Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Unit 9 Project



  1. Introduction:

Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because the professional is going to share their personal experiences with those they will teach. Having these areas developed is also an equipping for personal growth and wellbeing. My personal development goals that I desire to achieve are physically and psychologically.
  1. Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
I have not assessed my health in any of these areas; however, I would score myself on a scale of 1-10 I rate my spiritual health at an 8. For my physical I am a 6. For my psychological I rate myself at an 8.
Spiritually I could be more dedicated to my beliefs as well as give more time in prayer and study. Physically I know I need to dedicate more interest in my nutrition and fitness. I spend a lot of time working in massage and it is very physical at times yet it does not compensate for the fitness that is intended. Psychologically; I must say we are made up of many ingredients, for instance, we are what we eat! We are a product of our environment, association brings on assimilation. That being said I need to put better quality things in my surroundings to enhance my psychological health.

  1. Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
My physical goals are to be able to run more than one mile for leisure without being winded. Psychologically I desire is to change some of my outlooks in life; overcoming certain challenges that hinder me from being my best self. Spiritually I would like to see myself more in tuned with the Lord and have more control over my soul and have a stronger prayer life than I have now.
  1. 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.
The strategies that I intend to use to foster my physical health will begin with power walking for an hour three days a week, while beginning a program for cardio four days a week. I need to increase my heart endurance so that I can reach my goal of running over one mile without becoming winded. Psychological health strategies are coupled with my spiritual health in prayer and meditation. I will begin with fasting and praying for spiritual health giving my cares to the Lord for my psychological health. I will also practice more loving kindness for psychological health which also enhances my spiritual health.
  1. Commitment:
How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
By assessing where I am as of this moment and writing down my findings I can track my progress or the lack thereof in the next six months. I should be able to see changes in my life as well as hear from others their point view as to how I am different. Maintaining these practices is to continue in what I begin and setting new goals to increase my personal health and wellness.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Follow the Leader

 The saying, "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477) is referring to the inability or the inefficiency of trying to lead someone to a place or through an experience you have never had personally. The best teacher is experience. As a health and wellness professional it is virtually useless to point someone down a path that I have never gone myself. For instance, if I am obese and out of shape how can I possibly expect to be successful as a personal fitness trainer. I must practice what I preach! It is my direct obligation to my clients to be developed or at least developing in my own health psychologically, physically, and spiritually. As I have stated I must practice what I preach in order to have someone follow me. The blind can lead the blind but they will both fall into a ditch (Holy Bible, KJV). I can show someelse the way to implement psychological and spiritual growth in their lives by first implementing these practices of mental training and meditation opening up my personal life. Follow the Leader!

There is a practice this week called, "Meeting Aesclepius" that I participated in. The experience was quite interesting! The visualization practice was not something I was prepared for. It seemed much like the cartoon my kids watch called "Avatar: The Last Air Bender." I don't know in my spirituality if that is something that I should do.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Loving Kindness

I found that when I thought from my heart about an individual that I love deeply that my heart rate increases and gets very happy and I feel very warm all over. Showing him loving kindness and turning that same toward myself allows it to expand in me to overflowing. I made it a habit to open my heart of compassion to as many as I met from this overflowing. It causes me to feel wonderful whenever I give love to others.

Once I met a woman in the nursing home who was just sitting there in a wheelchair looking out the door as if she were waiting for someone. It wasn't that I pitied her, but I went up to her, this woman that I didn't know and asked her if I could give her a hug. She said yes and when I embraced her a tear fell from her face and she said thank you I needed that.

I recommend that everyone should reach out and extend a hand love to someone they or know or just met. It makes the world of difference inside of your own heart and mind.

Giving yourself a good mental workout is a practice of two different techniques. The first is loving kindness and the second is the subtle mind (Dacher, 2006). These stem from the contemplative practice of the mental workout. When training your mind, research shows that the results are long lasting and sustained by daily practice. By showing loving kindness and making it a habit to do it daily will foster health and wellbeing in me.

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: the pathway to human flourishing. Basic Health

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Welcome to Tabula Rasa

Welcome, Tabula Rasa is, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online, the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions. Sometimes we are so cluttered in our mind that we need a clean slate to build upon. Freeing my mind from the clutter, the weights of the past, and the trashy debris of everyday life is my goal.  Hope you will enjoy my posts this term.

Welcome!

Journey to Relaxation

Oh, to take a moment to sit down and relax! I am always so busy running around giving comfort to others that I myself often go neglected of the quiet time and space. Listening to a meditative CD is wonderful after a long day at work. After driving sometimes in high traffic, settling down after having heard all of the advertising and media that is virtually forced on us, it is a Journey to Relaxation.

The exercise that we had in Unit 2 allowed me to see that in stillness I can connect to my body in a different way. The recording said to get in a position to relax and breathe. He instructs us to send the blood from our torso to our arms and hands. I have done this exercise before and he results this time were different. I injured my hands last week and it is said that the blood rushes to the place that hurts the most. In the few times that I did the exercise this is the first time that it was evident that blood did fill my arms and hands. I am on a Journey to Relaxation!