This course has been an amazing tool for me. The main reason is that it has helped me take a step back and reflect on my overall health, not just my physical health. I knew before this class how important spiritual and psychological health was for my overall well being. This class has showed me that it is important to find balance between all three to find the best me. I am slowly getting to where I need to be to enjoy complete happiness and wholeness. The hardest part was getting exercises and techniques down. I struggled at first, but once I fully understood them they worked out great for me. This whole experience will allow me to help others by explaining to them there is more to life than just the physical being. I can explain my experiences and tell patients how important it is to encompass all three aspects to achieve their own wholeness. This class has definitely been more to me than just a class.

Unit Nine Final Project

 

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically to be able to meet the need of the person they are helping where they are. So if one area is out of whack then the whole body is lacking all over. So the professional must address all areas to be able to treat the whole person.  If they have not developed in these areas they may not be able to help heal the whole person so it can lead them to a life of wholeness. In doing this it will be able to as our author says that “integral healing is human flourishing-profound, hardy, and sustained health, and wholeness,” (Dacher, 2006).

The area that I would need to focus on the most would be psychological, spiritual, and body. I feel I can always learn more techniques to be able to focus when it comes to areas of my mental state when things happen in my life that has a negative effect on me. I have started and will continue to meditate, and pray for peace in times that are most difficult for me. The more I practice I continue to control how I respond and act in different salutations.

The area of spiritual growth will come as I study the word of God and meditate on it day and night. Then begin to apply it in my daily life to help better my values and Morales in life. I will be able to apply it more effective with prayer and fasting. This will allow me to gain a greater connection with my God on a higher level. This in turns makes me feel better about myself and it will help with my mental and physical health as well.

My body is my temple and if I don’t keep it in shape it will begin to fall apart in areas. If my body falls apart in areas it will have an effect on my mental and physical health in a negative manner. When I walk I try to add meditation in on the walk so I can relax my mind while the body is getting a workout and the mind will get reenergized. This allows the body to relieve stress. When I work on the body it has an impact over the whole body. It ensures integral health for my whole body.

When trying to rate myself I would have to say that (A)-physical well-being would be about a 7, (B) -Spiritual well-being would be around 9, and (C) -Psychological well- being would be an 8. The physical area of my body needs the most work out of all the areas. This area I will begin to focus on more. Then the psychological and spiritual in my life kind of works hand in hand and they are in the best of shape when compared to the physical.

Goal Development

(A). Physical well-being – get moving more to achieve the best body I can for myself.

(B). Spiritual well-being – take more time to read and to gain more knowledge to   meditate on.

(C). Psychological well-being – take more time to be alone to focus on meditating more.

In order to achieve physical well-being I will learn how to slow down and exercise. When stressed will being walking and then up it to a running session. This will come with time. Then learn to exercises such as meditation, and yogi. This has been used to relieve stress along the way helping to lower cholesterol, help circulation, blood pressure and provide more energy.

Spiritual well-being strategies deeper inner peace with God, and learn more techniques to be more loving and kind. These activities must be practiced on a daily basis to obtain the highest results desired or to gain more humility. This could be achieved by prayer, fasting, helping others, giving hugs, learning to forgive, and giving more of myself to others in the form of help.

In the area of psychological I will train my mind by using yoga and meditation more. I will have to train myself to stop, think, and then respond so I can reflect back to past life experiences to make a sound decision. This will be better than making a decision based on the spur of the moment or impulse. I can begin to do breathing exercises, learn to calm my mind down, and learn not to take things so serious. Just like an expression I have heard in the past “Let go and let God”.

In order for me to track my progress in the next six months I will begin a journal. I will record all my daily activities so I can measure one way or the other. This will allow me to see the areas of progress and where I have fallen short. This could become a tool that will help me see what works and what doesn’t.  The strategies that I will use in obtaining long-term practices for health and wellness will be putting daily devotions on my phone, volunteer at shelters and nursing homes, take yoga classes at local gym, set aside a set time to read my bible and meditate, and learn the true me..

