Unit 10- Final Blog

In unit 3 I assessed my spiritual well-being with an 8, physical well-being with a 5, and psychological well-being with an 8. Presently, my spiritual well-being is a 9. I have utilized the tools we have learned in class and they have been very beneficial, especially during times of stress. But in order for me to reach a 10, I would like to attend more events and interact with people who share my spiritual beliefs. When it comes to physical well-being I give myself a 6. Slowly but surely I am getting back into a regular workout routine and watching my food intake. Last week I would have given myself a 6 for my psychological well-being. I was stressed out catching up in school and working on top of it. However, I happy that the term is completed and I got some time off work so I give myself a 9!

The goals and activities I have set for myself are certainly attainable. While I have not yet implemented some of them into my life (personal trainer, snorkeling), I have worked on others (meditation, yoga, journaling and spending time outdoors).

I’m truly grateful that I took this course although I would have liked to take it over the summer when I’m not as busy with work. I know that I could have done better but I progressed given my situation so that’s what matters. I will continue to utilize the tools I have learned specifically the meditation exercises and alternative healing methods. I have found them very useful not only for myself but for the patients I will work with in the future.

Unit 9: Final Project

Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual Plan for Optimal Wellness

Part I: Introduction

It’s important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because you cannot help someone unless you're willing to expand your own consciousness and experience the benefits of human flourishing for yourself. According to Dacher (2006), “If we are to flourish as individuals, we must see it as our direction and manifest it as our intention” (p. 155). By delving into the inner aspects of your own life, you’re better prepared to help others make the necessary adjustments for obtaining optimal health and wellness. I know if I am seeking help, I look for a practitioner who can relate to how I am feeling because they have been there themselves and can offer the best possible guidance and direction for improving my life.

The areas I need to develop to achieve my goals are trust and communication. In the past I have had some very disloyal and unreliable friends so it is extremely hard for me to trust people. I do not let people in my life unless I feel they have good intentions. It’s been my experience that girls are mean and conniving so I do not get close with very many of them. When it comes to communication I tend to ignore what is going on or run away from whatever is bothering me. Of course we all know that is not the best solution. In order for me to reach my full potential for physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being, I need to be more open to making new friendships and communicating with others when something is upsetting me instead of dealing with it internally.

Part II: Assessment

I have assessed my health in each domain by writing down my progress. Beginning with my spiritual well-being I give myself an 8. I’m very spiritual and strongly believe in God. I identify best with new age beliefs and do not agree with many principles associated with dogmatic religions. In the last few years, I have eliminated a lot of the negative people in my life and surrounded myself with like-minded people who have good energy and a positive outlook on life. I believe that, “Each of us is here to discover our true “self”, that essentially we are spiritual beings who have taken manifestation in physical form, that we‘re not human beings that have occasional spiritual experiences, that we’re spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences” (Deepak Chopra).

On my physical well-being I give myself a 5. I have been traveling a lot for work and my hours are long so I have slacked on my workout routine. I do yoga when I have time but ideally I would like to do it more often. I have started taking multi-vitamins because I’m not the healthiest eater (I’m always on the go and I eat out frequently). I definitely need to find time in my schedule to improve this area of my life.

On my psychological well-being I give myself an 8. In the past I have dealt with severe bouts of anxiety and depression. I have come a long way since my high school days and a few unfortunate events that happened when I was a full time model. I have worked through these hardships and today I am happier than I have ever been. I pay close attention to my thoughts and do my best to be positive and not dwell on negative situations.

Part III: Goal Development

One physical goal I have for myself is to start a workout program called the Brazilian Butt Lift. The work out routines include plies, squats, lunges, explosive moves, plyometrics, touchdowns, kickbacks and dance that will lift your butt, make you shed fat and tone your body. Although it is a hardcore workout it looks like it will be a lot of fun!

One psychological goal I have for myself is stop worrying so much and not take things so personally. I’m a very sensitive person and I take things to heart. I wish I did not overanalyze so much and just let things go. If I continue to pay attention to my thoughts and practice exercises such as loving kindness and the subtle mind, I believe I will be able to improve this area of my life.

One spiritual goal I have for myself is to attend more new age groups and spiritual services. When I’m home, I’m going to make more of an effort to attend these events. I feel most accepted and understood when I’m surrounded by people who share my beliefs on life and the afterlife.

