SharonM Bach HW420 Unit 9 Project

Project     8

 

Personal Application of the Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing Unit 9

 

 

 

Creating Wellness Project Unit 9

SharonM Bach

 

 

 

 

HW420 Creating Wellness:

Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing

Professor C.Fouhy

April 5, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

I:  Introduction

Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically?

Wellness professionals are the key to the integral healing process, to become the agents of a more expansive health, we must begin with our own life. Becoming educated in our line of work means not only book learning, but hands on learning. We need to be willing to explore the inner aspects of our life through psychological development, and contemplative practice (Dacher, 2006).

Wellness Professionals need to cultivate their path to integral wellness, to experience the benefits of the different techniques and practices. Teaching our clients and understanding their needs, helping them in the integral healing process, will have better impact if the healer practices the same techniques. It is important for the practitioner to have integrity, and grounding in the practices and techniques they are teaching (Bach, 2010).

What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?

Spiritually is an area in my life that I feel most comfortable with. I have a good solid foundation in my belief system. I was brought up in a home with four different religions. Each one of my parents and grandparents came from different cultures and religions and we practiced and enjoyed traditions from each. The world through my eyes sees all as equal, the differences are what we see with our eyes, and not with our spiritual mind and heart.  As a wellness practitioner, cultural differences and ethnicity will not center in my practice as I embrace al (Bach, 2010)l.

I personally need to work the physical aspect; I have vitamin D deficiency, and hypothyroidism.  Conditions that make you tired, and gain weight.  I practice good nutrition, and exercise. I need to increase exercise to include some strength training; I recently joined a gym that opened in town to help with this goal.  Walking in the sunlight for two miles a day will help the D issue.

II Assessment:

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

Physical Wellness:

My personal assessment in each quadrant tells me at this time that the area to concentrate on is physical. In considering the nutrition line the question how much of my eating pattern is guided by habit? This made me look at my habits and choices. I kept a journal of the times and what I ate for a week. I discovered that on the nights I have seminar that I bring home takeout. In looking at my pyramid tracker I discovered that a part of my problem with weight control is the take-out. Considering that I have been in school for two years those extra calories really add up. My goal is to fix a salad with some fruit on those two nights and become more aware of my habits. My physical wellness scores a 6, down slightly from where I scored myself initially, because my awareness has increased since the beginning of the class (Bach, 2010).

Spiritual wellness:

What drives my life is service to others. As a mother and grandmother loving my family and being there to help attend to their needs is a priority. In my work teaching little minds to grow, helping with their social skills, maintaining balance and harmony in their day becomes my priority; that is why I teach. In the community volunteering at the homeless shelter, helping several elderly with transportation to the doctors and shopping, being of service to others is what makes me feel connected to this life. I also help and volunteer in translating for the Hispanic community in filling out papers for medical and educational services when I am asked to assist. Spiritually I am well grounded, I score myself a 9 (Bach, 2010).

 

Psychological wellness:

This has been a trying time for me with my husband, because of his heart disease and diabetes. Trying to work, juggling home, and school and tending to his needs has been at times difficult to say the least. I have found that the exercises in this class couldn’t have come at a better time, the practices and visualization techniques have kept me balanced and able to sleep. I will be able to be a testimony to my clients, the practices and techniques are proven and not theory; they work. I would place my psychological wellness at an 8 (Bach, 2010).

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

Physical Goal:

My physical goal is in my weight, trying to keep from gaining because of my thyroid condition. I will continue to use the pyramid tracker to assess my caloric intake and monitor nutrient value to make sure that I receive enough calcium and vitamin D from my foods. I will also eliminate eating fast food twice per week and enjoy eating fruits and salads in their place. Realistically I will eat out on occasion but without regularity, this had become a habit, one that will be broken (Bach, 2010).

Psychological Wellness Goal:

Although I feel well mentally, psychologically I do realize that I have been under stress for the past year. I was my sister’s caregiver during her battle with renal cancer; I felt a profound loss when she passed over the Thanksgiving holiday. Her passing brought back a flood of memories of the passing of my wonderful son. I realize that although I meditate, and do the practices in this course, I still feel the need to express myself openly and share thoughts and grieve. My goal became to join a grief counseling group through the hospitals hospice center. This group meets once per week and you have a counselor you can call during difficult times. I don’t anticipate using the latter. Grief can silently erode your wellbeing if you can’t come to terms with it. This then is my psychological goal along with continuing the practices to integral health (Bach, 2010).

Spiritual Goal:

I am at peace with which I am, my father always said pass through this life quietly, with no ill will. Be sure you leave those you came in contact with better for knowing you, walk in peace, friendship, and serve. That is what we are here for, to love and help each other. We are one with the Universe. My father believed in the teachings of the Buddha, My mother was a Roman Catholic. I am not at odds with any issues; my goal is to continue with my belief system and to do honor to my fathers words (Bach, 2010).

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 examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.

Physical Domain:

One strategy I will implement in my physical goal will be visualization. This practice will keep me focused on the goal, imagery helps in recalling and refocusing your goal as you stray. I will see myself in good health as long as I stick to my goal of breaking the habit of fast food. Also I will use deep breathing techniques when I feel myself waiver (Bach, 2010).

Psychological Domain:

The practice that comes to mind is Loving Kindness. As health practitioners we will come in contact with people from all walks of life, cultures, religions, nationalities, traditions, nutrition, and the like. Loving kindness is a practice that will keep me grounded in my beliefs in human nature, and to respect the differences that make us all too human. The three minute breathing exercise to quickly put in focus and to alleviate stress brought about by daily living. The benefits of these two practices will help my mental wellness (Bach, 2010).

Spiritual Domain:

I will continue with daily prayer and affirmations. I feel comfortable in this domain and my goals are to continue the practices of daily prayer. Prayers for gratitude and blessings, prayers to be charitable work and alms giving, prayers for all the less fortunate, prayers for health and safety, prayers for thankfulness for this life and the love of our heavenly provider, prayer of help to be able to do his work, for others, the earth, and all the creatures that inhabit . As people of service we are also stewards of this holy place. Prayers throughout the day remind me of the purpose of the journey (Bach, 2010).

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?

My long term goals are to continue the practices and techniques to reach human flourishing. I realize that it can be along path, however the concept is profound. Dacher explains human flourishing as sustained, and self cultivated health, happiness, and wholeness. It is an innate and natural human potential that each and every one of us can actualize. We can only attain this by preparing a proper foundation and steadily progress in our development from body to mind to spirit (Dacher, 2006)

Journaling will help me to monitor my progress in the different domains; Keeping track of my weight and what I eat on the pyramid tracker. Keep a journal on meditation and visualization, to monitor progress. I will know by my emotions how my progress with grief counseling is going. This class has been very enlightening and most beneficial (Bach, 2010).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Bach, S. (2010). Student Kaplan University .

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. (S. Davis, Ed.) Laguna Beach, California: Basic Health Publications.