unit 8

The two practices that I have found most helpful that we have reviewed in this class are the loving kindness exercise and meditation. The loving kindness exercise has made me aware of the power of love. That in showing love and feeling love toward myself and others, I begin to heal. I will continue to use this practice by trying to foster a love for myself and others through constant awareness of the process of healing that this can help to grow. For instance, I can do the practice on the CD, I can serve others thus growing my love, and I can consciously choose to foster love for myself. I have found that meditation is an excellent tool for the growth of the subtle mind and inner peace in my life. Through meditation I can gain a greater awareness of where I am physically, mentally, and spiritually. I can implement this continually by setting aside specific time during my days and weeks that is dedicated to meditation. Through this this I will continue to further my journey toward wholeness in health.

week 7 question two

1.        Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (P.477) How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

The idea that one cannot lead somebody where they have not gone themselves means that an individual loses credibility without personal, proven ability and experience (Dacher, 2006). For instance, a dietician will have little effect in persuading an individual that they need to eat fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet when they themselves only eat meat and complex carbohydrates. In the same way a doctor who smokes a pack a day has little impact when they advise there patients not to do the same because it is bad for their health. I think that I do have an obligation to my future clients to continue to develop my overall wellness. After all I will ask no less from them as their health care provider. By continuing to gain awareness of where I am in my journey and where I need to grow, I will become a better health care provider to my patients.

Reference:

Dacher, E.S, Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing, 2006, Basic Health Publications Inc.

week 7 meditation

1.        Complete the "Meeting Asciepius" exercise on track #4 of the Dacher CD. Describe your meditative practice(s) for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

My father passed away a couple of years ago. Those who did not know him well would describe him as a quiet man. I, however, have never thought of him in this way. He simply knew what was and was not important and acted accordingly not wasting his time and strength on the unnecessary practice of commenting on things that didn’t matter or that he could not change. My father loved God and his family and these two were all that mattered. I think that he could literally let the rest of existence fade in the light of these and be completely content. During this week’s meditation, my father was the wise man that I pictured. I focused on the way that he loved his enemies and spoke encouragement to those around him. My father was a truly wise man in that at the end of his life he had no regrets because he understood that he had fulfilled his purpose. I had a hard time imagining myself becoming this wise man. As his daughter I can only hope to finish my journey close to being as fulfilled in my purpose. Through these meditations and exercises, I have become more aware of myself psychologically and spiritually. I have gotten a better understanding of the ability and practice of setting goals in these areas and forming strategies to attain them. To continue these practices and to continue in the journey of growth and awareness I will continue to find new ways that will help me to grow.

unit 6 blog

I did the Loving Kindness exercise on page 93. I found it difficult to say the phrases for as long as ten minutes and did not last the whole time. However, by reading the phrases, I was reminded of the rest of the world and how we all work together as a unit. I was filled with more of a desire to help others and be empathetic to their situations. Overall, the experience was enlightening. (Dacher, 2006)

In doing the assessment on page115, I discovered that I can spend more of my time and energy of becoming more physically fit. I have therefore chosen to focus on my growth in the area of physical fitness in order that I may enjoy better overall health. In order to do this I can set aside an amount of time each week to dedicate to physical activity such as yoga, exercise, etc. In order to do this, I may have to reduce the amount of time that I spend doing less productive things such as watching television or other static activities that may rob me of productivity. (Dacher, 2006)

Reference:

Dacher, E.S, M.D, Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing, 2006, Basic Health Publications, Inc.

spiritual wellness

Spiritual wellness allows us to fully embrace overall wellness including mental and physical wellness. It allows us to deepen the experience of better health and to flourish as human beings. With this flourishing our mental stress are diminished and our physical wellbeing in enhanced. For instance, by understanding our connection to God, others, and the world around us, we are better able to understand our place in this world. We are then able to let go of the uneasiness that comes with confusion of identity and the stress of trying to be something that we are not. By letting go of these things we can also let go of the mental anguish that comes with them. In turn, the release from the mental anguish can help us to avoid stress induced physical health problems such as high blood pressure or ulcers.

subtle mind practice

I enjoyed this week’s subtle mind practice. It was similar to last week’s loving kindness practice in that it required focus on specific objects or ideas. The difference was that the breath was the focus of the practice this week instead of the feeling of loving kindness. This week subtle mind practice helped me to go deeper inside of my mind and allowed me to be able to relax my mind for a time. I was able to acknowledge thoughts but not grab on to them. I found it helpful to use the breath to hold on to in order to refocus when I started to wander. The most difficult or frustrating part of the exercise was the fact that I had to continuously make an effort to stay focused. I think, though that this will become easier with practice. Halfway through the exercise the recording turned into white noise and remained that way through the end of the exercise. I was disappointed that I was unable to hear the rest of the practice; but I did enjoy what I heard and the feeling of peace that came with it.