The End....Already?

Greetings Everyone!

I have to say that unit 3 seems so long ago, but at the same time this semester flew by for me.  When I signed up for this class I thought that it would be interesting and that I might learn a few things to help me with my career goals.  Wow am I blown away by what this class has taught me!  I don't know why it took me so long to realize that I'm the only one who can be responsible for my well-being on every level.  I can honestly say I feel that I have taken this challenge to better myself and have already felt the benefits in just a few short weeks.  Not to sound like an infomercial, but I really feel like a new me.

At first glance I rated my physical health at a 6, my spiritual health at a 5, and my psychological heath at a 5 also.  At this point I have made significant improvements and now would rate my physical as an 8.  I work out at least 4 times each week and spend time outside every day rain or shine.  The working out in combo with my meditations and just overall intention to look at things from a more positive perspective has also raised my psychological health rating up to a 8.  This one to me is the most obvious change that I and those around me have seen.  I feel happy now most of the time and that has not always been the case throughout my life.  As I've said before I struggle with the spiritual side of myself, but have chosen to use my relationship with nature to foster this aspect.  I have felt a slight improvement in this area so I'll rate myself as a 7.  I feel that I have been pretty diligent to actually work toward improving these aspects in my life and have stuck to my practices.  Really it is the only way to make this work...You have to work on yourself.

Many of you have read that I feel like I have a secret now :-) and I feel this is going to be a great tool for me to help my clients even more on their own journey.  However I realize that people are going to fight me on taking responsibility for how they feel and behave, but I know that it can be done now.  I was one that took a long time to get the message so I know I will see some struggles.

Overall this entire course has been a great experience.  I have to say that I have never had a professor that was so encouraging and supportive.  With an online learning environment like this on it is important to feel a connection to the class and with this one I really did.  My hamsters and I are so much happier and calmer now and that is truly a gift!

THANK YOU!

Lauren Wright

Unit 9 Final Project

 Greetings everyone!  I hope this finds you all well.

I believe that in order to really be able to help others develop the psychological, spiritual, and physical aspects of their lives you must also be working on your own development.  As a wellness professional a practitioner has a responsibility to embrace the healing practices they are teacher to others.  Developing and building upon one’s own self-awareness through an integral approach is really the only true way to achieve a full understanding of the path to flourishing.  Not only will the professional benefit from developing in these areas, but they will be a greater asset to those they work with as well.

     As for my personal goals I feel that I need to continue to work on each of the areas.  I see the path as a constant learning experience as well as a challenge to keep working towards becoming a physically healthy, mentally clear person who can see the world with more compassion.  I have recently been putting quite a bit of effort into my physical health by hiking, doing yoga, and taking Zumba classes weekly.  I also have put a strong focus on my diet and eating habits by not skipping any meals or eating any processed foods.  These changes have already impacted my life in a great way and I can feel the difference.  With the exercise, diet, and meditations I feel as if I am somewhat transformed and I really feel happy.

     With the knowledge I have gained from this course I am able to see the importance of really becoming a whole person and can assess where I am with each aspect.  At the start of this course I rated my physical health at a six.  Now after really having my eyes opened to the importance and benefits of physical health and working to exercise daily I would rate myself as an eight.  I’m still working to develop a spiritual aspect in my life and feel that my bond with nature is how I can build upon this.  When I’m in the mountains look out above everything I feel a sense of calm and stillness that is unexplainable and almost magical.  While I still need work in this area I feel that I have improved from the start of our course and would rate myself as a seven.  I feel that my biggest improvement is my psychological health.  I have been able to really look at things with a new perspective which can really be liberating.  I also finally got the message that my happiness is my responsibility and that has made a world of difference in my life.  At the start of our course I rated my psychological health kind of low, but now I am happy to report myself as an eight.

