What a Class!!

Hi All,

Looking back to where I started, I would say there are some improvements in all areas of my life. During last week’s project, I assessed myself but now that I think about it, I would like to change certain scores.  My physical well-being I would say is 7, psychological well-being is 7 and spiritual well-being is 7.  From the assessment I’d given myself back in Unit 3, there is some improvement, and I feel that as I continue my daily contemplative practices, my exercise regimen and being a service to others…I will see vast improvements in all areas.  One thing I’ve learned in this course is that we need put effort into our lives in order to reap the benefits of integral health. And seeing that the effort I’ve put in thus far has shown me a glimpse of what’s possible, this just encourages me more so to put in as much effort as I can to attain better outcomes. 

I feel the goals I’ve set for each area are attainable and as long as I put the necessary work into each area, I will see consistent improvements.  The contemplative practices are very important to me because they help me to bring balance in my psychological and spiritual well-being, which translates into improvements in my physical wellness.  I also had a good discussion with my personal trainer in regards to my physical goals and he came up with a new workout regimen for me which incorporates cardio and weight training that will help me to increase my strength and energy levels.  I have volunteered at a nursing home for a few years now and it has brought me such a sense of happiness and purpose to my life. Due to my treatments, I have not been able to volunteer but as I get stronger and healthier, this is something I am determined to continue.

This class has been an eye opening experience for me…I realize what is possible now.  If you achieve a consistent balance between the body, mind and spirit…you attain a happiness and well-being that you never thought possible.  My meditative practices are important and are part of my daily life.  By incorporating this one useful tool, my outlook on life has changed and has much improved my ability to handle stress and life issues.  I look forward to my integral health journey…there is much work for all of us to do but at the end we will find exactly what each of us are looking for…for me it is inner peace.  What about you? What are you hoping to gain?

My Integral Health Plan

My Integral Health Plan

Unit 9 Project

HW420-01

February 7, 2012

Manisha Brahmbhatt

 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?

I feel it is very important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because only then can they provide the true guidance to their patients.  If the practitioners have not gone through the experience of integral health themselves, how could they possibly understand their patients’ needs?  How can they support their patients’ healing without having their own knowledge and experience? It basically boils down to…practice what you preach.  If the practitioner has not walked the path to integral health, he/she will not know how to take the steps to develop integral health for their patients. It is a loss for the health and wellness professionals…and for their patients.

I need to develop in all areas to achieve the goals I have for myself.  If I must prioritize, I would say that physical development is first and foremost for me. I have physical issues due to my health, which I am receiving my course of treatment; and I feel that my physical wellness is imperative to my psychological and spiritual well-being.  “The qualities of human flourishing can be fully and permanently experienced only if we prepare the proper foundation and steadily progress in our development from body to mind to spirit” (Dacher, p. 131).

II.                Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically? 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

Taking inventory of my wellness in each domain, I would assess my health as follows:

Physical domain I would give myself 6 out of 10, even though I’m dealing with a serious medical condition.  The reason why I’ve given myself a higher score is because my physical ailment has not stopped me from retaining an active life. With a personal trainer (who is aware of my medical issues), I work out at least 4 times a week. This has helped me to increase my energy and deal with my treatments with a stronger determination.  I am all about healthy eating…organic foods and natural remedies (of course, in combination with traditional medicine).  I hope to change this assessment from 6 to 9 by year’s end…God willing.

Psychological domain I give myself 7 out of 10. Though my assessment in this domain has increased somewhat from Unit 3 (I had given myself 6.5 at that time); this area still needs work.  I need to manage stress better and not allow outside factors to affect my inner well-being.  I need to focus on identifying destructive emotions and dysfunctional patterns I follow and replace those with a set of new healthy attitudes and behaviors. During this course, I’ve come to recognize certain dysfunctional patterns I tend to follow and make conscious decisions not to follow them…however, I sometimes still fall into that trap. So, I still have work to do…

In the spiritual domain, I would give myself 6.5 out of 10.  “The spiritual process aims at penetrating the deeper layers of the mind to uncover the natural wisdom, inner peace and loving-kindness that are the pivotal causes of a sustained well-being of body, mind and spirit” (Dacher, p. 61).  I am not there yet. I do not have the inner peace I seek; nor do I have the natural wisdom to understand the deeper nature of my mind. I have started to acknowledge the existence of my mental chatter; and I try to stop, see and understand this chatter and make choices with intention and not with unconscious reactivity. But this is not always the case, as such; I still have a lot of work to do in this domain.

