Unit 9 Project

I.                   Introduction

I think people, in general, want to know that where they are getting information from is based upon experience Health and Wellness professionals deal with the individual as a whole, therefore mental, physical, and spiritual make up the person. If the professional is practicing strengthening their whole being, this can be transferred to their clients. It’s vital that health and wellness professionals challenge themselves to break old habits and obstacles in health to better understand their clients. On a scale of 1-10 and 10 being the highest, I would rate myself at an 8.5 because health and wellness is my life day in and day out, but I do have areas needing more developing.

II.                Assessment

Here is how I assess myself on each category:

Psychologically – Dealing with stress      10

                              Focus on goals            7

                              Attitude (general)       9

                              Memory                       8

                              Handling multiple issues 7

                                                                  Average 8.2

     

Physical – Vitality            10

                  Strength          9

                  Appearance     9         

                  Internal environment  8

                  Waste (digestive)        8

                  Cleanliness      10

                                                                  Average 9

Spiritual – Ritual practice            8

                  Meditation      7

                  Breathing        9

                  Attitude (spiritually) 9

                  In/outlook       8

                                                                  Average 8.2

Total average 8.46

III.             Goals Development

Psychologically – I want to work on my memory by doing exercises and herbal extracts to strengthen it. Also, I need more work on completed goals to the fullest.

Physically – Do away with junk foods (chips, cookies, etc.) and participate in yoga classes/perform qi gong more often.

Spiritually – Do one hour meditation daily. Also I look forward to helping others on their own path.

IV.             Practice for Personal Health

Physical – Advancement in the physical domain will require a true focus on diet and exercise along with a partnership with the mental faculties. I believe mental functions control the physical, so I would need to fortify the mind. Every morning I would need to do an exercise (yoga, qi gong, breathing, etc.) and throughout the day stretch, breathe properly, and stay positive.

Psychologically – In order to further develop mental skills I would have to meditate on specific goals (spiritually, economically, and psychologically) to better myself and family. Another strategy to implement is to pinpoint weaknesses that limit my ability to be a living divine being on earth, which is my most important goal in life.

Spiritually – Get in touch with the subtle portion of myself to expand awareness of the inner world. I feel it’s important to know who we are besides what we see in the mirror. What is beyond the person I see in this reflection? This happens through prayer and meditation and talking with elders. People whom have wisdom are those that have went through enough experience to give good advice.

V.                Commitment

In keeping track of the progress or decline that I am making; a notebook, recorder (optional), and honesty are tools to track the progress. The most important fact is to be honest with myself for the truth to help guide me with necessary changes. I think for this to be a long-term commitment would mean that this has to become a habit. Good/bad habits are what turn into rituals performed daily. If I stick to a blueprint without wavering it can become a lifestyle change for the better.

Review of exercises

The two practices that I have found the most beneficial are meditation and the loving kindness exercises because of the overall feeling of lightness after it has been done. After a meditation session I feel like the weight of daily life gets lifted off my shoulders and now I can see the world from a holistic mind state. The loving kindness exercise opens up my heart center where a general love for creation envelops my consciousness realizing that everything operates from this out of this space and displays it through a myriad of experiences. I can use these practices to handle the stress of work, family issues, internal strife, etc.

The meeting Aesculapius meditation opened my heart to the healer within allowing the ego to move aside for a moment and "just be". Using a wise persons image is an awesome way to enter the depths of the mind to see the true you beyond the false image of ourselves. I have found that mindfulness has deepened my relationship with family and friends by increasing the compassion for others. Many times I get wrapped up in life and forget to be in the moment of calm-abiding. The best way for me to apply this in life is to remember to take time for myself and get in a quiet place and do these types of exercises.

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is something that I try to live by because it is easy to tell someone what they may being doing wrong if you have not experienced it yourself. As a health and wellness professional I feel it is important to relate in some way to the client so that what you are saying to them is felt not heard. We remember how the feeling of what someone says not so much the actual words. In the position of a health professional it is important to assist in the development of the client on all levels until your services are no longer needed. Psychological and spiritual growth is the essence of life. On the other side is decay and death, so I choose to grow!!

Loving Kindness exercise

Ok folks, all I can say is wow!!! to the loving kindness practice. At first, I was just going along with the ladies voice and trying to listen to her, but once the brainwaves started to even out then it was this nice flow of peace and love that took over. I think the ocean waves did it for me, because I was able to vividly see the images of the people I was using to bring in loving kindness. For me, the exercise works and I will be implementing it because it feels good and opens up the heart center.

The latest research underscores the importance of staying mentally engaged — not just by doing crossword puzzles but by challenging yourself to learn a new language, read a book you've never read before or take up a new hobby. "The brain loves novelty, it loves a challenge," says Laura L. Carstensen, Ph.D., director of Stanford University's Center on Longevity (M.D. Rosen. Sharpen Your Mind with These Mental Workouts.). In my own time the game on my phone that has been sharpening the mind is "Jumbline", where letters and scrambled and you have to make words out of them to move on to the next round...super fun!!!


M.D. Rosen. How to Improve your Mind with these Mental Workouts. 
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-06-2013/sharpen-your-mind-with-mental-workouts.html

Journal for HW420 Unit 3

1) a. I rate my physical well-being (9)
    b. spiritual well-being (8)
    c. psychological well-being (8)

2) Physically the goal is to maintain the weight while doing more yoga, qi gong, and increasing alkalizing foods.
    Spiritually, I need to increase my meditation time to at least one hour per day.
    Psychologically, I will do more exercises challenging my mind to its limits and beyond.

3) Meditation and breathing exercises

4) This exercise is beneficial for calming the mind and body using visuals to take the person on a mental vacation while remaining alert to the experience. I didn't find anything frustrating because the instructor had the right tone to keep me in the right mode of concentration and relaxation.