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 unit 3 I scored myself as being 7, 6 and 7 in physical, spiritual and psychological wellness respectively. Now I would score myself as 9, 7 and 8 respectively. I feel that the work we have done in this class has really made me more aware of myself and my personal wellness.
Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.
I have definitely made progress physically and mentally. I have been running at least four days a week so I have been successful in make exercise more regular. I have also found myself to be more relaxed and to have an easier time quieting my mind and calming myself when I do get stressed. However, I have not changed a whole lot spiritually given that I still do not have a church home. That is something I will still need to work on.
Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.
I have been able to at least get a start on implementing all of the activities that I thought of in unit 3. I just hope that I will be able to keep up on them and not neglect the development that I have already achieved.
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?
My overall wellness has definitely improved and been brought to a place where it has never been thanks to this class. It has been rewarding in that I have learned techniques that can benefit me throughout the rest of my life. However, I have found parts of it frustrating in that I still have trouble quieting my mind and focusing inward to meditate. I know that this is something that will take practice and I hope that I will be able to continue to practice even after this class is over but I am not sure given that it is not something that I have ever really been into. I hope that the experience and difficulties that I have had in this class will make me better able to help others through their own difficulties and journeys.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
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?
Health and wellness professionals have an obligation to their clients and patients to set an example of positive health practices. This way, they can speak from experience and demonstrate to the people that they serve what integral health looks like and how it can benefit everyone's everyday life. For example, if I were to meet a nutritionist who was overweight I would not trust them to steer me in the right direction nutritionally since they clearly had some problems themselves in that area. I feel like I am already in a very good place physically since I run most days, work out with weights and eat very well nutritionally. However, I know that I have some work to do in the areas of spiritual and psychological health. As of right now I would not feel able to counsel someone in their spiritual life because my spiritual life is not terrible stable. I have some really good days but other days are hard and I do not necessarily know why they are hard or how I can fix that. Until I know that about myself there is no way that I would be able to help someone else through hard times. Psychologically I am in a better place than I used to be but I still have a lot of body image issues and I need to work on my mindset in reference to that before I can help someone else. I am also still working on being able to quiet my mind and focus on meditation. This class has been enormously helpful in this area but I still feel like I have a long way to go.
II Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Spiritually I would rate myself an average of 7. I have some really good days when I feel very close to God and feel like I can talk to him and he hears me. Other days though I feel lost and out of touch and it is very frustrating. Lately I have had more good days then bad days, something that I attribute at least partially to what we have been working on in this class. I'm hoping that once I switch my hours around at this job and am no longer working on Sunday mornings it will be easier to get to church. Since I grew up going to church every Sunday this has always been a very important part of my spiritual life and I know it will help me in my spiritual journey.
Physically I would rate myself between an 8 and a 9, though I'm sure my husband would say that I am a 10. I am always hard on myself about how I am physically but I think this is part of why I am able to push myself on my workouts and really feel like I have gotten a lot out of them. I think this is the area on which I need the least improvement and it is definitely the area that I enjoy working on the most.
Psychologically I would rate myself at an 8. I have begun having an easier time calming myself when I get stressed and keeping that calm for a longer period of time. Lately I have started to feel more in tune with my self and more able to appreciate and be aware of others as well. I know that this has made me a better employee, wife, mother and student and it is very exciting for me. However, although I have made progress I still feel like there is quite a lot of room for improvement. I know that this improvement can only come through practice and hard work on my part. It is particularly hard because this is something that I have never worked on before, but I know that I can do it.
III Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
Physically I am currently in training for my first half marathon and I want to be able to run it in less than 2:30. This means that I not only need to work on my endurance but also on increasing my speed. The race is not until the end of April so I am confident that I will be able to do it.
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?
Health and wellness professionals have an obligation to their clients and patients to set an example of positive health practices. This way, they can speak from experience and demonstrate to the people that they serve what integral health looks like and how it can benefit everyone's everyday life. For example, if I were to meet a nutritionist who was overweight I would not trust them to steer me in the right direction nutritionally since they clearly had some problems themselves in that area. I feel like I am already in a very good place physically since I run most days, work out with weights and eat very well nutritionally. However, I know that I have some work to do in the areas of spiritual and psychological health. As of right now I would not feel able to counsel someone in their spiritual life because my spiritual life is not terrible stable. I have some really good days but other days are hard and I do not necessarily know why they are hard or how I can fix that. Until I know that about myself there is no way that I would be able to help someone else through hard times. Psychologically I am in a better place than I used to be but I still have a lot of body image issues and I need to work on my mindset in reference to that before I can help someone else. I am also still working on being able to quiet my mind and focus on meditation. This class has been enormously helpful in this area but I still feel like I have a long way to go.
II Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
Spiritually I would rate myself an average of 7. I have some really good days when I feel very close to God and feel like I can talk to him and he hears me. Other days though I feel lost and out of touch and it is very frustrating. Lately I have had more good days then bad days, something that I attribute at least partially to what we have been working on in this class. I'm hoping that once I switch my hours around at this job and am no longer working on Sunday mornings it will be easier to get to church. Since I grew up going to church every Sunday this has always been a very important part of my spiritual life and I know it will help me in my spiritual journey.
Physically I would rate myself between an 8 and a 9, though I'm sure my husband would say that I am a 10. I am always hard on myself about how I am physically but I think this is part of why I am able to push myself on my workouts and really feel like I have gotten a lot out of them. I think this is the area on which I need the least improvement and it is definitely the area that I enjoy working on the most.
Psychologically I would rate myself at an 8. I have begun having an easier time calming myself when I get stressed and keeping that calm for a longer period of time. Lately I have started to feel more in tune with my self and more able to appreciate and be aware of others as well. I know that this has made me a better employee, wife, mother and student and it is very exciting for me. However, although I have made progress I still feel like there is quite a lot of room for improvement. I know that this improvement can only come through practice and hard work on my part. It is particularly hard because this is something that I have never worked on before, but I know that I can do it.
III Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
Physically I am currently in training for my first half marathon and I want to be able to run it in less than 2:30. This means that I not only need to work on my endurance but also on increasing my speed. The race is not until the end of April so I am confident that I will be able to do it.
Psychologically I want to become more aware of myself so that, when something goes wrong in my body I can immediately be aware of it and know what to do to make it better. This is something that I am working on and I know that it will be an asset to me physically as well.
Spiritually I want to become more consistent. I have some days that are really good and others that are not so good, but I can't yet pinpoint why some days are better than others. To really grow in this area I know that I need to be able to know why some days are better than others so I can make every day a good spiritual day.
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.
Physically I will run greater and greater distances and consciously work on running faster and longer. I want to make my body used to sustaining exercise for hours continuously so that I can be ready for the race. I also plan on upping my resistance and weight training so that I can increase my overall strength which I am thinking will also help to make me faster. These things will be easy to implement because I already have an exercise regimen in place, all this will take is increasing the intensity and length of my workouts.
Psychologically I plan on making more time for myself so that I can focus on myself instead of always only focusing on others. This can be really hard given that I am a mom and I like to take care of people but I know that it is important. I plan on taking time to continue the practices that I have learned in this class in visualization and quieting my mind to focus on the stillness instead of the frantic activity.
Spiritually it will be very helpful to me to return to church and get involved in that life again. I find that the support and encouragement offered by the church to be a great source of solace and positive reinforcement. I also plan on praying more out loud with my husband and children.
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?
Since I tend to be hard on myself and am therefore a poor judge of my own progress I intend on making my husband and sisters aware of my goals and how I intend to reach them. This way I can have several different viewpoints as to how well I am doing. I have never been one to enjoy or feel like I benefit from journaling, so I think that making myself accountable to other people and talking to them regularly about my progress will be better. In order to make sure that I maintain my goals I need to schedule meticulously in the beginning and really get myself into the habit of all of these new things that I have learned in this class. That way these practices will become a part of my life instead of something I need to think about.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Unit 8 Post
1. 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 particularly found the Loving Kindness and Visualization exercises to be the most helpful and enjoyable. I loved how calm and well-centered the Loving Kindness exercise made me feel each time I completed it. It always left me with a feeling of great accomplishment and positive feelings for myself and everyone else. I am a firm believer in the idea that if you can see yourself a certain way, you can become whatever it is that you see. The Visualization exercise really helped me to concentrate on what I wanted to be and helped me to see how I could make it happen.
The Loving Kindness exercise is something I plan on using while I am on my way to work to help me get into a positive mindset for the day. I work with many different kids of people, some of whom are not always pleasant, so cultivating my feelings of goodwill to everyone will help me to approach every person and situation positively. The Visualize exercise will be great during my runs since it will help to motivate me to push myself with every workout.
I know that the things that I have learned about in this class will be very beneficial to me in the future!
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
I particularly found the Loving Kindness and Visualization exercises to be the most helpful and enjoyable. I loved how calm and well-centered the Loving Kindness exercise made me feel each time I completed it. It always left me with a feeling of great accomplishment and positive feelings for myself and everyone else. I am a firm believer in the idea that if you can see yourself a certain way, you can become whatever it is that you see. The Visualization exercise really helped me to concentrate on what I wanted to be and helped me to see how I could make it happen.
The Loving Kindness exercise is something I plan on using while I am on my way to work to help me get into a positive mindset for the day. I work with many different kids of people, some of whom are not always pleasant, so cultivating my feelings of goodwill to everyone will help me to approach every person and situation positively. The Visualize exercise will be great during my runs since it will help to motivate me to push myself with every workout.
