Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas. How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?
w have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
My health assessments pretty much stayed the same as Unit 3 when we previously completed the exercises. Physically I am always working toward what I feel is the best for my body and soul, but overall I feel like I have a good practice in place that only needs a little tweaking, and not a complete overhaul. I think my physical well-being has improved from a 7.5 to an 8 because I am really focused on making it to the gym each day. I try to work out and try new activities throughout the week and take care of myself so I would say I am considered healthy. I could always work out more often, harder, and lose a little bit of weight while really cracking down on my diet to improve my physical wellbeing.
My spiritual well-being was previously rated a 5...but since going through this class and really learning I think I would rate myself a 3. Right now I am just kind of confused as to where to go and what to do because as I get older I realize there are so many beliefs that have changed since I was a child and I cannot seem to group myself into one certain religion or organization until I know as much as I possibly can to make the right choice for myself. Spiritually I am lagging behind because I do not have a plan; I am really just floating right now, waiting. I have the “you have to see it to believe it” mentality so faith is a difficult concept for me to grasp.
Psychologically I feel I have improved because of practice as I have gotten older. My temper is much more under control than when I was younger. I utilize different strategies to deal with stress like yoga, exercise, and meditation instead of bottling everything up until I felt like I would explode, and did. I also try not to let the small things get to me because I realize there are so many other things bigger in the world than my problems. I would say my psychological wellbeing is a 7. Overall, I am generally happy and do not have too many mixed emotions, but I can still improve on how to express my anger and frustration.
Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward these goals? Explain. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.
Physically I am going to the gym 6 days a week. I am actually going to learn how to cycle from my husband this weekend and am running in a 5K at the end of the month. I recently learned how to snow ski so I think I have really accomplished what I wanted with trying new activities. My diet still needs some work although I am paying closer attention to portion size and what foods I consume.
Spiritually I am testing the waters with friends asking them about what they believe and trying to get an understanding of why they feel the way they do. Everyone is different so I think after some more education about different religions and attending a few services I may find what I am looking for.
Psychologically I feel like I am in a good place. I am finding my quiet time, sticking to yoga a couple times a week, and really trying to not sweat the small stuff and realize how fortunate I am. Especially with the major events happening in the world like the Japan earthquake it is important to find harmony and look at the positive and understand how we can help and be open.
Summarize your personal expirence throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?
Some experiences were good and some were not. I really understand how it takes all different parts of the body, mind, and spirit to work to create a healthy individual. Everyone is different in how they reach their integral health and healing though and this is how the class will help me improve how I help others.
The subtle mind exercise really stood out to me as something I can definitely live without doing again. That exercise was noise that I have never had in my own personal life and never wish to have. I think I have already had a stable and good approach to dealing with chaos that the exercise was not relevant.
Good luck everyone
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Unit 9 Final Project
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?
The world is always evolving as are people and medicine. Health and wellness professionals have to develop their understanding and capacity just to keep up. The more a practitioner knows and actually practices, the more they can lead the change instead of becoming followers to change (Dacher, 2006). The development needs to come from within-psychologically, spiritually, and physically. Professionals need to develop and continue to develop to be able to effectively lead, teach, and practice. When practitioners experience things for themselves they can appreciate the possibilities integral healing allows and professional training becomes personal ensuing that each client becomes a connection or story rather than simply a diagnosis. When work becomes personal it takes on a whole new meaning and responsibility instead of being just a job, and confidence is gained for the professional which passes on to the client. To truly understand a patient and where their suffering is coming from, health care professionals must know what aspect of the patient’s life to look at for the source of the problem (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005). The practitioner will also be able to share empathy with the patient seeing as they have been through the process of integral healing and understand, forming a healing partnership between practitioner and client.
Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
My health assessments pretty much stayed the same as Unit 3 when we previously completed the exercises. Physically I am always working toward what I feel is the best for my body and soul, but overall I feel like I have a good practice in place that only needs a little tweaking, and not a complete overhaul. I think my physical well-being has improved from a 7.5 to an 8 because I am really focused on making it to the gym each day. I try to work out and try new activities throughout the week and take care of myself so I would say I am considered healthy. I could always work out more often, harder, and lose a little bit of weight while really cracking down on my diet to improve my physical wellbeing.
