I.
Introduction:
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?
I believe that the more one grows the more
wisdom he or she will gain. When one choices to follow
the integral path to health care he or she is developing and continuously
allowing their psychological, spiritual and physical well-being to flourish. As
we have learned throughout this class there is a connection to the mind, body
and spirit; one aspect cannot be affected without affecting the other aspects.
For a health care professional to treat a patient’s physical aspect he or she
is not treating the whole person. In order for a health care professional to
treat a patient as a whole he or she needs to believe and practice this concept
of treating each part of the patient (mind, body and spirit). One cannot talk
the talk unless they walk the walk.
When a health care professional finds this
whole connection between mind, body and spirit then he or she has discover
integral health and healing. This becomes a personal experience for the practitioner
who in turn allows that practitioner to treat and heal patients in the same
manner but with experience, heart and soul. “Our personal work becomes a sacred
responsibility, a way that we can help others and create a better world” (Dacher,
2006, p. 167). This starts with the health care practitioner developing psychologically,
spiritually and physically through an integral approach to find this complete
connection before he or she can truly treat the patient as a whole.
When I was pregnant with my third child I
wanted to have a natural birth like I experienced before but time and nature
were not on my side so I was encouraged to get an epidural. When receiving this
epidermal the nurse anesthesiologist tried 16 times before he was able to get
the medication into the proper location. My back was sore but my anxiety about epidurals
had gone from minimal to extreme. Two years later I was about to give birth to
my fourth child and found myself terrified to even enter the birthing center
because of the last experience that I had. My mid wife had gone through a
traumatic experience during surgery and practiced mental imagery taught by her
colleague. She stated that it helped her get over the fear and anxiety that she
had from her traumatic experience to be able to go into the surgery room again
and have another procedure done. Her experience and knowledge helped my find a
technique to study from that same colleague of hers to easy my nerves when the
time came to deliver my fourth child. She was able to offer me a different
approach to overcoming my fears that no medication could offer. The thing that
made the whole experience richer and more affective was that she had done the
same thing and was there for me the whole time guiding me through the journey.
She walked the walk and was able to hold my hand firmly as I started my
journey; it was truly the most amazing experience ever and I believe it was
because not only did she suggest a treatment (for say) but also had a personal
connection to that treatment that made the experience so much more affective.
What areas do you need to
develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
I believe that there are going to be areas
for each person that need more work than others; that is why each person’s path
to integral health is different. For me my goal is to develop a better mental
connection with my body and soul. My first goal is to meditate to help stop the
endless chatter within my mind. I am working on releasing negative thoughts and
eliminating negative aspects in my life that are only a distraction to my life.
I would eventually like to find that inner most self within me but I know that
I have to work on this area first before I can come close to this ultimate
goal. I know that part of me is there and waiting to come out but I feel I
still have not discovered her yet.
I think that the more connected I feel
with my whole self the better teacher and health care provider I am going to be
for my patients. I want the best for my patients but I want them to trust me
and believe in me just like I do with my mid-wife/nurse practitioner. I feel
that if I walk the walk then I will be able to talk the talk and gain the trust
and belief from my patients to help them find their connection to their mind,
body and spirit; helping make a better world. After I am able to reach my
mental goal through meditation exercises, physical and mental exercises and
loving-kindness and find my inner most self I intend to become that
inspirational teacher and healer that my mid-wife/Nurse practitioner was and is
for me.
II. Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain?
How have you assessed your health in each domain?
For my physical health I would have to say
that each day I strive to continue to be active by allowing myself at least 40
minutes to do some sort of physical activity outside of my normal activities
(playing with the kids, going for walks, etc.). I start with this area of my
health because I feel like it is the strongest area for me. One thing that I
have added is a fitness log for myself; I track the miles that I run each week,
other physical activities that I do and try to keep a nutritional log. I have
found this very rewarding to see what I have done each week and what I have put
in my body to help fuel these activities. Another thing that I have been
focusing more on while I am doing my physical routine is adding a mental
exercise as well to help my mind and body connect while I am working out. I
think that there is always room for improvement in anyone’s life; no matter how
much we would like to keep things the same, life is always changing but we have
the power to change with it.
I feel like my mental health has improved
and grown throughout my time here at Kaplan. This is not the first class that I
have had that has discussed the importance of treating and healing the whole
person but by far is the most extensive that I have been able to discuss and
review the topic while practicing the exercises myself. I first started
meditating three times a week and tried to concentrate on releasing all the
chatter that was going on in my head. During this time I have focused on the
negative aspects within my life and contemplate if these aspects could be
eliminated of revised somehow to make them positive aspects. I have found this
exercise to be rewarding and calming all at the same time. I have been
reviewing my progress in this domain by keeping a journal of how each
meditation experience has made me feel. I review the journals after each week
and then throw them away not because I do not want to know my progress after a month,
year, etc. but because I do not want to look back in the past; I only want to
move forward and focuses on my growth in a positive way. My mental growth has
improved but I feel that this is one area that I still need a lot of work on.
