Unit 9 Final Project

Here is my Final Project as requested for assignment: Introduction It is important for the practitioner of integral health to pursue development of contemplative practices of every aspect of living a healthier lifestyle through mind-body and spirit (Dacher, 2006). In today’s healthcare system, we seek new avenues of envisioning modern medicine, as partakers in transformation, growth and restoration of health and wellness to ensure the transference to our clients/patients (Schlitz, Amorok & Micozzi, 2005). I need to develop in the area of physical due to my weight issues. I have vowed to begin with dieting and exercises. I will start tomorrow with early meditation of centering prayer of 15 minutes and to began walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes, building up to 30-45 daily. I have found the Dallas Meditation Center for enhancing my spiritually practices, and I want to go deeper into centering prayer. I feel this type of contemplative practice I will be able to start with for developing my inner balance and goals for healthier lifestyle. Assessment My assessment in the physical is a 4, spiritually I scored an 8 and psychologically I believed to score a 7. In each domain of mind-body and spirit each assessment has showed me what I must to do to achieve balance for human flourishing. Goal development My goal for physical will be to begin an exercise program of 15 minutes of walking daily on treadmill at the gym in my building, also to increase another 15 minuets at lunch on the job. My walking program will be daily for five days and rest on the weekend. The weekends will for relaxation and enhancing my spiritual development in centering prayer practices, which will help me psychologically. In doing these practices, it will further my transformation of changing my physical body, spirit and mental health. Practices for personal health I have a partner to help with dieting and eating healthier. This will help with accountability for changing lifestyle with a weekly weigh-in and nutritional status. In addition I have a nurse practitioner and personal trainer to assist me in my dieting strategies for losing weight by June 2012 of 50lbs. I have now found a center to help to enhance my spirituality and psychological aspects for deeper development in this area. I have sign up by email to attend some classes at the center for Meditation starting January 8, 2012. In addition, I plan to learn centering prayer practices, meditation for beginners, also to take yoga or Qigong. Commitment I know it is imperative that I get into action as a practitioner of massage therapy. I can encourage my clients with their goals in wellness and health related issues by my performance. I see this challenge as a stepping stone for my integral health practice.As I prepare to graduate with a BS in Health and Wellness, I must prepare my body, mind and spirit towards my vision as a Wellness Coach or to continue with my clients towards the path of health and wellness. I can only achieve this with the investment I started at the beginning of attending college at my age. If nothing else comes from this, I know that my true treasure is the transformation towards a healthier lifestyle. Best in Health, Gilda

Exercises for Mental Fitness

During these exercises, I have always incorporated visualization and meditation as practice to bring peace of the mind and calmness to my body. I have learn two new contemplative exercises known as loving-kindness and subtle mind practices.

The loving-kindness has help me to flush out toxic thoughts, feelings and emotions by substituting my focus on loving thoughts of others with the embrace of kindness.
The subtle mind practice has help me to focus my breathing techniques and release the activities of the day by letting the stillness and openness of ones mind in releasing and grasping thoughts to sustain my consciousness for the health and wellness of my being.

The redirection of these contemplative exercises has been a great asset to me in time of stress and difficult decision- making; and has produce an even greater desire to continue with what I now know is beneficial for me as well as my clients.

Best in Health,
Gilda

Unit 7 Assessment

After listening to Meeting Aesclepian exercise, I chose to focus on my mother as the center point to grasp the essence of the practice for this assignment. I like using the visualization to develop the mindfulness of my inner thoughts and bring calming  and peace to my thoughts. In using this practice, it will help me in to stabilize my thoughts. This will give me a greater sense of clarity and productivity. As a massage therapist, I can incorporate the energy I feel from this exercise to transcend towards my clients; releasing the tension and anxiety from their bodies and giving them from me a sense of wellness and health.

One can not lead another where one has not gone him or herself  in other words you have to practice what you preach is important in my field of body work.I have to be the product of what I am giving towards my clients in order for them to reap the benefits from their sessions with me. Also this helps my business to grow with word of mouth if I can incorporate psychological and spiritual wellness in my daily activities.  Many times I am ask "what can I do to or how can I help myself to distress. So in learning these practices for myself can enhance me personally, then I can give true results from my own experiences to help others in theirs.

I will continue to use what I have learned in this course for the development of others as well as myself.

Best in Health,
Gilda

Unit 6 Integral Assessment

I just visited my family in Colorado for the Thanksgiving Holidays, using the loving-kindness exercise really came into play for me. There was a little drama that develop from past experiences between my sisters, I used meditation exercise( Dacher p. 68) to resolve some issues as a mediator. It worked wonderfully, and I was left with a real sense of accomplishment. I then went to the assessment exercise(Dacher p.115). This helped me to really dive deep into my subconsciousness and evaluate my feelings about the incident and the stress levels it caused in my life and family. I realized that before I would have let the incident disturbed me and push to leave and withdraw from it all. But I found myself pushing towards the problems with solutions of peace and love. This development certainly shift me into a new level of integral health, with a new approach to stresses that comes to create havoc in my life. I felt renewed and powerful.

Using a space to contemplate and refocus your energy can give you a profound source of awareness to overcome dilemmas of stress. Loving-kindness practice will give you that energy and Integral Assessment helps you in developing awareness of the source of the stress and how to overcome it. I will incorporate these two contemplative practices on a daily basis. Walking in loving-kindness will help me toward human flourishing. I found that out this past week.

Best in Health,
Gilda

Unit 5

I just completed my assignment and project for this unit.  I didn't think I would make it.  I thought several times to let it go this is the holidays, and your on vacation in a year. It is becoming a vacation from hell with the traveling and having heavy assignments .  So here it is as required, gosh I can't believe I finish. Thank you God!!

Best in Health,
Ms. G

Unit 5 Sublte Mind Practice

For both exercises, using the breathing techniques helps to give the mind a deeper stillness and loosening any attachment to mental activity. The contrast between these two practices:
Loving kindness practices helps to embrace the art of loving all living things including your enemies. Subtle-mind practices helps you train your mental thoughts in grasping and releasing, as if they are in air to dissolve.

The connection to spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness is they interconnected and sensitive to one another as we have discuss in earlier discussions. If the mind is disruptive with negative thoughts(stress), this can bring blockage to the body such as hypertension or cardiac deterioration.  This will affect the spirit because it produces depression and lack of energy to all levels of consciousness and health.

The experiences I received was the relaxation to the point I felt light and free. This practice took longer for me, because I am accustom to using imagery in my breathing techniques for calming my thoughts. This will take a lot of concentration and focus on mind releasing.  Just when you think you've got it, another switch is given in the dynamics of integral health.


Best in Health,
Gilda

Listening to Dacher's exercise, I thought to myself  "Gosh" this is what I do already, but as I got into the exercise I realize this exercise is training your thoughts on a deeper level of focus. Actually your shifting your mental capacity into conscious balance of inner emotions. I felt relaxed and very calm a sort of uplifting came over me in this exercise. I would offer this exercise to my clients and try to teach this exercise to them as well.

Mental Workout takes lots of time and practice, just like training in your diet with exercise( "by the way still working on it"). The slowing of the mind and thoughts to develop and expand our consciousness levels, in order to produce the healing properties that our bodies are capable of will take continued practice.

In today's society, I think it is imperative that we connect with this capability in order to bring peace of mind, peace of heart and peace in our spirits. Slowing down with deep breaths of release has help me and my clients in my practice. So I shall continue.....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.


Best in Health
Gilda