My spiritual well-being was previously rated a 5...but since going through this class and really learning I think I would rate myself a 3. Right now I am just kind of confused as to where to go and what to do because as I get older I realize there are so many beliefs that have changed since I was a child and I cannot seem to group myself into one certain religion or organization until I know as much as I possibly can to make the right choice for myself. Spiritually I am lagging behind because I do not have a plan; I am really just floating right now, waiting. I have the “you have to see it to believe it” mentality so faith is a difficult concept for me to grasp.
Psychologically I feel I have improved because of practice as I have gotten older. My temper is much more under control than when I was younger. I utilize different strategies to deal with stress like yoga, exercise, and meditation instead of bottling everything up until I felt like I would explode, and did. I also try not to let the small things get to me because I realize there are so many other things bigger in the world than my problems. I would say my psychological wellbeing is a 7. Overall, I am generally happy and do not have too many mixed emotions, but I can still improve on how to express my anger and frustration.
Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, physical, psychological, and spiritual.
My physical goal is to complete a half marathon race in the year 2011. My husband will be running a marathon and I would like to at least be there for him as much as I can while achieving something that will take physical training as well as mental focus.
My spiritual goal is to find a religion or organization I can understand and relate to. I really want to find this on my own since I am extremely independent and do not want to be swayed by outside people.
My psychological goal is to figure out the best way for me to express my anger and frustration.
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 practice.
My physical strategy is to work out 6 times a week at least an hour each time doing long runs, interval training, hill repeats, light weight training, and yoga. Not eating as many sweets throughout the day will help with nutrition. I also hope to lose 20 pounds by following these rules. It is very important to me to stay in good physical shape because my husband is very active as well and I want to make him proud. I also want to be as healthy as possible since I will be graduating soon and hope to find a job in my field where people will want to follow by my example.
For my spiritual goal I want to read books on all different religions and talk to people who belong to each and find which one suits me. I can also attend different services from all religions. I think this will help me find balance in my life because some of the questions I have that cannot be answered will not need to be once I can connect spiritually. If I find the spiritual connection I am searching for then I would like to incorporate prayer into my life.
For my psychological goal I need to find out what really angers and frustrates me and try to avoid these things if possible. If avoidance is not possible I want to practice more at stilling my mind and practicing loving kindness because these can help dissolve the feelings of anger and hostility of possessed. I also need to focus on visualization exercises and seeing what I want out of the situation or understand why the situation led to where it did.
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?
For my physical progress I use a daily food log and exercise log. Both of these things help me to realize what I am doing at the time but they also help so that I can refer back to them and check my progress or lack of. I can also utilize online programs to help get more detailed results of nutrient assessments, dietary recommendations, and heart rate.
For my spiritual progress I will need to first do research and then start to really decide on where to visit and who to talk to. Once that is done I can get pamphlets and save important information from books. After a few months I will begin to pray and take time out of my day to devote to spiritual enrichment and practice. As I progress who, what, and when to pray will just come to me instead of having to set aside time.
For my psychological growth I think a journal will be very handy. Writing down thoughts and feelings as they occur is a great way to really let those feelings out as well as serving as a way to revert back to them later and see how I handled myself both good and bad. By checking I it will be apparent which things are working for me and which are not and I can change my approaches accordingly.
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.S. (2005). Consciousness & healing: Integral
Approaches to mind-body medicines. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
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?
