Unit 10 Blog: Progression toward Integral Health

Hello Everyone,

This class has been very beneficial to me as far as me starting on a path to better health for myself in the future. I have definitely learned how to benefit from the interconnections within myself in order to reach out to others on a personal or professional level I think. Therefore, I think for me in this class I have learned the key points of why is is essential to be knowledgeable  understand, and experience the practices of being on a higher level of functioning through methods of meditation and practices.This is an important part of helping clients in the future professionally.

 In the assessment of myself  Psychologically 7 my well-being is on the track that I want it to be on, the practices that I have learned in the class has definitely given me a chance to see my inner self in a different light. I Would have to say the practices that we have done in this class has given me the ability to learn how to find a center for myself and inner peace to help me focus on better health for myself. I have incorporated time for myself to meditate and inner connect with myself.

Spiritually 5 My spiritual level is not that good. however I am working toward a better connect with myself, and the higher power. I have since starting this class, made some steps toward a closer spiritual relationship with god, family, friends, and most of all with myself. The level of spiritual understanding and feeling that I have experienced so far has been great. The changes have also given me a chance to discover and define myself in a different light.

Physically 6- I m working hard and progressing to change my lifestyle, eating habits, and exercise for better health for myself. I have successfully be able to stay on a daily routine for myself with the exercise program I have incorporated for myself.

I would definitely say that the imagery practice was the hardest practice for me in this class. I have been  re-visiting this practice twice a week. However, the visualizations for me are weak, even though the feelings and emotions are there. I have had some improvement with the colors seeing some colors but not the whole rainbow. I will continue to work toward accomplishing the visualizations in the practice.

 I wish everyone well on the path to human flourishing!

~Linda Jackson

Unit 9 Blog: Final Project; The Path to Human Flourishing

Hello Everyone,

The Path to Human Flourishing

Introduction


The psychological development of my health can be met through my ability to move forward to explore a deeper level of thought of the mind. This allows the level of psychological development to become a spring board for the spiritual process. The spiritual level directs a deeper thought pattern into the layers of the mind to bring about inner peace, loving-kindness, and natural wisdom that is important in sustaining the well-being of the mind, body, and spirit (Dacher, E. S., 2006). As a healthcare professional providing ways for my client to become healthier and reach a state of integral health, I must have a solid foundation of experience to health at all three levels to incorporate successful thought patterns to individuals to encourage better mental, physical, and spiritual states.


The psychological growth/flourishing as I have learned through being in this class can be achieved through four steps; Primal unity, psychological life, the spiritual life, and conscious unity. Primal unity happen when we are born as it is an interconnectedness with the oneness of life. In order to become successful at psychological development, an individual must become psychologically literate and health couscous (Dacher, E. S., 2006). This means for me as the individual trying to achieve this step, I need to focus on removing destructive behaviors and dysfunctional patterns, instead replace them with more positive attitudes and behaviors. This will allow me to achieve the next level of psychological development in which is called witnessing consciousness. This level of consciousness helps me as an individual view a situation differently when making choices about thoughts or feelings (Dacher, E. S., 2006).



The steps or levels to acquire spiritual healing and flourishing are key concepts to becoming a person of total wholeness or oneness. I think we as individuals only use a small percentage of our consciousness to acquire what we feel we need. These steps that Dacher are referring to can allow a person to reach the full potential of health and spirituality. I believe that many of us think that spirituality is only about payer, and worshiping a higher being. I think it is truly more that for me is an inner reflection of ourselves so that we may define who are, the ability understand the beliefs that we do have. This enables me on a more personal level to bring out the inner love and respect we have for ourselves in order to give or project how we love on to others not just physically but spiritually.




Practices for Personal Health


In my personal life this is definitely helpful to how I am able to build on my mental, physical, spiritual strengths. The use of the subtle mind practice allows me to learn to become focus with clouding of the mind for more openness to my own flourishing of health. I think this is important to reducing stress, being sociable with others, and for my job dealing with client and other people. This practice basically gives an individual a clean slate in order to help re-event themselves as a better, stronger, and healthier person.


The higher level of consciousness allows me as the individual to stabilize and tame the moving mind, shift into a calming state, allows us to witness and not attach to distractions, and finally the unity allows us to master the levels of the subtle mind. The biological body benefits due to the movement of from the body to mind to spirit development. This is an actual shift of experience from the realm of the physical. This causes an emphasis on survival, self, and instinct to a more intangible mental state with the focus of intention and interconnections to the subtle spiritual realm. This is where I as the individual will gain wisdom, awareness, and oneness (Dacher E.S., 2006).


