Unit 9 Reflection and Assessment

C M Campanella Dixon

HW420-02

Unit 9 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?

For several reasons, it is imperative that as professionals, we develop and “practice what we preach”. Not only will clients be more apt to listen to us and follow our direction and “prescription” if we seem physically, mentally and spiritually “fit”, but if our outward appearance is healthy, we seem unshakable- have a deep faith and kindness, and our inward gaze is evident, clients will have a preconception and subconscious belief that the system of treatment works and be confidant and therefore more committed to the work that must be done to achieve what they desire. In addition, as wellness professionals we must constantly work against the demand of human nature and current healthcare beliefs and desires of quick fixes and complete “cures” We know and understand that the integral path has no true end and so to not further pursue higher levels of consciousness and development would be detrimental to our own health and wellness, as well as sending an incorrect message to our clients. We must work to continually pursue a more inward state of being and universal understanding in order to best honor ourselves and our abilities as both a student/patient and teacher/healer. I have lapsed considerably as of late in the area of spiritual wellness and development. Prior to recent events I held quite the varied religious or spiritual belief system. I am a devote Roman Catholic yet, I had for many years also honored and acknowledged in my own life the great workings of the Hindu god Ganesh. It lifted me up and carried me quite far through many trials and tribulations, quite unshaken. I simply woke one day and stopped praying, although I did not necessarily stop believing. The side effects from my lack of faith or spiritual development have seeped into my physical wellbeing and caused a slight loss of will power at times for me. By reworking and restructuring my spiritual development I can also get my physical state back on a more stable track with less fluctuations.

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

Luckily this course afforded me, and honestly forced me, to take a true and critical assessment of my current state of well-being in the eye of the triad of wellness; physical, psychological, and spiritual. As discussed in an earlier assessment discussion, I feel currently, my physical wellness is the strongest at this point. This is such a foreign concept and feeling to a person whom was never particularly athletically inclined and had serious gym phobia, as well as debatable healthy eating habits.

In the arena of physical wellness I have made enormous improvements over the past year or so and would put myself at or around an 8.5. My home is 100% synthetic chemical free. This applies to food products, cleaners, as well as personal care items. I strive to eat clean all the time and work to grow or purchase only grass fed, free range meats products. Having been a strict vegan for over twenty years, eradicating wheat and legumes from my diet has been a dramatic and welcomed health benefit. Recently, I began a weight lifting regime and am looking forward to progressing in this area. Additionally I have taken back up varying types of yoga and flexibility programs to maintain muscle health while increasing integrity through weight bearing activities.

Psychologically, I’d say I am at about 6, maybe 7 out of 10. I have been making consistent strides to calm my mind and return to a much more positive and friendly place within myself. The Loving-Kindness exercise in particular has been very inviting to me and has worked as a gently remainder of the person I used to be, still am somewhere deep down, and the good that I possess and what my true calling in this world is.  Although stress is a big issue at this time due to health concerns and work stability, I am trying on it so that in areas I can control I do manage and eliminate the stress, allowing for ease of care and tolerance of areas in which stress is quasi inevitable. Simply remembering to breathe and take a step back, as well as learning to take time to reconnect with my identity outside of laborer, mother and wife, has worked wonders to help me heal psychologically.

As for wellness of a spiritual nature, I am almost ashamed to how disconnected and frail I have let myself become. If I was told ten years ago or even five years ago that I would delve into a seemingly bottomless pit of spiritual desperation I never would have believed it, this has always been my strongest area of development. I exuded a sense of confidence in spirit that was unparalleled. I felt a force swirling within and around me at all times and had, what I thought was a rock solid faith. In recent years due to a multitude of reasons, I have abandoned all I knew, trusted and believed in. I have built up quite the impenetrable skin, calloused in order to survive and unfortunately the only way to do this and numb myself was to cast aside my belief system and my penchant to believe in a greater good and the fact that everything happens for a reason and that we must be open to the lesson that is being taught to us through experience.

              

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

  As for goals, in my mind at least they are pretty clear cut. Physically I need to work on strength training. By introducing a more varied and competitive routine I can work to overcome plateaus and my former beliefs about physical weight training challenges and women. I plan on being able to move at the very least my own weight through a series of tasks and obstacles and by implementing and placing into action this program work diligently to avoid the fate of every other woman in my family; diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and falling prey to these three by the age of sixty.

 For psychological wellness and this even runs into the realm of spiritual wellness as well, I know what I need to do, it is simply a matter of getting myself to do it. I know I NEED to meditate, I need this time to reflect and bring myself inwards. Taking the time to honor myself, my self-worth, and my individuality will help to reawaken myself to my innermost potential and capabilities.  It has been an abandoned practice for me for a few years now and having taken some meditative exercises back up on a daily basis has served to remind me of what I need and should be doing to establish a more intricate and complete sense of peace and serenity in my life.  A previous goal of 15 minutes of “good” meditation time/reflection 3 days per week and journaling at least 2 days for week for a period of 30 or more minutes, has easily been established and surpassed in these prior weeks. The “flood gates” have been opened and daily meditation is no longer a “chore”, but has begun to happen naturally once again.

Spiritually I am in need of structure once again. Not being sure if it is feasible to obtain the level of commitment I once possessed without rebuilding a solid foundation is a question I often ponder. Not having a strong desire to be a part of a group religious organization at this time, I am working to improve my understanding of my faith system and to educate myself though research of historical significance and settings for the laws or guidance that currently dominates the church system.

                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.

Several strategies can be put in effect in each area of wellness in order to foster growth and change. Physically, as stated, I will complete more breathing exercises, working to recognize stress and fatigue when it is evident and to take the time to breathe through the stress and not be reactive, this is a duality principle with psychological well-being as well. In addition I will honor the commitment to myself to follow my preset workout routine incorporating cardio and weight bearing activities to help increase my current state of health. Eating clean and preparing meals, not leaving myself in a situation where I am hungry and left to run out and grab fast food is yet another spoke in the wheel of healthy physical being for myself.

Some strategies to implement in order to advance my psychological wellness are breathing techniques as well as meditation exercises such as the Subtle mind practice. Stopping my mind from going five hundred miles an hour and working to achieve some clarity, allowing thoughts to come and go as they please without harsh effects will work to quiet and center my mind therefore reducing greatly my stress levels. This can be accomplished by scheduled times in which to meditate and by placing reminders in my home and work environment to spark memory of what I am working towards.

Spiritually I would like to go back to my studies of religions and their sacred practices. Including yoga in my daily routine, whether it be a full practice or a simple Sun Salutation run through, will help my former spiritual believer self and my critical eye to coalesce and form a strong union which will work with me to develop and succeed in my spiritual based reevaluation endeavors. I will have to work daily to read and assess more of that which I desire to learn and find a new studio practice and receive yoga instruction aside from my personal practice.

                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?

Physical indicators of weight, blood pressure, insulin resistance and strength will be what I will gauge my progress and asses my development through over the next several months. Psychologically,  I will look to the meditation exercises, their perceived ease of practice or daily completion, and my perceived stress and mental clarity levels. Indicators here will be blood pressure, headache frequency, CSF tension, random thought or negative thought occurrence, and memory/ event recall.  Spiritually I will look to my renewed faith in my fellow humans and my former strong belief in the inherent good of all people, to return to me.

Keeping my practices varied will be at the foundation of commitment too and compliance with my set programs and goals. By actively engaging in and contributing to this field I will continue to “need to” stay on top of my practices and commitments which will also help my motivation to continue.