First, I can not believe that this class has come to an end. I have truly benefited from everything in this class, from the course work, the readings, and the comments from fellow classmates. I think the best thing that has happened is being assigned Integral Health by Dacher. This is not a book that I would pick up in the store and read and now I am looking into more books like this. His insights on how to live fulfilled life truly inspired me and I am hoping to get my husband to read it. This book is the biggest benefit of the class. However, it provides the most difficulty. Dacher is giving us the tools to change our lives and it is up to us to use these tools to better ourselves. His book really offers us a challenge and I know I am not ready to open myself up to everything he discusses but starting small is the best approach.
Looking back to unit three I have seen many different changes. I first rated my physical as a 7, my spiritual as a 5, and I didn't even rate my psychological health. When I completed the unit nine assignment I rated my physical as an 8, my spiritual as a 6, and my psychological as a 7. There is improvement in every area, although it is not great it is still improvement. We must remember that change is going to take time and it will not happen overnight.
My goals for physical were to continue to workout and up the amount I work out and the activity I was going to do was running. My spiritual goal was to read the Bible every day to increase my Faith. I was going to accomplish this by scheduling time for studying my faith. My psychological goal was to reduce my stress by means of practicing yoga. I have made progress in all these areas. Although I have not done everything I wish to I have still made some progress.
Physical: I have been running at least five times a day and I have added a weight workout to the running. I have not upped the amount I run but have added the weights.
Spiritual: I have not met my goal of reading from the Bible daily but I have been reading the Bible more.
Psychological: I have not started Yoga or even other activity but I have been taking my stress reduction into my own hands. I have started to pay attention to what my body needs and I have begun to listen. If I am tired I go to bed, instead of tyring to stay up.
The progress is slow but steady. I am happy with what I have been able to accomplish and I am hoping that I will be able to take more of what I have learned and implement these things into my life.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Unit Nine Final Project
Unit Nine: Final Project
Nicole Hardy
Kaplan University
HW420-02
John Aguilar
March 3 2011
I. Introduction
“The healer is the key to the evolution and fulfillment of the integral healing process,” (Dacher, 2008, pg. 167). This is a very powerful statement; that we as healers are the key to a person’s process of integral healing. This is quite a responsibility that we have been given and to give it the justice it deserves we have to be willing to change our lives as well. It is never good enough to only tell someone what to do; we must show them the way. Dacher, 2008, states, ‘To become agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life. This is not only book learning. It is hands-on learning. This means that we must be willing to explore the inner aspects of our own life through psychological development and contemplative practice,’ (Integral Healing, pg. 167). My personal beliefs are the same as Dacher’s thoughts on the practitioner’s development. We cannot lead if we do not know the way. According to Dacher, 2008, ‘Where there is inner peace, there is outer peace. Where there is inner harmony, there is outer harmony. Where there is inner health, there is outer health. Healing ourselves is healing others. An integral life begets an integral world. In this way, we become the doctor, the nurse, and the medicine to ourselves and to the larger community of humankind,’ (Integral Health, pg. 156). When we practice integral health we become integral health to all those around us; we can lead them to a life of extraordinary health.
As I stated above, we cannot lead if we do not know the way. This requires a change in our own lives. There are a few areas that I need to work on in order to achieve the personal goals I have set for myself and to become the best practitioner in my power. The first area that needs more development is my spiritual life. This area has become very important to me. I have begun a walk in Christ and I have seen the great things it has done in my life. This is an area that I know needs to develop further so that I may reach my true potential. The second area that I find that needs further development is my psychological health in the form of stress reduction. I have a bad habit of over analyzing things and worrying about every detail, even the ones that are not in my control. It is hard for me to give up control but I have realized that this struggle to have control has lead to my stress. The third area that I feel I need to develop further is a new idea for me; loving-kindness. Dacher, 2008, says, ‘We cannot love others until we love and care for ourselves,’ (Integral Health, pg. 90). I have always found it easier to forgive and love others rather than myself. I feel this is an important aspect to my development because without loving myself, I will not be able to share my love and guidance to others.
