Unit 10

1. 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?

Both my physical and psychological scores were low in Unit 3. My spiritual score wasn’t high but it was better than the other two. Now, I believe my scores have improved. I am in a better place psychologically. I am working on improving my physical well-being. I continue to hold on to my beliefs and those beliefs are what help me through when I am down. I may never reach the ultimate goal of human flourishing, but I will certainly give it my all in trying. Sometimes circumstances work against you even when you are trying to do the right thing. I will continue to assess my personal situation and pray that it improves so that I can move forward and become the person I want to be, not the person everyone else wants me to be.

2. Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.

I do believe that I am making progress although it is slow. Psychologically I have made the most progress because I am not as explosive as I was. I don’t like being stressed-out around my kids even though sometimes they are the ones causing the stress. I just want to be happy. Life is too short to always feel angry or worried. Faith has to carry me through the tough times. So spiritually I am on solid ground because I am always tapping into one spiritual source or another. I would really like to look into Buddhism more. I think I may be better suited to a religion that thrives on oneness with the world instead of material things. I am not the kind of person that feels the need to go out and buy all of the new gadgets and the latest technology. I would rather go on a spiritual retreat or sit and watch the waves crashing on the beach. Once again, physically I need to make improvements. I have completely changed my diet so now I just have to incorporate exercise or physical activity into the equation and I will be on the right track.

3. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.

Yes, I have implemented the activities I chose for well-being in each of the three areas.

4. 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?

This has been an enlightening experience. I have learned so much from everyone and I will treasure every aspect of this course. This class forced me to deal with some personal issues that I have been putting on the back burner for too long. When the baby’s father calls I don’t fight with him anymore. I don’t allow myself to be sarcastic. I keep the conversation as short as possible in an effort to preserve my own sanity. I sit and talk with my children more. I try to utilize various points from this course to help my oldest daughter. She is experiencing problems in school and she doesn’t want to go to school anymore. I am trying to teach her how to develop her inner being so that she can rise above the naysayers. My mother has accepted the new me. Considering the fact that she is my biggest critic this means a lot to me. She sees the effort I am making to better myself.

I would say the most difficult part of the integral health process would be getting myself on track in the physical realm. I know I need to engage in more physical activity or exercise but finding the time or the place seems to be the issue at the moment. I block off time in my schedule and next thing you know I am getting an unexpected call from the school about my daughter or my mother needs me to do something or my father wants me to help him with something. I never seem to have time just for me to do what I need to do. I feel guilty asking for time because of my kids. I will work it out though. I have faith that things will work out and I will get into a steady exercise regimen.

When I am out in public I hear more and more how doctors don’t provide enough information to patients. All doctors want to do is prescribe medications and move on to the next patient. So many people are looking for someone to talk to or someone to help them to understand about their illness or disease. I want to be that person. I want to help people understand that pills are not the answer. There is a better way. All of the information I have learned in this class will help me to be a better person so that I can help guide others in their quest to better health and well-being. This is a course I would like to see taken to the next level. Dacher’s book is a valuable resource that I will refer to often.

I thank each and every one of you for your words of hope and inspiration. Good luck to one and all in all of your future endeavors.

Unit 9 Final Project

I. Introduction

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because the healer is the key to the integral process. The healer is our guide and our teacher because the healer should already have completed his or her journey on the path to human flourishing. A healer cannot expect to be respected and taken seriously by his students or patients if the healer has not traveled the path. Experience is a good teacher and a student or patient should expect to receive truthful, sound advice or direction from a healer before undertaking his journey.

Since I am relatively new to the integral health process I need to develop physically, spiritually, and psychologically. Physically I must begin exercising more in order to get myself back to my pre-baby weight. I must also understand that the mind is connected to the body and vice versa. Stress management and blood pressure are my two main concerns at the moment. Once I have these under control the rest should fall into place. Spiritually I must enhance where I am currently at. I have to keep reminding myself that it is okay to be different and to believe as I do. I must continue to learn and to gather wisdom that will guide me on my path to human flourishing. I must be true to who I am and learn to accept what I have been taught for years – we are of the earth, therefore we will return to the earth. Death is not an end, it is a new beginning. Psychologically I have to train my mind and become mentally fit. I must release all of the negativity from my mind and replace it with loving-kindness, compassion, and understanding.