Through the research of the experiences of love, appreciation, and care has revealed that the rhythm of the heart can be smooth. These coherent patterns changes from a nervous system to balanced. The findings correlate the electrophysiological and the intentional focus of the feeling and the state of love (Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M., 2005). The shift of mental and emotional for myself allows me to show the appreciation of love that changes the variability of my heart rate. This allows me as the individual to attain greater self-management and a deeper peace of inner harmony (Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M., 2005). Gratefulness is described as a house with many rooms by Schlitz. This means a true moment of gratefulness allow can allow me the individual to experience many things all at one time. A profound appreciation of gratefulness causes a deep felt gratitude, deeper calmness, and a great stillness within a person’s being. Gratefulness is a feeling of humbleness and makes a person feel uplifted. This means the connection to an individual’s being is grounded giving them the ability to stand tall (Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M., 2005). I think finding ways to be grateful for me is to connect with the inner happiness, spiritual, and respect that I have for myself in order to be appreciative to others. I think this will show a clear line of gratitude and humbleness in each aspect of my life.


Assessment


In finding or attaining integral health for myself mental, spiritually and physically, I would like to see myself expand in each category to improve my sense of caring, thought, and exercise. Psychologically 7 my well-being is on the track that I want it to be on, the practices that I have learned in the class has definitely given me a chance to see my inner self in a different light. I have incorporated time for myself to meditate and inner connect with myself.


Spiritually 5 I am not at the level that I would like to be. However since being in this class I have made some steps toward a closer spiritual relationship with god, family, friends, and most of all with myself. The level of spiritual understanding and feeling that I have experienced so far has been great. The changes have also given me a chance to discover and define myself in a different light.


Physically 6- I m working hard and progressing to change my lifestyle, eating habits, and exercise for better health for myself. The road is still long although I have made so great achievement and improvement with myself. I plan to continue with exercise, weights, and my tae-bo video to get myself in the shape I will continue to work on until I accomplish the weight goal I have instituted for myself. I am definitely committed to making successful changes in my life and I have learned from past experience that taking small steps to accomplish bigger goals are the key to success for me or for anyone else.


Commitment


The plan I have instituted for myself has not changed from the previous plan that I stated earlier this term in my blog:


1) Exercise for better health


2) Use meditation as a place of solitude to find integral health and healing for myself and other. This can help me encourage a positive attitude, and a healthier mental status.


3) Spend more time make a stronger spiritual connection with friend, family, god, and myself so that I can reach a higher level of spiritual healing.


I will continue to incorporate the practices I have learned from this class to help me encourage a positive mental, spiritual, and physical atmosphere for myself and the people around me personally and professionally. I will also continue to use the meditation that I have been using and the practices I have learned in class to continue to find the inner peace and inner connectedness within myself to achieve human health flourishing. I feel that I am on the right path to accomplishing integral health for myself personally and others professionally.






~Linda Jackson





References


Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health the Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.


Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. (2005). Consciousness & healing: Integral approaches to mind-body medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone

Unit 8 Blog: Cleaning up Mental Baggage

Hello Everyone,

When I look back over the course so far and think about what practices really gave me a feeling of balance and flow. I would have to say the loving-kindness practice really help me with getting rid of negative energy thoughts and project good well-being and health on to others and myself. Since I had recently lost my father . I had been really struggling to get back the sense of a normal life and the practice really help encourage that for me. I also started to incorporate the practice into my life once a week. I think since then I have been able to regain myself back from a mental stand point. I feel much more emotionally energetic than before, since the loss of my father.

The other practice was the subtle practice. The subtle practice was so soothing and calming. The use of breathing actually gave me the ability to move the flow of breath way I wanted it to go. The stillness of the body was directed through the breathing causing me to experience great calmness and peace throughout the session. I really enjoyed the soft flow of water. I really learned how to increase inner peace of the mind with this practice.  In my own personal life both of these practices are important to finding the ability to expand mental, spiritual, and physical awareness. It is a significant part of acquiring or achieving integral health and human flourishing.

~Linda Jackson

Unit 7 Blog: Aesclepius

Hello Everyone,
In the practice, trying to picture the image of the person I love, and respect was hard to come into focus for me. Although I had the person in my head and on my mind the image was not there throughout the practice. I did however, feel the emotions for the individual. Therefore, I was not able to have the image of individual to become the focal point for me. The practice cause me to be unfocused because my mind had no image. Therefore, I was distracted from completing the practice. The practice was harder to achieve than I thought. Though the loving-kindness, the calm-abiding was there. I did not reach the full benefit of the practice. I am going to keep trying this exercise until I see the image of the individual.



I understand the phrase, "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" to mean that if you the individual has not had the experience or process of learning you can not teach or lead another in the path or practice. I would say that this pertains to the health care professional very deeply, because a client would want a professional who has experience and the knowledge to understand what they are going through. Clients want health care professional to be sympathetic to the needs to a certain degree and yet have the potential to stand their ground when needed in certain situations. Health care professionals are who the patients and clients put the up most trust when it come to their care and expects high levels of competency on the professional part, I think.


In my own life, I would definitely say yes that I have an obligation to be well-round in health for myself as I would want for my clients. The experience of understanding integral health for myself will ultimately expand the knowledge and experience I can offer to my clients. I think I can institute psychological and spiritual growth in my personal life by enhancing my own capacity to become mindful of other, changing habits, learning to focus on creating a better inner version of myself to project onto others and to expand the mental, physical, and spiritual side of myself.


