Final Blog - Unit 10 Farewell

My classmates and Professor have help to make this one of the best classes I have taken and I know I am a better person and better equipped to go forward in attaining a much better rounded life. My personal assessment from Unit 3 has not changed drastically so I know I still have much work ahead but that makes me want to forge ahead and make my life the absolute best it can be physically, mentally and spiritually. My physical, spiritual and psychological scores now are seven, eight and six in that order. I know I am capable of much more I need to push myself and dedicate more of ‘me’ to the journey. The lowest part of my assessment came from my psychological wellness and having been through some very recent past years it has taken its toll, I had many lemons thrown my way and I forgot the best way to deal with them is to make lemonade, I forgot the lemonade part! This class has helped in that I have fortified my meditation to help both psychologically and spiritually.

I have implemented taking some more advanced Yoga classes and actually bought some new Yoga tapes with more advanced poses that I can use at the house when it is just not possible to get to a class this way there is not excuse. I have also committed to eating even more of a vegetarian food fare, something I already do but even fewer meals with beef. Of course in the summer I cannot resist that one burger on the barbeque grill there is something to it and I have a difficult time relinquishing it! As my psychological wellness needs more work I have dedicated more journaling time. Journaling helps me put things into perspective and to revisit prior days where there may have been more stress I can make an assessment as to what and where I need to make changes and implement them ongoing.

I must emphasize the fact that this has been one of the BEST classes I have taken, from the materials provided, the wonderful tutelage of Professor May and most of all to the amazingly wonderful group of people I feel honored to call my classmates. I think the support and encouragement from all has been fantastic and uplifting at times when I felt I was overwhelmed there may have been a particular post or just a few words that gave me that inspiration I needed to overcome my momentary lapse. As one of my classmates posted online classes can at times seem impersonal but I have to say that was most assuredly not the case during this experience, I could not have asked for a better class and I know I am a better person and will move forward and evolve with the lessons learned throughout the past ten weeks. I will persist to live in the sphere of possibilities not probabilities. I have a new found commitment to become that person I am meant to be and as Thoreau said, “If I am not I, who will be?”

Thanks ~ Linda

Progression Unit 9

I. Introduction

Health and wellness professionals must consistently evolve and develop throughout their career. They must continuously pursue their education in order to effectively disseminate information to others and in order to be credible they must blaze the path of wellness in order to help clients navigate psychologically, spiritually and physically. A professional cannot ask anyone to walk in their shoes or go down the same path without having first navigated the same waters. In order to connect to clients in a professional manner one must be able to demonstrate and provide techniques from within and their own growth both personally and professionally. As I have stated on the continuum I am a perpetual work in progress but throughout the past nine weeks I have made strides to more fully develop all three areas but I think the area that needs more attention at this point in time is my psychological development.

II. Assessment

When I first did the physical, spiritual and psychological assessment in Unit 3 my scores were six, six and five in that order. My physical wellness is slightly better and I might be more hyper critical of my own personal assessment but I know I am capable of much more so now I would do my assessment as follows seven, eight and six accordingly. I have been trying to dedicate myself more to yoga and other low intensity activities but at this juncture I still need to push myself more ardently. My spiritual well being has taken on new life as I try to practice more meditation and do so more consistently. Our meditative practices throughout our classes have helped me to reach deeper and look more closely at the inner person and with such guidance I know I can become even kinder compassionate person for myself and everyone I touch. My psychological aspect or guidance needs some more work and feel that in order to do this I need to de-clutter more and incorporate time for my own self indulgence, not in an extravagant manner just to spend time with me and I feel that by incorporating more journaling with help with my psychological growth.

III. Goal development

One goal in my physical development is to achieve an intermediate development of Yoga in order to become more flexible and stronger in both mind and body. I have increased my morning walks and they have become quicker with more effort and vitality. I am trying to become a full vegetarian in order to help my slightly precarious immune system and under active thyroid. I do not eat a great deal of meat but I have narrowed it down, proudly, to an occasional burger on the grill. My last few classes at Kaplan will help me accomplish this more as I am going to direct my efforts to some of the nutrition classes, somewhat force my hand into a more practical and healthful diet. My psychological goal is to practice more meditation and visualization as I feel it will help me engage more of “me” within myself as well as everyone in my life. My spiritual efforts are going to go into more journal time as I find this connects me with the past, helps me live in the present and it gives me a dialogue to work towards the future. As the holidays fast approach I have found some new found enthusiasm for my Christmas card designs that I send each year.