II. Assessment
It is my personal opinion that this is the hardest aspect of our journey that we must do. Personal assessments are never easy because it is hard to face the truths and if we are not ready for the answers we will not be honest with ourselves. If we are not honest with ourselves we will never be able to make the necessary changes to obtain profound and sustaining health.
The first area that I assessed is my spiritual health. Roger Walsh wrote, The Practices of Essential Spirituality and in this he addressed four areas of spirituality that are the cultivation of love. I looked at these four areas and determined where I was in each particular area to determine where I was spiritually. The first area is the reduction of barriers to love, such as fear, greed, anger, jealousy, and pride. These are all things that prevent us from achieving our full potential spiritually. The second area is cultivating supporting attitudes and emotions such as gratitude and generosity. Roger Walsh, 2000, states, ‘Stop for a moment to recall how much we have to be grateful for,” (The Practices of Essential Spirituality); or as Saint Paul says, ‘Be thankful in all circumstances.’ We must be grateful for everything because it is all a gift from God and if we are not willing to accept this then we are not ready to advance our spiritual health to the next level. The third area Walsh discusses is the cultivation of love directly through prayer, contemplation, or meditation. Each religious belief may lead us in a different direction but the truth is we can gain spiritual health through all of these. We must be willing to devote ourselves to our improvement. The fourth area we must address is a deep look into reality, with an understanding that wisdom will unite with love. To assess my spiritual health I looked at each of the areas discussed and decided where I was at in each area. I came up short in a couple different places and I would rate my spiritual health at a 6. There are things that I do need to work on and I am in the process of working on them.
The second area that I assessed is psychological health. To do this I used a few different tests from Fit to Be Well, written by A. Thygerson and K. Larson. The first test was entitled: Health-style: A Self-Test. This test encompassed many different questions regarding overall health, including eating habits and stress management. The score evaluates each individual section based on answers and I scored high for eating habits but in the middle for stress management. The second test I took was entitled: Exploring Your Health; this is a health and wellness inventory to gauge present degree of wellness. The test asked questions regarding emotional health, stress, and environmental health. Again, I scored well in some areas and lower in others. After completing these tests I would score my psychological wellness at a 7. Although I have many different things to improve, such as the way I handle stress; I have many other aspects that are on the right track.
The third area I assessed is my physical health. This was the easiest of the three to assess and I used different tests from Fit to be Well, written by A. Thygerson and K. Larson. I did the assessment by using a few different test including; Cardio- respiratory Assessment, Flexibility Assessments, and Muscular Endurance Assessments. For each of these tests I scored in the excellent category. I workout five days a week and take pride in staying healthy and teaching my children to be healthy. I also took into account my nutrition, as this a part of my physical health. To assess this aspect I used the My-pyramid Food Guide and tracked my calorie intake and if I was eating according to smart and healthy food choices. Although I eat healthy and provide my children healthy food I tend to reach for deserts and sweets and eat out more then I should. For this reason I am giving my overall physical health an 8. Overall, there is much room for improvement but I have a good starting off point.
III. Goal Development
1. Spiritual Health: According to Gini Grey, 2009, “Spiritual health is as important as physical, mental, and emotional health. Some say it is more important because it affects our emotions, thoughts, and physical energy,” (Spiritual Health Benefits of Meditation). For my personal growth and goals I would like to pray more and spend more time reading scripture. Studies have shown that it doesn’t matter which religion is practiced to have medical value, (Health Diet Fitness). This goal is possible and is not something that is unattainable.
2. Psychological Health: Our mental health is very vital to our overall health and finding a way to reduce our stress is crucial for our mental and physical health. My goal in this area is focused on my reduction of stress. My goal is to begin practicing two different meditation/relaxation techniques at least twice a day.
3. Physical Health: In the last year I have lost the 30lbs I gained while being pregnant with my daughter. I accomplished this through exercise and eating a healthy and nutritious diet. However, I still have ten pounds that I want to lose and to accomplish this I will need to set new goals for myself. The first goal is the fitness aspect. My goal is to lose the 10lbs. I have left. The second goal relates to the nutrition aspect of physical health. My goal is to cut out all deserts, (my kryptonite) and stop eating out. Although I know there will be times that eating out will happen; I need to make better choices when I am eating out.