The world is always evolving as are people and medicine. Health and wellness professionals have to develop their understanding and capacity just to keep up. The more a practitioner knows and actually practices, the more they can lead the change instead of becoming followers to change (Dacher, 2006). The development needs to come from within-psychologically, spiritually, and physically. Professionals need to develop and continue to develop to be able to effectively lead, teach, and practice. When practitioners experience things for themselves they can appreciate the possibilities integral healing allows and professional training becomes personal ensuing that each client becomes a connection or story rather than simply a diagnosis. When work becomes personal it takes on a whole new meaning and responsibility instead of being just a job, and confidence is gained for the professional which passes on to the client. To truly understand a patient and where their suffering is coming from, health care professionals must know what aspect of the patient’s life to look at for the source of the problem (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005). The practitioner will also be able to share empathy with the patient seeing as they have been through the process of integral healing and understand, forming a healing partnership between practitioner and client.
Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
My health assessments pretty much stayed the same as Unit 3 when we previously completed the exercises. Physically I am always working toward what I feel is the best for my body and soul, but overall I feel like I have a good practice in place that only needs a little tweaking, and not a complete overhaul. I think my physical well-being has improved from a 7.5 to an 8 because I am really focused on making it to the gym each day. I try to work out and try new activities throughout the week and take care of myself so I would say I am considered healthy. I could always work out more often, harder, and lose a little bit of weight while really cracking down on my diet to improve my physical wellbeing.
My spiritual well-being was previously rated a 5...but since going through this class and really learning I think I would rate myself a 3. Right now I am just kind of confused as to where to go and what to do because as I get older I realize there are so many beliefs that have changed since I was a child and I cannot seem to group myself into one certain religion or organization until I know as much as I possibly can to make the right choice for myself. Spiritually I am lagging behind because I do not have a plan; I am really just floating right now, waiting. I have the “you have to see it to believe it” mentality so faith is a difficult concept for me to grasp.
Psychologically I feel I have improved because of practice as I have gotten older. My temper is much more under control than when I was younger. I utilize different strategies to deal with stress like yoga, exercise, and meditation instead of bottling everything up until I felt like I would explode, and did. I also try not to let the small things get to me because I realize there are so many other things bigger in the world than my problems. I would say my psychological wellbeing is a 7. Overall, I am generally happy and do not have too many mixed emotions, but I can still improve on how to express my anger and frustration.
Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, physical, psychological, and spiritual.
My physical goal is to complete a half marathon race in the year 2011. My husband will be running a marathon and I would like to at least be there for him as much as I can while achieving something that will take physical training as well as mental focus.
My spiritual goal is to find a religion or organization I can understand and relate to. I really want to find this on my own since I am extremely independent and do not want to be swayed by outside people.
My psychological goal is to figure out the best way for me to express my anger and frustration.
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 practice.
My physical strategy is to work out 6 times a week at least an hour each time doing long runs, interval training, hill repeats, light weight training, and yoga. Not eating as many sweets throughout the day will help with nutrition. I also hope to lose 20 pounds by following these rules. It is very important to me to stay in good physical shape because my husband is very active as well and I want to make him proud. I also want to be as healthy as possible since I will be graduating soon and hope to find a job in my field where people will want to follow by my example.
For my spiritual goal I want to read books on all different religions and talk to people who belong to each and find which one suits me. I can also attend different services from all religions. I think this will help me find balance in my life because some of the questions I have that cannot be answered will not need to be once I can connect spiritually. If I find the spiritual connection I am searching for then I would like to incorporate prayer into my life.
For my psychological goal I need to find out what really angers and frustrates me and try to avoid these things if possible. If avoidance is not possible I want to practice more at stilling my mind and practicing loving kindness because these can help dissolve the feelings of anger and hostility of possessed. I also need to focus on visualization exercises and seeing what I want out of the situation or understand why the situation led to where it did.
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?
For my physical progress I use a daily food log and exercise log. Both of these things help me to realize what I am doing at the time but they also help so that I can refer back to them and check my progress or lack of. I can also utilize online programs to help get more detailed results of nutrient assessments, dietary recommendations, and heart rate.
For my spiritual progress I will need to first do research and then start to really decide on where to visit and who to talk to. Once that is done I can get pamphlets and save important information from books. After a few months I will begin to pray and take time out of my day to devote to spiritual enrichment and practice. As I progress who, what, and when to pray will just come to me instead of having to set aside time.
