Unit 9-Final Project

Why is it important for health and wellness professional to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?

         A healer (doctor, psychologist, nurse, etc.) needs to have a foundation or personal reference to draw conclusions and treatments.  An example would be when I go to my doctor for the treatment of frequent migraine headaches.  If he only asks me about the duration and physical symptoms and then prescribes a medication for me to take he is only treating the pain, so I will just be in his office again when the medication runs out. Now if the same doctor began to ask me about the work I do, or what I was doing when the migraine occurred she/he may begin to build cause and treatment. Is the healer concerned about my downtime, what I am doing to relax and relive stress?  How much physical activity am I getting, do I have a support system at home or at work to help me deal with the stress and strain that maybe causing migraines. This would be the healer treating the whole person and not just the symptom a person is suffering from.  Knowing or acknowledging different forms of spiritually and different forms of exercise can only enhance or add to the physicians/healers arsenal of healing remedies. 

What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goal you have for yourself?

         I have yet to find a form of physical activity that I enjoy, I endure physical workouts or force myself into physical activity.  I think my mindset came from “having” to do physical workouts from being in the military. Being physically fit was part of my job, so the line blurred into the definition of downtime as being able to just relax and not have to workout or partake in physical activity.  So my goal is to find a way to “want” to do physical exercise.  I have tried many different exercise classes, hired personal trainers, and joined many different gyms over the last ten years and have found nothing that has really stuck with me.  I have depended on exercise partners (who don’t show up) so I have resolved myself to go this alone.  Working out in solitary will be goal because I know I am doing this for me. 

How have you assessed your health in each domain?

         My wellness assessment is rock steady in a psychological standpoint, I know and recognize short-term gratification and long-term good psychological health. I have taught myself to stop picking up the burdens of others, because they will not pick up yours and would we as fully-grown and responsible adults allow someone to shoulder our problems.   I act with intent by accepting my problems and issues as belonging to me, and I am the only one who can change or correct them. I also understand that my happiness and strength are up to me and this leads to my spiritual wholeness is also my own doing.  Once I allowed my inner self to expand upon the definition of spiritually the peace came to me that I felt I was missing.  Growing up here in the lands of the west we are generally taught that religion and spiritual wellbeing are one in the same. Practices of our parents and leader of our country mostly defined what should be the wellbeing of the spirit.  I find joy in the worship and nourishing of the land that I live upon.  I enjoy the lessons I learn from others who practice or live the ways of Buddha, Tao, Native American and or course Wiccan.  These are practices of active participation; you have to be “willing”, to live as you preach.  We are basically taught that you are your own worst enemy; you are also your own healer or best friend. You affect the world you live in; your life and interaction with the lives and world are your doing.  I hope I am explaining this correctly because it is difficult to explain spiritual wellbeing.  Physically I am ok, but I could use more work I know or own the fact the being more physically active will only benefit for both the short term and long term health goal.  As I have said previously finding and maintaining a good exercise regime is up to me, so I will still have to work on this goal now and in the future.

List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual.

         My physical goal is to find an exercise or physical activity that I can maintain and that does not feel like a chore.  A spiritual goal would be to be more active in the pagan community; I am a solitary practioner now but want to take a more active and positive role in the local outreach programs that are being supported by the pagan community. My psychological wellbeing and development I think I am already working on that.  I graduated from college eleven years ago taking a degree in an employable field because it is what responsible people did.  Over the years my mental state has taken a beating with work expectations, family obligations and financial strain.  I have learned to take things as they come, change things I can and I learned to say no and not feel guilty about it.  My continuing goal is to finish my studies in CAM and pass the knowledge on to the next generation.

What are my practices for personal health?

