Unit 9 Blog

By Jill Gazelle

                  I.                  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?

   To have greater health you must first begin with yourself. We must be willing to explore our inner and outer health. Exploring your inner and outer health requires you start with preparations and practice.  Once you start incorporating these concepts into your everyday living you are able to explore the benefits of integral health and healing.  By practicing integral health we gain confidence in higher possibilities.  Our personal work becomes a sacred responsibility. (Dacher, M.D., E., 2006)

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

     My personal assessment begins with a scale from 1-10, 1 being the best.  When assessing my wellness in spirituality, I gave myself a score of 5.  I am so overwhelmed with my school schedule and my work schedule I find that my wellness in spirituality is suffering.  I assessed my physical health as a 3 because I have a medical condition to which I am allergic to the cure.  My only hope for this is to eat less, and lose weight.  Psychologically, I assessed my score at a 7 because I am now aware of my thoughts and actions. 

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

   My goal for my physical health is to start Yoga, and increase my cardio workouts.  My Psychological goal is to be aware of my current state of thinking.  To show loving kindness to all and practice the meditation exercises. My goal for spirituality is to set aside more time to develop my personal spirituality. 

              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.

    The strategies I can implement for my physical health are to develop easier exercise routines, commit to doing them and start doing Yoga.  Strategies to develop my Psychological Health include doing the exercises provided in the course work, the subtle mind and the Aesclepius exercises will increase my psychological health.  To increase my spirituality I would employ meditation and again practice the exercises available in my coursework. 

                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?

     I could assess my progress by creating charts and monitoring my current goal strategies. I could also create charts to monitor my psychological and spiritual well-being. 

Unit 8 Blog

By Jill Gazelle

1.             Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples.

    The loving kindness exercise reminded me that an enduring well-being requires a diminished focus on our-selves and our own needs and enhanced concern and compassion for the welfare of others.  This exercise taught me to think before I react, to look at people with a genuine sense of love and kindness. The subtle mind exercise showed me that enduring well-being requires cultivation of wisdom.  This exercise helped me quiet the mind, something that was a huge issue for me.  Somehow, I got through life, excelled and conquered many things.  But, I did it with an ADHD mind which was constantly switching channels.  This exercise was very difficult at first, but with practice I learned it was possible to focus and quiet the mind, without medication.  Visualization is something I have always practiced.  Somewhere during my past I found that if I visualize something, it most always comes to pass.  But, the important thing to remember is your mind has to be healthy to achieve visualization success. Meditation was painful.  When I practiced it I found myself exhausted, but with MUCH practice that went away. 

     To be completely honest this class has made me feel like I was barbaric in my approach to life.  I keep thinking, “How could I have gotten through life this far without an Integral approach to my mind and personal health?” I struggled, thinking if I take such an approach to life I would lose control.  When in actuality practicing these exercises gave me more control. 

     The practices that were most important to me are the loving kindness exercise and the subtle mind exercise.  With effort both these practices can change your life and change the way we maneuver and react to everyday life.  The best way to ensure Mental Health is to practice these exercises daily.  During the last 8 weeks I noticed a big change in myself and the way I react to events.  I have experienced a huge amount of stress during this semester and struggled with basic assignments.  I truly believe if I would not of had the experience of these exercises, I would have been overwhelmed with life and unable to cope.  Life has a way of bringing things to you in your most desperate moments.