~Linda Jackson

Unit 6 Blog: Integral Assessment

Hello Everyone,

In doing the integral assessment, I found it to be very calming and relaxing for me as I use breathing to relax myself and my mind. I was in a totally quiet room and I felt a floating type of experience. In reflecting on the four aspects of healing or integral health. I would say the pyschospiritual would be the one I would want to work on most. I would like to have a higher level of mindful healing spiritually in the future. I think in taking this class I am slowly progressing toward doing so. Meditation for me is has become a daily routine for me and I can sit still quietly for 30 minutes or more at a time.

The universal loving-kindness practice was definitely better for me without the sound of the waves crashing in the recording. The water was a little distracting for me. Although, the experience still allowed me to become grounded and flowing. I like this one much better just quiet with me repeating the phrases. I felt peace and calmness. I think for me the expansion of my mind and heart was greater.

~Linda Jackson

Unit 5 Blog: The Practice of a Peaceful Mind

Hello Everyone,

The subtle mind practice is to me more calm and flowing than the love kindness practice. The water crashing and music playing in the subtle mind practice for me was like a board or platform. I am lying on and relaxing calmly with not worries or interaction with the business of life and my mind. I think this practice is great to pull your attention to a focal point of your choice and just breath and imagine it.

The loving-kindness practice is more of a focus into self-love for yourself in order to project onto others. i think is more difficult than the subtle practice. The crashing waves for me was distracting rather than calming, because I was trying to also focus on another love one. However in both practices I felt good, calm, and renewed. I think the two practice provides the mind to become stronger with the projection of wellness and happiness to myself and others, and provides breathing as a focal point to find peace of the mind.

I think the spiritual mind and the physical and mental wellness are all an important part of ourselves to interconnect health feelings and wellness for ourselves, others, and our loved one. The interconnection allows us to build a better core of ourselves for integral health.

~Linda Jackson

Unit 4 Blog: Loving-Kindness Practice

Hello Everyone,

This exercise for me was good. I enjoyed the where you breath in to take away the black cloud of suffering from a loved one and breath out health and healing to them from your inner self. The experience had me feeling like I was floating and grounded at the same time if you can understand that or even if that makes sense to you. I think this exercise was really helpful for me because I recently lost my father a little over a month ago. Though I have maintain the ability to stay functional in everyday activities. The focus and or my mental state I had before is not as strong now as I would like it to be. I have been struggling to find my way back to a sense of being normal again fully. I think, If I had not had a regimen of meditation before I lost my father I would not have focus at all. I feel the exercise is definitely beneficial for me and members of my family who are also struggling to regain a handle on their life again. I will be using this exercise to help me overcome my loss and forward the exercise to other members of my family.

The point of a mental workout is to keep you the individual functioning at optimal levels. The brain is the control center where we perceive everything emotions, our health, responses, and thinking. the mental state of a person depends on how the will react at any given time. We can be better thinkers, resolve problem quickly and overcome barriers that may keep us from exploring changes in life.in many cases people are afraid of changes in their life due to lost of a loved one, health, or loss of a job. This why emotional support of friends and family is helpful for many and so depend on self help such as meditation prayer or a combination of these types of support, I think.

~Linda Jackson

Unit 3 Blog: Reflection of My Health

Hello Everyone,

When I think about my health physically it is not where I really want it to be right now, My psychological well being I think has been a little better since I started taking time to calm my self and relieve tensions and stress of the day. I can definitely always use more time to myself to discipline myself with inner peace for better thought patterns, happiness, inner healing and better metal health, I think. My spiritual level of well-being I have not yet worked on through meditation. however through prayer and and few minute of silence in the morning and at night. I could definitely use more time to find myself spiritually to inspire motivation and more encouragement in may day for myself as well as for others.

Let me see.....a plan for my spiritual, physical and psychological well being would be for me to:

A) exercise more for better health and longevity of life ( in which I am currently working on).

B) Incorporate more time for myself to meditate or have quite time just to focus on inner peace to strive for a healthier mental status, and attitude.

C) Put more time into my spiritual well-being to encourage a higher level of spiritual healing for myself mentally and physically.

In listening to the exercise and trying to accomplish each thought was difficult to me. I say this because the rainbow of colors was hard to portray in my mind for each section of my body. i felt a little lost on this one. However I did feel like I was deeply rooted into the ground like a tree. This exercise is definitely a higher level of mind body practice. I will definitely try it over and over until I am able to portray the existence of colors in my mind.

~Linda Jackson

Journey on Relaxation

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my blog, I look forward to learning and experiencing new relaxation techniques and exercises with you all. In listening to the journey on relaxation; it was familiar for me because during the day I try to find time to be quit with myself and just breath to get rid of stress that I have experience during the day. I have to say this was an awesome technique and I fully enjoyed it. I experienced the heaviness and the feeling of sinking into my bed, the warmth of my arms and fingers. i also felt some tingling. What a sensation! After the exercise was over, I opened my eyes, and I really felt good all over my body not just in the places that were focused on. The power of suggestion really works and proves to be a very powerful tool to fulfill inner relaxation, I think.

~Linda Jackson