For my psychological growth I think a journal will be very handy. Writing down thoughts and feelings as they occur is a great way to really let those feelings out as well as serving as a way to revert back to them later and see how I handled myself both good and bad. By checking I it will be apparent which things are working for me and which are not and I can change my approaches accordingly.
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.S. (2005). Consciousness & healing: Integral
Approaches to mind-body medicines. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Unit 8 Blog- Practices and exercises
Visualization has always been something that has been practiced in my life but it mostly centered around athletic activities. I realized after doing exercises in the book and on the CD that it is very useful for many different things in life especially promoting healthy well-being. I used to visualize my gymnastics routines before competition, my track meets, and my cheerleading competitions. Now I can take time out of my day to visualize how I will take on my day, how I will open myself up to different experiences, and different goals.
Yoga is a good way that I can touch on meditation without having to just be still and calm. In meditation I can reach deeper into what I want to be and how I can get there by blocking out all the distractions and focusing on nothing until I receive the answers I need. I implement meditation into my yoga by holding poses for long periods of time giving me a chance to still my mind.
Yoga is a good way that I can touch on meditation without having to just be still and calm. In meditation I can reach deeper into what I want to be and how I can get there by blocking out all the distractions and focusing on nothing until I receive the answers I need. I implement meditation into my yoga by holding poses for long periods of time giving me a chance to still my mind.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
unit 7 Blog
I don't know about anyone else but as soon as I hear a voice that sounds familiar to me I try to place it and then I cannot think of anything else until I have figured it out. The narrarator has a voice like that in the beginning of track 4. Finally when the woman's voice comes on I choose my person which is pretty easy. The crashing waves are a nice break to my hectic day I have had until this CD exercise. It is also easy to see this person with good qualities and continue focusing. The light beam may have really crushed the exercise though it was just a little bit much for me to take in and follow. It kind of reminds me of some sort of sci-fi movie and I really lose any connection I had to the exercise. Sorry maybe it is just because I am not ready to open up my mind and thoughts open up this far yet to be able to imagine all these images. An exercise like this is something (that maybe this will make me seem immature, which is actually the last thing most people think of when they are talking about me) my husband and I would usually have quite the laugh about because as he would say it is a "pet the bunny rabbit" type of thing. This type of exercise could also be why my mom is a Buddist and why I just can't get there in my life so far. Maybe it is being young, not having enough patience, or just being at a different point in my life where I concentrate on other things but this exercise was quite strange, boring, and difficult for me.
I feel like everyone has the responsibility (especially health and wellness professionals) to be a leader and teach what they are already familiar with or they cannot get their clients or patients to get to the place they are creating for them. I can really relate to sports. I would have a very hard time taking lessons or being coached by someone who has never been in my shoes and cannot understand how I feel. Whether it is psychological, spiritual, or physical if the person giving instruction is not familiar with what they are saying then they will not be able to empathize or their words will not ring true. Practice makes perfect (or close) and it also educates us to be able to explain and learn to help others. Once we find the ways in which we want to practice then we just need to continue on our journey whether it be with meditation, yoga, or other means.
I feel like everyone has the responsibility (especially health and wellness professionals) to be a leader and teach what they are already familiar with or they cannot get their clients or patients to get to the place they are creating for them. I can really relate to sports. I would have a very hard time taking lessons or being coached by someone who has never been in my shoes and cannot understand how I feel. Whether it is psychological, spiritual, or physical if the person giving instruction is not familiar with what they are saying then they will not be able to empathize or their words will not ring true. Practice makes perfect (or close) and it also educates us to be able to explain and learn to help others. Once we find the ways in which we want to practice then we just need to continue on our journey whether it be with meditation, yoga, or other means.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Unit 6 Blog
Honestly doing the universal loving kindness exercise was really nice. It was relaxing to close my eyes for just a couple minutes and then read the words. I am a huge planner too so merely knowing how long I was supposed to rest and relax for and then knowing how many sentences there were to say was really relaxing in itself. Sometimes when I go into these exercises and I don't know how long they will take or what they will be like I am already more stressed than before! The exercise made me feel empowered and ready to help people and myself with a very open heart when I was done.