IV. Practices For Personal Health
Coming up with a strategy is the only way that true success will happen, along with dedication. If we do not have a plan it will be easy to slip into bad habits and easy to forget what goals we have set out for ourselves. We must find a way to hold ourselves accountable.
The first area is my spiritual growth. I have set very simple goals for myself in this area but Dacher says that we should begin simple. The goal is to incorporate more prayer and reading of the scripture. I would like to begin with adding an hour to my day. It will require time management, making the time to devote myself to prayer. My desire is to wake early and begin my day with a prayer and a brief reading from the Bible. As well as doing this in the morning I will do this at night as well. The second strategy I will implement to foster growth is attending a Community Bible Study in my community. Our growth spiritually can benefit from learning from other people. There is much knowledge and wisdom that can come from other’s thoughts and words. I have looked into this program and they have one that takes place in my local area on Thursday mornings, a time that works with my schedule. By doing these two things I will open myself up to more growing and eventually I will need to set more goals for myself and this will only open me up to more experiences.
The second area is my psychological or mental health. This area will be more difficult for me to implement because it is hard for me to find quiet time to relax. However, it is vital for my health to find the time to do these things. There are two different practices that I will implement to help with my stress reduction and overall psychological health. One is a Progressive Muscle Relaxation practice and the other is a simple meditation. According to R. Sapolsky, 1994, “When done on a regular, sustained basis (that is to say, something close to daily for fifteen, thirty minutes at a time), meditation seems to be pretty good for your health, decreasing glucocorticoid levels, sympathetic tone, and all the bad stuff that too much of either can cause,” (Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers, pg. 402). It does not take much effort to implement this change, only 15 minutes a day and I will see valuable results. The first activity is the Progressive Muscle Relaxation found in Fit to be Well. This has us start with our toes and work our way up to our head. It is easy and not time consuming, making it effortless to fit into my schedule. The second technique I will practice is a meditation. I will choose something positive to focus on and sit in a comfortable position in a quiet area and relax my muscles. Breathing slowly and naturally, I will repeat my positive thought and disregard any other thoughts that drift in. This should be continued for 10 to 20 minutes and my goal is to do this twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Each of these practices requires about 15 minutes each; not much time to devote when we consider the health benefits we will receive.
The third area is my physical health. As of right now I run five times a day, about a mile to a mile and a half. This has worked for the initial goals I had set for myself but I need to update my exercise routine to reach the new goal I have set for myself. The exercise I will participate in is still going to be running but I need to add more distance to my running. Initially I will begin with running two miles and when this becomes easy I will add a half mile until I can run a 5k. The second activity I will add are free weights. I have used weights before while I was playing basketball and fast pitch in high school, so I have experience. The weights will help me tone up my muscles and will help with losing the extra fat. In my goal section I discussed goals for my nutrition as well. These goals will be more difficult to meet. The strategy that I will implement to reduce and finally cut out deserts is to start selecting healthy options to replace the unhealthy options. This can be fruit or a 60 calorie pudding. By giving myself something sweet but healthier I will still be satisfying the sweet tooth but not eating an unhealthy alternative. The second strategy I need to implement is a way to stop eating out. This is more difficult because there is not a set way to stop doing this. However, I have come up with my own personal strategy. I will allow myself to eat out as a special occasion, twice a month on a date night with my husband. If I limit the times I eat out and make each time a special occasion it will be something I will look forward to and want to enjoy. I am aware that this will be a difficult goal because there are times when it would be easier to grab take out but I need to hold myself accountable for my actions and decisions.
Each of these exercises will benefit each goal. By practicing stress reduction I will improve my psychological health but I will be improving my spiritual health as well. We cannot be open to spiritual growth if we are practicing bad mental habits. Just as well, exercise has been proven to reduce stress. Each of these areas is connected and implementing just one of these goals will have benefits in all areas. Implementing them into my life cannot just happen overnight, I have to be ready for the change, which I believe I am.
