Unit 9

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because of the need to have a balanced life in those three areas of their lives. The need to have a balanced flourishing healthy life to model and help other people along their road in life to find the same flourishing path is important. Practitioners need to be able to show others the way in the journey, guiding and showing them how we did it. One need is to display wisdom and knowledge. Professional practitioners need to acknowledge that a balanced life is a successful life, and it can work and is working for us very well with our health, emotions, and mental attitudes about life in balance, peace and harmony.

I wish to develop the psychological area in my life in more depth as my brain has a hard time getting rid of mental chatter. I will aspire to exercise my brain with mental training: Biofeedback, humor, brain books, music, creative visualizations, relaxation techniques, writing poetry, games e.g. chess, learning how to calm and still the mind, observe its activities, quiet them, focus on a focus point, and concentrate at will.

I hope to increase the physical area of my life by expanding to new areas of physical exploration for exercise, strength, flexibility, and an array and variety of recreational pursuits, since currently I only bike ride.

In the spiritual area of my life I yearn to use prayer as a medicine, as I have not been doing enough evidenced by lack of internal peace and contentment. Prayer can bring improved health as a spiritual practice, reducing personal stress and increase my coping abilities. I will use prayer to meditate and contemplate on my relationship with the Divine Healer. I will offer gratitude for life and wellbeing and enhance informal conversation with God about dad-to-day matters, seeking guidance and counsel. I will increase my Bible reading to gain wisdom and direction as well.

II Assessment:

I personally need to increase my development in all three areas: psychological, spiritual, and physical as I am lacking and deficient in each area.

My personal self-assessment scoring will be from numbers one through five. The values/meaning of the scores will be as follows:

1. A score of one is: as close to humanly ‘perfect’/complete/ultimate success as much as humanly possible. Potential is reasonably high, vibrant and working well. Inner peace and balance is working with flourishing integral health present.

2. A score of two means: moving closer to goal of ’perfect’ strong, healthy, full of energy, forceful, working earnestly, vigorously, toward the ultimate goal of reaching a score of one of success, inner peace, and balance.

3. A score of three indicates mediocre progress of ordinary, moderate quality. The working/moving towards the goal, somewhat struggling with best way of making a faster headway, organizing, but head way/action is still happening, slowly progressing, and not stagnant.

4. A score of four means, motivation is barely there and almost gone, low twenty five percent of potential. Attitude not as positive as it needs to be, behavior is in need of improvement, not given up, but potential to give up looming. I am still slowing grasping and trying to move forward but it is hard.

5. A score of five is: motivation is almost not there, maybe one percent left, no flow of activity, give-up mode has set in with a defeated attitude, unsuccessful actions, in a rut of negative behavior, needing help/counseling/ intervention from a friend needed to come along to help and encourage me to come out of the rut in the area, and in need of overhaul and much improvement. Potential success seems out of reach. You have a total negative attitude present in this area of your life. Since I need more in the psychological/mental/emotional state of my life I give myself a score of three in this area.

My assessed score for my physical domain is two. A score for the spiritual area of my life is three.

III. Goal development:

It is my goal and hope to daily and progressively, strive to improve my self-development. In the psychological area, my goals are to become familiar with many different meditation practices, make a list of them, review them, and make some new ones (not based on the religion of Buddha) but, based on Christianity and my core beliefs. Another psychological goal would be to investigate and visit a biofeedback clinic and see the machine first-hand with a demonstration.

An additional goal in this area is to daily change negative emotions to positive emotions with prayer being the main medicine to accomplish this goal. The goal of keeping a positive attitude and mental outlook in the replacement of a negative one as a new life practice forever.

I will use music as a mind and emotion practice to calm my spirit. Singing, playing my piano and writing new original music as poetry to vent my feelings and calm my mind will be used.

Developing a Humor Journal, tracking my favorite jokes and short funny stories to lift my spirits and share with others will help in this area as well.

In the physical area, the first goal is to start doing the new CD program I just received in the mail a few days ago. Getting started is the hardest thing and it is a goal to start within the next week.

A second goal in the physical realm would be to start doing arm curls with my dumbbells, and light squats with my empty bar. To start out slow and work up to higher weights is part of the longer-range goal.

Thirdly, in the physical area, I would like to add simple stretching exercises from my exercise book, and enlist my husband to do them with me as well.

In the Spiritual area, my first goal is to begin to pray more consistently and regularly with my husband at breakfast, then, after my husband leaves for work, read the Bible for fifteen minutes before I begin my school studies.

