Unit 10 - Final Assignment

QUESTIONS: 

• 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? 
• Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.
• Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas?Explain. 
• 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? 

The wellness scored I rated myself a month and a half ago (November 28, 2011) in unit 3 have only slightly changed. Both the scores I gave myself in regards to my physical and spiritual well-being have stayed consistent but my psychological score has increased by ½ a point; increasing from an 8 to an 8.5.  

In the unit 3 assignment, psychologically I only ranked myself an 8 but since that time I have located a person-center Rogerian psychologist that is conducive to the mental health professional I was seeking back in November. The therapist incorporates deep listening, inner wisdom or intuitiveness and spiritual inquiry. The icing on the cake is that this therapist does accept my insurance so I no longer have to let my mental health needs take a back seat while I concentrate on saving money to achieve my goal.  

The time is now and this course has reminded me that when I am truly ready to explore my life, the universe always opens up to my request and guides me on the right path. When working with future clients I am going to use my experiences as an example of manifesting what you want, obtaining it in the way you want and then reflecting on how you got there. Truly the keys to improving one’s life are self-perceptive and inner awareness of who you are and who you want to evolve into.

Unit 9 - Final Project

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?

Health and wellness professionals are expected to be physically fit, psychologically healthy and spiritually aware. These are the traits that a client would look for when hiring a wellness practitioner. A wellness professional is a lifestyle mentor that must show by example the complete picture of health for the purpose of being a guiding light, an influential teacher and grounded professional. A practitioner that is healthy in all three dimensions of their lives generally has a deep introspective awareness that they refer back to when working towards their client’s goals.

In order to achieve my goals of becoming a successful integral practitioner, I have to work on fine tuning my sensitivities around stress. My emotional, physical and mental health has all at one time or another been affected adversely by how I deal with stress. However, this personal awareness has driven me to be mindful about my triggers and most recently, to book consistent appointments with a Rogerian person-center psychologist. It is my intension to explore and develop my emotional self in order to increase my coping mechanism surrounding stress. 

Assessment:

How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

Wellness Spiritually - Scores = 9:

Since I was very young I was always considered a spiritual child, one that by age 12 could be found in the occult section of the library trying to decipher the bible, translate the kabbalah, decode hermetic symbols or learn how to astral-project. I have always been into spirituality and the deeper meanings of life and self. As an adult I have found job satisfaction by being in a career in which spirituality, intuition and energy is brought up in conversation as often as the weather. The same can be said about my personal relationships. I practice meditation, yoga, contemplation, mindfulness and other inner awareness techniques to keep me in tune with my spiritual self and with the world around me.

Physically – Score  = 8:

My positive physical health is not just ranked on the bases that I have no diseases, illnesses or family history thereof. Physical health has many aspects which included: blood pressure, weight, ovulation, elimination, diet, breath, rate of inflammation, rest, acid/alkalinity balance, bone strength, excellent senses and homeostasis. I am very healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, I do suffer from pain due to arthritis and injuries which can hinder physical activity sometimes. However, I do address my physical limitations in various forms so that I am always looking to improve my overall score.

Psychologically – Score = 8:

Although I rated my psychological health an eight, I have to honestly state that my mental health score actually vacillates between a seven and nine depending on what my life brings. Part of my wellness lifestyle includes making the effort to look into my mental and energetic self in search of my deeper truths, inner awareness and cleansing from emotional baggage that I have yet to release in order to move toward optimal mental well-being. For the new year, I have taken the initiative to find a psychologist that fits my personal and spiritual values in order to increase my psychological score.

Goal Development: 

Physical Goal: To address physical limitations I am going to seek both medical and alternative holistic health advice for my arthritis and any other bodily pains that I thought would have subsided on their own by now. 

Spiritual Goal: To increase spiritual awareness I am going to incorporate time for meditation during my regular work days while on my lunch breaks. Since I get an hour for lunch, my goal is to meditate for the first fifteen minutes of my break-time before eating. Also, when possible, I am going to eat my lunch in complete silence to allow my mind a rest during my meal.

Psychological Goal: This year I am going to genuinely focus more on my psychological health by visiting with a psychologist one to two times a week. My goal is learn more about myself while fully participating in a mental health plan that will cultivate self-compassion, consistent mindfulness and healthy coping mechanism in an effort to minimize the effects of stress. 

