Unit 9 Blog Post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Project  

Peter Schuckert

Kaplan University

HW420 Creating Wellness

 

 

Final Project

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? For credibility and empathy.

As the Dacher stated (2006), "to become the agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life". I believe if we can grow and develop our selves physically, psychologically and spiritually we will glow with health, have a calm and peacefulness about us others will want to possess. They will want us to be a guide for their own personal development.  To be able to be guides, we will need to know the way and how to take the steps to develop our integral health. To be empathic while others learn, we must have experienced the same difficulties in the practice.

The journey to integral health will encompass a lifetime and I will be learning and growing the rest of my life. My daily practices will need to include activities and practices in each aspect of my being. Since the state of my physical health and fitness is what others see first, I am putting in place the exercises I need to improve the fitness of my body.

2. Assessment:
   How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically? Describe what scale used to score myself in these areas

Upon reflection, I would consider my physical well being to be 8.5out a 10. I have had very few health issues, and seldom get a cold. I exercise regularly and have a physical fitness assessment done twice a year to get an objective opinion of my fitness level. I avoid potato chips because I cannot eat just one.

 My spiritual well-being is probably an 8 out of a 10. I have strong belief in God. I teach Sunday school during the school year, and am active with the youth group.  I have also made the loving-kindness exercise one of my daily rituals, making sure to send out positive and loving thoughts to everyone.

My psychological health is maybe an 8 out of a 10. I am a fairly relaxed person that gets along with others.  I practice meditation techniques such as TM and quiet reflection to relieve stress and end the day on a positive note.

3. Goal development: be very specific so you can measure
   List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.

My goal for my physical well-being would be to monitor my diet more closely and make healthier choices.

My spirituality goal is to continue to use the relaxation and meditation practices I learned in this class as well as make sure I pray for others each and every day.

To reach my goal for my psychological health, I am practicing the loving-kindness exercise. I have not always been understanding of others. The loving-kindness practice helps me to forgive others and focus on the positive instead of dwelling on the negative.

4. 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.

I plan on continuing to exercise four to five times a week. Whenever the workout becomes too easy I will increase the intensity. I will also maintain my practice of having a physical fitness assessment regularly.

For my psychological health I will practice the Subtle Mind exercise. I want to truly start listening to people with a quiet mind so I can not only listen to them but hear them as well.

For my spiritual exercise, I will continue to practice the Loving- Kindness exercise. Practicing quieting my mind, having gratitude and caring for others will allow me to be more at peace.

5. 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?

Physically I will evaluate myself by keeping a log of exactly what exercises, intensity level, and repetitions I do when working out. I will also use a tape measure to monitor body changes.

I can utilize my blog postings as a point of reference showing where I was when I started the journey to integral health. I will be able to reflect on how my thoughts and feelings change with continued contemplation practices. I will be able to gauge how well I am able to clear and quiet my mind as I continue practicing. I will be able to see how others react to me as I try to listen with my whole being. I may even possible start to keep a diary to track my progress.

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: the path to human flourishing. Published by Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA.

Unit 8 Blog Post

I found all of the exercises beneficial, bit my favorite exercises are the subtle mind practice and the Loving-kindness practice. 

Through the subtle mind practice I have learned to regulate my breathing and relax my mind. I am endeavoring to make it a habit to take deep breaths when I feel stressed, anxious, and consumed by the difficulties of life. The subtle mind practice quickly brings calm to my mind, and body.

The Loving-kindness practice helps to remind me to spread love and good will towards my fellow man. I believe that the Loving-kindness practice has helped my growth spiritually.

I will use both practices as well as other practices we have learned that I find beneficial in my personal life to foster "mental fitness". The subtle mind exercise makes use of breathing to calm the body and relax the mind. Essentially the subtle mind practice trains the brain to regulate emotions and how the body responds to them.

I will also continue to do the Loving-kindness practice each day thinking about loved ones, those who did not show kindness to me that day, and those who may have wronged me in the past forgiving them of their past transgressions. 

Unit 7 Blog Meeting Aesclepius

Meeting  Aesclepius

This meditation was a visualization exercise meeting my wise and loving mentor who I visualized as my great grandmother. We went on a journey together to the lake, sitting on the dock together, watching and listening to the gentle waves. The feelings of peace, tranquility and wisdom washed over me. While the white light entered my mind it became still, entering my heart and filling it with loving kindness as well as wisdom.

The journey with my great grandmother was one of great joy and peace. We meet and she guides me to my essential healing self, and I am able to find the gifts that reside inside me. I no longer felt confused and isolated, but loved and nurtured. I plan on meeting Aesclepius regularly to continue to enrich my life with his wisdom, peace and healing.

To me the statement “One cannot lead another where one has not gone him or herself" (p.477) means that unless one has traveled a particular path them self they cannot successfully guide another individual down it. While it is possible to help the other individual navigate their way while walking by their side it is not the same as guiding them. A true guide will walk ahead and will already know where all the bumps, along the path are.

When concerning health & wellness professionals this saying applies to the experience of the professional. A health and wellness professional must become educated not only through the classroom, but through their own hands on experience working with the integral model also.

To be effective first I must develop my own psychological, physical, and spiritual growth much in the same way that a football coach must know how to play the game. I can implement psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life through activities such as meditation, yoga, prayer, and enjoying nature just to name a few.

Unit 6 Blog Post

The practice of Universal Loving-Kindness is an easy exercise that anyone can do anytime anywhere.

All one has to do is just close their eyes, breathe deeply, and relax their mind.

Then repeat the following phrases for 10 minutes.

