Back to the Grind

Hey everyone,

    So I took some time off from the blog for a few days so that I could get ready for the next chapter in my educational career. On Wednesday, I am going to begin my journey towards my masters degree in health education. This is just another building block in my career path that I hope will propel my dreams and my adventures. Getting into the field and being able to fight childhood obesity as well as other health related issues are why I have a passion fro this industry. As I continue on my path, I keep looking toward the future and the hope of developing my own wellness programs and facility. It has always been a dream of mine to have a place where families and individuals can come together with a passion for getting happier and healthy. This blog will begin to document my journey through the masters program and summarize some of the key components of my studies and how it relates to the real world from week to week!

Personal Assessment and Experience

    Looking back at my Unit 3 assignment helped me to see how much I have grown over the course of this term. After referring to my unit 3 assignment, I found that I had rated my physical well being an 8, my psychological well-being an 8, and my spiritual well-being a 6. This course has helped me to understand that taking care of the body is only a small part of creating an entire sense of wholeness. There were so many techniques and theories that I had not heard of before and was glad to start implementing them in my life. As of now I would rate my physical well-being still around an 8 or 8.5 because I feel that there is also room for improvement. Being able to take care of yourself physically cannot only help you stay healthy, but it can be a great example to set for friends and family. My psychological well-being has increased slightly to an 8.5 or 9 because I feel that I have more techniques to use when dealing with stress and to quiet the mind. Lastly, my spiritual well-being jumped to around a 7.5 or 8 because of my new found understanding of the power of prayer. I would like to continue to foster this idea and see just how far it takes me. There is no stopping the flow of health, by nurturing it, it can only blossom!



      AS we near the end of this term, I feel that I have grown tremendously over the course of this class. Being able to listen to others in this class was such a comfort and blessing due to the stories and sharing we all accomplished. this class helped me to see things in a new light and has helped me not only in my personal life, but also in my career. Being in the health and wellness industry, we are faced with a variety of issues, and having the right knowledge and tools can greatly improve the quality of care that we extend to our clients. As we all go forth on our adventures and lives in the field, I wish you the very best and hope that we can still all comment and contribute to each others blogs. Having a personal network of professionals can help with the formulation of new ideas and topics for discussion. Good luck everyone and your time here at Kaplan with fly by so enjoy every minute of your educational careers!

The End of the Path leads to a New Beginning: Unit 9 Project

  Hey everyone! For this week, I will be uploading a condensed version of the Unit 9 project due to having 3 other classes, projects, and 20+page papers. I wanted to get this posted before Saturday and will be uploading the final copy before the end of the term. Seems like we just began on our journey for spiritual and psychological wellness, and the path will continue if we continue to seek it. I wish everyone the best of luck at Kaplan and your future endeavors :) Stay in touch!

 

Unit 9 Project

 

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 think it is important for health and wellness professionals to develop the above because it helps us to better serve our clients. Being able to understand and promote more areas of wellness can help to foster more inner health and reach out to our clients who may need it as well. I think the areas that I would like to develop more would be spiritually and psychologically because before taking these courses at Kaplan, I did not know the benefits they have on an overall well-being. Having this in my arsenal can help me deliver a more balanced sense of wellness.

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

I have assessed my health in each domain and found that there are areas that are in need of improvement. Being able to sit back and take a glimpse into my health can health me make the necessary changes to improve my overall well-being. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my physical health as an 8.5, my psychological health at a 7, and my spiritual health at a potential 6.5.

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

When it comes to my goals, there are numerous in each category. For my physical health, I would like to get to the point in which I enjoy running more and potentially would like to participate in more 5k’s for charity. For my psychological health, I would like to continue to learn new ways to deal with stress and learn new breathing and stress relieving techniques. Finally, for my spiritual health, I would like to try and gain more insight and knowledge about various teachings and understand their importance. I try and attend church, but I want to further my investigation in the readings and their meaning.

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.

There are many strategies that I can employ to help to achieve better overall wellness.

 

Physical – running partner, daily workouts, running outside once the weather is nicer. Develop a better attitude towards running and why its important. Also, I can learn new breathing techniques that will improve my runs.