I would add to that, after the reading, I will add meditating on what I read, and on the goodness of God, his attributes, His compassion and loving-kindness to all mankind and me.

I will then choose to pray for at least one suffering individual that comes to my mind in the morning and throughout the day.

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.

In the Spiritual area, one strategy I will increase my mental focus on the spiritual foundations I believe, increase prayer and reflection time in the same way.

I will use positive and creative visualization to focus, breathing to relax, and my own compassion and loving-kindness meditations to go inward for health and healing. I will make up my own meditations to parallel my Christian beliefs. I will sing spiritual hymns in worship and meditation, and play the same songs on the piano as I reflect, meditate and visualize compassion and goodness. I will use this time to set my mind in a mode of deep compassion and a giving attitude.

In the physical arena, I need to focus on variety; stretching, arm strength, and abs strength training will be the new focus. I will begin to do Beach body’s CD workouts called: Hip-Hop ABS, Fat Burning Cardio, AB Sculpt, Total Body Burn, Secrets to Blat ABS, Last Minute ABS, and Hips, Buns, and Thighs and journal my activity, diet and routine times.

In the Psychological area, some examples I will investigate, tweak, and integrate are: Silence and Stillness, Skillful Action, Loving-Kindness, Renunciation, ‘Meeting Ascelpius’, Witnessing Consciousness, and Calm Abiding. I will look into and research and incorporate brain mental training methods and information form psycho numerology into my mental and emotional psychological learning and strategies.

Further, in the psychological area, I will purchase and read the book called the Power of Prayer, to investigate the healing power it can give.

I will investigate pets/animals in their use to psychological development as well.

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?

I will access my progress or lack of progress in the next six months by measuring the stress levels in my new job (or lack of a job). I will look at the date on the calendar marked “Life self-check” and access my progress then, ask my husband what his rating would be from one to five since we got married a year ago, (one being no stress and 5 being totally stressed).

I will use these strategies of leading my family and friends in spiritual meditations I have come up with and see if it helps them in handling relationships within their life stressors. I will determine if my family and I have moved closer to a loving, serving, calm, healing attitude in daily life more than we were six months previous. I will note if our family has come to love unconditionally, and openly in the last 6 months giving consistent hugs and saying, “I love You” before departing each other. I will ask my husband to access on a scale of one to five if these noted areas are closer to one or five. My husband and I will rate our family on attitudes and behaviors that promote peace, health, happiness and wholeness to/for others and us.

My husband and I will rate our family in a listening scale from one to five for a deep unconditional way to each other. We will access how close from one to five scales if compassion and charity are the gold thread running thru the middle of our family.

The strategies I plan to use in maintaining my long-term practices for health and wellness are: develop a daily routine in the morning to build a foundation and keep building on it. I will strengthen the inner mind. I will stimulate brain functioning, exercise, prayer, Biofeedback, humor, brain books, music, creative visualizations, relaxation techniques, writing poetry, games, Sudoku, cross-word puzzles, witnessing mind, chess, learning how to do calm abiding, and still the mind, observe its activities, quiet them, focus on a focus point, and learn to concentrate in my inner mind at will, and use

Christian-centered and (not Buddha-centered) meditation practices. I will daily do something to train my brain. Not only will I daily work our muscles, I will work out my brain muscle as well, reading, writing, and contemplating.

Reference:

Dacher, Elliot S. (2006) Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.

Unit 8 Mental Fitness

A christian form of loving-kindness and compassion practice starts with the mind. The mind can observe and let the crazy stresses of life take over, at which point one needs to realize it is regroup time, slow down, or stop time. 
Visualize a different way. Practice a fun visualization exercise to get the mind off problems and current stressful encounter. One can pray and ask for help and wisdom, sing, or choose to laugh, listen to music, meditate on something good, like all the things God has given to all and done for everyone. The mind becomes more in tune with what is going on in the outer world. 
Creative Visualization of a clam beautiful place or time, and meditation helps stop the craziness and helps one calm down. To practice this kind of self control can help one become in-tune with what signs of the body. The body could be showing signs of high-blood pressure, signs of diabetes, signs of stress, heart pain, or mental confusion; to realize and become aware of a better way to handle everyday struggles could save our lives. We cannot hear high-blood pressure, we cannot hear diabetes symptoms, but, we can hear our mouth getting louder or talking fast or talking angry, or crying or moaning and then we can stop and remember we have a choice. Knowing there is an alternative, like immediate deep-breathing to calm down our nerves can help us stay in control and focus on what is important again. Doing a 20-30 minute visualization exercise can remove the body for the moment and act as a good mind-body-emotion stabilizer.
Personally, making the Creator happy and pleased, by keeping a stable,peaceful in-control, calm, happy mind, with a positive spirit, being kind to myself and others is reaching a higher level of mental and spiritual fitness. 

