Unit 10 - Final Class Post

1. 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?               In Unit 3, I rated my Physical Assessment at a 7 and now I would change that to a 5.  In Unit 3 I rationalized that since my blood work came out within normal ranges I could say I was in pretty good physical health but this class has helped me realize there is so much more to making an honest assessment of where I really am.  I believe that a 5 is more realistic because I now know what I need to do and how I'm going to make the changes to holistic health.  My Psychological Assessment in Unit 3 was an 8 and I'm comfortable with that rating.  I know there is need for improvement and to that end, I'm going to continue the meditative practices we used in this class.  My Spiritual Assessment in Unit 3 was a 10 and there again, I am comfortable with that rating.  I can say it's taken almost 40 years to fully embrace my belief system and I am glad to say that I have no problem talking and working with others who don't believe the way I do and I'm OK with that.
2. Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.      Yes, I feel like I have made positive progress toward the goals and activities that I set for myself in other units.  I have initiated a healthy eating plan and increased my daily activity to boost my overall physical health.  I have made some changes to my meditative practices and they seem to be working.
3. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.    Yes, I have implemented the Subtle Mind meditative practice into my daily life and it is helping me find the peace I need to balance life, work and family.
4. Summarize your personal experience 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?               I think the thing I value most from this course are the relationships I've developed with my classmates.  I believe I have learned more from them than I have from the information in the books we read.  It's one thing to read about studies on different holistic or meditative practices but totally another to hear how those same practices have influenced the lives of people you have come to know on a deeper more personal level.  My well-being has improved because of these relationships and they have definitely been the most rewarding part of this class.  The difficulty, for me, is in some of the practices that I found uncomfortable, like the Loving-Kindness meditation.  I truly did not enjoy that practice but that in itself tells me that there is something there I need to work on.  This class and the overall experience will improve my ability to assist others because it reinforces the need to look at each client from a non-judgmental perspective and respect the path that each one travels.                                                                        

Unit 9 - Final Project

HW420-02:  Creating Wellness

Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing

Unit 9 – Final Project

Mary M. Ernsberger

1. 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?  

            It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because a practitioner must experience that which they practice.  If you are going to help others reach that holistic balance, you must spend time each day nurturing and growing that balance within yourself.  The practitioner must practice non-judgment, compassion and understanding both of themselves and their patients/clients.  For myself, I have needed to develop the physical aspect of health and wellness on a personal level for a very long time.  It has been a battle between what my mind tells me is true and what my inner self is whispering in the other ear.  I have used weight as the knights used to use their suits of armor – to protect them from harm.  For me, the harm was on an emotional level and with that inner pain, I allowed my physical self to repel those that attempt to get close. 

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

            I have assessed myself based on the abundant ways that other practitioners say I should be.  I used to receive twenty or thirty different e-mails from people who claimed to know the “right” way to believe spiritually, the “right” way to think psychologically or the “right” way to look physically.  I thought that because these people were publishing their information, they had to be “right.”  Then it occurred to me that those individuals whose e-mails I was receiving were no different than I am.  They were just sending out information they believed to be correct based on their personal experience.  For the most part, they were trying to make a living by selling what worked for them to anyone wishing to “buy” their answers.  But their answers were not my answers and I know this because I am not them and they are not me.  Now that I know this, I find that I can assess myself from a non-judgmental point of view.  On a Spiritual level, I am very comfortable at a 9.  I am comfortable in my beliefs and don’t need anyone else to tell me what I should or should not believe.  On a Psychological level, I rate myself at a 6 because I have a lot of work to do on my inner esteem.  I would like to integrate the outer me and the inner me into one whole person.  I have kept this separation since I was in elementary school but I have hope that with continued inner work, I can integrate these two parts of myself into one.  On a Physical level, I rate myself at a 5.  I’m half way there.  Not that I’m anywhere near what I consider my ideal weight, but I am on the right track and that’s half the battle.

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

            The goal I have for the Physical level is to continue eliminating the excess weight I no longer need, to choose foods that nourish my body, mind and spirit, and to increase my physical activity so that I don’t get short of breath after simply playing with my grandson or walking down the street.  My goal for Psychological health is to practice meditation and imagery to increase my self-esteem, maintain a calm demeanor (especially when others around me are flipping out), and to achieve inner peace.  My goal for Spiritual health is to never be ashamed to stand up for what I believe in, to never push my beliefs off on anyone else or to feel pressured to cave to others belief for fear of judgment.

4. 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 example. 

