Introduction
As I take on the role of a
health and wellness professional I realize that if I am to be a success at
assisting others on the path to integral health I will need to be complete
myself. Taking each aspect of the four quadrants, breaking them down and addressing
each part; psycho-spiritual- is the driving force of my life, it motives me to
walk in surrender my Lord and Savior and to know that when this area of my life
expands it allows me to flourish in other areas of my life. Biological- knowing how the body works and
how the mind can affect the way the body operates is transformational (the
power of positive thoughts can change the physical effects of the body).
Interpersonal- realizing the transition from a focus of myself to the focus of
family to the focus of those around me is an integral step in building a
professional career. Worldly- taking this step allows for me to give, care,
nurture, and mentor those that come onto my path.
Taking the first step of
psycho-spiritual practices and continuing to exercise these practices will
allow me to have a more open heart that will allow for me to cultivate a
community of wholeness.
Assessment
As I evaluate
each quadrant I know that no matter how confident I am about myself I will
never be totally complete as there will always be changes in my circumstances as
well as my physical wellbeing. So with that in mind as I look at the
psychological and the biological quadrants, I feel confident in my emotional
expression, my ability to regulate my wellness through positive self-talk, and
knowing and understanding my body. I continuously evaluate my nutritional
intake and my fitness regime. This area is my downfall: I love to eat and I
struggle with snacking late at night. A fitness program is all well and good
but acting on the program is the answer. I have the best laid-out plans for
physical fitness programs for me but without a commitment they are useless.
When looking at the interpersonal and worldly quadrants I seem to fare pretty
good. I have a strong support system that is there when needed; all I have to
do is be willing to ask for help (which is hard for someone who is too proud or
independent). My family looks to me for strength and I have been that strong
pillar for them for years. I am active in my community and love to give, I give
time, prayer, a listening ear, and financially when I can.
This assessment evaluation
changes as my life changes, the people I come in contact with, my family issues
that arise, my financial obligations, my wellbeing. I have to learn to be
flexible and open to the change and regard each change as an opportunity to
grow in the four quadrants as they all four interrelate.
Goal
Development
Physical- Build and incorporate an
exercise plan that fits my schedule and is feasible to maintain. Monitor
sleep and listen to my body as what is needed to maintain good health.
Monitor the time and amount of food
and snacks available, to maintain a healthy diet.
Psychological- Continue to recognize my
stressor points, and limitations, seek assistance when needed.
Spiritual- Through prayer and devotion
allow God the opportunity to do His work in me. To give an open door to the wisdom and understanding provided by Christ,
as I engage with others
through my professional career.
Practices
for Personal health
I have learned
multiple practices over the course of this 10 week class and some seem to fit
right into my lifestyle and some seem more frustrating, so I will integrate the
ones that seem to benefit me to further my career. For the Physical I will
continue to practice the listening and applying what my body is telling me. My
physical body is affected by my sleep patterns, my eating patterns, and the
weather. Monitoring each aspect closely and understanding the results of these
can determine how my physical body reacts to the day the people I come in
contact with and the world around me. This is an easy step and can be completed
through a journal or even a conscious thought process. I have been listening to
my body for years and am in-tune with it and do not need to journal any more.
When I started this journey I would keep a journal. For the Psychological practices I would
implement the practices of loving-kindness and the subtle mind as they will
assist me with understanding my emotions, my stressors, and my reactions. And
once I have a better understanding of these I will be able to let go of the
negative and allow the positivity and clarity of mind to flow freely each
day. The Spiritual domain is somewhere I
love to be. Sitting in silence and clearing my mind through meditation allows
for me to let go of all the stressors of the day and view them instead of a
hindrance, as testimonies or teaching opportunities. Knowing that God has not given me a spirit of
fear and doubt but a spirit of confidence knowing He is in control and His ways
are perfect, allows me the confidence to continue to walk towards His will to
win the prize. A good way to do this is through prayer and also taking time to
walk through a visualization of meeting with Asclepius. Finding a mentor of
yours and visualizing yourself sitting and absorbing wisdom, patience, and
peace from this individual is a great way to take what you have learned through
past talks and monitoring and applying them to your current walk.
Commitment
Taking a
personal assessment of the integral focus of you treatment plan is to honestly
evaluate the progress or lack of progress. Have I met my goals? Do the goals
require a fine tuning? Look at each quadrant and each aspect of each quadrant
and evaluate the progress or not of each domain. Having an understanding that
you will never be fully developed and there is always room for growth,
allows for honesty when it comes to evaluating. Depending on the season of your
life your focus of growth will be different.
As I become more
committed to integral health and wellness I will strive to learn as much as
possible to better assist my clientele. Keeping and knowing the integral vows
talked about through this course is a good strategy for continued growth. (see
resource list below).
The Subtle Mind Practice
Loving-kindness Practice
Meeting Aesclepian
Dacher, E.S. (2006).
Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health
Publications, Inc.
I
plan to implement these practices daily. Each morning I arise early for a quiet
time before the day starts. I have placed these sites on my MP3 and can easily
listen to them at any time I have an available ½ hours or so. The book Integral
Health The Path to Human Flourishing will continue to be at my side and I know
that as I grow my library will also grow. I have also placed the Mind and Life
Institute for access to further reading material.
Pam12
I agree with you that there will always be things that we need to improve on in our lives. There is never going to be complete success, thoughts and physical goals are hard to come by since things in life are always changing. I feel that the most consistent of the 3 is to psychologically be ready for anything that is to come and to be able to keep your mind sound and clear to whatever is to come in life.
ReplyDeleteI agree as wellness and health professionals, we have to be complete and whole ourselves in order to help others. Why do you say you will never be complete as far as your physical being? You must make yourself accountable af for as your physical well-being. It is important to develop a positive attitude when it comes to your physical being. This is something that I struggle with as well. I have made up in my mind to exercise more and eat healthier and if I don't, I am held accountable for myself. Recognizing your stressor points and limitations will help your inner being be calmer and peaceful.
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