     My goal for my physical health is to stick with my routine that I have made for myself.  So far I have been very diligent, but in the past have been known to not always stick with my exercise plans.  At this point I have been consistently working out for over a month at least five days per week and would like to keep this up.  As good as I have felt I don’t think I will have to fight too hard to keep up the hard work.  Spiritually I still have much work to do to feel that bigger connection, but feel that I have at least been able to open up more to this aspect of my life.  My goal here is just to keep working and facing those around me with as much compassion as possible.  My psychological health goal is just to keep up the meditations and visualizations on a daily basis to keep myself centered.  Being able to really relax and quiet all the chatter that runs through my head has given me a sense of peace that I can find almost anytime.  I feel that my goals for all three aspects are just to stay active within the process and to embrace new ideas as they come to me with an open mind.  By being able to look at my life in a different way I have really seen how in control I really am.

     In order for me to grow psychologically, spiritually, and psychologically I will have to continue to do the work and see my responsibility to do so.  First to continue to foster my connection with my spiritual self I will continue to be open minded and live in the now and take responsibility for all of my actions.  I also feel that this spiritual feeling comes from really knowing and loving yourself and being comfortable with your place in the world.  To continue growth for my physical self I will continue with my exercise practices.  By keeping up with my exercise routine I keep myself healthy in so many different ways.  I also will continue to be diligent about the fuel I put into my body in order to keep feeling the best that I can.  My psychological health will also need to be tended to and I will do this by continuing to do my meditations.  I find this time of my day to be a gift and I’m pretty sure this gift is felt by everyone around me.  I will also continue my hikes in the mountains as they have a power to erase all of my worries so that I may just breathe.  All of these practices will help me continue to grow and will help me to learn even more about myself.

     I think the best way for me to assess my progress or lack of progress will be how I feel.  At the start of this course I was feeling kind of just blah in general about everything.  I had no real sense of myself or what I wanted and I sort of felt like I had disappeared.  Well, I’m back and I may even dare to say better than ever.  I feel amazing and it’s all because I worked on me, all of me.  By putting it all together and really taking a look at myself I saw for the first time that it was all up to me.  I took control and it has made such a giant change for me all around.  The motivation to stick with my practices is just to continue to feel this good and be this happy authentically.  I use to feel like everything in my life was something I had to survive and now I see that everything is just a challenge that I am capable of dealing with and that truly is a priceless gift.

Lauren

Subtle Mind & Universal Loving Kindness

Hi Everyone!

I believe that for the most part all of the exercises we have completed in this course have benefits that impact our mental fitness.  For me the best experience was the Subtle Mind exercise as I was really able to open up to the process for the first time.  I felt totally relaxed and at peace and almost like I had a secret that no one else knew.  I have shared this exercise with several people that also felt that it was extremely relaxing.  I have done this exercise about three times and think that I will continue to use it as a way to center and refocus.  The other exercise that I really loved was the Universal Loving Kindness exercise.  I see this one to have a benefit that is two fold as it can help the person to relax, but also to start to see others with a new compassion.  As I have said before I think people tend to be rather negative and somewhat angry in general as a symptom of just being over everythinged. (Yes I made up a word)  This exercise is a way to take a step back and really see others in a new light.  If we are able to prepare for our day with a sense of compassion and openness we can create a better environment for ourselves.  I have found that when I set out to be more patient and less reactive that I myself just feel better and less keyed up.  I find it pretty amazing that just saying and thinking that I will approach my day this way actually works...who knew!  It's fair to say that I'm a believer and that I will be spreading the word about the importance of mental fitness and health.  I am still working with my meditations and taking hikes weekly and love all the benefits I see in myself.

Lauren :-)

Meeting Aesclepius

Greetings Everyone,

My meditation practices are going very well and I have noticed that I am able to stay focused with a still mind for longer periods of time.  I have been able to devote a little bit of time each morning before my kids get up so that I can enjoy total silence.  Some days I only have about 10 minutes available, but I do make sure I take that time just for me.

I enjoyed this latest exercise "Meeting Aesclepius".  I couldn't think of an actual person I know so I visualized Gandalf from Lord of The Rings.  I know that seems pretty funny and my husband laughed at me, but he is wise, calm, and I see him as a very compassionate man.  It was a nice experience to see the transfer of his wisdom to myself as if he was giving me the key to my happiness.  I think that I will be sharing this one with a few people who may feel they lack this inner wisdom and perhaps it may make them see that they have incredible possibilities within them.

