Unit 10 Blog Post

1. Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas . How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not? Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.  Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain. 

Previous and Present Scoring:

"Physical --- I would say a 5. I am not in poor physical condition but I have not stuck to my regular routine for the past few weeks. More like the past 6 to 8 weeks. I need to fix that. Which makes this goal easy. My Goal is to get back into my physical fitness routine. :) I will start with one of my cardio routines and morning yoga 2 to 3 times a week."

I would now say that I am a 6. I have been sticking to my workout plan and this has improved my physical fitness. It is also great to get back into the swing of things.

"Spiritual --- I would say a 9. I am very spiritual and lead and participate in many different spiritual organizations that pertain to my spirituality. However, there is always room for improvement. Thus, the 9. My goal is to continue doing what I am already doing to the best of my abilities. This is very easy to implement as well. Just keep doing what I am."

This score is the same, a 9, because there is always room for improvement and I know that I still have much more to learn.  I have continued doing what I have been doing.  Those who really know me have even suggest that I slow down on my spiritual path.  They are afraid that I am going to burn out.   I tell them: "You can burn out what you are."  Even after physical death the spirit of what you are continues to be.

"Psychological --- I would say a 9 here as well. I take things in stride and address them when they are presented to me in healthy ways that are appropriate in each situation. Again there is room for improvement. I need to pay attention to my calmness and inner peace when I am presented with a situation. Which is my goal. To maintain that inner peace when presented with anything. This is best done by taking a deep breath and counting to 3 before responding to anything."

This is also still a 9. It is still a 9 for all the same reasons. I noticed that the older and more experienced I get the easier it gets to hold the inner peace. I also would like to let go and forgive myself more easily. I think these are reasonable new goals.

1. Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

I have enjoyed this course and learning new different guided meditations.  I love learning and it is nice to know that I still have a lot to still learn.  It means that I can't be that old yet. ;) I feel that I have improved my personal well-being.  I also feel that I will continue to improve my personal well-being throughout my entire life as this is one of my personal goals.  The most rewarding part of this class is that I have been able to see how I am a positive influence to others.  The most difficult thing has been remembering the lecture night.  This experience has helped me learn how to reflect better.  It is in these reflections that we can learn and evaluate how to improve our care for ourselves and others.

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring)

References:

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

M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, M.S. Micozzi (2005). Consciousness & Healing, Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

S.G. Salvo BEd, LMT, NTS, CI, NCTMB (2007). Massage Therapy, Principles and Practice. 3rd edition. St. Louis, MI: Saunders Elsevier.

E.T. Howley and B.D. Franks (2007). Fitness Professional’s Handbook, 5th Edition. Human Kinetics.

Unit 9 Blog Post

Hello Everyone,

This week's questions are as follows:

1. Introduction:
   Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

     As an individual it is important that we are well rounded and healthy psychologically, spiritually and physically.  This is especially important as health care professionals.  It is best to lead by example.  Besides, how can you care for someone else if you are not taking complete care of yourself?


          I will always need to develop in all areas, psychologically, spiritually and physically.  However, I feel I currently need the most work physically.  I meet my nutritional needs and have gotten back on the wagon of working out on a regular basis but this is the area I need the most work.  I am confident that I will succeed because I am determined and self motivated.

2. Assessment:
   How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?

Previous and Present Scoring:

         Physical --- As a physical fitness instructor and nutritionist, I make certain that I am following the guidelines of myplate.gov and what my body tells me I need. I also use fitness test standards and what my BMI is to determine what my level of fitness is at. I would now say that I am a 6. I have been sticking to my workout plan and this has improved my physical fitness. It is also great to get back into the swing of things.

          Spiritual --- I would say a 9 because there is always room for improvement and I know that I still have much more to learn. I have continued doing what I have been doing. I am happy with my spirituality and all I do in my life.