IV. Practices for personal health

In order to implement and foster more growth in my physical development I am taking a dance class in order to get me up and aerobically moving. I am unable to do my long distance running any longer so I am hoping my getting up and moving in the form of dance I can achieve that same level of fitness plus I will improve my dance greatly! I am also give another round to kick-boxing, no pun intended, as when I first tried this sport I liked it but I think I gave up too quickly so I am going back at the bag for another round. Psychologically will be somewhat easier to put into full force when I graduate in the spring but until that time I am going to reserve a set amount of time each day devoted to myself, whether it is meditation or just staring at a blank wall it will be for me and me alone! My spiritual development is ongoing but I am going to continue to use loving-kindness practices as well as meditation for my spirit as well. My journaling is for both my psychological and spiritual well-being so I am going to make sure that my entries are more consistent.

V. Commitment

In order track my progress I am going to keep a special journal and name it my Commitment to Well-Being and I will write down any activity or lack of activity and use it as a motivational tool to keep me moving forward. I will make an assessment at the end of each week and see where I need to step up my game to improve in order to keep my on my path and make any necessary adjustments. I can also use the integral vow as a beacon, a guiding light to keep me motivated as well. Committing to the Tibetan traditions wherein we are what we think, with our thoughts we make the world and happiness follows as well as nurturing mindfulness as the mind is both the source of happiness and the root of suffering (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005). Commitment takes up time, energy and self engagement and the best way I can monitor and assess my progress is by checking my goals and tweaking them as time progresses. I am committed to become that person I am meant to be.


Reference:

Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. S. (2005). Consciousness & healing Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Unit 8 Meditation, Visualization, Subtle-Mind, Loving-Kindness......

After reviewing and implementing all of our practices that we have learned through the past weeks I really want to utilize all of them going forward but I think for me the ones that I will benefit exponentially will be (and have been thus far) are both the meditation and loving-kindness.

Meditation utilizes breathing and by all accounts this is very much a natural thing with most of us, I imagine but there are times when one gets harried and stressed it becomes somewhat unnatural so for me to be able to slow down concentrate on breathing it will help me instill more harmony and balance therefore with time it will become more second nature. This is effective because it can be done just about anyplace but of course I would not recommend a full meditative state while driving but using the breathing techniques when driving in horrific traffic is a great way to de-stress and focus, clear the mind of the problem at hand and this way one can arrive at their destination in a more focused and calm manner. I know this will work for me every single day!

The other practice is loving-kindness which is something that can be used daily forever! By being able to open ones heart and exude compassion can not only alter the way one lives but it can also change how others live. By this I mean if I act in a more caring, compassionate manner to others I can imagine they may possibly find it infectious and could start to implement this practice into their own life. I have been trying, not 100% successful at it yet, to start each day by visualizing the day going great, smooth and relatively few bumps, I do some meditative breathing and I wind it up with a small prayer for everyone and then one for those that I have lost.

Incorporating all of these practices at first may seem unnatural or forced but I truly believe the more they are practiced they become part of my being and with that I know that I am on a path to great wellness and a life rich in peace, love, harmony and balance.

Thank you all ~ Linda

Meeting Asclepius

This week was chaotic and frenetic at best so I tackled this particular exercise a few times. I was able to acquire and image as well as maintain some focus as my healer was my grandmother. Although she passed away many years ago she is always with me and has been a pillar in my life both as she lived and died. I think my focus was so powerful because she was a wonderful, kind and amazingly compassionate person one to aspire to and I want to continue this exercise so I can attain a truly deeper focus with her.

Mindfulness and meditation play an enormous role in one's overall wellness, as we have evidenced it connects us and weaves our minds, bodies and spirits into one cloth. In addition each of these practices of meditation is helping me become more aware and in tune to developing and achieving inner peace and on the path to human flourishing. With each practice and continual practice I can feel the calm permeate each and every cell and I look forward to the time when they are natural in that I do not have to "remember" to meditate it becomes a greater part of my being.