II. Assessment

To assess my health in each domain I used The Six Principles of Integral Assessment found in Chapter 11. In order to develop a personal program I know that I need to “take a careful look at our current circumstance, identify the aspects of my life that require attention, determine the specific changes I wish to address, and establish a program of integral practice that will promote these changes.” (Dacher, 2006, p105) Basically, I need to take a good long look at where I am at and decide where I want to go then figure out how to get there. I will use the Six Principles of Integral Assessment as a guideline to help me reach my goals.

Psychologically I am at the baseline or sensorimotor. I admit that I have a very defensive nature. I have been this way all of my life and it stems from different things that happened to me as a child. So many times I wish I wasn’t as defensive and I have tried being less reactive but it is not easy trying to change a habit that is over 30 years old overnight or even in a month or two.

Spiritually I am growing. I have a more open mind and outlook on spirituality. I have my own beliefs and they differ from those in my family but my mother respects what I believe. I try to teach my children that I am raising them Catholic to give them structure and discipline but when they get older they can decide who or what to believe in. I have moved past putting myself first. In fact, I never really put myself first. I was raised to be very giving to others. My children come first. I even put my baby’s father first in some things.

Physically I am a work in progress. I have drastically changed my eating habits. I know that I have the will power to change myself for the better. I am trying to find the time and the balance that I need to make physical activity or exercise a regular part of my routine. I have set goals for myself and I will reach them. Determination is one my side.

III. Goal Development

In physical development my goal is to get my weight back down to where I feel comfortable in my own skin. I was physically active during my last pregnancy but not enough that I stayed fit. I gained and lost weight throughout my pregnancy but now I have to lose the weight and keep it off.

In psychological development (mental health) my goal is to lower my stress and take back control of my life. I have allowed others to sway me, dictate to me, or guilt me into doing what they want for too long. I decided to go back to school to make something out of my life and I have to do it on my terms.

In spiritual development my goal is to keep learning, absorbing and accepting different religions and different religious practices. I don’t have to dedicate myself to one particular religious practice. I can incorporate various aspects of each religion that I feel comfortable with and follow my own beliefs.

IV. Practices for personal health

In the physical domain I can implement walking or working out on my elliptical machine. While walking or exercising on my elliptical machine I can use mind/body practices to enhance the workout. I can visualize an increase in my strength, flexibility, and endurance. Using the mind/body connection will be an added benefit to my workout. It will keep me focused on the ‘now’ and not allow my mind to wander. (Dacher, 2006, p82) I would also like to increase my knowledge of yoga and move beyond the basics. Tai chi holds special interest to me and I would like to learn more about that as well. I want to find something that I enjoy and that I am good at so that it will not seem so much like working out and more like taking a break to do something I enjoy.

In the psychological domain I can work on developing my mental fitness. I can work toward being able to mentally control my emotions, my hormonal system, my immune system, and influence my physiology. I can do this through meditation and contemplative practice. Focusing my mind on what is important and letting go of what is not will be a challenge but this is one challenge worth accepting. If it will give me peace of mind I am ready to dedicate myself to the task.

In the spiritual domain I can embrace the mind/body connection and reject the biological view of the body. I can also visit a mind/body center and take a few classes to help guide my journey. I want the experience of being taught by a true Buddhist who has reached the level of human flourishing. A spiritual retreat would allow me to rid myself of the demons that have been hanging on to me for too long. I have been considering attending one of the Shambhala Center’s weekend retreats this summer after I graduate.

V. Commitment

I will assess my progress using my day planner and my journal. I like to write and I enjoy writing after I learn something new and exciting. There is so much that I wish to learn and I don’t feel like I have the time to explore it all. I have also been trying to persuade my mother to help me. I know that she will keep me on track. Once I have a plan in place for myself it won’t be so difficult to practice regularly. I think my big goal right now is going to a retreat center and get away from this negative environment to clear my head and dedicate myself to being a better me. I feel like I am drowning and the only way to save myself is by submerging me in guided meditative practices where I don’t have to think or feel, I just have to be.