          Psychological --- I would say a 9 here as well. I take things in stride and address them when they are presented to me in healthy ways that are appropriate in each situation. Again there is room for improvement. I do my best to pay attention to my calmness and inner peace when I am presented with a situation, which is my goal: To maintain that inner peace when presented with anything. This is best done by taking a deep breath and counting to 3 before responding to anything. I noticed that the older and more experienced I get the easier it gets to hold the inner peace. I also would like to let go and forgive myself more easily. I think these are reasonable new goals.

     III.   Goal development:
     List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.

          Physical --- My Goals here are to stick to my physical fitness regimen and eating right for my body.

         Spiritual --- My goals here consist of continuing what I am already doing. I read about spirituality every night before bed. I head a scouting organization that is related to my faith. I do something for all the sabots. And I teach my children what my faith is and about other spiritual paths so they can truly appreciate each one for what it is and better respect other people’s paths too.

          Psychological --- My goals are: To maintain that inner peace when presented with anything. This is best done by taking a deep breath and counting to 3 before responding to anything. I noticed that the older and more experienced I get the easier it gets to hold the inner peace. I also would like to let go and forgive myself more easily. I think these are reasonable new goals.

     IV.  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.

          Physical --- I plan to continue maintaining a healthy diet and my fitness routine. I keep a log of my meals and snacks for nutrition, take my daily vitamins, and I have a Monday through Friday workout regime. It consists of Yoga, Pilates, Cardio, and Resistance Exercises on different days of the week. I practice Belly Dancing, Fire Spinning, and Meditation every day. Meditation helps lower blood pressure and gives me greater focus.

Monday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Upper Body &Core)
Tuesday: Pilates & Cardio (Jogging & Jumping Rope)
Wednesday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Core)
Thursday: Pilates & Cardio (Ridding Bike & Trampoline)
Friday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Lower Body & Core)
Weekends: I go for walks and swimming with my family.

           Spiritual --- I plan to continue developing my spirituality by doing what I stated earlier. “I read about spirituality every night before bed. I head a scouting organization that is related to my faith. I do something for all the sabots. And I teach my children what my faith is and about other spiritual paths so they can truly appreciate each one for what it is and better respect other people’s paths too.” I also meditate on a daily basis and practice visualization.

          Psychological --- I meditate here as well. It helps me keep a clear head so that I can handle all situations better. If something is traumatic or I need a debriefing on something, I go and talk to a therapist. This helps when dealing with things that are very traumatic. (I have worked in EMS) Also guided meditations and visualizations are very beneficial here. In fact they have been found to be so beneficial that more and more therapists are using them.

     V.  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?

          Physical --- Again… As a physical fitness instructor and nutritionist, I make certain that I am following the guidelines of myplate.gov and what my body tells me I need. I also use fitness test standards and what my BMI is to determine what my level of fitness is at. I plan to continue maintaining a healthy diet and my fitness routine. I keep a log of my meals and snacks for nutrition, take my daily vitamins, and I have a Monday through Friday workout regime. It consists of Yoga, Pilates, Cardio, and Resistance Exercises on different days of the week. I practice Belly Dancing, Fire Spinning, and Meditation every day.

Monday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Upper Body &Core)
Tuesday: Pilates & Cardio (Jogging & Jumping Rope)
Wednesday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Core)
Thursday: Pilates & Cardio (Ridding Bike & Trampoline)
Friday: Yoga & Resistance Exercises (Lower Body & Core)
Weekends: I go for walks and swimming with my family.

          The nutrition log book helps me keep track of if I am meeting my needs nutritionally. A BMI test and fitness test help me determine my progress fitness wise.

          Spiritual --- This is easy for me to assess because as long as I am learning and growing spiritually I know that I am making progress. An easy way to measurer it is by how much of my daily studies I have put into it, rather it is reading, meditation, or other practices of my spiritual path. I plan to continue doing what I am doing. What I am doing is: I read about spirituality every night before bed. I meditate. I head a scouting organization that is related to my faith. I do something for all the sabots. And I teach my children what my faith is and about other spiritual paths so they can truly appreciate each one for what it is and better respect other people’s paths too.