Psychological – mediation, visualizations, imagery, deep breathing exercises, mental focus and clarity exercises, stress management. Allowing myself time during the day to focus on me time and bring myself back to a focus can help to foster psychological awareness.

Spiritual – attend more church, talk with the church elders about their beliefs and feelings, look toward a higher power for guidance, more meaningful prayer, seek out peer groups on the subject.

VI. 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 would like to keep track of my progress in the form of a journal. This not only will help me to stay on track, but it will also help to hold me accountable. Writing down the daily activities that I want to focus on when dealing with my health can help me to discover my other aspects of wellness and to help me foster better inner peace. I would also like to get friends and family on board with this idea, so that we can all use each other as a support group and can have better success in reaching our goals.

 

 

Meditative Exercises for My Daily Life

   The practices that I am going to choose to try and implement more on a daily basis would be the Rainbow Meditation and the Loving Kindness. These techniques really had an impact on my ability to start a path to mental fitness. The Rainbow Meditation allowed me to focus on the meridians of the body and while I was doing the exercise, it could visualize the specific colors and points of the body. Once completing the exercise, I had a sense of relaxation, wholeness, and focus. The Loving Kindness exercise allowed me to focus my attention on someone else and feel as if I was helping them in some way. Being able to grasp onto someone’s hardship can allow me to become a more compassionate individual towards others issues and feelings. Both of these exercises are ones that not only am I going to employ and discuss with my clients, but I look forward to continuing my success with them myself.

 

   These practices can be implemented in my life through daily sessions. Being able to take time out of my schedule to focus on me health and well-being will be an important point I plan to take on in my life. Having some sort of structure helps me to plan and carry out my daily routines. I would like to start my day with the Loving Kindness meditation so that I can begin each sunrise with feelings of love towards myself and others. Ending my day with the Rainbow Meditation will not only help me to relax, but it helps me to put life into perspective before going to sleep. I would like to also encourage my family to join me during these sessions and then discuss how they felt or reacted to the techniques. I want to continue my journey for mental fitness and even though this class may be coming to an end, I would like to continue on my journey towards a better sense of wholeness.

 

Wellness Professionals: Leaders and Wisdom

One of the main icons during ancient times was the god of healing, Asclepius. He is the basis of this meditative practice since much of the discussion talked about his wisdom and teachings. During this weeks meditation practice, we were instructed to listen to a recording and begin imagining someone in our lives as an image of wisdom. During this exercise, I chose to picture my grandfather sitting in front of me since I feel that our connection is very strong. I have been fortunate that for the 25 years of my life, he has been there for me in every way and allowed me to grow as a person and face challenges. His wisdom in many aspects of my life has helped me through struggles and brought a sense of ease during times of sadness. As I went through the exercise, I could see the beams of light being emitted and transferred to myself and it was almost as if he was there with me in the room to guide me through the exercise not only with his mid, but with his actions. This course has taught me to really appreciate one's mind and to expect the unexpected when it comes to meditation. I had sometimes pushed it to the back of mind saying I would do it, but this class forced me to try new methods and become very fond of many we have tried. After looking at some of the previous techniques and looking toward the future, I am going to try and take time out of my day to experience some tranquil time to reflect on myself and my health.



  When it comes to the saying, "one cannot lead when he or she has not gone him or herself" this is a great example of why our jobs as health and wellness professionals are so important. Before we become successful in our fields, we need to make sure that we are following our own advice and techniques to ensure that our clients will be getting the most out of our care. I for one am a huge supporter of this idea. I feel like this is a great opportunity for the client to realize that you are human just like them. Too many times people seek our help and feel as if we do not understand what they are going through. Being in the position of battling and defeating a weight issue and depression from a job loss, I can say that I have been in their shoes and can show and educate them that it's possible to change and get on the path towards good health. Not only will they feel more trusting and good hands, but the relationships that can result can be so rewarding. Having a success story myself will be an advantage that can help my clients acheive their goals by believing in themselves and knowing that with motivation and courage they can acheive anything!