To assist myself in maintaining my long-term practices for health and wellness I can write up a formal plan of action and post it on my wall, by the refrigerator, beside the computer, and on the bathroom mirror. This will serve as a constant reminder of my commitment to becoming a better me. It will be an uphill climb in my current living situation but if I can employ the help of my oldest daughter and my mother I will be okay. I can set up a schedule of what activities I will do on which day and post that around the house as well. My mom said she would like to walk and try yoga. My daughter wants to try meditation so I know I can get some quiet time in if she is with me. To ensure that I am incorporating all of the right tools and practices I must also remember the eight principles of integral practice that were discussed in chapter 12. These guiding principles will help me to make a plan that is right for me. I must follow the integral map in order to become the best healer I can be so that I may help others who want to live better lives.

Unit 8

I would have to say that the Loving-Kindness and Meeting Asclepius exercises were most beneficial to me. The loving-kindness exercise taught me how to open my heart and mind more and to be more accepting of others. Most people only take their immediate family, extended family, and close friends into consideration when they pray. Loving-kindness asks us to take everyone into consideration when engaging in this activity, including our enemies. Meeting Asclepius allowed me to reconnect with my grandfather whom I miss dearly. But more than that, this exercise allowed me to feel what he felt all of the time. He was such a good person that I wish I could be more like him.

I can implement these practices into my personal life to foster mental fitness by using my grandfather as a grounding agent of sorts. When I feel myself getting upset or out of control I can take myself back to the exercise and remember what it felt like to "see" him and "be" with him again. The loving-kindness exercise can help me to keep my defensive reactions under control so that I move toward emotional intelligence and integral health. A lack of trust in people has made me a very defensive person and I would like to change that. I believe these exercises can help me with this. Furthermore, I can concentrate more of my time and effort toward mental fitness instead of just random thought.

Meeting Aesclepius

This was a very emotional guided exercise for me. The person I chose to focus on was my grandfather, only I didn't know he was my grandfather until after he died. I was raised to believe that he was my uncle or my godfather. From the time I was a young child until the day he died he was known as 'Daddy Cliff'. He was the kindest, most open-hearted, loving man I have ever known. No matter where he went, no matter how beautiful or how homely the people looked he always found a kind word to say about them. Women could be waif-like or obese, have long hair or no hair, have a beautiful smile or no teeth and he would still say they were beautiful. He always saw the good in people. Being around him always made me feel safe.

When I brought his image into my mind he looked the way I will always remember him - sitting on his living room floor wearing a button down shirt, cardigan sweater, dark trousers and black socks with no shoes. We used to sit on his floor for hours and talk or play. When the beam of white light went from his head to mine I immediately got a warm feeling and then I felt energized. When the beam of white light went from his throat to mine I felt a tightness as if to say, "Only say good things about people." When the beam of light went from his heart to mine I began to cry because I miss him very much. I never got to know him as my grandfather and that is something I wish for more than anything. I think if circumstances were different I would be a different person than I am today. Feeling the light emanate from him to enter my forehead and then spread throughout my body was like receiving a big, warm hug from him. I loved this man so much and when I first went to college after I graduated from high school, he was my savior. He was my sanity. Feeling him become a part of me will make me strive harder to be more like him. Again, he was the best man I've ever known.

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself.” (Dacher, 2006) This means that a health and wellness professional must first do the things he wants his patients to do before he asks them to do them. In other words, walk the walk before you talk the talk. A health and wellness professional cannot expect their clients/patients to meditate when you have never meditated. How do you know meditation works to lower blood pressure if you've never tried it? We have to be able to definitely say that we have tried the exercises we are prescribing/suggesting and they work because we have used them. As health and wellness professionals we definitely have an obligation to our patients to continue practicing our exercises in an effort to reach human flourishing because it would be hypocritical to suggest they do something we haven't tried or don't believe in. We must be the teachers and the knowledgeable ones.

Unit 6

When I did the universal loving-kindness exercise it started out with me just saying the words. After a few minutes I began to feel this sense of lightness and the words seemed to float away out into space and time. I was using my positive energy to push the words out into the world.
The integral assessment exercise was a lot more involved. I didn’t feel like I had enough time to properly reflect on each part and each question within each part. I think the first question was the easiest to answer. The biological aspect of my life is the source of difficulty and suffering. I have a handle on my nutritional needs but I need to get a handle on my fitness and self-regulation aspects. I must aim for more physical activity in each day so that I can get my body to achieve a level of homeostasis. The area of my life that is ready for growth and development is the psychospiritual quadrant. My emotional development needs some serious help because my stress level is taking my emotions all over the grid.