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

In my physical domain, my goal is to do all I can to heal my body and increase my strength and energy. In my psychological domain, my goal is to have a positive outlook regardless of outer circumstances; not to allow the mental chatter to rule my thoughts and feelings, but instead focus on becoming psychologically literate and healthy.  In my spiritual domain, my goal is to attain an inner peace, finding a sustained balance of the mind, body and spirit; and to gain focus and understanding of my conscious self.

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.

To foster the growth and attain the goals I’ve set for myself in each domain, I would implement the following strategies:

Physical domain:  I will continue my medical treatments to heal my body’s ailment, but in addition to this I continue my exercise sessions with my personal trainer to increase my energy and strength.  After my workout sessions, I have always felt refreshed and energized. Also, I will continue my healthy eating regime, but also incorporate natural remedies to strengthen my immune system (which has been compromised significantly due to my treatments).  

Psychological domain:  I will use the Subtle Mind and Aesclepius meditative practice exercises to foster growth in my psychological domain.  Subtle Mind exercise consists of three steps, witnessing mind, calm abiding mind and unity consciousness.  Subtle Mind exercise will allow me to acknowledge my thoughts and mental chatter and let them pass without attachment (witnessing mind).  Just witnessing the mental chatter, will allow it to dissolve naturally into the background it came from…revealing a clear and still mind.  After my active mind is gradually tamed and subdued, I will be able to abide in the “stillness rather than in the turmoil of my mind’s movement.” (Calm abiding) Here I can to replace reactivity with intention and gain peace, serenity and loving-kindness which would deepen my relationships and balance my physiology.  Then one day, ultimately be able to reach unity consciousness where I can feel the connectedness to all of life. The subtle mind exercise has been one that has helped me to calm my mind to a degree…and I hope to continue this exercise to achieve a sustained calm abiding mind. 

The Aesclepius meditative practice instructs you to envision someone you found to be very wise and loving…to feel their wisdom in your mind…to feel their love in your heart…to connect to that person.  I found this exercise quite useful because I was able to focus my mind and open my heart…I feel that this exercise will be one that I will implement into my daily meditation practices along with subtle mind because they will allow me to grow spiritually as well as psychologically. I feel that to attain greater health and wellness these contemplative practices are necessary...and only through practice can I achieve my connection with my inner being and oneness with all. 

Spiritual domain:  Meditation practices and volunteering are two practices I will use to foster growth in my spiritual domain.  Meditation allows us to take our focus inward and overcome the barriers that limit our ways of thinking about health, happiness and wholeness.  It allows us to understand ourselves and help us to reach who we truly are…our inner essence.  Volunteering is something I greatly enjoy doing; it allows me to be of service to others and brings a sense of wholeness. Being able to help others brings joy and reinforces my belief that we are all one.  Meditation and volunteering will help me greatly in my spiritual development.

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?

The only way I feel I can assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months is by keeping a journal. The journal would keep track of my contemplative practices…recording how I did in my practices, whether I was able focus and quiet my mind. I would also write down the thoughts and feelings I experienced during the practices, during my days and any issues that come up that cause an imbalance.  This journal will allow me to see how I handle life’s adversaries and assess my progress.  The strategy I will use to assist in maintaining my long term practices for health and wellness will be the blog I created during this class.  It will be a way to connect to people that are looking for the same path to human flourishing…people that I can share my experiences and start a dialogue that will help me in my quest and maybe even be able to help others in theirs.  The combination of the blog and my journal will allow me to gauge my progress and help me to stay on the path to attain health, happiness and wholeness.  I look forward to the journey that lies ahead…we are all a work in progress.

