Unit 4 The Mind-Body-Spirit Paradigm

I really enjoyed reading Chapter 6, Psychospiritual Flourishing. I felt like a kid getting ready to watch a great movie. I was excited to dive deeper into my mental relaxation practice. I kept my mind open as I read through Practice 1, Loving-Kindness. I liked the first part, when it said to focus on someone that you love and to allow my feeling to "expand within my heart as if a faucet of loving-kindness were being fully turned on." (Dacher, pg. 68). I found the rest of the practice to be a bit more difficult. I could not focus on a love one that was suffering. I found that I could not "breath-in" their suffering and "breath-out" their health. I think that I just need to work on this practice, like Dacher said, for a little while in order to feel more comfortable.

I agree with the concept of the Mental Workout. Much like an Olympian trains for their event, a person can condition their mind by practicing for a short time each day. It has been proven that this type of conditioning can bring results and that if we stop practicing, we will lose the level of conditioning. The goal of this practice is the "progressive development of an expanded consciousness and its healing practices." (Dacher, pg. 65). I can implement metal workouts to foster my psychological health by completing human-flourishing techniques, for a short time, on a daily basis.

Aaron

Unit 3 Exercise

Question 1:

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 a 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 over seas. 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 families future.

Question 2:
Physical Well-Being Goal: My goal in this area is to loose five pounds in one month.

Spiritual Well-Being Goal: To read the Bible on a consistent basis.

Psychological Well-Being Goal: To worry less about money.

Question 3:
Physical Well-Being Steps: In order to achieve this goal, I need to lengthen my cardio time and raise my intensity level.

Spiritual Well-Being Steps: In order to achieve this goal, I need to pick up my Bible instead of the remote.

Psychological Well-Being Goal: In order to achieve this goal, I could talk with a financial planner.

Question 4: The Crime of the Century
I found this exercise to be very relaxing and very interesting. The use of color imagery made me feel grounded and balanced. The exercise helped me clear my mind. At the end of the lesson, I felt more empowered and energized.

Journey On

Wow, this was a the most relaxing assignment that I have ever had! I really liked listening to the Journey On. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep sometimes and I really think these techniques will help me fall asleep at night. I liked using the power of suggestion to help me relax and feel calm. What did you all think of it?

Aaron

Reflective Statement

I think that this class will really help me become a healthier person. I have really enjoyed what I have learned so far. I think that the mind-body connection is very real and very interesting. The concept has completely changed the way that I think about health.

Aaron

How I will check my classmates' blog

I am planning on checking my classmates blogs by using Google Reader.

Welcome Statement

My name is Aaron Erickson. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am currently pursuing a nutrition science degree through Kaplan University. I am a High School Biology teacher and football/track coach. I have the pleasure of coaching and serving as a mentor for young adults on a daily basis and I would like to learn more skills that I could eventually relay to them. I have a wife and a beautiful baby boy. I am looking forward to this class as I believe it will help me in my classroom and on the playing field.