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 three, I rated my psychological well-being as a 9. I feel like this score is still accurate. I still try to learn new things and work on how I manage stress. In unit three, I rated my physical well-being as a 9. I think that this score is still accurate. I think about fitness everyday. Some days I don’t want to workout, but other days, it is all that I want to do. I want to be in shape for myself and my wife, but most importantly, I want to be able to play with my son. In unit three, I rated my spiritual well-being as a 7. I think that this area has changed. I would rate this area as an 8 now. I feel like I have a stronger spiritual connection now and I hope that it will continue to grow.
Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.
I have made progress towards my goals. I have lost some weight and my wife and I are better about saving money. I do want to read the Bible more, but I am working on it.
Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.
Yes, I have implemented my chosen well-being activities. The most consistent of the activities is walking-meditation. Instead of journalling, I have been discussing my goals, my strengths, and my weaknesses with my wife. And last but not least, I am doing pretty well on my diet. We are cooking more at the house instead of going out to eat. Even “healthy” fast food might not be the best for you.
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?
I have really enjoyed this class. I never knew anything about integral health before. I feel like there is a whole new world of possibilities in the wellness field. I have enjoyed reading the Dacher book, and listening to the CD. I think that I will use the meditation practices after the class is over. I think that I will assist others by listening to them and trying to see the whole picture with their issues.
Thanks,
Aaron
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Unit 9 Project
I. Introduction
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop various skills in order to enhance their treatment. When wellness professionals develop psychologically, they deepen their mental connection with their clients. The road to health and healing has many twists and turns and it is the responsibility of the professional to reach their clients. When health and wellness professionals develop spiritually, they not only strengthen their chances of relating to their clients, they also provide a feeling of comfort and trust. Once those feelings are established, they can reach their clients on a higher level. When a health and wellness professional is physically healthy, they are able to have the energy to treat their patients. They also re-enforce their advice through personal achievement and wellness.
In order to achieve the goals that I have chosen for myself, I need to develop in all three areas. At the beginning of the class, I thought that I only needed to enhance my psychological and spiritual aspects of health and wellness because I already had a solid workout routine. After all that I have learned in this class, I know now that I always have room to improve.
II. Assessment
Physical Well-Being: Rated 9
I would consider myself to be a pretty active person. I work out six days a week, with one rest day. My workouts consist of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate my level of physical well-being a nine. I gave myself a nine because I feel like I will always have room to improve. My physical well-being is by no means perfect. There is always an aspect of my body that I could improve upon. I try to eat healthy and drink plenty of water, but I do splurge on occasion - especially on Sunday (Football food is a must!).
Spiritual Well-Being: Rated 7
I am a Christian man. I grew up in a strong Christian household. My family went to church every Sunday and I participated in the local youth groups. My faith kept me safe through five deployments overseas. It was with me as I watched my love ones die, and as my baby boy was born. My God gave me my beautiful wife and the great challenge of raising our son. I do not think that my spiritual walk is perfect because I am not a perfect person. I do try to live by example and to learn from my mistakes. I rated myself a seven because I feel like I have more room to grow on my spiritual journey.
Psychological Well-Being: Rated 9
I am a stable person. I have a very positive and stable home life. I rated myself nine out of ten because I tend to worry about finances and about my family’s future. I feel like this class has given me more tools to strengthen my psychological well-being. I enjoyed the meditation practices and I feel like they will continue to help me become stronger in this area.
III. Goal Development
At the beginning of this class, my physical well-being goal was to lose five pounds in one month. I am proud to say that I have achieved this goal. My new goal is to enhance my muscle mass while maintaining my new weight. My spiritual well-being goal was to read the Bible on a consistent basis. I am sad to say, but this is still my goal. I need to make the time to read, plain and simple. Finally, at the beginning of this class, my psychological well-being goal was to stop worrying about money. I believe that this goal will always be at the back of my mind. My new psychological goal is to work on telling people “no”. I have a very hard time telling people that I cannot do something, even to the point that I add extra stress in my own life in order to accommodate them.
IV. Practices for Personal Health
It is important to have a strategy in order to foster a better physical, psychological, and spiritual domain. In order to enhance my physical domain I plan to perform more circuit training style workouts. I will also be stricter with my diet. In order to enhance my psychological domain I would like to continue to learn about integral health and wellness. I would also like to go to a seminar or a retreat for wellness. In order to enhance my spiritual domain, I plan to read the Bible on a more frequent basis and practice some of the meditation practices that we learned in this class such as the Subtle Mind.