         Psychological --- Meditation, Visualization, talking with others, and getting out and doing things I enjoy help me the most psychologically. Since I know this, these will be the things I will be doing. I also enjoy painting, cooking, and sewing. In partaking in my hobbies I find inner peace. I can look back in my personal journal to see that I am still happy and psychologically well.

          A person needs to be well in all these areas completely rather they are a health care professional or not. It is in achieving this complete wellness that we are able to live full and complete lives. I wish us all the best of luck in reaching our goals to optimum well-being. My questions for you to answer personally are: How do you answer the following questions, how do you feel about your answers, and what are you going to do about your answers?

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring) 

References:

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

M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, M.S. Micozzi (2005). Consciousness & Healing, Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

S.G. Salvo BEd, LMT, NTS, CI, NCTMB (2007). Massage Therapy, Principles and Practice. 3rd edition. St. Louis, MI: Saunders Elsevier.

E.T. Howley and B.D. Franks (2007). Fitness Professional’s Handbook, 5^th Edition. Human Kinetics.

Unit 8 Blog Post

This week we were asked to review all of the exercises and practice sessions that we have completed in this course and choose the two practices that we have determined to be most beneficial. 

I think that meditation would be the first one because in all the exercises you are doing some form of meditation.  The second one that I would pick is "Crime of the Century."  I enjoy Chakra meditations and meditations that help with visualization.  I feel that they help you train your mind better.  If you can visualize it you can make it happen.  I implement these into my daily life every day.  I do this my setting goals, seeing myself reach those goals, and accomplishing said goals.  I have found this easier to do because my focus has increased.  My focused increased because of meditative practices and I achieve things faster because  I visualize the best way to get things done so visualization is also key.


While these are the best for me, it does not mean they will be the best for you.  It is up to all of us to determine our own path and what is best for us.  Oh, and one more thing I find useful to remember: Just because it is good for the goose, does not mean that it is good for the gander.  We are all individuals and should remember that.

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring)

References:

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

M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, M.S. Micozzi (2005). Consciousness & Healing, Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

Unit 7 Blog Post

Hello to all,


My meditations this week were very relaxing and enjoyable.  I like to end my day with a good meditation and calm my mind before bed.  I find it helps me sleep.  I have always used meditation with the spiritual path that I walk as well.  It is comforting to see others benefit from it as well.  I think I will always meditate before bed.  It seems to be the best time to do it for me.


We were also asked to: describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477).  


To me, this means that it is difficult to lead if you do not know where you are going.  It is also hard to find a place that you have not been.  In health and wellness that is why it is so important to be able to empathize with you patients.  I say empathize because most people do not want your sympathy they want and/or need your empathy.  They need to know that you truly understand how they feel and that it matters to you.  Sometimes it helps if they know how you helped yourself heal when you were unwell, or how you got more physically fit, or whatever your experiences was.  They need to know that you practice what you preach.  


We were also asked: Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your  health psychologically, physically, and spiritually?Why or why not?


I say yes.  It goes back to that whole: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself".  If you are not trying to grow in these areas how can you expect those who you care for to be motivated to do the same?


I personally implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life on a regular basis.  I practice my spiritual path daily.  It is easy to do when you have found the right path for yourself.  Psychologically I take the time to self evaluate and look at things from other angles.  I also talk things out, keep a journal, and if things are really bad and I need a little help, I ask for it.  If this means going and talking to a therapist I do.  Usually I can work things out on my own and my life is really good.  there is not much to complain about and that makes me very happy.

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring)

References:

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

M. Schlitz, T. Amorok, M.S. Micozzi (2005). Consciousness & Healing, Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

Unit 6 Blog Post

In practicing the meditation or exercise on page 93 of: Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing, I found myself reminded of my personal spirituality.  The exercise or meditation goes like this:

"1.) Rest and quiet yourself and your mind for a couple of minutes.