I think that the saying, "one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself", means that we simply must have a grasp on something before we can teach any one else.  As a professional I can't expect my clients to carry out these practices if I myself do not practice and believe in their benefit.  I do fee that there is a certain obligation to practice what you preach and to be responsible for your own well-being. 

Peace out,
Lauren

Universal Loving Kindness

Greetings Everyone,

I hope everyone had a good week and a nice weekend so far.  I spent the day hiking in Manitou Springs so I am in a great place.

I think the Universal loving kindness exercise is one that a lot of people could benefit from.  I know that I notice a lot of anger within people and this could be one exercise that could turn that attitude around.  In order to really reach our integral health we are to reach this step which may take some time, but would give endless benefit.  I personally enjoyed the exercise and found that it made me really think about others and their struggles.  Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in your own troubles and you can forget to take a look around you.  I also think the integral assessment is a beneficial practice in order to take a look at yourself as a whole.  I find that my spirituality is an area that I am lacking and to be honest not something I ever thought of before this class.  I have recently started meditating on a regular basis and have actually started to enjoy it because I am now able to quiet my mind much more successfully.  I also do not get frustrated if I can't get there, I realize it is a process so I'm trying to let it happen more organically rather than forcing it so hard.  I recently did one of my meditations outdoors on a windy day and found that the sound of the wind blowing through the trees had almost a drug like effect on me.  I was at peace, maybe for the first time ever.  Truly amazing!!  I think by continuing to practice my meditation and incorporating yoga, exercise, and visualizations I will become more in touch with this aspect of myself.

Lauren

Subtle Mind Exercise

Hello Everyone,

I have to say this exercise was exactly what I needed.  My week was rough and my mind was literally racing with a zillion thoughts.  I found that it was very peaceful and helped me to really relax and take a break from all the chatter.  I felt this exercise left me to explore the thoughts that were coming up without me becoming consumed with them.  I thought that the reason I didn't like the Loving Kindness exercise was because of my state of mind, but today it was similar to the way I felt doing the other exercise.  However my experience with the subtle mind was completely different.  I am going to be sharing this exercise with a few of my friends as I feel it is a great centering exercise.

The connection between our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being is really bigger than I ever realized.  Since the beginning of this class I have learned so much about myself and how my stress effects every part of me.  I have seen the difference already since I started working out more regularly and doing visualizations.  While of course my stresses haven't changed I feel I have gained a little more insight as to how to deal with them more effectively.  I have also started making time for myself and the things that make me thrive.  I love to do anything outdoors so I have been spending more time hiking and just staring off into the mountains.  It's amazing what you can see when you just look at the mountains or even a tree.  (how weird do I sound right now??? lol)  I believe that you have to focus on all three aspects of yourself to really be a happy and healthy individual.  I'm sure working on it!

Lauren

Loving-Kindness Exercise

Hi there everyone,

I hope this finds all of you well and I hope you are having a nice weekend.  

I have to say that I did not enjoy this exercise as much as the two previous ones that we have done.  I found it hard to focus and really get into this one.  I know that my stress level played a part as I have been a little on edge this week.  I felt myself getting a little annoyed with the waves and kept waiting for the next guided visualization instead of being patient with the process.  I can't say that I loved it, but I didn't think it was terrible.  I keep thinking back to seminar and hearing Professor Maule say that we may like one and not the other and perhaps this is the one I don't like so much.  However, I think my mood and other circumstances effected my opinion as well. I do think this exercise could be beneficial to some people it just really didn't do much for me.  I think with more practice with training my own mind I may get more out of the exercise.  

I think of a mental workout as being similar to training your body.  You have to focus on muscle groups and make time to train and take care of yourself.  In the same way our brains need our time and focus.  We have to be able to check in with our metal health in order to keep ourselves balanced.

Lauren