I realize that all three areas (mind, body
and spirit) are connected and for most the greatest obstacle is the psyhcospiritual
to finding human flourishing but not for me (Dacher, 2006, p. 39). I have found
a great passion in helping others flourish within their own life and help guide
them but I also know that I can be a better leader if I focus on my mental and psychospiritual
growth within my own life. I really have not kept a journal about how I feel
spiritually or how often I pray to God I just know that through each experience
I grow stronger and my connection with God and the world have become deeper. I
feel there is no greater reward then helping others; there is a reason why we
were put here on earth and I believe it is to help others to form a strong
connection with each other and every aspect within in this world. For myself I
need to focus on my mental growth to find that inner most self to connect all
aspects within my life to make them all fit and so I can become a better
teacher and healer throughout my life.
How do you score your
wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
I scored all three of these areas using a
1-10 scale; one being the lowest and ten being the highest. I used this method
because I wanted to review my progress from unit three to this point in unit
nine. I feel like this is a good comparison to see if I feel like I have grown
in each area in these short six weeks.
In unit three I scored my physical health
an 8, my spiritual health an 8 and my psychological health between a 5 and a 6.
I would have to say that my physical health is still an 8 maybe a 9. I know
that there are areas within my physical health that I could improve on and that
physically I am not perfect, although I do not feel negative about myself
physically, I just understand that there
is always room for improvement whether it include running harder or changing my
diet to improve some nutritional aspects. With that said I believe that is why
I felt my psychological well-being was so low because although these aspects
seem to affect my physical self I actually view them as more of a mental
challenge. I now would rate my psychological wellness a 7 because I feel like I
have gained the power to incorporate mental and physical exercises which has
left my mind and body feeling amazing. I am working on improving my mind to
find a complete mind, body and spiritual connection and each day I feel like I
am a little bit closer to that connection. Although I now have realized that my
spiritual aspect has not changed. I feel this way because I do not feel like I
can honestly say that my spiritual health has growth without improving my mind
more to find that inner most self that lies within me. I hope that when I look
back in six months from now and review these scores again I will have improved
in each area because of the exercises that I have done to find a connection
that truly helps each aspect within in my life flourish.
II.
Goal
development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
My physical goal is to continue to change
my physical activities so I stay excited about exercise but also stay motivated
to try new challenging things. I want to be able to enter into any race (no
matter what the physical activity is) and finish as strong as I possibly can.
One physical goal that I want to set for
myself is to complete another half-marathon for the spring of 2013 and complete
at least two triathlons. Along with these races I would like to enter into an overall
physical challenge race for women within my state. I plan to follow a running
guide for training for a half marathon along with meeting the physical criteria
for a physical challenge race. I will focus on plans for both activities and
record my progress each week. I think that it is important to have a plan that
allows you to follow in order to meet your goal; I know that for myself when I
train the best that I can I feel 100% ready the day that I stand on that starting
line
My mental goal is to be able to
incorporate one mental activity each day before or during I do my physical
activity. I have always felt very passionate about getting some form of
physical activity (were my heart rate is up for more than 30 minutes) and this
mind set has allowed me to stay focused, committed and motivated to exercise. I
now need to find that same mind set toward mental exercise so I can find the
motivation to practice each day to strengthen my mind, body and soul. I plan on
allowing myself 10 minutes each day before I physically workout or during my
physical workout to practice a mental. I would like to increase this time to 15
minutes each day before I review my progress in six months.
My spiritual goal is to develop a
witnessing mind in order to observe what is going on in my mind before I react.
I believe this will help my spiritual aspect grow because I will be able to
find peace and calmness and allow myself to developing a calm-abiding mind set
or a loving-kindness. I believe developing a witnessing mind will allow my
spiritual, mental and physical self to find a complete connection. I plan to do
this my practicing meditation each three times a week and loving-kindness twice
a week and really focusing on releasing the negative aspects within my mind and
letting go of the endless chatter. I want to be able to focuses on the positives
and tame my mind (Dacher, 2006).
My ultimate goal is to find the complete
connection and find a sense of calmness and peace all throughout my day instead
of just in moments. I believe that each one of these goals will help me reach
this final goal (that I believe will always change as I do throughout life).