The next exercise when I focused I know that my healing needs to be psychospiritual because I do not spend much time focusing on that area of my life. The second time when I went back to focus on what area I am ready to grow and develop is biological. I am ready with all my education from my degree and a positive outlook on what I am capable of to be able to change what I eat and how well I workout.
Instead of just giving in to everything I want I need to think about what is best for me in the biological area. I have made food and exercise logs to jot down everything I do so that I can reflect on what I am doing and plan more specific goals in the future.
The next exercise when I focused I know that my healing needs to be psychospiritual because I do not spend much time focusing on that area of my life. The second time when I went back to focus on what area I am ready to grow and develop is biological. I am ready with all my education from my degree and a positive outlook on what I am capable of to be able to change what I eat and how well I workout.
Instead of just giving in to everything I want I need to think about what is best for me in the biological area. I have made food and exercise logs to jot down everything I do so that I can reflect on what I am doing and plan more specific goals in the future.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Unit 5 Power Point
Iris Ranker
Kaplan University
HW420-03
Professor Stewart
February 6, 2011
Mental fitness is as essential as physical fitness, if not more so, to someone’s health. Mental fitness is important because physical fitness has biological limits. The mind is capable of developing all day, every day, but we must make attempts to broaden its reach through practice. “A healthy and developed inner life is an essential complement to outer treatments” (Dacher, 2006).
We can train the mind and many researchers have found the healing qualities of mental and spiritual focus. The use of images, correctly addressing stress, and prayer are three ways to mentally and spiritually focus helping to improve health and healing.
How do we get improve mental fitness? There are exercises and practices that can be performed that enhance mental fitness. Yoga is one way to improve mental fitness and breathing exercises are another.
“Not only can our consciousness influence and shape our personal experience, but it also can impact others” (Dacher, 2006), this is why improving mental fitness is detrimental to our health and others.
Is imagery that can exist or act across persons
“In transpersonal experiences there can be an expansion of one’s identity to include much more of the world, and there can be a greater appreciation of one’s interconnectedness with all of nature” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005).
In one study about direct mental interactions with living systems, one person (the sender)uses imagery and intention to exert a direct mental influence upon the objectively measured physiological activity of another person (the receiver) isolated at a distance.
15 experiments of came from this study involving 323 sessions. The results showed repeatable, statistically significant evidence for the existence of nonlocal, direct mental influences. Further studies were done across the country after these results were published, the yielded results were similar.
Everyone is familiar with the idea of prayer, but some people think of it in very strict terms even though there are many ways to pray.
Byrd’s double-blind prayer study in 1988 used 393 patients that were in the coronary care unit. Some patients received prayer by groups outside the hospital and others did not.
The study showed fewer deaths, less external support from machines, fewer potent drugs, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was needed less often (Schlitz, Amorok, Micozzi, 2005).
Although it is difficult to study prayer it can be done…no study is 100% fail-safe, but this study showed the effects of prayer and lead prayer studies to be an important part of the future.
Lutz and his colleagues found that trained minds can function at a higher level of integration and organization after studying and researching contemplative scholars and a control group. This finding suggested a higher order of mental integration because of the amount and location of gamma rays emitted in the brain (Dacher, 2006).
People who have trained minds open up their inner self using more detail and flourish. This study showed that mental training may result in long term changes like enhanced resistance to mental distress and physical disease, expand our healing capacities, and promote well-being as well as short-term changes (Dacher, 2006).
Yoga
Yoga, which means yoke or to unite the mind, body and spirit, is a wonderful exercise to connect the mind and body while improving mental fitness. Yoga encompasses many different activities at once.
There becomes a fusion of mind and body with physical movement and contemplative practice.
Yoga begins with breathing and focusing on the breath because it remains essential through the whole exercise with every movement. After this you usually begin a series of poses, holding each.
There are many different types of yoga (Ashtanga, Bikram, Gentle, Kundalini, Iyengar, Restorative, and Vinyasa) with focuses that range from stamina to deep breathing (Yoga, 2011).