V. Commitment
I will track my progress over the next six months by using a scale to monitor my weight and visiting my doctor for a routine check-up to assess my blood pressure. I would also like to strengthen my relationships with my family and close friends by using the tools that we have learned in this class. I will know if I am growing as a person if I am able to strengthen those relationships. In order to assess my long-term progress, I can write down my thoughts and goals in a journal. I can use that journal to remember my thoughts and to keep me accountable to my goals. I can also recruit the help of my wife. Since she wants me to succeed, she will definitely help me stay on track with my goals.
Reference:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health - The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop various skills in order to enhance their treatment. When wellness professionals develop psychologically, they deepen their mental connection with their clients. The road to health and healing has many twists and turns and it is the responsibility of the professional to reach their clients. When health and wellness professionals develop spiritually, they not only strengthen their chances of relating to their clients, they also provide a feeling of comfort and trust. Once those feelings are established, they can reach their clients on a higher level. When a health and wellness professional is physically healthy, they are able to have the energy to treat their patients. They also re-enforce their advice through personal achievement and wellness.
In order to achieve the goals that I have chosen for myself, I need to develop in all three areas. At the beginning of the class, I thought that I only needed to enhance my psychological and spiritual aspects of health and wellness because I already had a solid workout routine. After all that I have learned in this class, I know now that I always have room to improve.
II. Assessment
Physical Well-Being: Rated 9
I would consider myself to be a pretty active person. I work out six days a week, with one rest day. My workouts consist of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate my level of physical well-being a nine. I gave myself a nine because I feel like I will always have room to improve. My physical well-being is by no means perfect. There is always an aspect of my body that I could improve upon. I try to eat healthy and drink plenty of water, but I do splurge on occasion - especially on Sunday (Football food is a must!).
Spiritual Well-Being: Rated 7
I am a Christian man. I grew up in a strong Christian household. My family went to church every Sunday and I participated in the local youth groups. My faith kept me safe through five deployments overseas. It was with me as I watched my love ones die, and as my baby boy was born. My God gave me my beautiful wife and the great challenge of raising our son. I do not think that my spiritual walk is perfect because I am not a perfect person. I do try to live by example and to learn from my mistakes. I rated myself a seven because I feel like I have more room to grow on my spiritual journey.
Psychological Well-Being: Rated 9
I am a stable person. I have a very positive and stable home life. I rated myself nine out of ten because I tend to worry about finances and about my family’s future. I feel like this class has given me more tools to strengthen my psychological well-being. I enjoyed the meditation practices and I feel like they will continue to help me become stronger in this area.
III. Goal Development
At the beginning of this class, my physical well-being goal was to lose five pounds in one month. I am proud to say that I have achieved this goal. My new goal is to enhance my muscle mass while maintaining my new weight. My spiritual well-being goal was to read the Bible on a consistent basis. I am sad to say, but this is still my goal. I need to make the time to read, plain and simple. Finally, at the beginning of this class, my psychological well-being goal was to stop worrying about money. I believe that this goal will always be at the back of my mind. My new psychological goal is to work on telling people “no”. I have a very hard time telling people that I cannot do something, even to the point that I add extra stress in my own life in order to accommodate them.
IV. Practices for Personal Health
It is important to have a strategy in order to foster a better physical, psychological, and spiritual domain. In order to enhance my physical domain I plan to perform more circuit training style workouts. I will also be stricter with my diet. In order to enhance my psychological domain I would like to continue to learn about integral health and wellness. I would also like to go to a seminar or a retreat for wellness. In order to enhance my spiritual domain, I plan to read the Bible on a more frequent basis and practice some of the meditation practices that we learned in this class such as the Subtle Mind.
V. Commitment
I will track my progress over the next six months by using a scale to monitor my weight and visiting my doctor for a routine check-up to assess my blood pressure. I would also like to strengthen my relationships with my family and close friends by using the tools that we have learned in this class. I will know if I am growing as a person if I am able to strengthen those relationships. In order to assess my long-term progress, I can write down my thoughts and goals in a journal. I can use that journal to remember my thoughts and to keep me accountable to my goals. I can also recruit the help of my wife. Since she wants me to succeed, she will definitely help me stay on track with my goals.
Reference:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health - The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc
Monday, February 1, 2010
Unit 8 Blog Assignment
The two practices that I found to be the most beneficial to me were The Subtle Mind and Meeting Asclepius. I think that both exercises taught me how to settle my usual racing mind. Although I am very new at the practice of meditation, I find that I use these two practices in my daily routine. I find that I am taking time out of my day to take deep breaths and calm my mind. At night, I try to focus on the strength of my loved ones. I feel more grounded as a person, and I feel like I can reach people on a different, more personal level.