I know that the things that I have learned about in this class will be very beneficial to me in the future!
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
Friday, November 5, 2010
Unit 7 Post
1. Complete the "Meeting Asciepius" exercise on track #4 of the Dacher CD. Describe your meditative practice(s) 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?
I enjoyed this meditation, as I have the preceding ones. Sometimes I have a great deal of trouble quieting my mind and really focusing in on what I am supposed to be doing, but this week it felt like a massage for my mind. I didn't want it to end and it really put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. These meditation have been very helpful to me since, like many people, I hadn't really given any time or thought to my spiritual wellness before taking this course. Now it is something that I pay attention to every day and I do feel like I am making at least a little bit of progress. The best way that I can think of the continue to grow in the spirituality and psychological wellbeing is to make a point to practice everyday. Given my schedule I know the only way to do this is to schedule a specific time or times every day and stick to it.
2. 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?
This statement is referring to the idea that it is impossible to have anyone really take your word to heart if you do not set an example. As a professional in the healthcare field I know that it is important to set an example of wellness and the best health possible to my future clients. That way they can see me as an example and know that what I am telling them really does work and is true. Otherwise they are likely to take what I say with a grain of salt because it will be clear that I don't believe it myself. Personally, I have to always be careful of what I say and do around my kids because they pick up on everything and remember it. They remember far more of what they see me do than what they hear me say, so I have to always live up to my word in every way possible.
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
I enjoyed this meditation, as I have the preceding ones. Sometimes I have a great deal of trouble quieting my mind and really focusing in on what I am supposed to be doing, but this week it felt like a massage for my mind. I didn't want it to end and it really put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. These meditation have been very helpful to me since, like many people, I hadn't really given any time or thought to my spiritual wellness before taking this course. Now it is something that I pay attention to every day and I do feel like I am making at least a little bit of progress. The best way that I can think of the continue to grow in the spirituality and psychological wellbeing is to make a point to practice everyday. Given my schedule I know the only way to do this is to schedule a specific time or times every day and stick to it.
2. 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?
This statement is referring to the idea that it is impossible to have anyone really take your word to heart if you do not set an example. As a professional in the healthcare field I know that it is important to set an example of wellness and the best health possible to my future clients. That way they can see me as an example and know that what I am telling them really does work and is true. Otherwise they are likely to take what I say with a grain of salt because it will be clear that I don't believe it myself. Personally, I have to always be careful of what I say and do around my kids because they pick up on everything and remember it. They remember far more of what they see me do than what they hear me say, so I have to always live up to my word in every way possible.
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
Friday, October 29, 2010
Unit 6 Post
1. Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise on p. 93.
2. Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).
3. 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?
I found both the exercise and the assessment to be very interesting to do. However, I found that I really haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to by this point of the class. I think it is because I have not had much mental energy to spend on these exercises and for that I feel very bad. I have noticed a little bit of change, mainly in my ability to realize when I am losing my patience (with my kids, people at my job, my husband, my schoolwork, etc) and to calm myself down and not get as agitated and frustrated as I used to. This is great for my new job which is at the front desk of a very busy chiropractic office. I have to deal with lots of people and paperwork and so the ability to remain more calm is hugely helpful. Working on ever increasing my ability to recognize my emotions and thoughts and decide which of them are worthwhile and which I can ignore will be what I will be working on for a while now.
I want to continue doing meditations and focusing and increasing my awareness of myself. I know that it will make a difference in every aspect of my life and, as I continue to work on it, others will be able to tell. Maybe I'll even be able to inspire someone else to work on their personal awareness and inner health!
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
2. Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).
3. 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?
I found both the exercise and the assessment to be very interesting to do. However, I found that I really haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to by this point of the class. I think it is because I have not had much mental energy to spend on these exercises and for that I feel very bad. I have noticed a little bit of change, mainly in my ability to realize when I am losing my patience (with my kids, people at my job, my husband, my schoolwork, etc) and to calm myself down and not get as agitated and frustrated as I used to. This is great for my new job which is at the front desk of a very busy chiropractic office. I have to deal with lots of people and paperwork and so the ability to remain more calm is hugely helpful. Working on ever increasing my ability to recognize my emotions and thoughts and decide which of them are worthwhile and which I can ignore will be what I will be working on for a while now.
I want to continue doing meditations and focusing and increasing my awareness of myself. I know that it will make a difference in every aspect of my life and, as I continue to work on it, others will be able to tell. Maybe I'll even be able to inspire someone else to work on their personal awareness and inner health!
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Unit 5 Post
Your mental fitness practice this week incorporates the concept of the subtle mind (Dacher p.75). This week, replace the Loving Kindness exercise of unit four with Practice 2: The subtle mind exercise and listen to track #3 on the Dacher CD.