In some aspects of my life I am taking on too much while in others I am taking on too little. I know that I need to keep myself healthy, both for myself and for my girls. However, it is easier to sit back and read a book and use my school work as the excuse why I don’t exercise as often as I should. Finding time to develop and adhere to a regular exercise routine is not easy in my house but I will be making more of a conscious effort to do what I am supposed to do. If I can get my stress level under control it will help self-regulation.

Now that I am nearing the end of my degree program my stress level will change. I now have the task of finding the right Master’s program but I have been diligently working on that. I have also looked into certifications and other programs that can and will enhance the degree I am seeking. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders at the moment so again, this helps with my stress level. I will meditate more and use more visualization exercises and guided mental imagery to help keep me focused and stress-free. I will also commit myself to enjoying a healthy workout since the exercise equipment will be moved into the sunroom in the backyard. I can enjoy the sun, the view, and the outdoors while getting healthy. This will give me a better mindset for pursuing my path to human flourishing.

Unit 5 Project - Mental Fitness

http://www.scribd.com/doc/48470750?secret_password=nu63k093o8mx2impsje

Loving-Kindness versus Subtle Mind

This week's exercise was interesting!  When we did the loving-kindness exercise we focused our efforts towards people in our lives whereas with the subtle mind exercise we focused our efforts on our breath and breathing patterns.  Strange, but intriguing.  When first getting into this exercise my mind was all over the place.  I worked hard to try and focus on my breathing but that was all over the place as well.  Once my mind and my respiratory system decided to work together, it was neat to feel everything in me moving as one.  This exercise was a little harder because of having to train my breathing and train my brain to stop focusing on insignificant thoughts.  It was easier focusing on people.  Once I achieved a still mind I noticed that it was very spacious and open.  Mentally I was always in the present.  The deeper the mind goes and the clearer images become the more you see and the more it makes sense.  Reaching a oneness with my body and mind was very relaxing yet there was something else there that took it beyond.  I was very tired, but happy after completing the exercise.

Spiritual wellness is similar to mental or physical wellness in that a person is striving to reach a higher level of being or a higher state of mind.  Spiritual wellness takes the body to a whole new level.  One's spirituality transcends all else in the physical body.  A person has to want to achieve spiritual wellness.  Spiritual wellness takes away the fear of dying, of getting old, and of being ill or sick.  I have chosen to follow my own spiritual path.  I have chosen to walk away from guided religion and embrace all that the world has to offer in the way of spirituality.  I will continue to search until I find what I am looking for but at least now I have some tools to work with that can help me to achieve my goal even faster.

Loving-kindness

The loving-kindness practice was interesting in that you are instructed to choose someone you love and put all of your focus on them then turn that love inward to yourself.  I found this to be a very difficult task because I was raised with the belief that loving one's self is bad; it's egotistical.  However, as the activity continued I was able to better understand the reason for being directed to turn that love inward.  Regardless of our teachings and upbringing, each person must learn to love and respect his self first and foremost in order to be able to truly love and respect others.  I found this exercise to be very peaceful and meaningful.  The part that really touched my heart was when we were to think of someone who is suffering and turn our loving-kindness on them.  My best friend has breast cancer and I immediately thought of her.  She is a good person and I want her to beat this.  I gave her all of the positive energy and loving-kindness I could muster.  I thought I might have a difficult time at the end with turning my loving-kindness toward my enemies, but I don't know of any true enemies that I have.  There are people that I know that I don't see eye-to-eye with but I don't give them much thought.  I have learned over the years that it takes too much time and energy to hate or to stay mad at someone.  I guess that is why I am just "indifferent" with some people.  I have no feelings toward them one way or the other.  This is definitely an exercise I will repeat often and that I would recommend to others.