UNIT 7 BOTH TOPICS

"Meeting Aseiepius" or "Meeting my God"

A short review of the "Meeting Asciepius" is as follows. I changed it to my version as "Meeting my God" Let the mind seem like a waterfall loud and raging, then with practice it seems like a running mountain stream, then like a lazy river or like calm abiding, then progresses to a slow flowing river, that reunites with the still deep stable ocean like unity consciousness. Aiming at inner freedom is one goal to seek.
In meeting Asciepius or our subtle mind, we visualize a very wise and loving man. God is the choice of my skillful teacher whom I respect and feel a special sense of connection to, because I know Him. He is stabilized in front of me, in my imagination, and I am trying to carefully observe Him. We are made in His image. He is my inner healer, not my subtle mind, but Him. I reflect on His qualities, characteristics, peace, wisdom, compassion, and His joy. His image and qualities are my focal point. The ocean waves are a nice calm sound. A strong beam of white light from his head to my mind as purified my thoughts and images, transforming my thoughts to be like His, so I can understand how He wants me to think and understand life. To serve others, and understand that love is the greatest of all.
Next, I can imagine and envision another beam of light coming from His throat to mine, and it makes my speech become wise like His speech. Finally, I see the final beam of light coming from the heart of this wise person, to mine, bathing and purifying my heart with kindness, love and compassion, transforming it into a heart of living-kindness and wisdom. Wow, this is just what I need, a new heart! I think I love this exercise. If I do this every day, I may get closer to this heart as I would like to do and maybe even keep this heart and spread and share it with others! This is my favorite contemplative meditative practice yet. I try to experience my purified heart and emulate Him. I do not want to become this person, for then my job would be too big and I would never get any sleep. Further, He is much better at His job than I. My brain is like a dot compared to His.
The entire image of this wise on is like a big bright light and it comes into me and make me wise like Him. It feels overwhelming. I love to feel the love of the inner healer, in mind, speech, and heart. This person is God and his son Jesus. I welcome them into my life. I hope He does make my inner heart to mirror His, full of love and compassion for myself and others. (Asciepius is not my God, nor ever will be, for I serve a true and living God who is real and alive today, His name is Jehovah or I Am). The natural essence of my heart and mind knows Him.
I have customized this practice to make it my own.
This practice helps to heal my body, mind, and spirit, to a calm mental stress-free state, and gives the gift of wholeness with a trained inner mind. God is my guide, healer, inner essence, and gift giver. I will continue to contemplate on Him for peace. To know Him is to know wisdom.

Leading another...

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone" ...
Well, I suppose if you gave a map to your friend to the same place you were going, you could lead them to a place you have not gone, with a copy of that same map. The journey could be different for each of you, depending on where you stopped along the way. However, the destination would be much easier to describe in detail if you had been there in person yourself already. You could offer hints of where to stop along the way, things to do, and people to see to make the trip more interesting. But, each person is unique, and values different things, so we must all make the trip in our own way to the final destination.
To put this idea into professional practice, if I were going to help someone loose weight to improve their overall health and life, I would like them to know that I had been somewhere near where they were, so I could tell them about my journey and where I had been and how I had gotten to a better place. It would be more comforting and they could relate it to their coming desire to do the same and make it their own version. This would give them motivation and hope that if I accomplished this feat, so could they. It is doable.
An example, I used to wear my mothers clothes, size 12. I decided one day, I did not want to look like a size 12 when I should be a size 4 or 6. I was dressing into the next generation up, and did not belong in that generation of dressers. So, I started on a journey to loose the extra pounds I had picked up in the last couple of years. I went from a size 12 to a size 2, and had much difficulty finding clothes small enough to fit me in the ladies department of any store. Telling about this journey would be a good way to describe to another or lead another to where they wanted to be, by the example of the journey I had gone myself. To visualize this journey to another would help inspire and motivate and prove to them that I had been where they are and it is possible to leave that place and go to a better one, the way I did. A place where you will love and respect yourself, and feel oh so much better health wise in body and mind. Further, if I did go on that journey, they too could go there and be successful as well.