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.

Physical: To address my issues with arthritis, I am going to implement an anti-inflammatory diet developed by Dr. Weil. It is my intension to reduce my body’s inflammation in an effort to reduce or eliminate pain. Once I am free of pain I can increase my physical activity. 

Psychological: As mentioned earlier, I have scheduled regular appointments with a Rogerian person-center psychologist. To find this practitioner, I first had to develop a list of my mental health goals and research the specific therapeutic approach that would best work for me before contacting the professional I chose. I know that as long as I am honest and open with the mental health expert, I will be rewarded with true emotional awareness with will increase my overall well-being.

Spiritual: In is my new year’s resolution to increase my mediation practice. Along with meditating everyone morning, I am going to incorporate meditation during the midday. It is my hopes that this extra meditative practice will keep me clear headed, focused and promote a feeling of awake-ness that will carry me throughout the rest of my work day.

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?

To track my wellness progress, I am using both my digital schedule and wall calendar to not only keep track of the time I am setting aside for the above mentioned goals, but also I will be using the wall calendar as a visual inspiration tool. I will be hanging a calendar next to my meditation alter at home to mark each day in which I took the time to meditation midday. I know that looking at the calendar before beginning my morning meditation will inspiring me because I will clearly see progress of the goal I have set. In regards to my appointments for both my psychological and physical health goals, as long as I stay consistent with my doctor visits and the health procedures they will prescribe me, I am sure I will begin to move towards a direction of optimal health. 

One of my main mental health goals is to develop a long-term wellness plan that takes into account my future life’s goals (career, family, home, etc.). By working with the psychologist I have chosen to coach me through this process, together we will create a realistic strategy to incorporate my physical, spiritual and of course psychological wellness goals into my everyday lifestyle. The fact is, I already have positive lifestyle practices but because there were major changes in my life last year, one of them is being newly married, I now have to revamp my current wellness approaches to reflex how my life has changed.  This method of reassessing my current wellness practices in regards to my ever changing life helps me maintain and evolve in all three dimensions of well-being.

Mental Fitness Exercises that Fit Me

Unit 8 Assignment: 

Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples.

Of the four mental exercises I was assigned to practice during this college course the only two that I found beneficial “Journey on Relaxation” and “Universal Loving Kindness”. The first mental exercise entitled “Journey on Relaxation” guided me with an autogenic training technique which reminded me of a standard yogic relaxation technique used at the end of asana (physical practice). I am very familiar with this technique and have cultivated preferences on how it should be administered because I find it to be quite effective. This guided relaxation method truly assisted me in finding balance between my sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. 

Although I know that this particular relaxation technique is not in the style that would best work for me, I have started utilizing a very similar relaxation method before I meditate. I find that tuning into my physical self to both calm it down and find the most comfortable seated position before meditation is helpful. The mental exercise of addressing my physical awareness before engaging my spiritual exercise has helped to extend my meditation practice.

The “Universal Loving-Kindness” meditation was the second mental fitness exercise which I found to be the most beneficial. Personally, recitation of any powerful mantra keeps the mind and spirit fit and focused on the bigger picture. Dacher’s affirmation is one that promotes an expansive quality that reminds me of my purpose to serve man/woman-kind. It is easy for me (and I am sure most) to include my loved ones in my prayers and just as easy to forget the rest of the world that connects to us all. By training my mind to recount the goal of wanting all to experience health, happiness and wholeness leaves with a feeling of true connectedness.  

In an effort to experience oneness frequently in my life, I have recently included Dacher’s affirmation at the end of my meditation practice.  I have found that ending with this affirmation not only brings the bigger picture back into my mind as I wrap up my spiritual practice but also helps me to acclimate back into reality and leaves me with a sense of purpose that I take with me throughout the day.  The integration of these powerful mental fitness exercises have shifted the way I prioritize decisions for myself, my family and the world around me.

Universal Loving Kindness Mediation & Personal Assessment

"May all individuals gain freedom from suffering."

"May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness."

"May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering."

"May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness."