References

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

My Choices for Attaining Inner Peace

Hi All!

Sorry for the late posting...it's been a difficult week!

I enjoyed this week's exercise of visualization. I think this is something anyone can do even if they have not practiced doing contemplative exercises. Reason why I say this is because I know many people relive experiences in their lives mentally...usually the bad ones where they put themselves in a bad place. I know I've done that many times in the past. With this visualization exercise, it had me focus on happier times and I actually felt that happiness and freedom that I had felt at that time. It brought a warm feeling over me, where I felt safe and content.  If you can put yourself in a bad place by thinking of negative events...then why not do just the opposite and think of good/happy times to put yourself in a positive place!

Now, as we near the end of this class (I say with a heavy heart), we have gone through many contemplative practices; and I feel the  two that have helped me the most are subtle mind and meditation.  As I've indicated in my previous posts, I practice these contemplative practices almost on a daily basis. This week was difficult for me due to some health issues...but I was better able to handle my issues due to these two practices. They actually helped me deal better with my pain and discomfort. I am in a much better place in the sense of my mental and spiritual wellness than I was when we first started this class. I definitely will continue to implement these practices into my daily life because I've truly felt the difference in how I deal with adversaries in life.  When I feel overwhelmed or that too much is being thrown at me, I am to use these practices to calm myself and think with a clear mind...and as I continue to practice, I hope this will come naturally for me.  Has anyone else felt a difference since starting this class? I would love to know.

Aesclepius Meditative Practice

Hi All

This week's meditative exercise, "Meeting Aesclepius", was quite eye opening for me. In the exercise, we were told to envision someone in our life that we thought of as being a wise person. For me, there was only one person that came to mind, my uncle, who passed away about seven years ago. He was someone I truly admired...not only because of his wisdom, but also his selfless heart and his love for all individuals. He lived his life with only one purpose, to make sure the lives of others better. Whether it was his children, his extended family, his friends and even strangers...if he was able to make a difference, he did it with all his heart. So, this week's exercise really stirred something within me...I felt my uncle's presence, I felt his love and felt the connection with him. I actually cried during this exercise (first time for me) because what I felt was so strong and overwhelming (in a good way)...this week was a little rough for me (due to medical issues) and I think this exercise came at just the right time for me. I attained such a sense of calm and peace after this exercise...as if my uncle was letting me know "all will be well." And I truly believe it!! I feel that this exercise will be one that I will implement into my daily meditation practices along with subtle mind because they will allow me to grow spiritually as well as psychologically. I feel that to attain greater health and wellness these contemplative practices are necessary...and only through practice can I achieve my connection with my inner being and oneness with all. 

The statement "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" is simple and common sense. How can you lead anyone towards integral health and wellness, if you yourself have not gone through the experience yourself? How can you understand what your patient needs or why the patient may be struggling? If you didn't go through it yourself, you will have no way of knowing how to guide and help your patient. If you don't lead by example, then you will hold no merit in the eyes of your patients. For instance, how motivated will you be if you get a personal trainer that is overweight? You are being told by the trainer how to workout and what your diet should be...but if you see that the trainer has a weight issue...will you want to follow his advice? Heck, it hasn't worked for him so how is this going to work for me?? Practice what you preach!! Just like the trainer, health and wellness professionals have an obligation to practice what they preach...otherwise they not only lose credibility, but don't have the understanding or knowledge to guide their patients.

Life Assessment

 Hi All!