UNIT 6

After silencing my mind and focusing my full attention on the four quadrants of the integral map, I began a personal mental inventory of the four aspects of my life. I realized there was a lot of work to do. I think this assessment is a tool of motivation for me and others to realize our current level of development lapses. It really makes you think about what you can improve in your life when you 'see 'the big picture of yourself. For me I will always need to improve the psychospiritual area. This
would probably be my main area of development that needs attention causing the balance to be uneven. Praying more often is a way I can develop this area more. Reading the Bible and meditating on it, and thanksgiving and compassion is another practice I can increase.
My second area needing more attention is the biological aspect of nutrition. I know what I need to do, but doing it is the hard part. Eating raw more often than not is the key for me. I can start adding a spinach salad a couple days a week and add raw spinach to the home-made quiche I make. I can seek spinach recipes on the web as well to motivate myself. Adding raw broccoli and carrots on the days I don't spinach is another option I can start to practice.


The "UNIVERSAL LOVING-KINDNESS",(p.93), in my opinion, unlike the authors', does not apply to intimate romantic relationships other than the one I am in with my own husband. I do not agree with this author-of-the-book, Integral Health, or his ideas about sharing my physical intimacy and even my emotional intimacy with all my relationships, strangers, and even my enemy's. This to me is not normal, it is not moral and it has no integrity whatsoever associated or connected with this kind of behavior.
Saying a 4-sentence chant over and over for 10 minutes, wishing no more suffering, health, happiness and wholeness on all people is a nice thot, but, does not really expand my mind or heart. I already have a big heart and expanded mind. This 4-sentence chant just reminds me of doing kind deeds for others who may be suffering, to help them be happier.

Loving Kindness vs subtle mind

The subtle mind is all about breathing. In the subtle mind if you still the breath you still the mind. A peaceful breath is a peaceful mind. The first concentration is to use your breath as your focal point, although, I find it so hard to keep a focus on the breath. My mind runs all over the universe. I tried to settle into the natural ease of my body, returning my mind back to the breath or my anchor/focal point, when my mind or thoughts would wander, but it is hard to keep taming my busy mind. It is a process like the CD said, and it will be something I must get used to. Being patient and not so much reacting to everything. I am supposed to witness things without reacting to them. In our witnessing consciousness or healthy psychology, we can stop, see, understand, make choices about our thoughts and feelings and have clearer intentions (but no quick reactivity anymore).

We can see it/things/thoughts/feelings/images, what’s in our head rolling around, our mental activity, but not grasp it, just see it. We can still our mind. Not hold on to the mental activity, just see it and let go of it and let it fade away and just witness it come and go. We can control the mental chatter, shut it down, turn it off and be in stillness again focusing on breath only.

This is how I understand the subtle mind. It is really a control of my emotions not grabbing a thought, especially a disturbing thought, and running with it. I can see it, acknowledge that disturbing thought or image, and let it go. It is like I am in control. My thoughts do not control me anymore, I control them. I don't react.

If I were to compare the Loving-kindness (LK) practice, with the subtle mind exercise, I like the first one more. In the loving-kindness practice, it is enjoyable to think of a loved one, and open my heart to their thoughts. I do not like to think about the bad sensations, as it suggests, but, I try not to grasp at it, as the CD says. This will take me more time to learn for me. It is easier to give the good thoughts and images more attention. Letting a loved ones suffering come into my heart and body is hard for me. I would rather think it than breathe it. I would rather think of help and joy for them than breath it in and out of my heart and body. This is a whole new concept, not easy or sure I can do this. Imagining a circle of strangers and taking in their suffering is hard. I can imagine someone I know better. I can do it if I imagine a flood or landslide and get sad for the people on TV that this happened to. (I do cry when I see things like that on TV, does that count I wonder?)

Observing and not grasping. Loving myself, feeling a natural rest, ease, and openness is hard for me, but necessary according to the LK practice. I have thought of others more in my life and turning it to myself is harder for me.

Both practices do not allow grasping the thoughts, feelings and/or images of the mind, but, just observation. The natural home is awareness of and not the grasping of what we observe with our mind.

I take the mind-body connection to mean that we need to keep our mind stable, not upset or stressed, but under complete control. Our body and the way we treat it, needs to be controlled. If we don't control what we eat, we will end up weighing 400 pounds. If we do not eat healthy, we could get cancer or die of a heart attack, or high blood pressure could lead to a heart attack. Our exercise, diet, habits, all need to be balanced with our mind and emotions to have a flourishing life. I personally ride a bike many miles a day (26 today) to keep a mental and physical balance. I feel successful and productive after I have done my routine. This makes me feel balanced and keeps my body balanced.

