked in about a 5 standing.  I am still there or actually a little worse right now.  I have been going through a lot lately and have not had the chance to make any change in this yet, but I plan on making a big step out of it real soon.  I was about to say opportunity, but there is no opportunity like now and I know that.  I just have to wake up and realize that now is best then tomorrow to make a change.  I first need to change myself before I change others, and I know that.  This course has made me realize that.  The future has yet to begin for me in the world of my change, but it will real soon.  I know there is a lot I need to change in myself, but things take one step at a time.  This new journey is about to begin in baby steps.

~Nancy

Unit 9 Final Project

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, physically, and spiritually because it is important for a professional to know who they are inside and outside.  Many professionals think they know who they really are, but in the long run they realize they do not.  It is the same thing for people who are not professionals; we are always trying to figure out who we are on the inside and who we are on the outside.  It is a tough journey, but many of us have to go through it.  If a health and wellness professional knows who they are then it might be easier for them to treat the patient as a whole. 

            It is important for the professional to develop psychologically because they need to have compassion for the patient, and understanding of where the patient is coming from.  They have to be emotionally stable, to show the patient they understand what it means to have many mixed emotions.  A professional has to have the knowledge of knowing the different psychological signs that a patient is going through.  They need to have the experience of knowing the different psychological signs so that way the professional knows how and when to address the issue.  Sometimes you cannot address the issue straight on, so it is important to pick the right point, and so that way experience is necessary for a health and wellness professional. 

            It is also important to grow spiritually so they understand their purpose in this life.  A health and wellness professional needs to be spiritually bound so they can teach others to find their journey in life.  Also, they need to teach others how others in their life should be treated, how they should treat themselves.  Growing spiritually is a difficult task, and professionals have probably used up a lot of their time trying to figure out who they are spiritually.  I think it takes a while or even one’s self-journey to figure that out.  You cannot teach someone to be spiritual; you can only show them the right path for them to go.  I think that a professional cannot show you where to look in a book, rather show you how they found their spiritual path.  There are many patients who have a different spiritual path then our own, so it is important for them to have an open mind and allow different opinions to flow through.  It is important for one not to be judgmental of another’s opinion on what spirituality means. Spirituality can affect one’s health.  “Medical studies have confirmed that spirituality can have a profound effect on mental states. In a study of men who were hospitalized, nearly half rated religion as helpful in coping with their illness. A second study showed that the more religious patients were, the more quickly they recovered from some disorders. A third study revealed that high levels of hope and optimism, key factors in fighting depression, were found among those who strictly practiced their religion” (Kids Health, 2012).

            A health and wellness professional needs to be developed physically to show their patients that it is important to stay healthy in their life.  It is important for a professional to show their patient that eating healthy and exercising is very important as developing the mind.  They have to understand that physically, emotionally, and spiritually go hand in hand, and so it is important for the professional to be healthy.  They have to show their patients the right track on eating healthy foods, and staying away from bad behaviors that will eventually make them lose their way of life. 

            Being developed physically, spiritually, and psychologically will make a physician a well-rounded individual.  They need to show that it is important for all three aspects to be one for the body to feel whole. All three of these aspects cannot be developed overnight; each one will take a while, but in the end you will feel whole and the professional will able to teach what they taught themselves.

            For myself, I think I need to develop all three of these aspects.  I have not found myself spiritually, physically, or psychologically yet.  I still have much room for improvement, and I think my journey through life will help me develop each one of these aspects.  I used the scale 1-10 to rate my psychological, physical, and spiritual journey. 

            My rate for physical well-being is about a 5.  There is a lot of stuff that I need to fix about my physical body.  First off, I need to eat a lot healthier and I need to relax a lot more.  Stress is affecting my body more now than ever before.  At least now I have been implementing more of a physical activity routine.  Hopefully, I can stick to it and not give up.  My goal is work out about 2 times per week, and then increase the days and time.  I do not want to go head first into it, because then I might give up.  I find it better to start it slowly, and then work my way up.  I have joined a gym in my area, but I think during the summer I would like the use the outdoor area for more physical exercise.  I could take long walks on the beach and get my exercise that way, instead of being indoors.

            My spiritual well-being is about a 5.  I am still trying to be in touch with my 'spiritual' surroundings.  I have been trying to relate my spirituality to Mother Nature, and what she has to offer me.  I rated it a 5 because I am still learning the process of being one with my surroundings.  It is a hard process to learn, but it is fun.  I was never a spiritual person, but lately I think I need to be more in touch with it.  One of my goals for this summer is to enjoy the outside more, and to go to other states and enjoy the nature that it has to offer.  I have not gone camping in a while, so I think that it would be a good idea to get some family and friends and enjoy camping.  There are so many places in my area that I can camp at, and I want to be able to take advantage of it.  Many people do not have that advantage, like I do.

