Integral Health - Unit 9 Project

       I.            INTRODUCTION:

Psychological, spiritual and physical development creates a positive state of well-being.  For the health practitioner, this means “a sense of inner control, competence, self-confidence,… healthier relationships”, as well as a “sense of meaning or purpose in life.” (Dacher, 2006)  Integral health is an expansion of the healing process, it takes healing to the next level from the anatomical of conventional medicine to the physical, psychological and spiritual.  As a health and wellness professional, personal development of all aspects of life shows the way to human flourishing and wholeness.   Professionally, the health and wellness professional is able to assist others to develop their unique capabilities, expand their consciousness, and find their inner healer.

To achieve my goals of a calm abiding mind and better stress management, development of my psychological life must continue.  By identifying destructive emotions and feelings and replacing them with positive attitudes I will be able to experience a calmer mind, and make choices that will help alleviate some of the stress that comes within the course of our lives.

    II.            ASSESSMENT:

Closer to the beginning of this course my assessment of these aspects of my life using a scale of 1 to 10 were as follows:

A.     Physical Well-being – Rating 7

B.     Spiritual Well-being – Rating 8

C.     Psychological Well-being – Rating 6

At that time, I felt like I had a long way to go with improvement, however as I look at these scores today, I see that they are not that bad.  I still agree with this assessment, and feel there is room for improvement, but expanding the consciousness is a process that takes time, patience and practice.  

 III.            GOAL DEVELOPMENT

To truly grow, one must have goals in their life.  Goals improve your life give you a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and meaning or purpose to your life. 

Physical Goal:  To be more physically fit and develop my capacity for inner healing. 

Psychological Goal:  A calm, peaceful mind.

Spiritual Goal:  To continue my expanding my personal relationship with God.

 IV.            PRACTICES FOR PERSONAL HEALTH:

The following exercises can be used to foster growth in the above areas:

Physical: 

Yoga is a great way to “develop flexibility, strength and balance”.  (WebMD, LLC., 2005-2012)

Tai Chi “promotes serenity through gentle movements – connecting the mind and body”. 

                                                                       

Both of these exercises have become known to be helpful “for stress reduction as well as a variety of other health conditions’.  (Mayo Clinic, 2009)  By slowing down, and allotting  time in my schedule to exercise, I can take steps to become more physically fit.

Spiritual:

Both Prayer and Meditation work toward bring you closer to God.  Praying for God’s direction and help when faced with challenges in our lives keeps us on a spiritual path.  Meditation on God’s will and purpose, and the things we are blessed with, makes us grateful and humble.

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Psychological:

Practicing exercises like Simple Meditation (MaxLifestyle International, Inc, 2003-2012) and The Subtle Mind (Dacher, 2006 p.75) lead to calm, serenity and relaxation.

    V.            COMMITMENT

Periodically reviewing the six principles of integral assessment as outlined in Dacher is a good tool to assess any integral progress. 

1.      The goal of integral health is to alleviate suffering and promote human flourishing.

2.      Integral health recognizes the distinction between short-term relief of needless suffering and permanent relief.

3.      Integral Health recognizes the distinction between immediate pleasure and long term flourishing.

4.      Psychospiritual development is an essential component of integral health.

5.      Integral assessment relies on deep listening and guidance.

6.      Integral assessment addresses the aspects, levels, and lines of development that are relevant to our current circumstances. 

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. (p. 46). Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

MaxLifestyle International, Inc. (2003-2012). Meditation - simple meditation.      Retrieved from http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/meditation/simple.asp

Mayo Clinic. (2009, November 14). Tai chi: discover the many possible health benefits. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tai-chi/SA00087

WebMD, LLC. (2005-2012). The health benefits of yoga. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/the-health-benefits-of-yoga

Unit 8 Exercise

As I went through the exercises we have done for this course, I realized that the ones I like most were the first few.  The Optimal Well-being and Loving Kindness Exercises where probably the most beneficial.  I liked both for the relaxation benefits, I also ended both exercises with a sense of calmness and well-being.  

The Optimal Well-being exercise was a little difficult for me to follow and visualize, however I think this exercise would be important for me because of all that our family is going through right now.  I realize that at some point things will get better, but right now there is a need to be able to find ways to distress quickly and calm my mind and allow me to focus on positive things. 

  

The Loving Kindness exercise I think is something that can be beneficial at all times.  It may be out intention to show kindness and care to others, but sometimes these individuals can make it difficult to show them kindness.  This exercise is a nice reminder and a little push in the right direction to get beyond the challenges and barriers we face when dealing with others.

