Unit 10

Looking back at my assessment in Unit 3, I am finding I am a little tougher on rating myself. I have discovered things about myself I need to work on.

Physical was 5 now 6

Spiritual was 9 now 8

Psychological was 7 and still is.

I have definitely made great improvement in my physical health. I have gotten to the gym on a regular basis. Now I want to adjust my workout so I see a drop in weight.

Spiritually I am still struggling with the quiet time to read and meditate. I am aware of the peace that can happen if I make this a regular part of my routine. I have not done worse since I started. I am just expecting more of myself.

Psychological I have learned a lot that can benefit my mental fitness this semester. I have things like meditation, yoga and visualization that will help to tune my thought process and not be so scattered. I am aware of how I have many things going through my head. I need to focus. I tend to be forgetful.

This class was what I needed to get me grounded. I have been funning full steam ahead to completing my courses and getting my degree. My overall well being has suffered. I need to slow down. This class has made me realize that and given me the tools.

I need to take care of myself if I am going to be of benefit to others. I don’t need to be volunteering for things to do all the time to be helpful. Setting my boundaries and intentions can help others.

I have enjoyed the seminars and discussions with everyone. It has been very encouraging.

Final Project

Barbara Thiss

HW420-03AU Creating Wellness

Final Project

October 24, 2009

I Introduction:

Creating Wellness is about developing our wholeness, happiness and health into a life of human flourishing. In Western culture, we have relied on health and wellness professionals to give that to us. What we have learned is that it is our partnership with these professionals that will help us attain our goals.

Professionals are taught in school to treat our symptoms and not the cause of our problems. A well-developed professional will look beyond our symptoms to help us help ourselves. In order for them to do this they need to understand how different practices are beneficial. We turn to them looking for answers. They need to be able to offer us alternatives or options. They are bound by the health insurance company’s limitations on what they can do for us. As an example, they can prescribe migraine medication to ease the headaches. As an alternative, they can recommend meditation, exercise or yoga as a way to prevent the headaches. They become a guiding force in our life. It is up to us to follow up on their recommendations. It is not a quick fix it is about changing our lifestyle.

The area I need to work on the most is the physical. I have let myself think that everything is fine because I have not had any problems. In that time I have developed bad habits and my weight has slowly gone up. Meditation has not been in my routine at all. I figured it was not for me. I have learned that it can be very beneficial in many different areas. I feel that being able to meditate will help me be in the moment and conscious of the choices I make. “A healthy mind results in a healthy physiology” (Dacher, 2006. p.17) I need to make healthy choice to maintain my health and steer me on the right path.

II Assessment:

Dasher talks about Integral Assessment in Chapter 11 (105-116). We are given the opportunity to look at the four quadrants, psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal and worldly. We can see where we are on the lines of development. This is a good in-depth study. There is also a quick check that we can use that asks, “What aspect of my life is the source of difficulty and suffering?” Then we can ask, “What area of my life is ready for growth and development? Is it the same area that also needs healing or is it another area?”

My scores vary from week to week depending on what is happening.

Spiritually has been my strongest area at about an 8. I had rated it higher at the beginning of the class but have found areas that I can work on. I know that God has been a guiding force in my life. If I live my life with openness and a willingness to give, I receive what I need. What I need to work on is how I can work on this to offer more to those around me and set my intention to the betterment of others.

Physically I have been fortunate that I have not had problems. I need to take care of myself so that I can stay healthy. I would rate myself about a 6. I can do better. I internalize my stress, which triggers my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I have learned to live with it. After learning some of the techniques in this class I am beginning to wonder if I have to live with it or can I overcome it?

Psychologically I am at a 7. I like a challenge, learning new things and problem solving. These keep me mentally active. What I have learned is that I need to work on my mental fitness to be more disciplined. My mind is always going, this takes a lot of energy. I can be forgetful at times. I need to learn to shut up and listen.

III Goal development:

Physical goal I will achieve:

-Get down to 160 pounds. This means losing 40 lbs.

Psychological goal I will achieve:

-Meditate 15 minutes daily

Spiritual goal I will achieve:

-Spend 15 minutes reading something that enhances my spiritual wellbeing

IV Practices for personal health:

Physical

I will continue to go to the gym 3 days a week. I have been working on strength training but have only been able to do 2 reps. I will get my reps to 3 before moving to the next weight using a log to track my progress on each machine. Having started attending the gym since this class started, I have not lost weight but have lost inches. This is because I have been focusing on core strength training.

I will walk 5 days a week. Currently walking 1-1 ½ miles. I will get this up to 3 miles by January. Walking I have incorporated the breathing meditation. Focusing on my “in” breath and feeling the fresh oxygen moving to the muscles I am using while I walk. As I exhale, I feel the pain and stiffness moving out. Inhale fills my lungs and expands my capacity. Exhale, feeling my lungs relaxing to wait for the next breath. This has helped me not be sore after walking. I do not get as short of breath. I am finding I am more relaxed physically and mentally.