The quote is simply put, self explanatory in that one cannot do something in direct conflict of one's teachings and expect credibility or a modicum of respect. I have much work to accomplish before I can truly lead another in the direction of flourishing but I feel I am able to achieve this well being with practice and honest, compassionate dedication. I really like the following quote so I wanted to share it with all...

"Great souls are they who see that spiritual is stronger than material force, that thoughts rule the world." ~ Emerson

Unit 6 - Loving Kindness and Integral Assessment

This exercise was a mini practice, as Dacher claimed, in expanding our hearts and minds as well as serving as antidote to hatred and anger. It also was a practice in turning our own personal gratification into thinking of others and incorporating the practice of loving kindness towards others as well.

I liked this exercise and I felt calm and could begin to actually feel more positive feelings flow towards others. I faltered a few times but was able to re-focus and realized it was not the quantity of people reached it was the quality I was projecting.

The Integral Assessment was interesting as I thought for a while on what aspect of my life is a source of difficulty and suffering and what needs work. As I always profess I am a constant work in progress and I believe both my psycho spiritual and biological flourishing need some work with emphasis on the psycho spiritual. I practice meditation but it is not consistent and I feel by working on this area it will improve vastly. By practicing more fervently I can improve my personal growth and believe my true potential and find my way truly on the way to becoming that person I am meant to be.

I intend to set time aside each day and practice the loving-kindness exercise as well and more meditation and focus on improving my time management skills. I actually eat rather healthy, I am not a vegetarian but I very, very rarely eat any meat but do eat lots of fish and occasionally some chicken. I do Yoga but I must say I have "fallen off the wagon" of consistency so I am going to make a concerted effort to dust myself off and get back up and into the Yoga practice on a regular basis. I think the occasional long, thought provoking walk is also good for the soul so I need to incorporate at least one or two a week.

Now this is my new outlook and road to transformation on the road to true harmony and balance for a positively healthful lifestyle and longevity.

Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral Health The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Mental Fitness Presentation

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dgbt36b9_0c58nxbgg

Subtle Mind Exercise

I first tried the Subtle Mind exercise prior to the beginning of class and I used some techniques that I am learning through meditation in order to 'still my mind' and I felt it was more, no pun intended' subtle than our last exercise. I used my breathing as focus and did so more diligently I could feel my mind clearing, sounds strange and I hope I am describing it well but it was surreal. I think this exercise requires much focus and with time is parallel to meditation a great way to quiet the mind and find mental clarity.

I liked both exercises but I think I preferred this one slightly more over the Loving-Kindness exercise. The vital part of integral health and maintaining these exercises is to clear a path for that harmony and balance and instill wellness into our lifestyles thus strengthening our mind-body and spirit.

Thanks ~ Linda

Mental Workout

The mental workout concept is the same concept as working out and training ones body but it is for training one's mind as well as mental clarity and acuity. Practicing on expanding ones mind is something that will help one build on ones psycho spiritual health as well as achieving optimum a mind-body connection.

Mental workouts have proven that it is possible to train ones mind to 'workout' the negative emotions such as anger and fear diminishing these as to enhance and replace them with more positive, fruitful emotions such as patience and acceptance as well as optimal loving-kindness.

Becoming aware and conscious of mental workouts each day and including them in my life will enhance my well-being into a more peaceful lifestyle and once again gradually assist me with attaining harmony and balance towards my path to wholeness and optimal wellness.

Loving Kindness Exercise

I must admit my first attempt was somewhat successful but it needed much improvement, which I am still working on and will continue in order to be able to fully accept loving kindness. I try every day to accept others and bring loving-kindness honestly and openly into my daily and I would consider myself the antithesis of a self-centered person. I put a great deal of focus into my breathing and consciously bringing love in and exhaling bad visions or relationships out while listening to the exercise. I having been practicing and will continue until the exercise is without a conscious effort and then I will be further along the path to harmony, balance and integral health.