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering. May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness. May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering. May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.

This exercise brought me a sense of peace and compassion toward those around me. I felt a sense of connection to the whole world. It was a powerful exercise.

To completing the Integral Assessment one must look at the four aspects of integral health to learn which areas they feel needs attention. Using the meditation exercise to assist with the awareness and mindfulness needed to complete the Integral Assessment is an essential tool. Giving one insight into areas of their self that one does not usually see.

Looking at all the areas of my life, I have chosen to look at my Biological and Psychospiritual aspects. The biological is regarding my physical health. Having Type I diabetes metallus I need to closely monitor my diet and blood glucose levels in order to assure I take enough to insulin and because of football I have not been as diligent lately as I should be.

The second area I have chosen to continue to work on is the psychospiritual aspect. When completing the assessment I find that I am drawn to looking at myself and how I respond to the world around me. I find myself striving to be more mindful of others, but yet some bad habits are stopping me. Looking at what motivates how I act I have found that occasionally my ego dictates how I react, when my mindful self knows better. Knowing this empowers me to listen to my mindful self and know that acting from a place of loving kindness will help me make choices based on my true self rather than following my ego and base instincts that self centered.

To grow and develop these areas of my life I will continue my meditation practice and add in some spiritual based practices. I will more strictly monitor my diet. Being conscious of what I am eating helps keep me focused on living a healthy lifestyle. When football comes around taking time with the boys helps me to not feel getting in shape is not a chore. I know that both health and happiness only comes from making a commitment and sticking to it.

HW420 Unit 5

The Loving Kindness and the Subtle mind are both excellent exercises that can provide calm and peace. I have preformed both exercises now and have realized that each has can benefit an individual in different ways. Learning to breathe properly has been a focus of my meditation for some time. It is a way to refocus myself when I get distracted or bored and it also is a way to improve my lung strength when walking or exercising.

I initially had some difficulty with the Loving Kindness exercise, first my issues were with having enough time available, and then when I found the time I had some issues wrapping the exercise. After doing the Subtle mind exercise I had a more relaxed and peaceful state of mind, then the loving came easily. It felt like a nature state of mind.

For myself using the meditation in my exercise has allowed me to do more with less effort. I have noticed that when my mind is calm, my heart-rate is lower at the same level of exertion. 

HW420-01 Unit 4 Blog

HW420-01 Unit 4 Blog

1. Describe your experience. (Did you find it beneficial? Difficult?) Why or Why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or Why not?

I enjoyed the exercise but I have to admit I found it really hard to focus for 20 minutes. With two teenagers in the house and their friends that are over so often that at times it seems like they live with us I normally can barely squeeze in my normal meditation routine. Compound that with the fact that I held a 3 day football camp for the incoming freshman I just could not find an additional 20 minutes of quiet time. I intend on saving the audio file from doc sharing so that I can try the exercise when distractions are at a minimum. I would definitely recommend it to other people because I strongly believe in meditation and also believe that the exercise can be very beneficial.

2. What is the concept of “Mental Workout”? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a Mental Work Out? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?

A "mental workout" is training the mind to work towards achieving a higher sense of awareness and control over the thoughts, emotions, and impulses that is a part of everyday life. Research has revealed that those who practice mental fitness have greater organization and a heightened awareness. Just like a physical workout it is hard at first and easy to give up. The key is to keep plugging away even when it is hard and it will become much easier and eventually a lifestyle change.

HW 420-01 Unit 3 Rating My Well-being

A-Physical well-being I will give myself an 8.5. I have been physically active almost 2 years now. I seldom deviate from my schedule. Even though I have my American Council on Exercise certification twice a year I get a physical fitness assessment. This way I get an impartial opinion of my fitness level. My big sin as far as my fitness is concerned is I have trouble controlling how many potato chips I eat once I get started. Therefore much to my children’s chagrin we seldom buy chips.

B-Spiritually-I am at about 8. I have strong belief in God. I teach Sunday school during the school year, and am active with the youth group.

C-Psychological well-being- I would rate my psychological well-being at an 8. I practice meditation techniques such as TM and quiet reflection before bed. This helps me deal with the stress of the day and sleep well at night.

My Goals

My goals for each aspect of mental, psychological and spirituality will always be a work in progress. I will always continue to seek knowledge of not only myself but for the benefit of others as well. My diet needs to be improved as always. Spirituality I do pray at least three times a day and would want to continue to do so. It is always good perform good works, to be thankful for what we have, and pray for the less fortunate. Mentally, I will try to keep my mind sharp and maintain inner peace.

Activities

Activities or changes that I can implement in my life to assist in moving toward each goal are as follows:

A.) Physical well-being- Activities to try and incorporate different physical activities into my life and the lives of those around me. These activities can be as simple as going for a walk as a family after dinner on family dinner nights (which are at least three times a week).

B.) Spiritual well-being- I could make more time to pray each day. I can also become more active in church to nurture the faith of children.

C.) Psychological well-being- I can learn to be more understanding and let people talk to me to vent about their problems instead looking that the calls from those who call with problems as a nuisance.

The Crime of the Century meditation exercise was awesome. I have a basic familiarity with the idea of colored lights corresponding with different chakras in some yoga practices so it was easy for me to relax to the meditation. While I do not practice chakra healing I am familiar with it. I have on several occasions seen different colored lights surrounding people but have not studied what they were supposed to mean. Colored lights play a role in many different belief systems. For those who have a Hindu belief system the colors represent different chakras, in Christianity the colors are called a rainbow over God's throne. The similarities between different belief systems show that there is a higher power.