In all areas I have made some progress, my health is somewhat better, have lost weight, have been exercising with the weather being better. 

I have been eating better, eating out less, going to church more, and doing more meditation.

I also feel better about communication with others, the stress seems to be lessening, with some things being taken care of.  I enjoyed this course though I am not too fond of these blogs, just much too public for my taste.  The quizzes were very poorly made and worded, but in general this class especially the Prof., has been fantastic as well as the other students.

Unit 9 Final Project

                                           Introduction

Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?

I must look the part or clients will not believe in my abilities to help them with physical wellness.  As a health and wellness professional it is important to live by what we teach our clients. Additionally we must approach life with an open mind and continue our learning experiences psychologically, spiritually and physically (Dacher, 2006)

What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

I need to get in shape, and also greatly reduce the amount of stress I am under.  I need to develop a comprehensive plan on how to do this, treating each part of my “whole” body.

                                            Assessment

How have you assessed your health in each domain?

For assessment purposes I will rate my physical, spiritual, and psychology wellness on a sliding scale between one and ten.

How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

My physical well-being is a four. This is a four since I just recently developed type II diabetes.

My spiritual well-being is a seven. I have the need to connect on a higher level. I do attend a church but not as regularly as I would like to.

My stress level is quite high so I would have to say I am a five in the psychological well-being category. I foster loving kindness with my family and friends. I try not to have people in my life that are hostile or negative. Additionally I do not worry about situations that cannot be changed. Life is full of opportunities and I live life with a positive and optimistic approach!

Goal development

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

            For my physical well-being I plan on continuing my walking as a part of my plan to get in shape.

            For my spiritual well-being I plan on attending church more regularly, I was raised in a family where it was never a question of going to church, and I have to regain that.

            For my psychological health I plan to do meditation for 20-30 minutes a day, using deep breathing and quiet mind exercises to lessen my stress

.                                   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.

An example of an exercise to help regain physical wellness would be to have a great workout routine. The program should contain both cardio and strength training. By including both in our physical wellness routine we ensure our bones and muscles stay strong from weight training and the heart and cardiovascular system are healthier from the endurance of a cardio workout.  Find a friend to use as a partner in your workout routine, this is a great way to beat boredom.  Additional benefits from exercise help lessen health risks such as heart disease and diabetes.

Some find that meditation eases the stress and calms the mind, thus helping us be in a better "state of mind." I plan to meditate each day for twenty- thirty minutes. The meditation I wish to practice is Dacher’s (2006) quiet-mind exercise and also his deep breathing exercise. To foster greater psychological wellness I will wake up each morning and meditate to cleans my mind and start the day off on a positive note.

For my spiritual wellness I plan to go to church on Sunday’s.  The church will offer a community of like-minded people to share experiences and struggles. Being a part of a church community can also help me become more involved in the community.  Also using prayer to get rid of my stress is crucial.

Commitment

How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months?

Keeping track of my experiences will help me understand what is working and what is not working. I can continue to try new exercises until I find what is right for me. It almost sounds like journaling which I hate, but will also offer a look at what circumstances might not be fostering integral health.

 What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?

Use the SMART philosophy, keep it simple, measureable, achievable, realistic goal oriented, and time based.  I have to make sure I don’t set myself up to fail, expect times of distraction, a relapse, but get back on track, use a friend as an exercise partner.  Use rewards as a means of motivation. 

                                                Sources

Dacher, Elliott S. (2006), Integral Health. The Path to Human flourishing.

The Two Practices I enjoyed the most

The two practices I enjoyed the most were the "Subtle Mind", and the "Deep Breathing" exercises.  I have had a lot of stress in the past two years, with losing my job, going through bankruptcy, having my home foreclosed on, luckily I was able to save it, a brother dying of cancer on our Dad's birthday, and the Subtle Mind exercise or any like it are most helpful when my mind is just a "rush-hour" of worries, each trying to push their way to the front of my attention.  Often I use it several times a day, just to regain my inner calmness, and put things into a simpler perspective.  Also I use the "deep-breathing" at least twice a day, at bedtime and often at other times of the day if I remember either while waiting on hold on the phone, or at the computer.   

Unit 7 Blog Post

Describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience.

I used the suggestion form the MP3 and just invented a mentor, for me it was just an oriental man with an "inner-peace", someone I had admired from the old "Kung-Fu" series back in the 70's.  I let him lead me through the exercises of quieting my mind, finally achieving it.

Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness.

I am still working on it, it is a work-in-progress, but I know I have put the deep-breathing exercises into my routine daily, at several times during the day.  I even used it yesterday at the dentist's office while having fillings put it. 

How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

By continuing to use my "mentor" to promote a quiet mind, and also using the deep-breathing exercises I am trying to take control of parts of my body that have until now been left to their own devices.  Just by making the attempt is a form of exercise, and will make my mind and body "muscles" stronger and more easily controlled.

Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477).

It means the health care professional must try to develop his own spiritual awareness, and stimulate its growth to actually experience what the model represents.

How does this apply to the health and wellness professional?

It means that the professional should work on using the model as a way to actually have some experience in what he is trying to achieve in his clients, and not just be guessing at what he is trying to accomplish, this way he will have an expectation of the progress and how it benefits him.

 Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually?

In my opinion yes I do, or why would they take my advice, someone who did not think it worth my own time to practice.

How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

By using the exercise we just listened to on the MP3, to quiet our mind and gain control over it, and to reach a higher level of consciousness, and also using the deep breathing exercises.

Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself?

I closed my eyes, trying to reach a "quiet mind", and asked myself what aspect of my life I would like to address. I discovered that I really have to repeatedly remind myself to correct the lifestyle that led to this disease, type II diabetes, not just going on as I have been.

What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development?

I chose biological, as I have recently developed type II diabetes.

Why?

It is something that I can correct.

What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

More exercise, better diet, is the best plan I can implement for the treatment of this.

1.  To me the approach or method was different, "loving kindness" used more music as a facilitator to the relaxation and calming of the mind/body, whereas in the "Subtle mind", your breathing was your focal point, then using it as a base to control and calm your mind/body.  I liked both really, but felt more involved in the "Subtle mind" technique.  The benefits were comparable, with a relaxation and stress reduction being achieved by both, I would combine the two myself, with music also being more a part of the Subtle mind use also. 

2.  Spiritual, mental, and physical wellness are all connected, in that if one of them is out of balance, the stress will manifest itself in the other areas causing imbalance, and possibly contributing to the promotion of disease, chronic or otherwise.  An example is if I have worries, and I don't take the time to address them by continuing to go to church, praying or meditating about them, unloading them if you will, then the stress the worries produce will affect not only my mental and spiritual wellness, but eventually through stress also my physical wellness.

Unit 4 Blog

This exercise in relaxation and loving kindness was almost a chore for me, but it was beneficial as it seems the past 2 years of my life I have been wave-boarding down an avalanche at times with not many things under my control.  The temptation to just panic at times is hard to overcome, with prayer and just a lot of self-control being my biggest allies, but this exercise is one I found to help, I also like to listen to soothing music, the kind you hear in Chinese restaurants, or at least the one I go to.  I would recommend it to others, so at least they could experience it to see if it helps them or not.  And as for a "mental workout", it is proven that you improve your cognitive ability to learn the more you use your brain, as well as learn new skills more quickly and easily (Lumos Labs Inc. 2012).

Sources:

Lumos Labs Inc. 2012, http://www.lumosity.com/app/v4/personalization