Crime of the Century

Once again I enjoyed this particular audio and the narrator's melodic voice, very soothing and peaceful. When I listened to this lesson I was extremely tired so it was almost mesmerizing and I honestly do not know if I fell asleep or drifted off intermittently when listening but I remember visualizing the color green, which happens to be my only son's favorite color and it was also my mother's, I could feel a sensation and I feel like it was both of them connecting with me at the same time, sounds wild but it was a warm flowing sensation. As I said I was almost in a dreamlike state because I was so tired and towards the end I know I drifted off to slumber land. I will revisit this lesson because I think there are some powerful visualizations to beget with this type of exercise.

Level of Well-Being - Unit 3

I will be rating my levels of physical, spiritual and psychological well-being on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the optimum.

Physical - 6

I have high expectations for my physical well-being and until lately I have fallen grossly short of those expectations. My recent primary care taking duties have left me both mentally and physically drained altough I know one of the key factors in taking care of someone else is to make sure you take care of yourself. I let that fly completely out the window and as a result became run down and out of shape, not egregiously out of shape but nothing that I am use to nor tolerate. I have started on a path of meditation as well as yoga along with power walking and some core muscle strengthening exercises. All of these movements will help me orchestrate the person I want within , a more healthful person.

Spiritual -6

I find that I am really developing my spiritual well-being, making a conceted effort to achieve that ultimate inner harmony and balance. Evolving my spiritualism is most important at this time particularly with the recent loss of my mother it is most important for acceptance of that loss and the loss of some of my inner light. I am using jouraling to help direct thoughts on paper for later reflection and meditation to quiet myself and gain more acceptance of her death each day.

Psychological - 5

I feel that everything is somewhat predicated on my psychological well-being meaning that both my physical and spiritual well-being are not at higher levels so this in turn diminishes my psychological capacity. I need to look forward more than 'wallowing' in the past and embrace what I am and who I am evolving into to, the person I am meant to be and not drain my energy on things I do not have control at in the moment. I need to engage more time in my favorite pastime - design as this helps re-direct and nourish my focus. As I navigate through class and start to de-clutter I anticipate raising my psychological level of well-being significantly.

All of these are a work in progress and evolve daily and my goal is to raise my physical, spiritual and psychological well-being to the optimal in order to live a healthful life in harmony and balance.

Journey on Relaxation

I am a little behind the eight ball, I apologize for that, but here in my perspective on the relaxation exercise for Unit 2. First I must say it was most relaxing almost to the point of mesmerizing and I felt the narrator had a pleasant-sounding voice and very smooth, like warm honey it was just an open invitation to relax! I pulled out my yoga mat and proceeded to lie down on the floor after chasing my dog from the mat and started to focus. i actually threw a light blanket over me because the room was cool. I focused on my arms, upper torso, neck and shoulders and could almost feel tension dissolving and a distribution of blood flow. I used breathing that I have recently learned with meditation, nose breathing and could feel each breath, the rise and fall of my abdomen with each breath and with this relaxation i actually felt it difficult to move my arms but it was cathartic and it was if the tension and stress were dissolving like warm honey in a cup of hot tea, amazing and exhilarating.

I did similar exercises such as this one years ago in an outward bound group that I attended with a work group for ten days and after doing this exercise I recalled how relaxing it was, we ended each day with this technique so it was great to have this opportunity again. Wonderful for stress reduction!

Reflection

When someone asks you" how are you?", the response is generally "I am fine", but is that a truly honest answer? We tend to equate true wellness as not being ill at the moment not a true feeling of wellness connecting mind, body and spirit. Mind, body and spirit are the focus of all well-being. Excuses not to take care of oneself are plentiful and grow more inventive therefore become more entrenched into daily life! The process of restoring balance and harmony into one's daily life in order to make it a practice that is not overt but rather a natural transition from within and is not easy...at first. Both balance and harmony can begin by de-cluttering one's life such as cleaning out and organizing your mental clutter by starting with some meditation.

This state of wellness does not occur overnight, it is a path, a journey, one which I have embarked on, a work in progress, to restore harmony and balance into my fragmented life and I encourage all to embrace a path to true wellness. I look forward to taking this journey on the path to harmony and balance.