            I will rate my psychological well-being as maybe a 4.5.  I have been going through a lot of rough times lately, and I have finally able to deal with a lot of past issues that have been coming up.  These issues have been affecting me for so long that I thought it is time to start dealing with them and moving on.  Instead of being a victim, I rather be a survivor.  To be a survivor you need to overcome past issues that are constantly affecting your life.  Talking to other people who have experienced the same thing that I have might make it easier for me to overcome some of the obstacles in my life that I am dealing with.  I find it might be easier to locate a support group to get some advice to deal with the current issues. 

            In order to implement my physical goal, I have two different strategies that might work for me.  My first strategy is to work out a plan with my endocrinologist.  I have been having problems with my thyroid, so I have been gaining weight.  I have started a plan with my doctor to see what medicines are best for me to go back to my normal weight.  Right now, I am not at the weight I am supposed to be and it is hurting me physically and mentally.  We are going to implement a plan on seeing what natural and conventional methods will help me get back to my original weight.  I do not want to rely on medicine, but for now I have to and hopefully in the future I can just rely on natural products to keep my thyroid in check.  Also, I think I should find a work out buddy.  Finding a work out buddy could keep me in check and not let me give up on losing weight.   I think finding someone to work out with can help me stick to my goals and not give up.

            Psychologically, I am seeking out a therapist so I can stop thinking negative thoughts about myself, and help me get through past issues that I have been holding onto for a very long time.  Seeking a therapist will help me achieve my other goals because I will be more focused and more determined to fight for what I want to fight for.  Meditation will also help me through this process as well.  I want to do at least 10 minutes of meditation per night so I can have a sound sleep.  I also want to find some meditation CDs that I might like; especially sound of nature.

            Spiritually, I think I will work this one out with my sister in law.  She is in tune with mother earth and her surroundings, and I think I will take one day out of the week to meet with her and work on my spiritual side.  She follows mother earth and what mother earth can bring her.  She listens to her surroundings and she believes in what energy flows through her.  I think this is very interesting, so I would like to be part of it, so I can grow spiritually. 

            I decided to use Dacher’s Preparation method to prepare me for a future growth in each of these aspects: spiritual, psychological, and physical.  I followed Dacher’s Preparation to get me started in this new experience that I will encounter in finding who I truly am.  Dacher uses loving-kindness, skillful action, and silence and stillness to allow someone to flow to their new self and new beginnings (Dacher, 2006).  Dacher (2006) states: “At first, we need to have faith that will motivate us to rechannel our energy from the exclusive pursuit of outer health and healing to a holistic and evolutionary integral approach.  We accomplish this by reminding ourselves again and again about the unique and precious opportunities of human life, especially our life” (p. 50). 

            I will begin this new journey by using the concept loving-kindness.  I will be recognizing that others have feelings; just like me.  I will be sensitive to other’s needs, as they are to mine.  I will be patient with others, as I learn to be patient with myself.  I will be open to the differences that surround me.  Dacher (2006) states: “The mind drives our outer actions so the mind is where we must being” (p. 51).  I must start out in my mind for my body and mind to become one.  If I start out psychologically and spiritually, then I will be able to fix my physical well-being to.  Dacher (2006) states in his skillful action section that “what is learned can be changed” (p. 53).  I fear that I have learned too many negative thing; such as thinking negative about myself and treating my body in a negative way, by eating unhealthy and unnatural things.  I fear that I cannot change my past, and learn a new beginning. 

            In the next six months I will make a promise to myself to change the unhealthy feeling and unhealthy behaviors that I have.  I will promise myself through notes that I will be able to conquer anything that I put my mind too.  I will also realize that change is hard to do, but if I put my mind to it I can accomplish anything that I want to do.  I will not let fear take over my mind and body, and I will not let fear force me to give up on becoming someone that I have always wanted to become.   I will drive away any type of fear that I have through my spiritual and psychological growth.  Once I have established those goals, I will work on my physical well-being.  I need to tell myself that I can do anything, and that I can accomplish this task. 

I will use my family and friends to guide me through this new process that I will be starting.  I always try to start this new journey, but then I give up.  I will seek out someone who will motivate me to meet all my demands and help me fight all my fears.  I will start out by using a therapist to help me fight the past feelings that I once had, and I will use my therapist to allow me to fight for what I want in the future.  Many of us will become therapists in the future, but many of us do not realize that maybe we should seek out some sort of therapy now to help with our new beginnings.  It took me a long time to realize that maybe I need to talk to someone about my feelings.  I sought this person out, and I can say that I have begun my new journey.

