unit 10 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.
   As compared to the beginning of this course and the prior assessments observed, I feel that I have grown in all of these areas significantly. 
   Spiritually (was 7, now 9) – I continue to practice my Catholic faith and have come to better terms with this.  I have been able to find other young adults that I can relate to and discuss teachings.  I feel more centered and at peace.
   Physically (was 5, now 7) – With the holidays now over and the new year underway, I have turned a new leaf with food choices and exercise/energy practices.  I feel well and balanced.  My weight is within normal limits.  I am finally beating the cold that has been with me for months.
   Psychologically (was 4, now 8-9) – I feel that with all that we’ve learned, I am in a much better place.  I am able to recognize negativity, channel that into positive energies with the coping mechanisms we’ve explored.  I feel that although I need to continue to improve my meditations, just being aware of the benefits of mental fitness is beyond encouraging and presents something to strive for every day.
2. Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.   Spiritually – Practice daily my favorite meditation(s) in an effort to continue to develop these skills to find oneness. Physical – Join a yoga studio and practice at least 3 x/ week.  I’m asking for a package of classes for my impending birthday. 
   Psychological – Look deeper into myself for areas of weakness.  I want to practice true forgiveness more frequently.  I want to develop strong self-confidence to better support being proud of my opinions and choices, therefore cutting out the repercussions of a weaker self-esteem (such as jealousy, insecurities, and self-doubt).
   I have already begun doing all of the above mentioned goals regularly and am proud to say that I feel great! The difference is remarkable and I feel new every day :)
3. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.  As just mentioned, yes, I have been meditating more, practicing yoga regularly (sometimes at home with a video), and continually looking inward to improve and purify my personality and thoughts.  I feel wonderful, as these goals are already taking effect!
   
4. 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? This course has been fantastic.  I believe I was able to appreciate the teachings for what they are and take them seriously.  The information was presented in an organized matter, which to me is crucial with any class.  I do feel that I have made great strides with improved well-being.  The rewarding aspects have been noticing the improved comfort and ease with meditations.  The was the biggest struggle to me, to open up and embrace their benefits, but I am proud to say that these really have gotten much better for me!  This class will help me to help others as a nurse by mainly approaching each patient individually, with unique needs and priorities.  I will sit on their bed, make eye contact and let them express how they are feeling with open ears.  I will take the time to address all components of mind, body and soul, in an effort to provide for them the rare, yet necessary holistic health care that they deserve.

unit 9 project

Complete each of the five sections below and post the project in your blog, also submit it as a single Word document in your drop box.

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?

It is important for health care professionals to continuously work on developing psychologically, spiritually and physically for many reasons.  By exhibiting a strong baseline in complete wellness, they will be able to better understand their clients, reach into their needs and increasingly reach their goals together.  These professionals will be better versed in creative techniques, therapies, and problem solving skills to complement their patients.  I, personally, must work towards the task of a more successful meditation practice and mental fitness.  The witnessing mind is something that I need to implement on a frequent basis, and I have noted improvement, but still have a little ways to go.

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

As compared to the beginning of this course and the prior assessments observed, I feel that I have grown in all of these areas significantly. 

Spiritually (8) – I continue to practice my Catholic faith and have come to better terms with this.  I have been able to find other young adults that I can relate to and discuss teachings.  I feel more centered and at peace.

Physically (7) – With the holidays now over and the new year underway, I have turned a new leaf with food choices and exercise/energy practices.  I feel well and balanced.  My weight is within normal limits.  I am finally beating the cold that has been with me for months.

Psychologically (8-9) – I feel that with all that we’ve learned, I am in a much better place.  I am able to recognize negativity, channel that into positive energies with the coping mechanisms we’ve explored.  I feel that although I need to continue to improve my meditations, just being aware of the benefits of mental fitness is beyond encouraging and presents something to strive for every day.

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

Spiritually – Practice daily my favorite meditation(s) in an effort to continue to develop these skills to find oneness.

Physical – Join a yoga studio and practice at least 3 x/ week.  I’m asking for a package of classes for my impending birthday.

Psychological – Look deeper into myself for areas of weakness.  I want to practice true forgiveness more frequently.  I want to develop strong self-confidence to better support being proud of my opinions and choices, therefore cutting out the repercussions of a weaker self-esteem (such as jealousy, insecurities, and self-doubt).

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.

Spiritually – As stated above, I plan on practicing meditations and/or mind exercises at least daily (when I come home from work in the morning).  I will revisit the rainbow meditation and also cycle through the tracks on the disc provided with our textbook to maintain a well-rounded strategy.  Also, by implementing the yoga goal, I will find relaxation, a calm peace of mind, and self-confidence to improve all areas of desired improvement.

Physical – In an effort to actually achieve my goal of regular yoga participation, I will seek a “workout buddy” or make new friends in the classes in which I attend.  I have found in the past that by finding companionship in a fellow workout friend, my frequency of actually going is vastly improved.  Also, I will research various different yoga studios in my area.  Lancaster, PA is booming with yoga, so although I do have a favorite place, there might be a more affordable studio closer to my home.