Unit 7 Exercise - Meeting Aesclepius

I found the Meeting Aesdeopius meditation to be the most difficult and uncomfortable one so far.  The idea of a mentor to help guide you is a long standing practice in many things, not just meditative practices.  As I followed the instructions given, I had difficulty choosing someone to be a mentor for this exercise, and found it impossible to mentally create a wise mentor as a focus.  Being new to meditative practices, I felt inadequate in my attempt to create a wise mentor on which to focus.  

I have learned to enjoy and appreciate the relaxation side of meditative practices, however when it comes to psychological or spiritual wellness, I can’t say that I’ve experienced an increase in wellness in these areas.    In the future, I can see myself practicing some of the meditation exercises for the relaxation strategies.  I probably will not look for these to provide spiritual or psychological wellness. 

The quote “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (Dacher, 2006 p. 477)  is very true.  It brings to mind the saying “the blind leading the blind”.  Neither individual gets anywhere, and/or can end up in a dangerous situation without proper guidance in areas that are unfamiliar.  I feel that the Hippocratic Oath which is more commonly known when it comes to conventional medicine still applies to Integral Health as well.  In the Hippocratic Oath, one vows to, “recognize the limits of their knowledge and pursue lifelong learning to better care for the sick and prevent illness”, to “seek the counsel of others when they are more expert so as to fulfill my obligation to those who are entrusted to my care”   (Weill Cornell Medical College, 2005)  just to name a few.  That being said, I am certainly open enough to understand and accept a client that wishes to use meditative practices to expand their consciousness, however I feel that it would be better for the patient if I were to refer them to someone else who was more of an expert in the matter. 

References:

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. (p. 46). Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Weill Cornell Medical College. (2005). Hippocratic oath. Retrieved from http://www.med.cornell.edu/deans/pdf/hippocratic_oath.pdf

Unit 6 Exercise Universal Loving Kindness

Another attempt at the Loving Kindness meditation worked as well as the first attempt.  I have no problem reaching a relaxed state and stilling my mind to the point I feel a sense of peace.  Expanding my heart and mind to include others feels natural, but it seems though that when it comes to changing my frame of focus and in this instance verbalizing the phrases it actually has the opposite effect.  I lose my focus and have difficulty bringing it back.

The assessment was a bit of a puzzle for me.  I think that because there is so much going on in my life right now, it is difficult for me to select a particular area to focus on.  I am able to see a need for development in all four areas, Psychospiritual, Biological, Interpersonal and Worldly.

The most beneficial exercise for me right now would probably be the Calm Abiding Meditation.  I feel the need for quiet and stillness physically and mentally.  I need to relax and re-energize before I do anything else.

Unit 5 Exercise - Loving Kindness vs. Subtle Mind

The Loving Kindness and Subtle Mind exercises are both mental workouts.  Their goal is not relaxation, but to expand the consciousness and enable you to access healing capabilities.  They both also offer the opportunity to learn more about yourself.  

The Loving Kindness exercise helps you to open your heart to others.    It starts with you, and allows you to be at peace with yourself then expands be aware of other feelings and thoughts, both pleasant and unpleasant.  You again bring your mind back to stillness and peace.  Next your thoughts reach out to others, first a loved one who is suffering, then to individuals outside of your immediate loved ones, sending them all peace and wellness.  Finally all human beings are embraced leaving you with a quiet mind and heartfelt loving kindness toward all.  

The Subtle Mind exercise takes you through three levels first,  The Witnessing Mind, where you learn to “impartially observe and witness the natural rising and falling of thoughts, feelings and images” (Dacher, 2006 p.73) and you are able to choose what you wish to focus on. Second, the Calm Abiding Mind, when you are able to maintain a stable, still mind.  Instead of reacting, we are able to intentionally choose positive over negative emotions.  The third level is Unity Consciousness, insight into yourself, access to inner healing, sustained health, and happiness.

While I was able to go through both exercises and reach a level of relaxation with both, I don’t think I reached the full potential of either exercise.  Loving kindness is not foreign to me.  I’m used to extending loving care and forgiveness to others so this was not a big stretch for me.  The subtle mind on the other hand was a bit more difficult.  My conclusion is that I’m not ready for this step.  There is so much going on in my life right now with a new job (which I don’t like), school, a need for financial stability, family issues which include chronic health issues for my daughter  - no quiet mind for me!  I have learned I can control some of my emotions and feelings sometimes with the breathing exercises and positive thoughts and when that fails prayer.  But then again, this is a process and time is needed along with practice to reach these levels successfully.