I.
INTRODUCTION
According to
Dacher, the healer is the key to the evolution and fulfillment of the integral
healing process (2006). It is important for health and wellness professionals
to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because in order to
become agents of a more expansive health, they must begin with their own lives
(Dacher, 2006). This requires hands-on learning as well as book learning. By
developing psychologically, spiritually and physically through contemplative
practices, health and wellness professionals will discover the profound
possibilities of integral health and healing (Dacher, 2006). What better way to
ascribe to a path of healing than to experience it yourself? This experience
helps to confirm that it is possible to alleviate human suffering and ascend to
human flourishing. This healing approach will become alive for them and their
personal work will become a sacred responsibility. It will help others and
create a better world (Dacher, 2006).
I need to develop
in all areas: psychologically, spiritually and physically in order to achieve
the goals I have for myself. I have realized that while I wholeheartedly
believe that the approach of integral health can be achieved and have practiced
it albeit fragmented over the years, that I am my own roadblock. I am great at
starting things but lousy at the follow through. I start out with a bang and
end with a whimper. This class has helped me see that I am allowing past
relationships and situations to hinder me from achieving my highest self, my
highest health! I need to develop a deeper sense of commitment to this process.
Time management is an area that I need to work on constantly. I have to be able
to integrate my work life with my school life with my personal life and create
a healthy balance. I also have to be committed to the practices while being
forgiving and gentle with myself if I do not do them.
II.
ASSESSMENT
I
have assessed my health in each domain by what I do for each area and how many
times I do it. For example, how many times to I engage in my spiritual
practice(s) on a daily/weekly basis? My spiritual practices include praying,
meditating, reading scripture from the bible, reciting one positive affirmation
and listening to an inspirational song. How many times do I work out a week? Am
I eating healthy on a daily basis? How
committed am I to get real results--weight loss, quiet mind, stress relieved
life?
I
currently give myself a four psychologically, a six spiritually and a 5 physically.
I scored myself higher in the beginning of this course; thinking that I was committed
more and doing more than I thought. However, as the weeks went on, I realized
that I was being somewhat a “legend in my own mind.” I had to be honest with myself
so that I can move forward and set real and realistic goals.
III.
GOAL DEVELOPMENT
1) Physical
goal: I have set a physical goal for myself already; to work out five days a week
(taking Wednesdays and Sundays off). I will work out two days a week with Leslie
Sansone’s Walk Slim (walking four miles) DVD and two days a week to Jillian Michael’s
Banish FAT Boost METABOLISM). On the fifth day, I will either go for a walk in a
local park or take a yoga class at a local recreation center.
2) Psychological
(mental health) goal: I will contact my employee assistance program (EAP) on Monday
and find a psychologist or psychiatrist to help me sort through some things I have
been going through since the beginning of the year. I get eight visits for free.
I will see how I feel and also go under the recommendation of the physician if I
need to continue or those eight sessions were enough.
3) Spiritual
goal: I will pray, meditate, read scripture, recite a positive affirmation and
listen to one inspirational song once a day. I will alternate between the morning
and the evening for two weeks until I find which time works better for me. After
two weeks, I will decide what time is best and continue to engage in my spiritual
practice.
IV.
PRACTICES FOR
PERSONAL HEALTH
The most important
strategy I can implement to foster growth in each of the domains is having an
accountability partner. This will be a person or persons that I trust to follow-up
with me and ask those hard questions. This person or persons will also be someone
who has the same overall views of mind, body, spirit medicine.
Another
strategy is to re-read the chapters in Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing
and jot down notes about what I read.
And
lastly, I can continue to look for new practices/exercises so I will not become
bored with my daily routine. I have to ensure that these new practice/exercises
are the equivalent to the one’s that I am I’m replacing.
EXAMPLES OF PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
- Yoga: attend
free yoga class at local recreation center once a week
- Walking: Walk
to DVD, around the block of my co-op complex or in the local park on the
track
EXAMPLES OF PSYCHOLOGIAL HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
- Talk therapy:
Visits with a psychologist or psychiatrist to help me work on my current stressors:
school, relationship, family situation involving domestic violence and custody
- Life coach:
Re-establish relationship with my life coach to help facilitate change
EXAMPLES OF SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
Meditation: I would do The Crime of
the Century mediation once a day when I come home from work to wind down and
help me get a good night’s sleep naturally.
Breathing and visualization exercises:
I would practice different breathing and visualization techniques to help me
relax at any time that I feel anxious, angry or fearful. Three that I have learned
recently are 1) breathing clouds 2) alternate nostril breathing 3) energy breathing
(Seward, 2009). These exercises are easy to do and can be done anywhere at any time.
V.
COMMITMENT
I
will assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months by doing a weekly
checklist on the things that I have done and/or not done. I can have a visual on
the things that are working and not working for me and make adjustments accordingly.
I will also check in with my accountability partners (and ask them to check in
on me on a weekly basis). This can be via e-mail, text or phone calls.
I
will also create a personal contract with myself to achieve all of the goals above,
sign it and have a witness. I will re-read the contract once a month to re-affirm
my commitment to my psychological, physical and spiritual health.
Keep
a weekly journal of my experiences with all domains. I can have my accountability
partner read my journal to lend a second pair of eyes to my experiences and
help me tweak my routine if necessary.
The
same strategies that I stated for the short term (accountability partner(s), re-reading
Integral Health and making notes, utilizing different practices to keep my interest)
are the same strategies I would use for the long-term goals.
I
truly did learn a different approach to mind, body, spirit medicine in this
class and I am excited on using what I learned here and utilizing it to achieve
optimum health and help others do the same. Together we can do something radical,
promote loving-kindness, achieve the highest health in all domains and make the
world a better place.
References
Dacher, E. (2006). For the practitioner. In Davis, S. (Ed.).
Integral health: the path to human flourishing.
(p. 167). Laguna Beach, CA. Basic Health Publications
Seward, B. (2009). Diaphragmatic breathing. In Goldberg, S.,
Flagg, L. (Eds.). Managing stress: principles
and strategies for health and well-being. (6th ed.). (pps. 348-349).
Sudbury, MA, Jones and Bartlett Publishers
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