Quote of the Week

Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.
Jim Rohn



Monday, May 24, 2010

Unit 10 Review

Previously
For my physical well-being, I would rate myself as about a 7. I would like to exercise more. This just becomes difficult when taking 3 classes and working full time. I have no doubt that I will pick up my activity one I graduate in August.
Goal: To exercise 3 days a week while in school and increase to five times per week when I graduate in August.
Activity: walking, biking, hiking and running

Currently
I would say I am the same in this area as I have been concentrating on my spirituality. Now that the weather is warming up, I will be able to hike, bike and run. I am hoping to go on my first backpacking trip this summer!

Previously
My spiritual well being is about a 5. I need much improvement on this. I very rarely take time to work on this aspect. When I did yoga, I felt much more in tune with my spiritual side. Again, I hope to get back to it after I graduate.
Goal: To make time for spiritual reflection at least one time per week
Activity: meditation or yoga

Currently
I would say I have improved to a six. I still need improvement and will be able to commit more in August. I try to mediate at least one time per week.

Previously
My psychological well being is all over the place. I need more clarity with my mind. Taking on too many things at once fogs my mind.
Goal: Not to commit to more then 2 items at one time.
Activity: Learn to say no

Currently
I have probably moved to a 7 on this. I have a clearer mind and I am learning to say no and not do everything. It has led to less stress and anxiety.




This class has been very rewarding. Although it is difficult to face some things about you, it is all worth it. I believe I have evolved and will continue to evolve and work towards happiness, wholeness and health. This has been one of my favorite classes and I think it is because I have learned so much about myself. Learning how I have done this will only benefit me when coaching others who want to improve.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Unit 9 Final 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?

It is so important for a health and wellness professional to understand and develop in all aspects of integral health. If we have not developed in each area, it is going to be a challenge to help others. The professional can still be a work in progress in certain areas, but understanding the process is crucial when working with client. We cannot ask a client to participate in areas we our self have not yet gone.

I am still working on my spirituality. This area of my life has been lacking for some time. I have touched on it briefly but then I stop working on it when something else comes up. I plan to commit to this aspect of my life one I graduate in August. I have been trying to incorporate meditation and yoga to help, but this has only been happening once a week if that. I am dedicating a room for meditation in my home, and I look forward to growing in this area of my life.


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

My physical well-being continues to be the same since I rated myself in the first weeks of class. I continue to rate myself at about a seven. I would like to exercise more. This just becomes difficult when taking three classes and working full time. I have no doubt that I will pick up my activity once I graduate in August.

When I started the class I rated my spiritual well being as a five, I now rate myself as a six. I feel like I have improved but still need improvement on this. I have been trying to take more time to work on this aspect and have a plan once I graduate in August. I am trying to get involved in yoga again to re-connect with my spirituality.

My psychological well-being is all over the place. I need more clarity with my mind. Taking on too many things at once fogs my mind. I have been working on this but I am feeling overwhelmed with so much going on. I would say I am at a five in this area. I am also confident that once I graduate I will have more clarity, focus on myself, and not commit to too many things at once.


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

Physical well-being goal: To exercise 3 days a week while in school and increase to five times per week when I graduate in August.

Spirituality goal: To make time for spiritual reflection at least one time per week while in school and increase to daily once I graduate in August. As it is currently, I struggle, but I am confident I will succeed.

Psychological goal: Not to commit to more then two items at one time, this continues to be a struggle. I need to focus more on my clarity and not have so much chatter. This goal will be a hard one and will be on going.


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.

Physical
This is an area that is easier then the other two. I plan on going back to boot camp classes in August twice a week and then walk with my husband twice a week. This will help me have a tone body and increase my self-confidence.

Psychological
This is the hardest area. I have to cut down on my mental chatter and learn to say no. I have been doing pretty well with this recently. I have said no to two family parties as I already had prior engagements and realized I cannot do it all. What I have to learn also is not to feel guilty when I decline. The not feeling guilty is harder then saying no.

Spiritual
This is starting to come easier. I will start participating in yoga at least one time per week at home and increase to three times per week in August. I also will start meditation once a week at home and incorporate it daily by using a CD to help guide me.


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?