            To foster growth in the physical aspects of my life, I can and have increased my daily physical activity.  I am following the hCG diet and changing the way I view food.  I am eating smaller portions and find that when I eat with focus, I can actually experience that sensation of being full that I have ignored for quite some time.  I no longer need food to feel good about myself.  I know that the only way I can feel good is to view myself as a work in progress – and that progress is positive.  To foster growth on a psychological level, I can practice daily affirmations, positive thoughts, and meditation and imagery practices.  I wake up in the morning and greet the day with joyful anticipation of what lies ahead.  I set my intent for the day and then I follow through with that intent.  I practice mindfulness (Dacher, 2006) when dealing with others that are experiencing stress or anger issues, visualizing the outcome I desire.  To foster growth on a Spiritual level, I take every opportunity to be grateful for the wonderful things my creator has given me.  clairaudience and to act as the channel for Ezekiel, a guardian of the Akashic records.  These gifts have been with me since I was 12 and for many years I hid them away, afraid of being judged.  I choose to no longer subject myself to that fear.  I choose to fully embrace my gifts and use them as they were intended, to help others find the path they were born to follow.  I practice forgiveness, refusing to hold grudges which would allow negative thoughts and feelings to take control of my life. 

5. 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? 

On a physical level, it will be easy to assess my progress because the numbers on the scale will keep going down.  I will experience the pleasure of going to the store and buying clothes somewhere other than the “fat lady’s department.”  There will be good, healthy food in my refrigerator and I can finally ride my bike around town.  There are a number of people who are on my side and will support me as I make these changes.  They are the number one strategy I know will be there when I feel like I am slipping back into the old mind frames that got me in the shape I’m in now.  On a psychological level, I will know if my practices are working by exploring how I really feel deep inside.  As I continue my mindfulness practices, I will experience the inner peace that comes with really knowing one’s self.  I believe this practice is something I can take with me throughout life.  I would also like to learn Tai Chi, this summer, as both a mental and physical practice.  On a spiritual level, I will continue participating in the various holistic fairs in the area and be available to provide spiritual support to anyone seeking my help.  Maintaining this long term practice is probably the easiest of all because this is something that is with me every day.  

REFERENCES:

Dacher, Elliott S. M.D., Integral Health – The Path to Human Flourishing (2006)

Schlistz, Marilyn and Amorok, Tina with Micozzi, Marc S., Consciousness & healing – Integral Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine (2005)

Unit 8 - My 2 favorite exercises

My two favorite exercises this term were the Journey On exercise and the Meeting Asclepius exercise.  The Journey On exercise provided me with the opportunity to view a situation that had stayed with me for many years from a different perspective.  I believe I can use this exercise into the future as a tool to leaving the past in the past.  The Meeting Asclepius exercise was very beneficial for many reasons.  First it gave me the opportunity to experience the inner peace I know resides within my mentor.  Secondly and probably most important, it allowed me the opportunity to see and recognize what I had been hiding behind for years and why.  It has given me the strength to step out from behind my personal suit of armor.  I no longer need it.  I no longer need to read every new "guru" who says they have the answer.  I now know that the answers have been inside me all along and I can trust my intuition to always lead me down the perfect path.  The past was then - this is now and I rejoice in NOW!

I believe that this experience will provide me with the opportunity to relate to family, friends and my clients from a more balanced perspective.  I am very grateful for this class.

Week 7 - Aesclepian Healing

This morning, while everyone else was still in bed, I listened to Track #4 - Aesclepian Healing.  The person I chose to experience this energy exchange with was one of my former instructors, Ms. KC Miller, founder of the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  KC is the one person I know that emulates the loving-kindness I aspire to achieve.  It was a very interesting experience.  As a student, we had participated in several classes where visualization was involved, including one where we allowed our subconscious to step out of our body and into the body of a person we had unfinished business with.  The object was to experience the situation from the other person's point of view.  So visualizing KC in the same room came easily.  I was able to visualize the white light emanating from her crown chakra and connecting with my crown chakra.  I could feel the peaceful loving energy filling my body.  While connecting our heart chakras, I felt the warmth spreading from my center throughout my body.  The throat chakra was the challenge.  Though I could visualize the healing energy emanating from KC's throat and traveling to mine, the initial response was a stuffiness in my throat.  I began coughing, trying to clear that blockage.  I felt like it was time to release whatever had been blocking my ability to speak my truth.  I asked KC to help me by sending healing energy to remove the block.  I'm not sure when this blockage originated but if I am to continue my path of helping others find their truth, I need to find out what's holding me back.  I intend to continue this practice on a regular basis to discover the origin of and then release this blockage. 