I will find an Aerobics class and add this 2 days a week. I need something that gets me moving faster. I am not a runner my feet can’t take it. I really enjoy music and aerobics incorporates it into their exercises so I will be more motivated.

Psychological

After reading Premji’s 100 Benefits of Meditation I am more determined than ever to keep it in my daily routine. “One can not have total mental and spiritual fitness without meditation and/or visualization practices. These practices are to the mind and spirit as physical activity is to the body.” (Dacher, 2006). My goal is to be still and in the moment. Breathing exercises have been the simplest because it is something I am doing already..

Visualization takes me a little longer to get into. I want to use this in my daily meditation. As I sit quietly, I picture a country scene. There is a slow moving river in the valley between the snow-capped mountains. I am sitting outside my cabin watching nature at is best. The river’s constant flow keeps my thoughts moving along. The animals that come into view are there for a moment and move on about their business. I find peace and quiet. I smell the freshness of the air. I am at rest until I choose to go back to the cabin. This exercise can help at any time. I can close my eyes and see my scene. My mind instantly lets the stressors go and brings in the calm that I had trained my mind to do.

Rainbow Meditation is another one that I have found beneficial. It focuses on different areas of the body. It has rays of color shining out from the body; each color having a different representation.

Red at the base of spine to the feet. “I feel grounded”

Orange 1’- 2” below the belly button out. “I feel centered”

Bright Yellow- Upper stomach out. “I feel loved”

Emerald Green- Upper chest right above the heart out. “I choose to love”

Aqua Blue- Throat area out. “My life has a meaningful purpose”

Indigo Blue- Forehead above the nose between the eyes out. “I feel balanced”

Violet-Crown of the head upward. “ I feel connected”

Body surrounded by brilliant white light. “My body is calm and relaxed.

Dr Robert Ader’s experiment in behavior conditioning (Dacher, 2006. pg 16) showed that the mind can learn and remember. That is what these practices will do.

Spiritual

I already have a strong spiritual base. I attend church regularly and am involved in many areas. I need to stay focused on the spiritual side and not get overwhelmed with tasks.

I enjoy reading. I will spend 15 minutes with books that can offer insight. I am currently reading Sylvia Brown’s “The Other Side and Back”. She explains how we have had lives before this one. We come back with a blue print and a purpose. We have the opportunity to learn what we may have not learned in a previous life. It is about where we go and what we do when we no longer occupy our physical bodies. How we can connect with those that have died. It is helping me be aware of forces that guide, nudge or shove me in the right direction.

I have found the importance of journaling again. It is a great way to share what I have experienced with meditation. I share my success and challenges I have in my physical well being. My readings are helping me to look outside myself and see where I am and what I need to accomplish or pursue.

Affirmations are another way to focus my intentions. “There is no a specific way of offering healing. It is the intention that brings about change.” (Levin, 2005, p. 283) This is one that I have used since it was introduced in class.

May I and all individuals gain freedom from suffering

May I and all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness

May I assist all individuals and myself in gaining freedom from suffering

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

V Commitment:

“The ‘seed’ of human flourishing is in us, we only need to foster it.” (Dacher, 2006) A regular assessment is good to see if I am on the right path. Am I bringing in all the areas that should be flourishing? It helps me to see what I have accomplished and what I still need to work on. I would not notice my small successes if I do not take the time to evaluate where I am at.

I have a checklist that I will use daily as a reminder of what I am trying to do. I have little reminders strategically placed. I will meditate at night in my bedroom, so I have a reminder by the bed that has “Meditate” and “Journal” on it. I get to work early every day so I sit in my car and do some reading. I have my book I am using for spiritual development on the front seat. My affirmation book is there as well. I also have affirmations on my desk and bathroom mirror.

My log for the gym is a 4x6 card that I take with me to the gym. It has helped me remember what I want to work on.

I have learned in class that it is “Progress not Perfection”. I need to be kind to myself and celebrate my successes. Each week I want to make improvement over the week before. If I find that I am having trouble, I need to assess what obstacles I am encountering. Once I have consistently met my goals, I need to review my assessment and set new goals. I may need to make changes to my goals based on what I find.

Integral health is the path to Human Flourishing. It is not a destination. It is an evolutionary process that is as unique as I am. How I travel this path is entirely up to me.

	M	T	W	TH	F	SA	SU
Gym
Walk
Aerobic Class
Spiritual Read
Meditate
Journal
Affirmations

References

Brown, S. (1999). The Other Side and Back. New York, New York; New American Library

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

Levin, J. (2005). Etiology Recapitualtes Ontology: Reflections on Restoring the Spritiutal Dimension to Models of the Determinants of Health. In M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, & M. L. Micozzi, Conscieousness & Healing (pp.281-293). St. Louis , MO: Elsevier Inc

Premji, F. (2009). 100 Benefits of Meditation. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from I Need Motivation: http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/

I have done better with the Loving Kindness exercise and the Visualizations. I have a hard time quieting my mind in the other 2. I am going to keep on practicing. The loving kindness exercise always brings my mom to mind. She is a great lady. She has a way to make everyone feel welcome. She has a sense to know what people need. She is very thoughtful. She has always been my model.