 2.) Repeat the following phrases for about 10 minutes.

        A.) May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

        B.) May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.

       C.) May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering..

       D.) May  I assist all individuals in finding sustained health, happiness, and wholeness."

Dacher says: that this mini practice can be very powerful in expanding your mind and heart.  I think that he is right.  I have been practicing this since I was a very little girl.  To date my earliest memory of practicing this was when I was maybe 4 or 5 years old.  The details are unimportant but regardless it is a very good practice no matter what your faith or spirituality or your age.  It not only helps heal others but you as well.

Then we were asked to complete the Integral Assessment on page 115 of: Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing.  This exercise focuses more on ones self than on others. There are a few important steps.

1.) Again you need to spend a couple of minutes to calm your body and mind.

2.) This time you are to ask yourself the following questions:

        A.) "What aspect of my life --- psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly --- is the sorce of difficulty and suffering?"

        B.) " What area of my life is ready for growth and development?"

       C.) "Have I been clear and unbiased in my assessment?"

       D.) "Am I taking on too much or too little?"

These questions will help us develop as an ongoing assessment tool that we can use in our daily lives.

In practicing these exercises I found myself reminded of my personal Spirituality and what I practice on a daily basis.  It made me realize how much I have grown since I was young, (I did not always practice this on a daily basis.) and how much further I still have to go.  It really is true, the more you learn the more you realize just how much you do not know.  

     

I need to grow more in my interpersonal area myself.  I have major trust issues that have developed because of past experiences in this lifetime.  (Listen to the following: http://www.myspace.com/jewel/music/songs/fragile-heart-album-version-28298927 I think that many of us can relate.) It is difficult for me to grow past them.  And it seems that the best tools to help me move past them are determination, practice trusting others, and not let set backs discourage me. Wish me luck and send me positive energy. ;)

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring)

References:

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


http://www.myspace.com/jewel/music/songs/fragile-heart-album-version-28298927

Unit 5 Blog Post

This week we have been asked to compare Loving Kindness and Subtle Mind.  These are two different guided meditations.

Loving Kindness is just what it sounds like.  It is about the practice of taking time to create love and kindness for everyone.  In this guided meditation you are asked to take in everyone's suffering and pain, let it pass through you, and then let it go.  This is a good meditation to help an individual work on forgiveness because you are asked to even take in the pain and suffering of those you may not like.

Subtle Mind is a meditation that focuses more on a persons self.  You are to focus on your own breath and your calming your mind..  This is to help you focus on your own inner peace and take the time for you.  It also helps a person accept the chaos that may be going on in their life and in themselves, calm it, and let it go.

Both are good meditations and can help a person in their life.  The major difference is what is your personal goal.  Are you doing a meditation for yourself and your own calming?  Or, are you thinking you need to work on helping others and work on your own personal forgiveness towards others?  Meditations are designed to help us.

We were also asked this week what the connection is between spiritual, physical, and mental wellness.  During meditation we are allowed to more easily connect the spiritual, mental, and physical wellness also know as the mind, body, and spirit.  If we are happy and healthy then in most cases we are physically well also.  

An example of this is: When you are overweight and out of shape it is possible for you to start to feel depressed about how you look and feel physically. As this progresses you can develop full on depression. With depression comes isolation. You do not want to go out and be active. This lack of desire to be active can pass on to your spirituality. You may not want to be active with your spirituality and may even blame the deity of your choice or faith for your sorrow. In this example you can see how these feelings or energy of sadness and sorrow can be transcended to all aspects of your personal being: Body, Mind, Spirit.

I find that it is important to pay attention to all of these aspects in myself to maintain optimal wellness.  It is easy to do if you listen to your body.  Your body will tell you if something is not right.

---Anita Rachel Scott (Goehring)

References:

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

Dacher, E.S. (2006) CD Companion to: Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing. Loving Kindness Meditation. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Dacher, E.S. (2006) CD Companion to: Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing. Subtle Mind Meditation. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.