Thanks,
Aaron
Thanks,
Aaron
Friday, January 22, 2010
Unit 7
I listened to track #4, Meeting Asciepius, during a quite time at my house. I felt that this practice was successful for me. I found that I was able to picture my dear friend that is no longer here on earth. I felt a warm sensation surround my body and I felt at peace. I felt my body relax and feel heavy. I became so relaxed that I kept jumping every time the woman's voice came back on. At the end of the exercise I felt sad. I missed my friend. Life is so precious and it can be taken away from us at anytime. This practice reminded me that my friend is always with me, watching over me.
This week, I worked on breathing and quieting my emotions during times of stress. Just being aware of these exercise has made a big impact on me and in turn, my family. Mindfulness and meditation has fostered an increase in my psychological and spiritual wellness. I have tried to listen better, I have tried to be more calm, and I have tried to understand the process to peace and contentment in myself and my love ones. I can continue to apply these practices in my life to foster greater health and wellness simply by practicing the different meditation practices that we have learned in class.
"One cannot lead another where one has not gone before." This means that one cannot tell someone to do something if they have not done it themselves. Health and wellness professionals need to walk the walk. They need to be healthy in their mind, body, and spirit in order to allow someone to follow their guidance. They have an strong obligation to their clients to develop their health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my own life by continuing to be present in the moment and to continue to practice these mindfulness techniques.
Aaron
This week, I worked on breathing and quieting my emotions during times of stress. Just being aware of these exercise has made a big impact on me and in turn, my family. Mindfulness and meditation has fostered an increase in my psychological and spiritual wellness. I have tried to listen better, I have tried to be more calm, and I have tried to understand the process to peace and contentment in myself and my love ones. I can continue to apply these practices in my life to foster greater health and wellness simply by practicing the different meditation practices that we have learned in class.
"One cannot lead another where one has not gone before." This means that one cannot tell someone to do something if they have not done it themselves. Health and wellness professionals need to walk the walk. They need to be healthy in their mind, body, and spirit in order to allow someone to follow their guidance. They have an strong obligation to their clients to develop their health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my own life by continuing to be present in the moment and to continue to practice these mindfulness techniques.
Aaron
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Unit 6 Exercises for Mind-Body-Spirit Wellness and Healing
I enjoyed completing the Universal Loving-Kindness Practice. I felt that I was able to focus on my ability to give people freedom from suffering, if only in my mind. I want to give people the freedom from suffering because I never want people to hurt. There is so much bad stuff happening in the world and I wish that I could relieve some people of their pain. This practice did make me feel like I should take a step back and think about what I could actually do to help people.
Along with that thought, after completing the Integral Assessment, I feel like I need do focus on my community and my family. I am very involved with my family and my friends, but I feel like I could help them more. I feel like I have been given special tools to help people and that I should use those tools more. Now that I am aware, I can practice what I preach by becoming more involved. I think that I could reach out to my friends a bit more and help them on a more personal and emotional level.
Thanks,
Aaron
Along with that thought, after completing the Integral Assessment, I feel like I need do focus on my community and my family. I am very involved with my family and my friends, but I feel like I could help them more. I feel like I have been given special tools to help people and that I should use those tools more. Now that I am aware, I can practice what I preach by becoming more involved. I think that I could reach out to my friends a bit more and help them on a more personal and emotional level.
Thanks,
Aaron
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Unit 5 The Key Role of Thought in Wellness and Healing
I really enjoyed the Subtle mind exercise. I found this exercise to be a lot easier for me to practice then the Loving Kindness exercise. For one thing, I found the cues to be a bit simpler to rap my head around. I found this exercise to be a bit more forgiving to my restless mind. I would like to practice this exercise because I felt like I could actually succeed at it.
To me, spiritual wellness is more solid when compared to mental and physical wellness. I have a very strong faith which helps me stay grounded. I feel strong spiritually even when I am physically ill, or am mentally frustrated. I think that spiritual wellness has a huge impact on mental and physical wellness. If a person is not grounded spiritually, they might experience mental and physical illness. Our reading in Unit 5 covered many aspects of this concept such as love, forgiveness and gratefulness.
Thanks,
Aaron
To me, spiritual wellness is more solid when compared to mental and physical wellness. I have a very strong faith which helps me stay grounded. I feel strong spiritually even when I am physically ill, or am mentally frustrated. I think that spiritual wellness has a huge impact on mental and physical wellness. If a person is not grounded spiritually, they might experience mental and physical illness. Our reading in Unit 5 covered many aspects of this concept such as love, forgiveness and gratefulness.
Thanks,
Aaron
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