The practice of this particular meditation was very potent for me.  Although we were assigned only ten minutes to work with this valuable affirmation during our meditation practice, I certainly went over in time. The repetition of the affirmation revealed itself to be second nature to me, as I have been working with Sanskrit mantras for years during my personal meditation practice. During the practice this affirmation transformed itself into an oath. As I sat there crossed legged taking this oath, I felt a lightness reveal itself from inside of me. The lightness was first felt across my forehead and then traveled both vertically and horizontally from my torso into a feeling of expansiveness. The affirmation rang of truth not just in regards to my personal path of healing, but also a universal truth. Once completed, I was left with a feeling of gratitude that stayed with me throughout the day.

Results of the personal assessment while in a contemplative state of mind:

During my contemplative state I focused on my career as a holistic health provider. As I reflected on my current career and its aspiration, I started to notice a connection I never thought possible in which I can integrate my full time job as a manager for New York City’s number one holistic center into my current occupational endeavors. Since making this connecting, it is as if the universe said “she finally gets it” because within two days of coming to this realization, I have met three influential people and have been presented with several opportunity to move in the direction of integrating my job with my  healing practice. Hence, the only exercise or activity I needed to accomplish was the realization that this is actually possible and the rest seems to be falling into place. Once I transformed how I was viewing the situation it began to take on a life of its own, I am certain it is because I got out of my own way.

Practicing the "Subtle Mind" exercise

1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

Similar to the “loving kindness” guided audio clip I was assigned to listen to in last week’s class, the “subtle mind” exercise given in this unit also drifted me off to sleep.  I began the exercise by employing Dacher's instructions in advance by consciously took ten deep breaths in and out before playing the audio. As I played the audio and it guided me through the same breathing pattern I had just practiced, I felt confident that staying aware of my breath would be beneficial to the success of the assignment.  However, when the sounds of the waves kicked in I knew I was in for trouble. As mentioned in my last blog, the sound of the ocean is something I have inadvertently trained my mind to associate with sleep. For fear of falling asleep, I forced myself to stay focused on my breathing. The female voice coming in and out of the audio with contemplative questions such as “what happens when I lose interest in and let go of mental movements?” was quit distracting. Whenever the voice asked a question my mind would become startled and instantly start search for the answers which would break my concentration on the breath. I found the speaking voice to be abrupt and incredibly off-putting. Wanting this activity to be successful, yet realizing it had built a mental struggle in me as I was trying to simultaneously stay awake, follow my breath and ignoring the voice that jutted in and out expectantly, I finally surrender to just doing my best. Unfortunately, my best ended with me waking up after hearing the voice tell me to come back into the room. It is hard to no experience feeling of frustration around this particular exercise as I am not sure if I received it true benefits.

2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

The connection of the mind, body and spirit is a system in which health can either flourish or fail in any three of the categories. Dacher explains this system as being one that “shifts from outer to inner to innermost” (Dacher, 2006). For example, if some spirit is trouble by the death of a loved one, it will cause mental stress which can manifest as erratic sleeping patterns, poor diet, stomach problems, anxiety, and/or depression. Although the loss has seemingly only affected the person’s spirit, the effect of the spiritual system being disturbed can result in a physiological and psychological break down. Treatment of this particular patient would need to be holistic so that all three dimensions of the person are addressed for the success of true health and wellness. 

As most people, when I experience an unbalance in my spirit, mind or body it tends to affect all that I do. When I take the time to mindfully connect with my innermost self, I find the answers to questions I have been struggling with that address both my physical and mental health. For instance, recently when I worked on a high profile event staring Deepak Chopra, I experienced an intense amount of mental anxiety while think of the many “what if” scenarios in an effort to make things work out just perfect. Physically what manifest from these worries were headaches that only subsided after some deep breathing exercises. However, the moment I began contemplating the worse, my headaches would reappear as if they had been looming in the background waiting for me to take the same pattern that brought them on in the first place. These headaches continued until the day of the event. Coincidentally the headaches subsided during Dr. Chopra’s lecture about being in the moment because thoughts of future will either lead to worries or expectations took my headaches away.  Once my headaches stopped, I could not help wonder how I can avoid disturbing my spirit so that it does not affect my mind and body adversely.

Practicing the "Loving Kindness" exercise

Unit 4 Blog Assignment:

1. Describe your experience. (Did you find it beneficial? Difficult?) Why or Why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or Why not?

Several time within the week I listened to the loving kindness guided audio clip assigned to this unit. Utilizing Dacher's meditation instructions, I sat in a "noble upright posture", witnessed my breath for a while and perform the practice the same time everyday. Embarrassingly enough I fell asleep every time I performed this activity. In hindsight, I now have a pretty good idea why I could not stay conscious with this particular heart opening relaxation technique.