The saying, "One cannot lead another to where one has not gone himself" applies to the health and wellness professional in respect that it's very difficult to connect with where your clients are coming from if you have never been there yourself.  There was a question posted that asked if a practitioner had an obligation to their clients to develop their health physically, psychologically and spiritually.  I believe a practitioner is responsible for developing their health with respect to their own path.  I believe that spirit brings to us those that need what we have to offer and as no one person is perfect in all aspects, those who can relate to the passion we, as practitioners, share with our clients will be drawn to us.  Spiritual and psychological growth is not something that you demonstrate when you are with a client, it is something that you live in your life each and every day.  Up and down, forward and back, inside and outside - above all, we are human beings - not human doings - so don't just do it - BE IT.


Mary  

Unit 6 - Meditation & Assessment

This week I decided to try something different when listening to the Loving-Kindness Meditation.  I began by doing the deep breathing only this time I repeated the words "no judgment" over and over in my mind.  I was aware that this particular exercise did not come easily to me and I wanted to go into it with a positive attitude.  The first time though, I found myself reaching a level of relaxation I hadn't found before but I still wasn't able to reach that "warm" feeling.  I listened to the mediation two more times and though I didn't get to where I wanted to me, I have hope that with practice, it will happen.

The Integral Assessment was much easier.  It is very similar to a tool that is used in my Life Coaching practice.  The Wheel of Life is divided into eight parts and each "slice" is labeled with a part of the individuals life that is of importance to them.  The individual is then asked to rate, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most desirable level, where they felt they were in honoring their potential for each area.  I haven't done this assessment in a long time and was actually pleasantly surprised that I was closer to reaching my potential in several areas.  The area(s) I've chosen to focus on is Social Activism and Work or the Worldly area of the assessment. 

I chose this area because I am coordinating an effort to create a Food Cooperative here in Anchorage.  Those of us that live in Alaska find ourselves in a unique situation when it comes to food availability.  If there was to be some type of natural disaster or the oil fields would suddenly run dry, the ability to feed the people that live in this state would come to a screeching halt.  We have a number of family farms in the Matanuska Valley, which is about 40 miles north of Anchorage.  These farmer's come to Anchorage during the summer and participate in several Farmer's Markets but when winter hits, there are very few opportunities to eat local (300 mile radius).  We are very fortunate that the climate in Alaska favors the plants and the number of pests are very limited.  Therefore, the use of pesticides is almost non-existent.  There also seems to be an aversion to the use of antibiotics in the meats and minimal pasteurization in our milks.  I feel very strongly about our efforts and will have to make sure I don't ignore my personal needs while my focus is elsewhere. 

I feel I can maintain a balance between my interpersonal needs and my worldly desires by continuing a meditative practice.  I enjoy listening to relaxing music and find I am able to "center" myself and take an objective view of what's happening in my life during my listening time.

Anyone out there ever worked for a food market or cooperative?  I would love to talk to you and "pick your brain." 

Mary

Power Point - Unit 5 - Creating Wellness

Unit 5 Power Point Presentation

Unit 5 - Loving-Kindness vs Subtle Mind

This week's exercise was all about contrasting the Loving-Kindness meditation and the Subtle Mind meditation.  I listened to both recordings in succession and then with time separating the two recordings to see if there was a difference in the overall effect. 

The Loving-Kindness meditation was still uncomfortable for me to listen to.  There was some internal resistance to being told how to feel.  I am able to open myself to forgiveness but since I don't hold grudges I wasn't able to feel a person to focus on. 

The Subtle Mind was much easier to follow and relax into.  The Subtle Mind actually reminded me of the different meditations we used when I was taking my hypnotherapy classes.  The ability to focus on the breath is very important both as a practitioner and as someone wanting to make changes in their life.  I start sessions with my clients by asking them to take a few deep breaths and allow their body to relax into the chair they are sitting in.  Then I make the suggestion that the only thing they hear is the background music and my voice.  I tell them that any other background noises or other sounds only serve to relax them deeper. 

Reaching down, deep down into the subconscious mind is where life changes take place.  This is where the connection between the body, mind and spirit takes place.  The practice of conscious thought has been part of my life for several years now.  I have learned first hand how a person's thoughts, feelings and spiritual beliefs can affect their life for both the positive and the negative and I believe whole-heartedly in these studies.  The more people who can share this information the sooner we can affect a vibrational change here on Earth.