V. Commitment
Making life long changes that will benefit our health will be demanding, they will be difficult and we will run into obstacles. So we must have a plan of action to maintain our commitment to our goals and to our changes. According to www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu, “Commitment: the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose.” This definition sums up what it will take to reach our goals; a sincere and steadfast commitment for our purpose, without this we will not succeed. However, this commitment is not enough; we must take different steps to ensure that we stay on the right path. One of the things that I can do is set up a system to track my progress, such as a journal. Since I believe that the spiritual health and psychological health are very closely related, I would keep one journal for the both. The physical aspect is a little different and I would keep a separate journal, even looking into a specific journal that tracks energy used and has a section to enter food eaten. It might take a little getting used to if you haven’t written in a journal before but after a week or two it will become second nature. By keeping track of our everyday activities we will have a tool to help us stay on the right path. When we physically see what we are doing and consuming it makes it easier to understand where we need the change. This will also help when we look back at our progress; we will have physical documentation of what we have been doing. One of the best ways to assess the progress being made is to redo all the assessments done at the beginning of the process. By doing the same test we will truly be able to see the progress or lack of progress that has been made in the first six months. If we find that we have succeeded in our goals and have reached a point far beyond the original assessment, it would be wise to start another assessment and set new goals. When our goals and activities become mundane and do not challenge us we will not progress. However, if we find that we have not progressed as we should it would be wise to reset our goals to fit with what we are ready for. We may find that our goals were overzealous and we were not capable of maintaining the activities we set out for ourselves. Staying on our journey is what is important; we just may need to tweak it a bit. According to Dacher, 2008, “With an integral approach, we always consider the circumstances of today and act accordingly,” (Integral Health, pg 47); this means we must be willing to change when the time calls for it. Dacher, 2008, sums it up perfectly, “We must learn to stay the course when needed and shift direction or emphasis when that is called for,” (Integral Health, pg. 47). This is the only way that we will maintain a long-term practice and commitment to our integral health.
References
Dacher, Elliott, 2008, Integral Health, Basic Health Publications, pages 47, 90, 156, & 167.
Grey, Gini, 2009, Spiritual Health Benefits of Meditation; Retrieved on Feb. 18, 2011 from: http://theadventurouswriter.com.
Health Diet Fitness, 2010, Benefits of Spiritual Health; Retrieved on Feb. 18, 2011 from: www.health-diet-fitness.info
Sapolsky, R. 1994, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Holt Paperback, page 402.
Thygerson, A. and Larson, K, 2006, Fit to be Well: Lab Manual; Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Walsh, Roger, 2000, The Practices of Essential Spirituality; Consciousness and Healing, Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Word-Net: Dictionary, 2009, Commitment, Retrieved on March 4, 2011 from: www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Unit 8... Practices for 'mental fitness'
We have learned a lot through this course and I would personally say that it is all beneficial. Going back through everything we have done and all the practices I could easily say that all of them would have benefits if performed daily. However, there are some that I enjoyed more and would like to do daily.
The first is the Loving-Kindness practice. I really enjoyed this practice and I would continue to do the exercise that Dacher has in the Integral Health book. Dacher states that with our preparations completed our heart and mind will be softened and we will be ready to explore further reaches of psychospiritual development, (Integral Health, pg. 69). By doing this we open ourselves up to many more developments and we gain the possibility to change the course of our health and life, (Dacher). Loving-kindness will open us to a shift in thinking; we will stop thinking about ourselves and we will begin to think of others. The change will start small we will think more of those that we love but then we will start to think of the world.
The second practice I enjoyed is not so much a practice but a change in the way I live my life through biological flourishing. I found this section to be very important because our physical health and mental health combined are essential to a thriving life. Our integral path must include an effort to improve physical health and mental health together. Dacher, 2006, states, "If even a small percentage of the resources spent on physical fitness were applied to mind/body activities, we would see a considerable gain in our society's general level of health," (Integral Health, pg. 81). There are many activities that we can do to encourage the mind/body development and they include tai chi, qigong, and yoga. Personally, I find that yoga is a great activity to do. Whenever I do even a few minutes I feel refreshed and at ease plus I get physical benefits. It is hard for me to go to a place to work out so I do it from my house so I would do the same things with yoga. There are many dvds that I can access. Most libraries carry a decent selection of workout videos so I can test them out before I buy.