Whenever I am having trouble sleeping I listen to an audio recording of beach sounds, I have done so for years. I rarely have insomnia but when I have it is always for the same reason, over active thoughts. In those times I have turned to my relaxation CD to help put my asleep and unlike the assigned audio recording there is no dialog. It seems that I have inadvertently trained my mind to respond to the sound of waves as a time for rest and sleep. Although, I genuinely enjoyed opening my heart to thoughts of those persons I cherish most in my life, the waves themselves have become a trigger to my parasympathetic system to take over and put me to sleep.

     2.  What is the concept of “Mental Workout? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

Using yoga as an example, if one continues practicing, the body (and mind) become limber. If the individual stops their yoga practice their flexibility fades more and more each day as the body's conditioning depreciates and tightens up. The same takes place within the mind. A mental workout is the concept of training the mind to stay in a neutral and contemplative state in hopes of obtaining clarity of mind. When one systematically workouts mentally, be it using methods of contemplation, relaxation or meditation, ones mind becomes conditioned. According to Dacher, "when we stop practicing, we will see a drop-off in our conditioning, weather physical or mental" (Dacher, 2006). Dacher recommends working out the mind an hour a day to keep it fit. Basically as my mother always says, "practice makes prefect".

Although I don't always have the luxury of sitting for my meditation practice an hour each day I do sit for a minimum of fifteen minutes to a half hour. During my practice, I follow my breath for the first five minutes or so and then move on to mentally recite a spiritual mantra presented to me by a swami many years ago. A mantra is a sound or string of words in any language (mine happens to be in Sanskrit) that is repeated out loud or mentally for the purpose of spiritual transformation. When I first began this mental workout years ago I would say the mantra out loud so that my mind was forced to stay focused. After several years of practice I can just say it to myself mentally because my mind is already conditioned to go into a place of neutrality during my routine.

Reflexion of My Personal Wellness

Unit 3 Blog Assignment: This week my class assignment was answer the personal questions below. Hope you enjoy reading my responses.

Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), where do you rate your A-physical wellbeing, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

A. Physical Well-being: Ranked 7 - Physically I have arthritis, injuries and physical pain that keep this number at a solid seven. However, physically I am aware that I am graceful, have good posture and a highly cultivated body awareness in regards to my blood pressure, weight, ovulation, elimination, breath, nutrition, potential allergens, rest, acid/alkalinity balance, etc.

B. Spiritual Well-being: Ranked 9 - Spiritually I am intuitive, meditative, contemplative and mindful. I have a consistent spiritual which encompasses mantra, yoga and seva (selfless acts of kindness).

C. Psychological Well-Being: Ranked 8 – If asked five years ago I would have rated myself a ten because I had made so many positive and important changes happen to me in regards to my life's endeavors. However, since then I have visited places within myself through emotional and spiritual techniques that made me look deeper into myself. Energetic medicines like: Reiki, Chakra balancing, silent meditation retreats, re-birthing techniques, journeying, mindfulness and awareness techniques guide me to look at unhealed emotional rubbish that has yet to clear my system of consciousness.

Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

Physical Goal: Research practitioners who can holistically treat arthritis.

Spiritual Goal: Continue to cultivate both inner awareness and environmental awareness.

Psychological Goal: Locate a psycho-spiritual therapist that can help me clear old emotional traumas.

What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

Physical: Using the website as a resource to find a holistic practitioner that has decent reviews.

Spiritual: To enhance my awareness I am going to attempt to stay in a neutral state (without judgment) while witnessing my inner thoughts and tuning into my surround environment.

Psychological: Since most psycho-spiritual therapist are not covered by insurance, the first step I have to do is start saving money. 

Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

Listening to the relaxation exercise made me doze off at first because it was on a day where I had worked a twelve hour shift. However, as the audio recording progressed I slowly came to as it began referring to the colors of the Chakras and its coinciding body centers. I work with the Chakras regularly so my mind awaken itself as it recognized the typical suggestions given when tuning in to those wheels of color and light. Lastly, the tone of the speaker’s voice was wonderful and highly appreciated as I was not only tired but also stressed out on the day I listened to this recording.