We tend to be creatures of habit and we will get into a routine and stay in a certain routine until we are forced out or use intention to will ourselves away.
Easy things to do to keep up mental fitness are to do things completely out of your routine.
When we read books we normally do not, switch hands to write or use our mouse, or even rearrange your whole morning routine our brains are processing more and taking in different views and ideas.
Test yourself with your senses. Walk through the house blindfolded (maybe with an aid), watch the television but put earplugs or headphones in so you can’t hear it, or smell your dinner and decide what foods/spices are in it without looking.
These things can help you challenge yourself to think outside the box or differently than normal to help increase mental fitness.
Improving our mental fitness is an essential part of our lives so that we can continue to flourish and experience as much as possible with the abilities and gifts we have been given. When we do not try new exercises, attempt yoga, meditate, or do breathing exercises we are limiting ourselves and taking for granted abilities that we possess that are unique to humans. Many studies like the ones Lutz and Byrd performed show us that the mind and body are not only connected, but there is a powerful bond that also exists with spirituality.
Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral health: The
path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach,
CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M.S.
(2005). Consciousness & healing. St.
Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Yoga. (2011). Teens health. Retrieved
February 7, 2011 from http://kidshealth.
org/teen/food_fitness/exercise/yoga.html
Kaplan University
HW420-03
Professor Stewart
February 6, 2011
Mental fitness is as essential as physical fitness, if not more so, to someone’s health. Mental fitness is important because physical fitness has biological limits. The mind is capable of developing all day, every day, but we must make attempts to broaden its reach through practice. “A healthy and developed inner life is an essential complement to outer treatments” (Dacher, 2006).
We can train the mind and many researchers have found the healing qualities of mental and spiritual focus. The use of images, correctly addressing stress, and prayer are three ways to mentally and spiritually focus helping to improve health and healing.
How do we get improve mental fitness? There are exercises and practices that can be performed that enhance mental fitness. Yoga is one way to improve mental fitness and breathing exercises are another.
“Not only can our consciousness influence and shape our personal experience, but it also can impact others” (Dacher, 2006), this is why improving mental fitness is detrimental to our health and others.
Is imagery that can exist or act across persons
“In transpersonal experiences there can be an expansion of one’s identity to include much more of the world, and there can be a greater appreciation of one’s interconnectedness with all of nature” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005).
In one study about direct mental interactions with living systems, one person (the sender)uses imagery and intention to exert a direct mental influence upon the objectively measured physiological activity of another person (the receiver) isolated at a distance.
15 experiments of came from this study involving 323 sessions. The results showed repeatable, statistically significant evidence for the existence of nonlocal, direct mental influences. Further studies were done across the country after these results were published, the yielded results were similar.
Everyone is familiar with the idea of prayer, but some people think of it in very strict terms even though there are many ways to pray.
Byrd’s double-blind prayer study in 1988 used 393 patients that were in the coronary care unit. Some patients received prayer by groups outside the hospital and others did not.
The study showed fewer deaths, less external support from machines, fewer potent drugs, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was needed less often (Schlitz, Amorok, Micozzi, 2005).
Although it is difficult to study prayer it can be done…no study is 100% fail-safe, but this study showed the effects of prayer and lead prayer studies to be an important part of the future.
Lutz and his colleagues found that trained minds can function at a higher level of integration and organization after studying and researching contemplative scholars and a control group. This finding suggested a higher order of mental integration because of the amount and location of gamma rays emitted in the brain (Dacher, 2006).
People who have trained minds open up their inner self using more detail and flourish. This study showed that mental training may result in long term changes like enhanced resistance to mental distress and physical disease, expand our healing capacities, and promote well-being as well as short-term changes (Dacher, 2006).
Yoga
Yoga, which means yoke or to unite the mind, body and spirit, is a wonderful exercise to connect the mind and body while improving mental fitness. Yoga encompasses many different activities at once.
There becomes a fusion of mind and body with physical movement and contemplative practice.