Implementing these changes will only bring me closer to an integral path of healing. The change is not going to be easy but as Dacher says, start small and simple. We don't have to make drastic changes; we need to do what we can when we can.
Nicole
*Dacher, 2006, Integral Health, Basic Health Publications, pg. 69, 81
The first is the Loving-Kindness practice. I really enjoyed this practice and I would continue to do the exercise that Dacher has in the Integral Health book. Dacher states that with our preparations completed our heart and mind will be softened and we will be ready to explore further reaches of psychospiritual development, (Integral Health, pg. 69). By doing this we open ourselves up to many more developments and we gain the possibility to change the course of our health and life, (Dacher). Loving-kindness will open us to a shift in thinking; we will stop thinking about ourselves and we will begin to think of others. The change will start small we will think more of those that we love but then we will start to think of the world.
The second practice I enjoyed is not so much a practice but a change in the way I live my life through biological flourishing. I found this section to be very important because our physical health and mental health combined are essential to a thriving life. Our integral path must include an effort to improve physical health and mental health together. Dacher, 2006, states, "If even a small percentage of the resources spent on physical fitness were applied to mind/body activities, we would see a considerable gain in our society's general level of health," (Integral Health, pg. 81). There are many activities that we can do to encourage the mind/body development and they include tai chi, qigong, and yoga. Personally, I find that yoga is a great activity to do. Whenever I do even a few minutes I feel refreshed and at ease plus I get physical benefits. It is hard for me to go to a place to work out so I do it from my house so I would do the same things with yoga. There are many dvds that I can access. Most libraries carry a decent selection of workout videos so I can test them out before I buy.
Implementing these changes will only bring me closer to an integral path of healing. The change is not going to be easy but as Dacher says, start small and simple. We don't have to make drastic changes; we need to do what we can when we can.
Nicole
*Dacher, 2006, Integral Health, Basic Health Publications, pg. 69, 81
Friday, February 18, 2011
Unit 7; Can we believe it!!
When I started this class I hadn't ever done any kind of formal meditation. A few times in high school my French teacher tried to get the class to participate in meditation but at the time it didn't seem like something I would want to do. After the practices that I have done for this class, I wish I had participated and integrated it into my life.
I have enjoyed the meditation practices, although I wouldn't practice the meditation we did for this particular week I would in others. In my opinion meditation should be about the individual and finding peace within ourselves, not by finding peace with another person. It was nice to think about another person in this manner but I prefer the calming meditation about clearing the mind and finding peace. I don't think it will be difficult to continue with meditation because there are many cds, dvds, and classes available that will help guide me. Because meditation and yoga have become mainstream to an extent it is easier to find ways to practice.
The Second Part: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself".
This is extremely important when it comes to the health and wellness professional. We are in a position to lead and guide other people; how can we do this fully if we ourselves do not practice what we preach. This does not mean that we need to participate in every form offered because there are too many. But we should find what works for us and practice it. We should also be knowledgeable about other forms of contemporary medicine. For example,we may not practice TCM but we should understand the basics so that we can direct a person to the correct information or a person who knows.
I would not go to an overweight dietitian and this is no different.
Nicole
I have enjoyed the meditation practices, although I wouldn't practice the meditation we did for this particular week I would in others. In my opinion meditation should be about the individual and finding peace within ourselves, not by finding peace with another person. It was nice to think about another person in this manner but I prefer the calming meditation about clearing the mind and finding peace. I don't think it will be difficult to continue with meditation because there are many cds, dvds, and classes available that will help guide me. Because meditation and yoga have become mainstream to an extent it is easier to find ways to practice.
The Second Part: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself".
This is extremely important when it comes to the health and wellness professional. We are in a position to lead and guide other people; how can we do this fully if we ourselves do not practice what we preach. This does not mean that we need to participate in every form offered because there are too many. But we should find what works for us and practice it. We should also be knowledgeable about other forms of contemporary medicine. For example,we may not practice TCM but we should understand the basics so that we can direct a person to the correct information or a person who knows.