Universal Loving Kindness and Integral Assessment

    This exercise allowed me to open my heart and set some inner feelings and opinions free. this was slightly different than the other Loving Kindness meditation we had done in a previous week, and I feel this was much easier to grasp the concept and feeling of the exercise. I was able to visualize and feel what I was saying making the exercise very enjoyable. As I did this exercise, I began to feel intense emotions that began to over take my mind and consume my being. Having these emotions allowed me to fully understand the concept and helped me to appreciate its goals. I had been battling the flu for a few days before doing this assignment, and the feelings of sickness seemed to be non existent as I was doing the exercise. After completing it, not only did my mood improve, but I also was able to feel more at ease with my body. This exercise is something that I would definitely recommend to others as it is a great way to expand the mind and cultivate emotions towards others.


  
   After doing the Integral Assessment, I chose to the area of pyschospiritual to focus on its growth and development. I would like to explore this area more and be able to expand my relaxation and meditative practices. Keeping the mind healthy not only can greatly improve cognitive function and help deal with stress, but it can be extremely beneficial to one's overall health. I want to improve and incorporate the amount of time that I spend on meditation and other mental fitness techniques on a daily basis. Being more receptive to other types of practices such as visualization and visual imagery will help to foster a greater mental well-being and lead to a life of fulfillment and happiness. As I continue this journey to wholeness, incorporating new techniques and ideas will not only help to open my mind to health, but it will greatly help me to teach my clients the benefits of mind-body wellness.




                                                                                                          

A Subtle Mind

   The subtle mind exercise for this weeks discussion was one of the meditation practices that I thoroughly enjoyed. The techniques discussed in this meditation allows the individual to focus to shift from their surroundings to the awareness of their breathing. Find a focal point gave me the ability to fully immerse myself into the practice so that I could witness the mind and clear it from clutter. As stated in the recording, this technique with some practice can lead to a more stable mind, less reactivity, inner calm, and greater patience. After completing the exercise, I did feel more energized and more centered. I would pick this meditative practice over the
Love and Kindness one because I feel that it is more beneficial for those who are beginning their journey with meditation and allows them to focus on breathing rather than try to conjure up a variety of images and feelings like the Love and Kindness. The Love and Kindness technique requires so much visualization and for some it is hard to be able to do that. Not having as many instructions and allowing my mind to clear as I focused allowed me a greater sense of accomplishment and feelings of inner calm.


Spiritual wellness can be viewed as someones values or beliefs in an higher power or searching for the meaning of human existence. When one has reached a state of physical and mental wellness, to feel complete, one can turn to the aspect of spiritual wellness to help them achieve a sense of wholeness. As en example, one could be actively practicing mental and physical wellness in ways of yoga and mediation, but finding their compassion and fulfillment in life is an important part of spiritual wellness. It can be manifested in one's personal life in a variety of ways. Whether an individual believes in a higher power, is looking more inward for their purpose, or becoming more aware of their feelings, this can be a way for someone to discover and maintain their spiritual wellness.

Path to Human Flourishing: Love and Kindness Meditation

                                                                                     

When it comes to meditative practices, there are a variety to choose from that can help to destress and fill one's with love. For this exercise, a Love and Kindness meditation was listened to and completed. During the meditation, calming sounds from the background of the ocean can be heard to help to set the tone for the exercise. this meditation was beneficial for me and i could visualize many of the images and examples that it was directing me to do. One of the main focuses of this type of meditation is "Loving yourself is essential before you can fully love another." I think this statement is so very true in that one must be happy with themselves before projecting their feeling and emotions to someone else. This meditation practice allowed me to fully appreciate the loved ones in my life while helping to think about how I project me feeling of love and kindness toward others. I would recommend this technique to anyone trying to become more familiar with their inner feelings and emotions.

      When it comes to training your brain and becoming more aware with a mental workout, it is important to do research and find out more ways and techniques that can best suit the individual. Mentally working out your brain cannot only help with mental clarity and focus, but it can also help to develop other portions of the brain to work more efficiently. Research in this field is suggesting that the more a person can train their brain, the better outcomes for their mental clarity, focus, memory, and overall health. For me, staying sharp and training my brain is an important aspect of my daily life. Maintaining a healthy brain physically and psychologically can add years to your life while also helping to deal with everyday tasks easier. I have doing some of the brain exercises on sites such as Lumosity.com and found it to be a great way to keep my memory sharp. A better working brain will lead to a better more efficient working body :)