Well, I have to say this week's exercise and assessment process has been difficult. In regards to the universal loving kindness exercise, I was not able to focus and really did not achieve any sense of connection or anything for that matter. I kept forgetting what the words were and kept opening my eyes...which further broke my concentration. I tried this many, many times...and finally after the 10th attempt, gave up.  Would love to know how everyone else did? And if you fared better, please provide some insight on what I should do ;)

The integral assessment process was interesting and difficult at the same time. I found it to be very useful, in the sense that it help guide me to the different areas of my life that are in need for improvement, particularly biological and psychospiritual. Though interpersonal and worldly need improvement also, I felt my priority at this time lies in the prior two I just mentioned.  As I've mentioned in prior posts, I enjoy working out and have hired a personal trainer to help me with the physical fitness aspect of my life. I also find physical exercise relaxing because when I'm exercising, I'm not thinking of anything else but just being in the moment...focusing on my breath. My trainer actually works with me in this regard (not one of those trainers that yells at you while you're working out).  Also, the subtle mind exercise is one that I know will help me to focus on growth and development of the psychospiritual aspect. It brings about stillness of the mind and I find that exercise brings me peace and ease of mind and body.  I've made it a point to practice this exercise on a daily basis and it has brought clarity of thought, where I am able to make decisions without attachment to emotions. I'm not saying I don't have my moments, we all do; but I feel this exercise has been the most beneficial for me to foster greater wellness.  

Subtle Mind Exercise

Hi all!

Compared to loving kindness exercise, the subtle mind exercise was easier for me. Because in loving kindness exercise you focused on a loved one, it was easier to keep my focus. However, I was unable to really focus on enemies or strangers, that part of the exercise was very difficult for me.  The subtle mind exercise was definitely a little more difficult because my focus kept straying, but what I loved about this exercise was that it was okay that my focus strayed...I acknowledged the thoughts and allowed them to run their course and subside; and regained my focus.  I found this to be very beneficial because instead of feeling frustrated with losing my focus, I quietly observed my thoughts and came back to my focus on my breathe. With the exercises we've done so far, I would get upset about not being able to keep my focus and in turn the relaxation exercise became a chore or disappointment for me.  The subtle mind exercise allows you to work with the thoughts, feelings and images that come to mind...recognize them and then release them. I found this exercise to be the most relaxing and after I completed the exercise I realized that I have control over my mental activity...meaning if I recognize the thoughts, feelings and images that come to mind and gently return my attention to my breathe...I am making the intentional possible and my mind can be tamed from the busy mental chatter. Essentially this exercise gave me a sense of empowerment. Did anyone have the same experience?

Spiritual wellness cannot be achieved without having mental and physical wellness...these are all interconnected.  The mind, body and spirit comprises a wholeness and if one is adversely affected then all three are affected.  Spiritual wellness can be seen a journey to understand one's purpose in life and to connect with the source of our being.  But in order to even start this journey, mental and physical wellness are integral parts of this journey...without them there is no sense of wholeness that can be attained.  On a personal level, I would say this connection is crucial.  As I deal with physical ailments, I not only treat my physical symptoms, but also look to heal my mental well-being during this difficult time and concentrate to cultivate my spiritual wellness with focus on the positive outlook.

Loving Kindness Exercise

Hi all,

I have to say that the loving kindness exercise was quite an experience for me...it actually caused a stir within me. The past two exercises I did not have much success, but I have made it a point to take time out for myself to meditate at least 30 minutes each day...maybe that's why I felt something in this week's exercise. Visualizing a loved one actually helped me to feel the love, kindness and sense of ease during this exercise...changing those feelings toward myself took some time but I feel that I was able to do that to an extent.  The part of the exercise I found difficult to do was the enemies and strangers...meaning I had a hard time "breathing in their suffering and allowing it to dissolve into my heart" Don't get me wrong...it's not that I didn't want to do it, I just didn't feel anything. Any advise?
Overall though, I found this experience to be very beneficial...it truly provided a great sense of ease and was able to feel a sense of connectedness (to a certain extent).

The concept of mental workout is to implement a daily practice on working out our minds to evolve psychospiritual life and access its capacities and resources.  In the beginning, you may only be able to do 5 minutes but should eventually do an hour a day...whatever amount of time you're able to give, the key is to keep practicing. The aim of mental workout is for progressive development of an expanded consciousness...one of the practices is loving-kindness.  This allows us to open our hearts and diminish our ego centered selves, which sets the ground work for our minds for further development. I personally have made it a point to meditate each day for 30 minutes to help me to develop inner calm and be able to take life's adversaries with a calm and clear mind...it also is the first step to psychological health.