Psychological – To achieve my goal as stated above, I will do two things: I plan on rereading Dacher’s textbook in a more leisurely style as opposed to a scholastic task.  I find that I can absorb the material differently in this capacity, and because I won’t have assignments based off of it, I can digest the book slower and in a different light.  Additionally, I have found great interest in reading various other related text/articles on these pertinent topics, so I also continue to dive into these.  I have created a “reading list” throughout the term, to revisit when I had more time – and that’s exactly what I intend to do!

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?

To track progress (or lack thereof) in the future, I can see myself continually remembering this course and reflecting on my growth, happiness and success.  I feel that instead of picking a date in 6 months or so, my contemplation will probably happen in small thoughts daily.  Clearly, if I am unhappy with my life in the future, I now have the knowledge to fall back on to look for possibilities why.  On the other hand, if I am doing well an succeeding in mind, body and spirit, than I can use my journey of growth to inspire and help others to find the same peace and goodness in life.  I look forward to the latter!

Unit 8 post

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 two most impressionable exercises I’ve experienced during this course so far has been the most recent visualization, noted in Dacher’s text on pages 144-146 and secondly the Loving Kindness exercise.  I have learned that in order for any exercise to be beneficial to me, I have to already be in a positive mood and able mindset.  I have yet to find any meditation that has been able to bring me out of a foul mood (rather, they just seem to antagonize my feelings at the time).  These meditations seem to simply magnify whatever mood I am in.  Therefore, the two most favorable exercises I’ve practiced thus far stemmed from already feeling “right”.  I suppose in an effort to foster mental fitness in the future, I would like to practice mediations frequently enough so that I can indeed use them the ultimately break me out of any bad moods and have them help facilitate positivity and peace when I need it most.  Specifically, if I were overwhelmed with time management in the peak of my stress, it would be ideal to find enough time to calmly and properly enjoy a thorough meditation, so this will be a goal to work towards.  It seems as though the bottom line with all of these discussions is that practice makes perfect in the world of mental fitness.

unit 6 post

Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

Completing the Loving Kindness exercise before participating in this integral assessment provided a sturdy baseline and open mindset to gain the most out of the experience.  It allowed a calm approach to begin the assessment, whereas if I had just jumped right in, without the preparations, the assessment would have been perceived completely different.  That being said, to the question asked, "What aspect of my life - psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly - is the source of difficulty and suffering?" I found that my main strain right now is time management and the stress that comes along with being over consumed with simply too much to do.  I wonder if this exercise was performed NOT a week before Christmas, would the outcome have been different?  I suppose worldly would be most effected by this right now.  I can gladly express that I truly have no complaints in the other areas of my life at this time!  I think in an effort to decrease those stressors related to business, I need to maintain a focus of my To-Do list, don't oversleep or socialize too too much :) and prioritize tasks in order of importance, which as a nurse is what I do every time I go to work - it's outside of my job that I must carry this over.

Condition our Minds unit 5 presentation

http://prezi.com/8v0nvyob6c2q/conditioning-our-minds/

the subtle mind exercise ~

Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

To be honest, Dacher's voice itself is distracting with both of these exercises but I was very receptive to the woman's voice.  She was able to help me focus and minimize my distractions.  I feel that I have started to make substantial progress with these mind exercises and I'm beginning to enjoy them since I'm becoming more comfortable with their outcomes.  I self-admittedly have a very busy mind, and this was the first exercise yet that was effecting in calming it down and also left me feeling refreshed and positive upon it's completion.  Basically, since the Loving Kindness exercise, I'm grasping this whole concept better.  Yay!

Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

We have learned that mind, body and spirit are all interconnected and either uplift or pull one another down, depending on their strengths and weaknesses.  I see this daily depending on my mood.  If things are going well, I'm properly rested, and I get quality time with the people closest with me, I become so happy, and therefore effortlessly muster up energy to go, Go, GO!  All I want to do is take on the world.  However if I am experiencing solitude and detachment from important things in my life, I lose focus on priorities and end up sleeping a lot or "venting" to a close friend.  Having learned about the Witnessing Mind during this unit is exactly what I must practice during these "uncontrolled" periods.  Noticing these emotions and therefore controlling them is so simple yet so powerful and I look forward to building this skill up!

Loving Kindness

Well, class, I am happy to report that this week I have had a much better, and not so backfiring, experience with the Loving Kindness exercise.  I did have to (still) redirect my attention back to focus a few times, but I feel that will dissipate with practice.  I was able to find peace and oneness within myself and with my close relationships.  I believe that for me, my state of mind before the meditation is crucial in directing the success and outcome of that meditation.  It's difficult to explain, but after the deeply saddening feeling after the rainbow exercise, I realized that if I am sad, lonely, or down, a meditation won't ease that, just magnify it.  This week, I was in an ideal mood for meditation, therefore, it worked beautifully.  I would recommend it to to others, but perhaps a more advanced practiced person, as many of the blog post I've read stated some difficulty.

To me, a mental work out is just that: exercising your mind.  It will take practice.  You may feel pain.  There will be frustrations along the way, and you may need to snap your motivation back into gear.  However despite all of that, the outcomes can be beneficial in so many ways, it it will only help your mind, body and soul.  I believe practice is the key here, with daily moments set aside to complete these exercises.