U10 : {

Hello everyone,
I just want to say, good luck with your future endevors.  Take care and good bless. : }

1)                  My physical rating I gave myself was a 5.  During this course I have worked on improving my motivation for exercise.  I kind of got in a slump where I just didn’t want to work out for a while, but now I am working out every other day.  There are no drastic changes as of yet, but I am working on that.  My new number would be a 6 since I have just recently started my work on this. 

My psychological rating I gave myself was a 5.  Psychologically I have improve allot.  I am able to stay calm and think things through as I see a situation arises.  I believe this is due to the meditations that we have learned.  It has really improved my demeanor, since I am currently a menopausal crazy loon when my mood strikes me.  In all seriousness, I am telling the truth, this is the worst torture when you already have stress from other sources.  Thankfully, I have really been able to refocus by applying what I have learned. 

My spiritual rating was a 6 and I think this one is about the same currently, as I am   really just beginning my spiritual journey.  This has been a great experience for me and brings a good amount of things to light that I am addressing and reflecting on. 

2)       My goals in each of these areas are still something I am working on.  I have a lot of work needed in my spiritual goals.  I think this is because I really focused more on improving the other two first.  After this class, I will only have 2 more terms (3 classes), and I believe that the 6 months that I have planned on taking between my B.S. and my M.S. will be given to exploring more spiritual, psychological, and physical improvement. 

 

3)       I believe I have implemented some of the activities that I have learned on all three areas.  I am choosing certain activities in the meditation to improve my psychological and spiritual profile.  The physical I am pushing myself out the door and getting moving.  I am even taking my daughter with me. 

 

4)      To summarize my personal experience is difficult, since I have learned so many new things.  I really would have to say that taking on the different types of meditations has been hard at times.  I get up very early for work so in order for me not to fall asleep, I have to take a nap first.  This actually helps me get in a better state of relaxation.  Reading the different essays throughout this course has been interesting and enlightening.  They really helped to give a better perspective of what the different authors see and interpret.  I am very thankful for this course being offered at Kaplan, because it really has changed my views for the better.  This experience is something I can share with others and maybe with more information they too will find more peace and harmony in their hectic lives.

U9

            The development of a psychologically, spiritually, and physically fit health and wellness professional is a very important aspect of the health and wellness field.  To be able to understand the whole aspect of each of these there is a level in which you, as a professional need to have the experience and it should not only be by schooling, but hands on experience.  There are different areas that need development in order to have a full comprehension.  The spiritual practices of the different arts’ of meditation, focusing on how to effectively meet each goal and get a deeper understand of my true self so that I am able to listen and get a deeper understanding of my patients needs is an important task that requires more work.  Also, while working with the practice of my spirituality, I can focus on the psychological things that are holding me back.  Such as, what is it that is preventing from reaching the deeper parts of meditation.  I would ask myself to look at my daily life and perhaps previous years to find the source or sources of my mental combativeness.  I am already addressing my physical fitness, which is a stress reliever and requires a level of concentration that assists in regaining better control of how I am thinking.

            My health assessment in each domain has improved from my original assessment.  Throughout this course I have learned a great deal of new ways to present myself to others as well as how I feel inside about myself.  The scores I originally gave myself were physically (5), spiritually (6), and psychologically (5).  Now I would change each of these to higher numbers, since I have learned so much in this course.  The scores now would be a little higher and they would rate like this; physically (6), spiritually (7), psychologically (7).  My job has created so much stress in the past that I wasn’t sure which way to go, now with the assistance of the exercises and a better understanding of myself I am less stressed and just take one day at a time.  I am not a zebra, but working on trying to think not too far ahead.  If you want to read a good book, read “Why zebra’s don’t get ulcers”.  With new perspective’s in mind, I am able to put more work into my physical fitness and I have more energy.

            One goal in physical health is to become more motivated and make more time to get the exercise I need to stay healthy.  I intend to keep focusing on the more important things in my life that need my attention first as well as at work.  This is my goal for the psychological part of my plan, as well as spiritually, I will keep practicing the different practices we have learned and try some new ones.  By doing this, I will be more grounded and feel better inside and out.

            The two practices I will be doing for better physical health will be eating a better healthier diet.  I eat healthy already, but I am cutting some of the foods that are not as good for me out.  Also, I have been running and exercising more.  I have knee problems, but I signed up for my first race, it has been a year since my last race.   My spiritual training is going to focus on the two exercises that have really made a difference in my life:  the subtle mind which is a factor of three different exercises, and universal loving kindness.  I have learned the basics of these and now I intend to practice at least one or the other each day to help me in my journey to finding the deeper inner self I am discovering.  Psychologically I practice a couple things each day already and they seem to work well.  I have learned to write in a journal, although I forget sometimes, and I get up every day thanking god I am alive and for this I practice being kind to others which make me feel good inside.  I think this really helps others too.

            In six months I will be done with school (for now).  I am actually done in July, but I think that if I assess myself in six months on each of these practices, I will probably find a better, more complete person.  I have a calendar that I write all my important things on and taking the time to write those reminders can also help me in following through with my mission.  In addition I use that great technology we have today to remind me of what I am working on, my goals, and to keep working hard.  I understand that we can all fall of the wagon at times, but if I practice all the time it should become second nature to me and then I will not need the reminders.

U8

Hello all,

As we have progressed in the different practices throughout this course, I have gotten better at focusing my thoughts so that I am able to clear my mind better and faster than before.  It is taking a while, but each time it gets a little easier to shut down the random thoughts in my mind so that I can reach a more relaxed state of mind. 

The two practices that have been the best for me is the practice of the witnessing mind, which is where you start the focus on just your breathing.  This is easier for me to focus on and helps me to relax so that I can try to reach the next step, (Calm-abiding) I have not gotten there yet.  This breathing technique is great to help to keep refocusing your mind when it starts to gather the random thoughts.  I am able to push those back aside and refocus again. 

The other is Universal loving kindness, which I have started to work on more, but it has helped to change the way I feel and think, even during the day at work.  This practice uses the breathing techniques to relax you.  Then you repeat phrases that start with focusing on “May all individuals gain freedom from suffering” and work into a positive turn to reflect the thoughts of; “May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness”.  I have not mastered this, because I am only able to say about two of the phrases at a time.  But in different sessions, I have been moving on to the next two phrases.  This has made my work ethics and the way I treat people change.  I do not treat people badly, but I offer more of a calming forum to them and on some people it seems to help calm them down a little.  Maybe it is the fact that my approach has changed to the different situations that have been presented to me.