 

 

 References 

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

Schlitz, M., Micozzi, M. S., & Amorok, T. (2005). Consciousness & Healing Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

Unit 8

I have been using two practices I didn't even realize I was using. Those are meditation and visualization practices. These two practices have been very beneficial in my life. I have used both to calm down, focus, eliminate emotional distress, and help with depression. When using the visualization process when depressed, I would have to visualize certain things in my head. I would begin talking back and forth in my head denouncing the thing that is causing me to be depressed at the time. I would begin using quotes from the bible such as "by His stripes I am healed, I am the head and not the tail, I am more than a conqueror, and I have the mind of Christ." When I do this after about ten or fifteen minutes I begin to feel better.

The meditation process is used in all areas of my life as well. The most recent is when I was believing for God to heal my pastor. I began to meditate on the word of God for his life. I would tell myself that God does not lie. He did before and I knew he would do it again. This was a process that was going on from the end of July till last Sunday. My pastor walked in the church healed in one area but still waiting on his healing in the other. I will continue to meditate day and night for him till he receive his healing. I not only do it for him but for myself also in times of difficulty or when I need God to do something for me.

Unit 7

This weeks meditation exercise I got to visualize my grandparents who have passed on. I was able to easily get started because I have a picture of them engraved in my mind.  My grandparents were the sweetest, loving, and special people I know.  It was not hard to become one with them during this exercise because I feel them with me every day especially on holidays.  This week’s exercise was a blessing to me just to be able to vast in their presence on more time.

My meditative practices are frequent, but I will say due to this class I do try at least twice a week instead of once to sit calmly and quietly.  By doing this at least twice a week I’m able to empty my mind and refocus on myself.  One of the way’s mindfulness has increased my psychological wellness is by helping me be mindful of my negative thoughts.  I allow them to enter, I acknowledge them, and then I push them right back out and replace them with positive thoughts at times I have to encourage myself. This is something I will continue to do to foster greater health and wellness in my life.

 

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” means lead by example or how can one help if they have not experienced it.  How can we help someone if we haven’t been through it ourselves or if we can’t help ourselves?  I believe that as a health and wellness professional especially when it comes to mind, body and soul that we have to gone through it and be working on our own selves before we can help others.  I believe by constantly learning, studying and practicing will help me implement psychological and spiritual growth in my life.

I’ve been able to help others on their weight loss journey because I have been through it myself.  I take the approach that “no two people are the same,” what works for one doesn’t always work for another.  I’m able to help my clients by telling them I know what they are going through. This allow me to show them a way to reach their weight loss goals.  So we find what will work for them. By going through this journey have allow me access to many people who need to find their way on a path to great health in all areas.

 
When I introduce new ideas and concepts to my brain it activates my mind to so much more. This study was a breakthrough it demonstrated that I have the ability to work out my mind and focus on energy to make my brain function better. If I focus and concentrate enough I'm able to calm down  and stop my mind from wandering. I think we as people focus so much on physically developing our bodies and how to eat healthy and exercise. We often forget how important working out the mind is. Performing tasks like the relaxation exercises or spiritual practices can help me build my mental capabilities and help to progress to the next level of consciousness. So our thought process just as well as the things we meditate on will influence the way we think. If a person begin the process of meditating on good thoughts, healthy, and full of energy the mind and body will follow. It is up to us most times unless there is an unbalance in a certain area that requires medical attention. We have the power to transform our minds. I find getting into a relationship with my inner self  validated the idea that it is possible to train the mind and also to get benefits both in the short-run and the long-run from such training. In my personal life and with effort, determination and perseverance, it is possible for my mind to develop well-being, universal loving-kindness, happiness and wholeness. This will come by if I take the necessary deliberate steps of engaging in contemplative practices. The training will transform the mind by reducing harmful and negative emotions while enhancing positive emotions and in turn better health.

Introduction

Professor and Classmates. I would like to welcome all of you to feel free to post your thoughts on this blog. I have had a time with this process it was kind of confusing to me on some of the steps. I made it through with much time, trail, and error. The class discussion on relaxation exercise was interesting it is a process I must learn to do more of in time to come. I have learned some of those steps in life in general. It was necessary for me when my twins who have special needs get out of hand. I learned to do the deep breathing exercise and try to relax before I react to certain issues that arise. It has been very useful in keeping my sanity. I was being sarcastic but also telling the truth. It is a process that is learned and comes easier the more you practice it. I have learned much patience over the years.