To be successful over the next six months I plan on reevaluating my needs in August and then change what will work for me at that time. I may also consider journaling so I am accountable for my success. This process will need constant evaluation, as I am constantly moving forward. I may have some setbacks, but that is when I will find out what will work and not work for me. In addition, just leading by example is a motivator for me to be successful. My success and confidence will increase once I graduate with my health and wellness degree in the hope to find a more fulfilling job. I would love to be a health coach and I am getting closer to this goal. I will also start pursuing my Master of Science Degree in Health Promotion Management in August and graduate in December 2011.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Unit 8

Here we are in week 8 already. I can’t believe it!! This term flew and I am not complaining about that! I have learned a lot about myself through the exercises we have completed. I have learned what works for me and what does not. I found that meditation practices incorporated with yoga works well and visualization. I am the type of person that cannot just sit and let the mind go because I have constant mental chatter. I need something to focus on. Having yoga poses helps and having something to visualize on helps. This helps me stay focused and in the zone. After completing the exercises, I feel so refreshed. I have not engaged myself as much as I would like, but plan on continuing this. I do plan to continue these practices on a daily basis. It is just on hold for the moment. I have created a remodeling project that has turned into a bigger project! Gutting a bathroom and taking ceramic tile out of my foyer is a process. Therefore, once all this is complete I will turn my spare bedroom into my yoga and meditation room. I can not wait!!! I want to purchase of few more DVD’s and CD’s to help me continue on and also get my husband involved. I am so looking forward to the day I have a dedicated room!!!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Unit 7

Unfortunately, I have only been able to engage in the exercises one day a week. I am trying to finish our remodeling project by May 26th before we go to Canada, so I have been consumed with that.

This week listening to the exercise my body became relaxed while my mind focused. I was focusing and all of sudden woke up to the sound of my doorbell ringing. I guess I became so comfortable and relaxed on focusing on my person of wisdom (my father) that I fell asleep. I did feel refreshed after the exercise and calm. I found it easier to focus on something that I knew.

Since participating in these exercises, I believe my anxiety levels have decreased and have almost disappeared. Meditation has helped me look a little deeper inward then I have in the past. I plan to buy some mediation, guided imagery, yoga and tai chi DVD’s to help me continue the practices I have learned in this class. I also plan to have my husband participate as well.

The statement "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” is so important in the health and wellness profession. We cannot ask our clients to do anything that we have not experienced ourselves. I do think that it is our obligation to understand the ins and outs of what we are asking of our clients. If we have not participated in an exercise we cannot fully understand what the client s going through. Understanding what the client is going through during this process is crucial and will benefit us and our clients when building a relationship. It will aslo help both build upon what we have learned.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Unit 6-Integral Assessment

I think that this is an excellent exercise to evaluate the area or areas that need a little more attention and practice. Sitting and being truthful to yourself helps you really understand the root of the problem and what needs improvement. It is definitely a growth process.

I learned that my psychospiritual flourishing is lacking. This is the area that I have not provided much attention too. I knew this was not an easy area for me, but it made it a little clearer as to why. This is where all my fear is. I am always seeking for more fulfillments in my life. I think by addressing this I will be working toward my mind, body, spirit connection. I have many emotions of fear and anger. My emotions are very reactive.

To improve this area I am going to have to still my mind more with meditation so I can get a handle on my emotions. Also yoga and qigong are other exercises I would like to try to incorporate. It is just unfortunate that most of this will be done in between school and work. My focus is mostly on school and work so I first need to find a few moments in the day to start working on this aspect of my life.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Unit 5

Exercise Unit 5

I had a positive experience with both last weeks exercise and this week. Again, I had a static problem with the CD so I continued it on my own. I think I enjoyed this weeks better. I became very calm and the mind became still. I did notice myself loosing focus at times. I focused on my breathes to regain focus. The benefits have actually made me have less anxiety. I seem to get a lot of anxiety and I believe it is from taking on too much at once. Therefore, these exercises are helping. I hope to get my husband involved as well. He seems to react, which causes him great stress. I have learned to complete all my tasks before working on these exercises, if I do not I will not succeed in the exercises.

Spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness

I have noticed that spiritual and mental wellness needs to be connected and that I have been lacking in the spiritual. Physical wellness is my strength. I just now need to connect all three. I have let my mind take over with no spiritual connection since I have been so busy. Starting to connect the two has been a great experience. I am holding true that I will create a meditation room in my home. Both my husband and I are lacking in this area and we can make the connection together when we put our meditation room together. I am looking forward to creating this room. Unfortunately, I will not be able to get to it until June. I have to finish remodeling my bathroom and then we our off to Canada for a relaxing trip at the end of May!