Yoga begins with breathing and focusing on the breath because it remains essential through the whole exercise with every movement. After this you usually begin a series of poses, holding each.
There are many different types of yoga (Ashtanga, Bikram, Gentle, Kundalini, Iyengar, Restorative, and Vinyasa) with focuses that range from stamina to deep breathing (Yoga, 2011).
We tend to be creatures of habit and we will get into a routine and stay in a certain routine until we are forced out or use intention to will ourselves away.
Easy things to do to keep up mental fitness are to do things completely out of your routine.
When we read books we normally do not, switch hands to write or use our mouse, or even rearrange your whole morning routine our brains are processing more and taking in different views and ideas.
Test yourself with your senses. Walk through the house blindfolded (maybe with an aid), watch the television but put earplugs or headphones in so you can’t hear it, or smell your dinner and decide what foods/spices are in it without looking.
These things can help you challenge yourself to think outside the box or differently than normal to help increase mental fitness.
Improving our mental fitness is an essential part of our lives so that we can continue to flourish and experience as much as possible with the abilities and gifts we have been given. When we do not try new exercises, attempt yoga, meditate, or do breathing exercises we are limiting ourselves and taking for granted abilities that we possess that are unique to humans. Many studies like the ones Lutz and Byrd performed show us that the mind and body are not only connected, but there is a powerful bond that also exists with spirituality.
Dacher, E.S. (2006). Integral health: The
path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach,
CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M.S.
(2005). Consciousness & healing. St.
Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Yoga. (2011). Teens health. Retrieved
February 7, 2011 from http://kidshealth.
org/teen/food_fitness/exercise/yoga.html
Unit 5 Comparison
First off I don't know if that was my personal CD or if that was how the exercise was really supposed to go because there was only about a minute of instruction and then static and loud noise. I just can't reach a void that would clear that noise from my head. The Subtle Mind exercise was one that I wanted to take out of my CD drive and throw across the room and then maybe stomp on. I knw that is not exactly what was supposed to happen right! I wasn't calm or serene or did I even feel good about myself, I quite honestly felt hostile and worse. So in that sense I enjoyed the Loving Kindness exercise more even though parts of it were tough to do. I thought I was going to enjoy the Subtle Mind exercise with the breathing and focusing but it all went away quickly.
Spiritual wellness is tied to mental and physical wellness and we can know this through the varies expirements, studies, and sessions many researchers have performed like Dean Ornish, Lutz, and Byrd.
I know that I am always feel like a better person all-around when I am spiritually grounded. If I start to doubt things or waiver my thoughts the rest of my being suffers as well. Part of it is just accepting the fact that I will never have all the answers and I cannot know exactly what the future will bring so I need to have faith in something or the nothingness will consume me.
Spiritual wellness is tied to mental and physical wellness and we can know this through the varies expirements, studies, and sessions many researchers have performed like Dean Ornish, Lutz, and Byrd.
I know that I am always feel like a better person all-around when I am spiritually grounded. If I start to doubt things or waiver my thoughts the rest of my being suffers as well. Part of it is just accepting the fact that I will never have all the answers and I cannot know exactly what the future will bring so I need to have faith in something or the nothingness will consume me.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Loving Kindness
We have become such a selfish society sometimes it seems like we have slipped so far away from loving kindness it is hard to get to that state of mind. It was easy to picture someone I love and care for and the ocean waves were a nice background sound. I was flooded with good memories and happiness when I thought of my loved one. Turning the feelings toward myself were a little more difficult. I think it is always difficult to not hold onto physical sensations. The suffering part was much more strenuous because we try to block out the bad thoughts of anyone we hold dear although we know that things cannot always be good and perfect we still wish to think of them that way. The exercise was a good way to connect with our feelings and take time out to really experience sensations we would not normally on our own without the exercise.
Getting a mental workout is like mental olympics. I think mental workouts can be different for each person. Everyone has something they are good at and other things that need practice. If I am already good at multi-tasking than maybe it would be a mental workout for me to get control of myself and set aside time to meditate or be patient. It is important we focus on all facets of life and our minds to try to challenge and excell instead of concentrating on certain areas and leaving others lacking.
