Unit 4 Blog Post

Upon completion of reading chapter 6, review the section ‘Getting Started’ (p.66). Begin practice 1: Listen to the Introduction mp3 and Loving Kindness mp3 (both located in Doc Sharing). Practice the Loving Kindness exercise this week. In your journal (blog), record your reaction to the exercise.
Answer each of the following in your blog:

1.Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?
2.What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
3.Participate in the Blogs of at least two other students. Provide them with feedback on their experiences. Do you have any suggestions or support for them? How does their experiences compare to your experiences? What have you learned from their blog?

 

Class,

1. I didn't find this exercise beneficial. I couldn't connect with the narrator's voice and I thought the pauses in between were too long. I also thought the directions were too wordy. It was challenging to relax and follow the instructions. I probably wouldn't recommend this exercise because I personally didn't get anything out of it however I can't assume that just because I didn't get anything out of it that the next person wouldn't.

2. The concept of "mental workout" is training our minds. A trained mind has the ability to influence our psychology, hormonal system and immune system (Dacher, 2006). Research indicates that mental training can transform the mind by reducing negative emotions that cause anger, hatred, fear, worry and doubt while enhancing positive emotions like patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance and happiness. This transformation can also provide enhanced resistance to mental distress, physical disease and can expand our healing capacities and promote well-being (Dacher, 2006). I can implement mental workouts to foster my psychological health by writing down that I committed to doing them and set short and long term S.M.A.R.T goals. I would start by meditating in the morning on a daily. I would also like to try and record the loving-kindness practice in my own voice to see if I can connect to the practice.

 

Reference
Dacher, E. (2006). Psychospiritual flourishing. Davis, S. (Ed.). Integral health. (p. 61). Laguna Beach, CA. Basic Health Publications

Unit 3 Creating Wellness Blog Questions

1.               Based on your reflections, and on a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), where do you rate your A-physical wellbeing, B-spiritual well-being, C-psychological well-being? Why?

2.               Develop a goal for yourself in each area (physical, spiritual, psychological).

3.               What activities or exercise can you implement in your life to assist in moving toward each goal?

4.               Complete the relaxation exercise The Crime of the Century. To hear this exercise, click here. Describe your experience. (What it beneficial? Frustrating? etc.)

Question 1

Physical well-being: I rate my physical wellbeing as a 7. After I was diagnosed with my lung disease in 2009, I embarked on a regimen that included eating right, exercising and developing a daily spiritual regimen. I exercised approximately 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes per day for almost 2 years. I haven’t worked out on a regular basis since June 2011 however I do what I call “practical exercises;” walking back and forth to the parking lot at home and at work, doing housework, lifting groceries, etc.

Spiritual well-being: I rate my spiritual being as a 7. After I was diagnosed, I prayed, read scripture, meditated and listened to music every morning and every night for the first year. I know that it helped keep me grounded, created balance and freed me from stress and drama. But somehow I got away from it. My faith hasn’t changed at all but I know what having a daily spiritual practice does for me. I try to pray in the morning and before I go to bed. I would like to get back to doing it everyday like I did before. Psychological wellbeing:  I rate my psychological wellbeing as a 6. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been dealing with an on-going family issue. It involves lawyers and the court system. I have come to the conclusion that I need to see a therapist; someone who’s objective that I can talk to help sort things out. I’m becoming more and more anxious and don’t want to take medicine for it so I want to take alternative routes.

After doing these reflections, I realize that when one aspect of my life is off, it affects the others; it affects the balance of me.

Question 2

Physical: 30 minutes of walking around my complex three times a week starting Thursday, July 26.

Spiritual: Say a prayer every morning when I wake up. If I forget to say a prayer, call a prayer line and listen to other people pray.

Psychological: Contact my EAP (employee assistance program) to get a referral to a local therapist by Monday, July 30.

Question 3

I can establish an accountability partner for each goal or one for all three. I can also ask my classmates to check in with me over this ten week period to see if I’ve done any of the things I set out to do. Another activity is writing it down. There’s something about writing something down that makes it real, tangible. I also get to see how far I’ve come or how much work I have to do.

Question 4

I absolutely LOVED the relaxation exercise. It felt like I had returned home after a long time. I have challenges with quieting the voices in my head so it was a little difficult at first to get out of my head and listen to the man’s voice. Also, I did it at work on my dinner break which worked out better than I thought. I could literally feel the tension leave my body. I’m a visual person so I really got into seeing the colors coming out of my body from my chakras. I am going to listen to this exercise at night when I get in from work (I usually get off around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.) to help bring me down or if I’m feeling anxious, fatigued, worried. It definitely helped energize me to finish my assignments for tonight.

7-23-12: Intro

Hello all! This is my very first blog. It's a requirement for a class I'm taking at Kaplan University On-Line called Creating Wellness: Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing. I hope to see the relevance of creating this blog in the units/weeks to come and I hope to be OF relevance in my blog posts!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Christine