Part IV: Practices for Personal Health

The strategies I’m going to implement to foster growth in each of the domains include:

Physical: I’m going to work with my best friend who is a personal trainer and come up with a diet and exercise plan I can use when I am on the road. I will continue to meditate following each yoga session and practice the loving-kindness exercise every night before I go to bed.

Psychological: I’m going to take more risks and do things I might not normally do because I am scared. I want to see a hypnotist and do a past-life regression and find out why I have certain fears of things. I have always wanted surf, snorkel and scuba dive but I am terrified of sharks. I’m going on a cruise this summer with my boyfriend and I plan on going snorkeling. I know fear is all in the head- I would love more than anything to overcome them!

Spiritual: Do not let others opinions of my spiritual beliefs bother me, continue to speak my mind and surround myself with people who respect my spiritual views. I have a really good intuition and I will always follow what I feel. I feel my best when I’m around people with good-energy levels and good intentions. I can do this by attending more spiritual and meditation groups and spending more time outdoors; enjoying nature where things are peaceful and calm.

Part V: Commitment

I will assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months by journaling my thoughts, feelings and experiences and going over my planner every week to see what I have accomplished and what has been neglected. I tend to focus on one thing at a time and I need to come up with a plan to successfully juggle multiple tasks in one day. Also, I value my mom’s opinion so I will ask her weekly how she thinks I am progressing physically, psychologically and spiritually.

The strategies I can use to help maintain my long-term practices for health and wellness are coming up with an exercise and diet plan that fits into my schedule, continuing to grow spiritually by surrounding myself with people who can help me flourish, and engaging in activities that build trust and communication.

Unit 8: Exercises and Practices

Throughout this course I have tried a variety of mental and physical exercises such as the loving kindness, subtle mind, visualization, meditation, yoga etc. There are three practices that have been most beneficial for me: visualization, meditation and yoga. I consider myself a dreamer (sometimes an escapists), who has no problem at all visualizing myself in a beautiful setting away from the stresses of everyday life.

I enjoy doing doing Hatha flow yoga because it helps me achieve a balance between mind and body. During class, we begin with relaxation exercises, move from one pose to another (asanas), concentrate on the breath (pranayama), and clear the mind through meditation at the end of the workout.

By incorporating visualizations in my meditation and yoga practices, I am able to release tension from my body and deal with stress and anxiety.

Unit 7: Asciepius Exercise

For this weeks exercise, I choose to focus on my mother. She is a very important person in my life and does so much for others. I aspire to be like her because no matter what someone has done to her, she forgives them and does not dwell on it. Her favorite saying is "Life is too short to stay mad at someone". I, myself have a harder time forgiving someone who has hurt me. I am stubborn so if a person does something bad enough to me I will not talk to them again until the apologize. If they do not apologize I may never acknowledge them again. I realize that sometimes you have to be a bigger person, however, I also know that there are people you should not waste your time on. Some people do not deserve to be a part of your life.

I really enjoyed the Asciepius exercise because it allowed me to focus on the qualities of my mother. Although I got emotional, her healing attributes became my focus and by the end of the exercise, a loving presence emanated through my body.

Just like exercise helps improve mood by relieving stress and anxiety, I have come to realize that practices such as positive thinking, loving-kindness, meditation, reiki and sound therapy offer the same benefits. I have incorporated many of these exercise into my life and my energy level has increased and I feel healthier and happier.

In my opinion the saying, "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" simply means that if your looking to alter certain areas of life, the best way to do so is by seeking advice from a trained health professional who has gone through similar challenges. It's important that the person helping you, understands how you feel and knows what steps you can take to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of your happiness. Anyone can go to school and learn cognitive psychology but the best type of therapists are those who have an innate ability to heal others- they genuinely understand your pain and know how to properly guide you in the right direction.

Unit 4: Loving-Kindness Exercise

I wish I could say this exercise worked for me, however, I had a hard time getting into it. I didn't like the style and terminology that was presented and I found my mind wandering. I was able to get myself in a relaxed state but I could not remain focused on just one person- it's hard to do this exercise if you have more than one person who is an important part of your life! I'm curious if anyone else had the same problem?

My concept of a mental workout is challenging yourself with something that doesn't come easy. With perseverance you get progress : )