This exercise has helped me to bring about different emotions and work on my reactions to them. I absorb the loving feelings. With the suffering of loved ones, I work at not trying to become stressed by their circumstances. I need to work on sending out the loving sensations that I have been working to build up. These can help in healing loved ones.

The Visualizaitons exercise is something I had already been doing in a way. My partner, Bien, was killed 4 years ago by a hit and run driver. We had been together 14 years. In my quiet moments, I visualize our happy times. I remember the feelings,,smells and tastes. These bring me peace. With life being cut short, I find that I share special moments with Bien. It can be a beautiful sunrise or ride through the mountains. This type of visualization helps turn grief into joy. I try to look for the positive in life.

Unit 7

The Meeting Asciepius was a loving kindness exercise that takes the best in others and draws it in. I liked the bright white light visualization. It reminds me of the “glow” I see in others when they are happy or doing what they love. I am still struggling to get to these practices into my regular routine. What I am finding is that the visuals will come back to me throughout the day. They help to calm the stress or bring me back into focus.

The waterfalls, rushing river and lazy river to the ocean were a good mind metaphor. They are easier to remember than the witnessing, calm abiding and unity consciousness terminology.

I think what holds me back is not having any time to myself. My roommate is not working and is always home. The only time I am by myself is in the car going to and from work. It is a situation I am working on resolving.

The statement "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” in this class is referring to professionals and their patients. Not being in the health field I have found another example. The trouble I have with my roommate is that she knows it all. She has been there done that. So if I try to share what we have learned or try to practice, she criticizes. So I find myself not sharing and not doing anything at all. It is not good for my mental fitness. It is a hurdle I have to work through. What I have learned is I don’t like when someone else influences my health.

Week 6 assessment

Wow Week 6 already!

I found the Universal Loving-Kindness exercise simple and effective. I retyped it and printed several copies. I was having a hard time repeating the phrases for 10 minutes. So I have strategically placed the 4 sentences where I will encounter them through the day. It reminds me to think outside myself.

The Integral Assessment is something I need to do more regularly. As I wrote in my discussion answer, I only take stock when I encounter problems. I need to be more proactive in my overall well being. I know just having to check in where I am in this class has helped me see that I put some things off. I need to be more accountable for myself.

I have definitely been a Type A person. I am on the go and doing all the time. I am making some conscious choices to do things for myself. I find that when I do I have more to give others.

Unit 5 Subtle Mind

I found I did better on the Subtle mind exercise without the CD. I went through it once to get what I was supposed to do. I did it while I was driving because there were such long pauses in it. I did find as I drove I was able to let may thoughts ebb and flow. Of course there was the awareness of the road. I don’t recommend this as a way to get still but it helped me relax as I drove and not let the traffic get to me.

I have since done the practice in a less stimulating setting. It flowed better than the Loving kind exercise. Part of that is because I us breathing a lot to get quiet.

I consider myself a spiritual person. I feel I have a power greater than myself directing me. I have found that when I use my gifts for others I receive many gifts in return. I get strength and courage when I need it. I have an on-going dialog with God/Jesus. I share my thoughts and feelings. I say “thank you” for the little things that cross my path each day like a green light or a beautiful sunrise.

I have intestinal problems that are usually caused by something I have encountered rather than what I have eaten. Instead of taking medicine and going to bed. I go back over the last day or so to see what could be causing this stress. Sometimes it is as simple as doing something that brings me joy or some calm mental images.

I am determined to get exercise back into my routine. This class have been a constant reminder which is what I need sometimes. We will see how far I progress by week 10.

The exercise on Loving-kindness has been hard for me to focus on. I really have to schedule the quiet time to do this. I cannot do it right after work when I get home because my mind is too busy still.

Mental workout is needed to expand our consciousness and healing. I have to be persistent to benefit from these practices. The loving kindness practice brought images of my mother and her gentle spirit. She is able to take what life has brought her and be successful at what she does. Her home is open to everyone; they feel welcomed. I want to have that serenity to love people just as they are.

I also encounter my partner, Bien, that passed away 4 years ago. She went out of her way to help others. She was aware of her surroundings and was a Good Samaritan no matter how others treated her, which sometimes was not very nice. This is the place that I want to be to bring tranquility into my life.

Focusing on a loved one that is suffering was a little harder to choose. There are many that are experiencing suffering of some type. My roommate is unemployed, my mom has heart problems, my friend has diverticulitis, others have physical and mental problems. I found the next stepped helped. It brought in a “circle of strangers”. This was easier to bring in those that are suffering. I could bring in their suffering and help dissolve it.

I don’t find myself to be self-centered. I look out for others and their needs. This exercise was a natural extension. I have got to make time to enjoy quiet time to help keep this peaceful experience.