I would not go to an overweight dietitian and this is no different.
Nicole
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Unit Six Blog:Loving-Kindness and Assessment
Greetings class,
We were given another opportunity to do the Loving-Kindness exercise and every time I do it, it seems to get better and better. The feelings and emotions that I am able to release truly help me feel better and less stressed. Doing this exercise couldn't have come at a better time; I just lost my grandfather and it felt wonderful to send all the feelings I have for him out into the world. Almost as if I was releasing them for him.
I did enjoy the assessment, even though there are a lot of things that I need to work on it gave me a great starting off point. I think that this assessment should be one of the first things that we do. In my opinion the author should have people conduct this personal assessment at the beginning and at the end so that we can see where we should start and see our progress. When I did my personal assessment, I discovered that I need to work on areas that are mental and cause stress. I tend to focus and worry on things that I can not control. I am on a spiritual path at the moment and I have been working on this and I think because of what I have been doing I was more in balance in this part of my life. Physically I am in a good place. I eat healthy and workout daily, I feel good and I feel good about my self. This assessment showed me the areas that I need to work on but it also gave me confidence that I am on the right track in other areas. I am interested to take the assessment in a few months and see if I notice any changes.
We were given another opportunity to do the Loving-Kindness exercise and every time I do it, it seems to get better and better. The feelings and emotions that I am able to release truly help me feel better and less stressed. Doing this exercise couldn't have come at a better time; I just lost my grandfather and it felt wonderful to send all the feelings I have for him out into the world. Almost as if I was releasing them for him.
I did enjoy the assessment, even though there are a lot of things that I need to work on it gave me a great starting off point. I think that this assessment should be one of the first things that we do. In my opinion the author should have people conduct this personal assessment at the beginning and at the end so that we can see where we should start and see our progress. When I did my personal assessment, I discovered that I need to work on areas that are mental and cause stress. I tend to focus and worry on things that I can not control. I am on a spiritual path at the moment and I have been working on this and I think because of what I have been doing I was more in balance in this part of my life. Physically I am in a good place. I eat healthy and workout daily, I feel good and I feel good about my self. This assessment showed me the areas that I need to work on but it also gave me confidence that I am on the right track in other areas. I am interested to take the assessment in a few months and see if I notice any changes.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Power Point Presentation
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-SMBpyMjqj3MWE5NWJkYTYtZjY1MC00YjkxLWIzZjUtZTQ3MmNiZjE4MWY3&hl=en
I hope this works, I followed the directions so we will see!
I hope that you enjoy my powerpoint!
Nicole
I hope this works, I followed the directions so we will see!
I hope that you enjoy my powerpoint!
Nicole
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Unit Five
It is funny that the exercise is the same and we are just replacing one thing with another but the outcome is different. I have to say that I like the loving kindness exercise better, part of that is because I liked the view point of Loving-Kindness. Learning to love ourselves and one another is so vital and so important but so many people do not understand how to love themselves. I would practice the loving-kindness exercise daily but I do not think that I would practice the subtle mind exercise more then a few times. Maybe that is because I am still on a progression towards being ready to practice this exercise, maybe with more time I will learn to appreciate it and see it's value in my life.
I really enjoyed all the information about exercise and how we can use this to connect to the spiritual and mental wellness. I try to do yoga after I am done working out and I notice the difference in the way that I feel and I notice that I feel less stressed when I do these things. Yoga is a stress reduction tool but it does have physical health benefits. Yoga can tighten your core and while you are doing this you practice deep breathing and reduce stress.
I am interested in trying to focus on breathing when I work out, I think this will be difficult but I think that it will be worth it.
Peace and Blessings.
I really enjoyed all the information about exercise and how we can use this to connect to the spiritual and mental wellness. I try to do yoga after I am done working out and I notice the difference in the way that I feel and I notice that I feel less stressed when I do these things. Yoga is a stress reduction tool but it does have physical health benefits. Yoga can tighten your core and while you are doing this you practice deep breathing and reduce stress.
I am interested in trying to focus on breathing when I work out, I think this will be difficult but I think that it will be worth it.
Peace and Blessings.
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