A "mental workout" is when you push your mind to the limit over and over such as you would your body in a physical workout.  Research indicates that a mental workout can lead one to a feeling of happiness and wholeness that they may have never thought possible.  There have been many who have studied the Eastern religions and philosophies and many of these undertakings include hours and hours of sitting still and listening or reflecting on one's inner being.  To sit for hours, without moving, to listen to one's heartbeat or breathing rhythm may seem ridiculous at first but when a person is on a journey of peace and tranquility this simple activity makes a lot of sense.  Furthermore, it is a serious mental workout.  A person can not only change their mental state by way of a mental workout, a person can change their physical state as well. 

Wellness

1.  I rate my physical well-being as a 3, because I have post-baby weight I want to lose.  Also, I had pre-eclampsia during my last pregnancy and it doesn't want to seem to leave me.  I am still battling blood pressure issues.  I have also been suffering from more frequent asthma attacks.  I never used to have asthma, now I seem to have it all of the time.

I rate my spiritual well-being as a 5, because I feel that I have had a spiritual breakthrough.  For years I struggled with certain religious issues.  Being born and raised into a strict Catholic family did not allow me the opportunity to discover or explore the answers to these questions.  I have since denounced myself as a Catholic and I now have my own version of religion that I practice.  I have gotten so many answers to so many questions that I feel as if my eyes are open and my heart is lighter because these were things that I felt lied to about all of my life.  So, all in all, my spiritual well-being is doing better than the rest of me.

I rate my psychological well-being as a 4, because I have too many things going on on a personal level that I don't know how to handle them all.  I don't have a job.  I am trying to finish school.  I have no social support system at all.  I have too much stress and I don't get enough sleep.  If I could just take two days and sleep and not have to worry about classes or kids or homework or anything I think I would feel much better.  I keep thinking of the old Calgon commercial with the woman standing in the middle of the room with so much going on around her and she raises her hands and says, "Calgon, take me away!"  That is what I want to happen to me.

2.  I will start my lifestyle change (diet) on February 1st and by June 1st I will have reached my weight goal.
     I will continue to explore and discover the answers to all of my unanswered questions regarding religion.
     I will start blocking out all of the unnecessary information around me and concentrate solely on that which is truly important.

3.  I will begin jumping rope, walking, and using a elliptical machine to help achieve my weight goals.
     I will read more books and search the Internet to find verification of my findings.
     I will use deep breathing exercise techniques and relaxation exercises to keep myself grounded in the moment.

4.  Will post 'The Crime of the Century' exercise tomorrow.

Journey On relaxation exercise

Saludos!  I thought that a day at the beach watching the water was relaxing.  Boy, was I surprised when I did this exercise!  The guide's voice was so relaxing.  I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with some of my classes and this exercise allowed me to take a step back and disengage myself from my surroundings, my family, and my classes and just concentrate on me.  I was in a nice state of being nowhere, surrounded by nothing.  I didn't hear anything; only the sound of the guide's voice.  I let myself be taken on a journey through my body.  I could feel a heaviness, then a lightness, in each part of my body as I concentrated on it.  I could feel myself relaxing from my front to my back, from my head to my toes.  When I finished this exercise I was relaxed and refreshed.  I was also a little sleepy.  This is a relaxation exercise I will definitely use again.

Welcome Statement

Bienvenidos de La Isla del Encanto!  Welcome to The Island of Enchantment!  On Island Cures and Lore we welcome discussions on topics ranging from island remedies to island living to the cure for island fever.  Join us here to talk about your favorite island and why the Caribbean is the playground for the rich and famous.  Throughout the Caribbean one can enjoy beautiful beaches, tantalizing cuisine, and a variety of liquors and spirits.  We offer fun in the sun, lively music and dancing, and endless possibilities.  So come join us and experience the Caribbean first-hand.  I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Reflective Statement

"A journey of a thosand miles begins with a single step." - Chinese proverb

This very profound statement can be applied to many areas in your life.  Are you experiencing challenges with your health?  If so, those challenges did not occur overnight.  They have been building up over time.  But that is ok!  You have acknowledged that you have a problem.  Now is the time to do something to correct that problem.  Decide today if you want to get healthy or continue on the path you are on.  If you definitively declare that you want to get healthy, then do something about it.  Go see a doctor.  Get up and exercise.  Start eating healthy foods.  Change your mindset.  Change your attitude.  Know that you are not alone and that there are others out there like you who want to get healthy too.  It only takes a single step in the right direction to begin the transformation into a healthier, happier you.  Take the step and begin your journey today!