         I can grow in my physical health by just implementing a long-term exercise regime that I will keep up with and maintain.  I may enroll into classes at the local Pilate’s studio or just start using the treadmill sitting in my spare room a few minutes each day.   My psychological strategy is to continue to learn and evolve in both spiritual knowledge, and mental exercise.  I will continue to engage the practice of loving-kindness, we discussed loving-kindness quite a bit this term and I think it is a great example to both psychological and physical growth.  I am not sure that the active practice of meditation work for me but I will continue to try, who knows maybe one day it will. I am an avid reader which is why I thought going back to school after age 40 would be ok, needless to say not so much but I am having fun and will keeping at it.  I feel the stimulation to my brain has rejuvenated me and even if I don’t have a 4.0 I have a me point-zero that is just as good.  I started my garden recently and can honestly say that I am very sour afterwards, so this coupled with the Pilate’s class she get my physical goal going.   

Unit 8l-Spiritual Aspect of Healing

Spiritual Aspects of Healing


The two practices from this term that I feel will be the most beneficial to me are the Loving Kindness, because it helps me to interact and look at people as people and just another problem or annoyance to get around, through or just make go away.  Loving Kindness will force you to open yourself up to others and be honest with them and treat them with fairness.  Now I do not believe the practice of Loving Kindness is to  set ourselves up to be mistreated, but it should give us pause when our first thought is to react before we think.  Next would be the Subtle Mind, I like this on the most and will use it everyone in one form or another.  Being Calm-Abiding is necessary for me because of the level of stress I encounter everyday, I have taught myself to be quiet and seek peace.  In the Witnessing mind centering my thoughts and removing the clutter has helped to be calm and think before I act. With Unity Consciousness I have a greater joy and communion with my spiritual side and the world I live in.  Both practices help keep me grounded in a hectic world were I have duties and worries both at work and at home. Finding and staying with my inner peace keep me from being frantic and stressed.


Roberta

Current Trends

We are asked to explain what the statement "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477). I just enjoyed seeing this in print because I have always believed this philosophy myself.  Here is my real life example, I have a co-worker that is very colorful she changes her hair whenever the mood strikes her, has her nosed pierced and a tattoo on her next, but she is also one of the best agents in the office, your go to girls for interpretation of laws and policy (I work for the Fed's), but when we had a new manager take over she went on a judgement campaign stating that she "new" where my friend came from, how my friend has lived and accused her of drug abuse.  Now when said manager came to me I explained that she did not now me either nor did she know the type of journey I have taken in my life or how much Ink I sported under my clothiers.  So in reference to the above statement how can a man tell a woman how much pain she is in while giving birth unless he has done so himself. How can you tell someone to just get over grief if you have never known loss.  How can you prescribe a prayer or practice if you only know that of which you practice.  15 years ago I was pregnant and on active duty, I was injured and had a mis-carriage the kept me in the hospital for about a week. Now the whole time I was there I refused to see the Chaplin because of my own spiritual practice and belief.  I was surprised when I woke up and found him in my room, he began to explain his mission and how he was to save me (did not know I was lost) and that if I followed the Christian path I would have still been pregnant and things would have been fine.  So again this was a lack of understanding and open-mindedness from a spiritual practitioner who was not a good leader.


Ok, tried the Complete the Meeting Aesclepius mp3, I completed the full 20 min and could not stay focused.  I have stated before that I have trouble with meditation so I use other methods to reach a mindfulness state, but I will say the steps on the download are a lot like the prayer chant I and others use.  So this is not so bad, just the style is not for me.


Roberta

Assessment

Hello Everyone


I went back and tried the loving kindness exercise again, during a very hectic work week (only made stressful by co-workers), and I found that I pretty much practice loving kindness daily.  For me I consider giving blessings to those who need help and guidance a stress reliever for me, even if I have to say the blessing internally, because people can try your patience and were out that famous "left nerve". The mini practice if good and I like the wording because if follows other chants and blessing I already use.


The Integral assessment I like only because it makes you stop and assess your self and take a good look at what is going well for you and what you can improve.  Since I believe the human spirit always has room for improvement this is a good thing.  I have yet to meet the perfect person, or a person who has absolutely no need to improve their character, work, home or spirit.  My next level of development looks like improving my physical self.  I used to be a very physical person, which gave me another outlet for stress and allowed me time to shut down mentally. I see that if I can make time for work, school, home etc.  I need to make time to exercise.  I will see how I do this by the end of the term.


Roberta.