Unit 10

My personal assessment for unit 3 and unit 10 are basicly the same although I am a work in progress. There are still things that need lots of work such as physically, eating healthier and exercising on a regular basis. Psychologically, I still have a somewhat negative mind set but I am trying to improve for the better. Spiritually, I believe that I'm on the right path but there are a few struggles. I know that I will improve physically, psychologically, and spiritually with more practice.

I am still working on the goals that I have set for myself pertaining to my overall well-being. It all comes down to me changing my entire mind set. My mind is so negative and it's hard to improve with this issue but I'm working to change my way of thinking. I have been working on my spiritual well-being through prayer and getting closer to God or having faith.

This course has been a positive experience for me because it has taught me a lot about the importance of overall physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. So much important information has been discussed that has helped me and will continue to help me moving forward. The integral health books have really been like therapy, especially the lesson on training the mind. At first the difficulty was in the blogging, but I have gotten use to it and enjoy reading other classmates blogs. Sometimes reading other blogs can help an individual by encouraging them. It can help one to better assist others who may need help in their well-being. I really enjoyed taking this class.

Unit 9: Project/Blog

Introduction:

In order for a health and wellness professional to be able to help others he/she must have good mental, physical, and spiritual health. Psychologically a professional must be of a clear and sane mind, be able to listen to others, and give sound or helpful advice on a healthy psychological level. There physical health must be good because it is a contributor to mental health and the overall body. No one wants to take advice from a professional who has poor physical health. In order for a professional to encourage good physical health he/she must practice the same habits. Spiritually a professional who is more in tune with his/her spirituality can better assist others on a spiritual level. For professionals it has to first start with self, with hands on learning, one has to be willing to explore the aspects of his/her own life through psychological development and contemplative practice. I need to develop in all areas in order to develop my life goals.

Assessment:

My health is not at its fullest in either domain, in each one I need work and improvement for overall health and to reach my life goals. My wellness spiritually is about a 5, because there are a lot of doubts and lack faith. I have to find some type of way to become more spiritually grounded maybe through prayer or meditation. I believe in a higher being, but I struggle to have faith and I really have to work on it for better spiritual wellness. My physical wellness needs some improvement because I haven’t been exercising much and I don’t really eat healthy along with being stressed. I really have to make some changes for better physical health by being more active (exercising) and eating healthier. I also have to stop being stressed so easily and keep calm for better health, so I rate myself at a 5. Psychologically I rate myself at a 3, because I have to stop being so negative. My thoughts are not always so positive and it has affected me every day. It seems as if I see the worst in anything concerning me and I have to really change for better mental health.

Goal Development:

Setting goals for Me Spiritually, Physically, and psychologically are really important for me to have a more positive outlook on life and overall better health in all areas. Spiritually my goal is to get closer to God and have faith. A negative mindset has really drained me and caused unnecessary misery in my everyday life. My mind needs to be trained to stay focused on what’s important and eliminate the negative thoughts/doubts for less stress and better mental health. Physically my goal is to eat healthier (fruits and vegetables) and to become more active by exercising at least three times a week for better physical health. Psychological I have to train my mind for better mental health. In order for any other part of my personal life and goals to be complete I will have to work on my mental health. By becoming a more positive person, less stress, and trying to meditate on the things that are going to help me grow and better myself. This is one goal that I am willing to work hard to achieve.

Practices for Personal Health:

In order for me to foster growth physically I will have to come up with some type of exercise routine such as running a ½ mile three days out of the week for better physical health. Going to the gym will help me to be a healthier person. Eating healthier everyday will also help me to achieve better health. Psychological exercises that will help me with my mental growth are an emotional cleanse(detoxifying myself of everything that affects me mentally) and trying meditation will also help me by calming my mind and taking it away from the negative/stressful situations in life. My spiritual growth activities will be praying and meditation. I will implement these into helping me maintain peace of mind and by becoming a stronger person mentally.

Commitment:

My progress for wellness physically in the next six months will be kind of hard especially the eating healthier part. But it’s a goal I am willing to reach for better physical health; I can keep a track on exercising and healthier eating by writing everything down on a chart. Psychological progress will be assessed by following an everyday regiment and the results will show through progress or non progress mentally. I will also have to keep the results on a chart and record them for the next six months. My spiritual growth will depend on my consistency through prayer, meditation, beliefs, morals, and values.

                                                                        References:

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

Unit 8 Visualization and Meditation

The two practices that I have found to be most beneficial  are Visualization and Meditation, because they are both vital for good mental health. If one can learn to focus meditation is good for relieving stress due to the everyday circumstances of life. Visualization is a component of meditation because if one can just visualize something positive then it makes meditation more easier and promotes good mental health. I can use meditation and visualization in my personal life to help me cope with life's obstacles to keep my mind in a positive state for better mental health.

Unit 7: Meeting Asclepius

In this weeks exercise I was totally unable to focus due to distractions and my mind being filled with other thoughts. However I did try to focus on a scripture from the bible for encouragement. At times I was able to focus and then the distractions would interrupt my train of thought. For the times I was able to focus there was a sense of peace, but all I can do is keep trying to focus on the positive for better psychological and spiritual wellness.

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself". If a health professional does not practice health and wellness his/her self then it would be impossible to inform or help others to practice it. It's like giving one directions to a place you've never been. A health professional has an obligation to his/her clients to develop their health psychologically, physical, and spiritually. You have to practice what you preach or else it comes off as you're being a hypocrite. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth by maintaining a healthy mind.

Unit 6 Meditation

In the Universal Loving-kindness exercise I was able to start out with my mind focused, then as usual I was distracted by other thoughts. All I can do is to keep practicing for better results.

With the Integral Assessment I was able to immediately focus on the source of my difficulty or suffering. I was able to meditate on all of the negative thoughts that go through my mind on a daily basis. It seems as if I can't eliminate the negative thoughts no matter how hard I try. In order for my life to improve I have to rid my mind of the negative thoughts that trouble me from day to day. Growth and development for me will have to be in the Psycho Spiritual realm, because I don't have a trained mind especially when it comes to positive thinking. In order for me to foster wellness in this area I will have to keep practicing meditation until I get the hang of it, along with prayer. Reading a good book is also a positive escape for the mind, especially something inspirational to get the mind's attention away from the negative. 

Subtle Mind

Unit 5

1. Unlike the loving-kindness exercise in unit 4, I was actually able to focus more this week.  I was able to focus on my breathing in order to relax my mind better than last week. It actually worked for a little while without any distractions.

2. The connection of spiritual-mental-physical wellness was that I was able to relax my mind, feel at peace, and able to relax physically for a short time. I have discovered that sometimes this works and other times it does not work. I am a work in progress as I adjust to these exercises. In my personal life it will help me to relax my mind since it's always in a state of turmoil.

Loving Kindness

Unit 4


1. This practice exercise for me was a work in progress, because I am unable to relax with background noise. A quiet environment for me is better to relax in than noise. It is also hard to think when there is noise, I think better in a noise-free environment. Although, I would recommend this to others because some people can actually relax better this way.

2.  Mental Workout is when you allow the mind to purge itself from all the thoughts, stress, and worries that go along with life. A mental workout allows new growth, one feels more grateful and blessed. One can actually change the course of his/her health and life. I can implement mental workouts to foster my psychological health by practicing positive thinking, meditation, and prayer.