One small step in the right direction really amounts to a lot; I feel like each
small goal is one more step toward the direction that I want to go in my life
by focusing on the here and now instead of the past or what can be.
III.
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.
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.
I order to meet my physical goals I need
to keep my routine fresh and exercise like I am training for a half marathon
and triathlon. I intend to keep running at least 20 miles a week (which
includes one long run). I also intend to keep teaching my fitness class and lift
weights but I want to incorporate swimming a mile each week. I use to swim a
mile each week all summer long but then I completed my triathlon and stopped. I
want to reintroduce this exercise into my routine to keep things fresh and
exciting and to help me train for my upcoming triathlon and physical challenge
race (even though it is months away).
I feel like incorporating mental exercises
while I exercise my body help my body work harder and build strength within and
out. When I run I have been incorporating focusing on the sound of my feet
hitting the pavement; this is like subtle mind exercises were one concentrates
on a sound to allow your mind to calm down and witness and observe without
distractions. I run every day of the week and I plan to focuses on the sounds
of my feet for at least one mile of my run every day. One thing that I want to
make sure of is that I am not timing this practice but enjoying it to get every
ounce out of the experience. I feel that this practice has allowed me to grow
internally and externally and find that connection between my mind, body and
spirit.
I would like to incorporate more stretching
into my routine. I feel that by incorporating stretching I am going to be able
to train better, feel better and become stronger at my activities. I always
skip stretching because I feel like there just is not enough time to stretch
before and after even though I know how important it really is mentally and
physically. So as one of my physical and mental exercises I would like to
incorporate yoga into my everyday routines. I would like to try four different
moves each day for a week and then incorporate different moves the next week
and so on. I have heard that yoga allows you to become more physical fit as
well as finding an inner peace so I intend to give it a try and improve both
aspects within my life.
In order to foster growth within my mind I
intend to practice meditation three times a week. Throughout this course I have
found meditation to be a very calming experience that has allowed me to stop
and think before I act. During these meditation practices I will use the word
love to regain focus whenever endless chatter reenters my mind. I feel this
practice will allow me to find my inner most self and allow my mind to be calm
and still to help my body and spirit flourish along with my mind.
One exercise that I have already practiced
in my life that helps fosters my spiritual growth each day is prayer. I intend
to focus on praying in more detail; I would like to pray each day for someone
else. Praying helps heal the mind, body and soul but when you pray for others I
think that allows one to flourish in a way that allows them to gain the peace
and wisdom by helping others even if the ones that we are praying for are
people we do not know.
Loving-kindness is one exercise that I
have not connected with yet this course but is one that I want to continue to
practice. I have a hard time imaging taking love from someone but I want to try
to understand this exercise so I practice this exercise. I believe in finding a
connection with others and having an open heart, in fact I believe this concept
very strongly (I think this is why I want to keep practicing this exercise because
I believe in the goal). I want to enhance love, kindness, happiness, patience
and openness within my life and I think that through the loving kindness
exercise I can enhance these positive emotions to enrich my spirituality
(Dacher, 2006). I want to find that connection to letting ones love in to make
the entire exercise work because I feel this aspect will help my spiritual self-grow
in a way that I have never experienced before. I am going to try this exercise
once a week and then once I become more comfortable with it and understand it
more I plan to add this exercise twice a week. I believe the more open I am to exercises
the more knowledge I will gain and the better connection I will find to my
body, mind and spirit.
IV.
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?
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?
In six months I hope to have reached each
one of my goals. I believe that achieving my goals I will be able to feel the progress
I have made within each aspect of my life. I have enjoyed my blog and I feel
like documenting my progress throughout this course has been a great way for me
to keep track of my mental, spiritual and physical growth. I intend to keep
documenting my progress each week so in six months I can not only read my
progress but I hope I will be able to feel the difference within myself. One
thing I would like to add to my blog is my achievements. I think it is so
important to voice your achievements even if no one is listening you can say
just how proud you are of you. Reviewing my blog posts has been really
inspiring to me so far and I believe that in six months I will find the confidence
and motivation to keep practicing and achieving my goals.
My husband is extremely honest with me so
I intend to ask him how he thinks my mental and physical aspects are now and
then in six months I will ask him again and see if he sees a difference in my
overall health (how do I act, deal with stress, communicate, etc.). Sometimes hearing
what others see and feel about you helps you grow; another’s words may be
expressed in a way that has the power to help you change.
Reference
Dacher, E.
S. (2006). Integral health the path to
human flourishing.Laguna Beach, CA:
Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Google image. (2012). Mind, body, spirit images. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from:
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HuhYGIAw&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ&biw=1877&bih=743