 Reference

Kids Health (2012). Retrieved on May 19, 2012, from how can spirituality affect your family’s          health: http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/spirituality.html  
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing Laguna Beach, CA: Basic   Health Publication

Unit 8: Meditation and Subtle Mind

The two practices that I chose to encorporate in my holistic journey this week is obtaining a subtle mind through the use of meditation.  Lately, there has been so much chatter going on in my head and I have been trying to use meditation, that I have always used, to get rid of certain so called chatter within my head.  I have been using the same form of meditation for a very long time, and lately it has not been working.

The three levels of the subtle mind are witnessing, calm-abiding, and unity consciousness.  The witnessing mind is when our mind is so confused that it cannot focus on a given topic or situation.  Meditating is a great way to train the mind, and ease the mind as well.  When there is constant 'chatter' in our mind, it is hard to focus, so meditating is something that should be used in our personal life on every given day(Dacher, 2006). “With practice and practice, the active mind is gradually tamed and subdued.  It’s transformed from its usual state of busyness to an increasingly sustained and effortless stillness.  When the stillness is stable, we refer to this as the mind of calm-abiding.  Calm-abiding is an unusual and remarkable accomplishment.  The mind is undisturbed by the thoughts, feelings, and images that usually occupy our awareness.  These mental movements simply arise and fall without drawing our attention or interest.  We develop a ‘Teflon’ mind.  It is a great ocean unaffected by the rising and falling of waves” (Dacher, 2006, p. 73). 

With a calm-abiding mind, we can accomplish pretty much anything that we want.  This is a type of mind where no other thoughts can dishevel our current important thought.  This is great when we are taking tests for school, and we need to focus on the current information that is relevant for the test.  "When we finally stop clinging to the movements of our mind, we discover that what we feared to be emptiness is actually our essence- a still mind and open heart that is free, at ease, and one with all existence.  Witnessing and calm-abding are preparation for this fall into our deepest self.  That is unity consciousness" (Dacher, 2006, p. 74).  When our mind is at ease, and ready to learn new information, our bodies are more relaxed.  If we allow our minds to relax on a daily basis then we can inhale more information and be relaxed at the same time.

We all have busy days, and sometimes those busy days get the best of us.  We become annoyed with every little thing, and every person.  Sometimes, we do not mean to be like this, but our 'untrained' mind takes over.  I believe if you count to ten before you talk to someone either at work or at home then you are able to avoid conflict.  We need to relax our minds before tackling a new paper that has a deadline, or a party that has to be thrown at your house because it is your child's birthday.  We all want those days where everything is planned out and nothing goes wrong, but that is not the typical day for many or yet all of us.  We cannot plan everything, but we can learn how to relax our minds before unplanned parties need to be planned.  Meditation and different forms of energy balancing techniques can help us to release the stress and inhale the ability to control the uncontrollable.

Reference

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Unit 7 Practice What We Preach

I have been going through a lot lately, and when I did the exercise I started thinking about someone that I did not want to think about it.  I tried my hardest to think of someone that I wanted to think about, but then it went back to the person that I could not get out of my mind.  I thought this exercise was a little hard for me.  If I was in a better state of mind (calm mind) then maybe it would of been a lot easier for me to think of someone I wanted to think of, but it was very difficult for me to picture the person that  I wanted to.  I think that if you train your mind to think of someone you want to think about, then maybe it would of been easier.  This is really the only exercise that I really could not get any results from.  At least the other meditation practices actually allowed me to be calm, but this one actually made me more stressed. 

Meditation has increased my mind the last few weeks because it actually allowed me to calm my inner feelings and control my outer ones.  I feel like I am more one with myself, and even feel even more connected with myself amd others then I did before.  Yes, this exercise was a little difficult for me, and that is because I am thinking of someone that I am trying to forget.  I also realize that there are a bunch of people who do care for me, but I tend to push them away.  I feel that if I continue some of the breathing and meditation exercises, then I would probably benefit more from this exercise then I did with the other exercises, but as of right now I cannot allow myself to feel what these exercises are capable of allowing us to feel within ourselves.

"One cannot lead another while one has not gone themselves" means that for example meditation: you should not teach and talk about meditation if you have not meditated yourself, and I think it is important to express one's feelings on a specific topic if only you have experienced it some way or another.  It is about practicing what we preach, and not being a hypocrite.  If you have not experienced something what you are trying to lead to others, then how can one lead? 

Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually?  Yes, I feel that one does have an obligation to always to continue to grow psychologically, physically, and spiritually.  I think we all continue to grow in these aspects every day of our lives.  We experience new experiences and feelings every different day, and I believe these experiences help us grow in one way or another. 

How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?  I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my life getting to know what my true feelings are.  I think if you can tell yourself and others the truth about yourself then you will able to grow within yourself, and then with any other aspect in your life.  I also feel that if you continue to tell yourself the truth about yourself, then everything will fall into its own place, and then in turn will help you grow psychologically and spiritually.