Loving Kindness

The Loving kindness CD by Elliott Dacher, was new and yes, beneficial to a point. The waves crashing on the beach shore were nice soothing and inviting me to the beach.
Trying to think of stillness, peace, and loving-kindness in my heart, was calming. As the narrator said, welcome it and let it be. I loved thinking about my loved one. It brought me pleasure and happiness. 
Some of the content seemed a little weird, and odd, like taking an inbreath of a loved ones suffering, and all I had to do is breath it into my heart, then breath out on out breath giving health and joy to the suffering one, (like that would really happen for real if we believe it). Taking in the suffering of strangers was kinda odd to. It was a new-worded experience I was not expecting. 
Embracing enemies, taking in their suffering, and giving out health, happiness, and wholeness was a challenge for me as well.
The constant lapping of the waves on shore, were calming, the solo flute was curious and compelling. The peaceful sounds together and actually put me to sleep before the CD was over.  

Unit 3

Concerning my wellness Professor,
scale 1-10, I would rate my ...
A- Physical Well being: as an 8
B - Spiritual Well-being: rated at a 5
C - Psychological Well-being rate is 8 as I have not arrived mentally, nor ever will. No one is brilliant until they die and God gives them a new body, then they will be. I do read and study for hours everyday so I am exercising my brain and adding knowledge to it.

If I were going to say how I would improve in the above areas:
Diet for the physical, as I have some weight to loose to get back down to my size 4.
Spiritual improvement: I don't read my guidebook, that is, my Bible often enough which I can condsider doing more in the evening and possibly after I wake up with my coffee in the morning. Nor do I spend enough time praying daily. There is room for improvement in this area and I can start praying more when I awake and ask for blessings for my day and send up some grateful words to my Maker.
Psychological improvement could be made by I don't know. I read so much, I don't know how much more I could read in a day. I guess I could play some mind games, chess or cross-word puzzles possibly. I will look for something to do with my mind to improve it.

As far as the Relaxation MP3 "Crime of the Century" relaxation site you gave us to listen to online in Seminar, it was great. It did do its' job by relaxing me.
A quick review:
The nice relaxing male voice asked me to get into a comfortable sitting or laying position, and as it was playing nice slow guitar music I think, asked me to focus all my attention on my breathing, taking deep belly breaths, exhale, relax. think of a rainbow. The Rainbow meditation is was I think. We had to imagine our body had a beam coming to it and has 7 rays coming on different spots on our body, with different colors and light beams coming into our body, one at a time, as we took deep breaths, focused and saw the light beam coming and the color, and said a few words. For example: It was kinda like this:[ (You can do it again while you read this if you want to try it): imagine the voice in your head]
This calm male voice with calm music background saying...imagine a bright red box on your lower back area, see a beam of red coming to it, take a deep breath, focus on the red box, now say "I feel grounded", take a breath deep again, say it again. Now imagine an orange circle area just below your belly, see a bright orange light beam coming to you there say " I feel confident" breath deep again, repeat phrase. You should feel very relaxed right now like I did.
Now imagine an oval on upper stomach area with a bright yellow beam coming to you there and say "I feel centered" take another deep breath and say it again. Now imagine an emerald green circle on your upper chest above your heart, you see a bright emerald green beam coming to you now say "I choose to love, I have the ability to share love, I choose love" then take a slow deep breath and say it again. Now imagine on your throat area, an acqua blue colored circle, say I feel that I have a meaningful purpose in my life" breath, repeat phrase, you should feel very relaxed right now like I did. Eyes closed. Imagining still in your head. Now imagine a circle on your forehead and in front of you ther are all the colors that look like beams of ligt projecting out in fron of you, there is an indigo blue circle on your forehead, say " I feel balanced" deep breath, say it again. You should feel very relaxed right now like I did. Do you see all the colors coming to your head like a rainbow? Finally, the crown of your head, it has a big circular window on top and a beam of violet light is shining on that spot and coming out and you say "I feel very connected to the universe, my family, my friends, and all the beams join together to feel connected. My body is calm and relaxed" Lock this phrase into your memory! You are calm, energized, and your body is in a state of homeostasis or balance. you should feel very relaxed right now like I did and full of energy, and at peace with yourself and others. :)
we move to the crown of your head
we move to your throat