1.Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
Although I enjoyed listening to the Subtle Mind practice and did my best to quiet my mind and focus I do not think that am quite ready for it. I still have a lot of trouble "taming" my mind and have to repeatedly bring it back to the meditation and feel like I am forcefully holding it there. As a result, even though I like the meditation itself I think it would be more beneficial for me to continue with the Loving-Kindness practice for a bit longer until I have really mastered that. This was frustrating for me because usually I pick things up very quickly and require little practice or study. However, I have never tried to do this kind of mental training before so that is probably why my brain has more difficulty figuring out what it is supposed to be doing. I tend to be very analytical and I think that this is getting in the way.
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
Spiritual wellness is a huge part of wellness in every other way. I know the times when I have felt most connected to God have been the times when I have been the most at peace with the things that are going on in my life. This does not mean that these have been the easiest times, in fact the have more likely been the more difficult ones. I was ok with that because I just knew that I was being taken care of. Lately I have been going through I harder time when I don't feel that connection and so life has seemed harder even though the reality of things has stayed about the same. I am less happy with my body and I even seem to have more aches and pains (which might just be my imagination but I don't think so). I am working to get back to that place of close connection but it is hard especially since I don't have a church to attend. Religion has always been an important part of my spirituality and without it I am having trouble finding my way back, which is negatively affecting the rest of my life.
Thanks for reading!
1.Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
Although I enjoyed listening to the Subtle Mind practice and did my best to quiet my mind and focus I do not think that am quite ready for it. I still have a lot of trouble "taming" my mind and have to repeatedly bring it back to the meditation and feel like I am forcefully holding it there. As a result, even though I like the meditation itself I think it would be more beneficial for me to continue with the Loving-Kindness practice for a bit longer until I have really mastered that. This was frustrating for me because usually I pick things up very quickly and require little practice or study. However, I have never tried to do this kind of mental training before so that is probably why my brain has more difficulty figuring out what it is supposed to be doing. I tend to be very analytical and I think that this is getting in the way.
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
Spiritual wellness is a huge part of wellness in every other way. I know the times when I have felt most connected to God have been the times when I have been the most at peace with the things that are going on in my life. This does not mean that these have been the easiest times, in fact the have more likely been the more difficult ones. I was ok with that because I just knew that I was being taken care of. Lately I have been going through I harder time when I don't feel that connection and so life has seemed harder even though the reality of things has stayed about the same. I am less happy with my body and I even seem to have more aches and pains (which might just be my imagination but I don't think so). I am working to get back to that place of close connection but it is hard especially since I don't have a church to attend. Religion has always been an important part of my spirituality and without it I am having trouble finding my way back, which is negatively affecting the rest of my life.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Unit 4
1. Describe your experience. (Did you find it beneficial? Difficult?) Why or Why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or Why not?
I enjoyed the contemplative exercise though I have to admit I found it really hard to focus for 20 minutes. There isn't any place in my house where I can completely shut out all noise and distraction so I could always hear children yelling and running around; not the best for meditation! I hope for future exercises I can record it or copy it onto a CD so that I can practice while I am running. The time when I am out for a run is pretty much the only quiet and alone time that I get so I really want to make the most out of it! I would definitely recommend it to other people because I know that, given time and practice it can have a profoundly positive effect.
2. What is the concept of �Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
A "mental workout" refers to consciously training the mind to work towards achieving a higher sense of awareness and control over the thoughts, emotions, impulses and images that fill our everyday lives. Research has shown that individuals that practice mental fitness have brains that show greater organization and a heightened awareness. These mental workouts have to be scheduled just like anything else and, like physical workouts, can be very hard at first. The key is to keep plugging away even when it is hard and eventually it will become much easier and even very enjoyable. This needs to be a conscious effort that each of us makes to improve our daily lives and work towards living our full potential.
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
I enjoyed the contemplative exercise though I have to admit I found it really hard to focus for 20 minutes. There isn't any place in my house where I can completely shut out all noise and distraction so I could always hear children yelling and running around; not the best for meditation! I hope for future exercises I can record it or copy it onto a CD so that I can practice while I am running. The time when I am out for a run is pretty much the only quiet and alone time that I get so I really want to make the most out of it! I would definitely recommend it to other people because I know that, given time and practice it can have a profoundly positive effect.
2. What is the concept of �Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
A "mental workout" refers to consciously training the mind to work towards achieving a higher sense of awareness and control over the thoughts, emotions, impulses and images that fill our everyday lives. Research has shown that individuals that practice mental fitness have brains that show greater organization and a heightened awareness. These mental workouts have to be scheduled just like anything else and, like physical workouts, can be very hard at first. The key is to keep plugging away even when it is hard and eventually it will become much easier and even very enjoyable. This needs to be a conscious effort that each of us makes to improve our daily lives and work towards living our full potential.
Thanks for reading!
Heidi
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)