Getting a mental workout is like mental olympics. I think mental workouts can be different for each person. Everyone has something they are good at and other things that need practice. If I am already good at multi-tasking than maybe it would be a mental workout for me to get control of myself and set aside time to meditate or be patient. It is important we focus on all facets of life and our minds to try to challenge and excell instead of concentrating on certain areas and leaving others lacking.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Optimal Wellbeing
It is always difficult to rate yourself and this exercise is not different. I think my physical well being is a 7.5 because I try to workout throughout the week and take care of myself and am considered healthy. I could always work out more often, harder, and lose a little bit of weight while really cracking down on my diet to improve my physical wellbeing. My spiritual wellbeing would probably be a 5...right now I am just kind of confused as to where to go and what to do because as I get older I realize there are so many beliefs that have changed since I was a child and I cannot seem to group myself into one certain religion or organization until I know as much as I possibly can to make the right choice for myself. I would say my psychological wellbeing is a 7. I am generally happy and do not have too many mixed emotions, but I need to improve on how to express my anger and frustration.
My physical goal is to workout 6 times a week at least an hour each time and not eat as many sweets throughout the day.
My spiritual goal is to find a religion or organization I can understand and relate to.
My psychological goal is to figure out the best way for me to express my anger and frustration.
For my physical goal I just need to go to the gym and find new classes or different exercises to really keep me excited about staying in shape. During the day at work I need to make sure no bad snacks are around so I do not munch mindlessly.
For my spiritual goal I want to read books on all different religions and talk to people who belong to each and find which one suits me.
For my psychological goal I need to find out what really angers and frustrates me and try to avoid these things if possible, or try techniques like yoga, meditation, and exercise to deal with anger and frustration.
I have taken a few stress and relaxation classes where we listen to exercises. The Crime of the Century was one I would not use again. I tend to have a problem sitting still and not doing 5 things at a time so these exercises make me tense before I even get started. The vizualizations and lights wee very odd and did not help me relax, going from one body part to another did not work either. I did understand the goal creation portion and affirmations to go along with the goals, but overall the exercise was definitely not for me.
My physical goal is to workout 6 times a week at least an hour each time and not eat as many sweets throughout the day.
My spiritual goal is to find a religion or organization I can understand and relate to.
My psychological goal is to figure out the best way for me to express my anger and frustration.
For my physical goal I just need to go to the gym and find new classes or different exercises to really keep me excited about staying in shape. During the day at work I need to make sure no bad snacks are around so I do not munch mindlessly.
For my spiritual goal I want to read books on all different religions and talk to people who belong to each and find which one suits me.
For my psychological goal I need to find out what really angers and frustrates me and try to avoid these things if possible, or try techniques like yoga, meditation, and exercise to deal with anger and frustration.
I have taken a few stress and relaxation classes where we listen to exercises. The Crime of the Century was one I would not use again. I tend to have a problem sitting still and not doing 5 things at a time so these exercises make me tense before I even get started. The vizualizations and lights wee very odd and did not help me relax, going from one body part to another did not work either. I did understand the goal creation portion and affirmations to go along with the goals, but overall the exercise was definitely not for me.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
How I Am Following Everyone!
Well I used option 2 to follow my fellow classmates using the Reading List. I have the hardest time with relaxation so any exercise I am just ready to run away from as fast as possible. I think really calming myself might come better as I get older but right now I am very antsy and find it extremely difficult to relax...instead of using cd's or other instruments working out usually works the best for my relaxation.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Introduction to HW420
Hello Professor and fellow students in Creating Wellness. Welcome to my blog...which previously has been just a little bit about what has happened in school and in life. I am so excited to know that 2011 will be my graduation year and it could not come soon enough! This degree sure has been a long time coming because I just could not decide what I really wanted to do in life (but then again some of us never really figure that out I guess). I hope everyone does well in class and enjoys their time in school. You can read more about me in my About Me section =)
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