We will take a look at
how important it is for a health and wellness professional to develop
psychologically, spiritually and physically in order to teach and lead other in
integral health and wellness. Also we will devise a plan to develop my own
transformation with the goals I have for myself in each area of wellness
spiritually, physically, and psychologically.
When
looking at an integral medical practice the crucial ingredient is not the
integral medical bag itself or whether there is conventional pills, or the
orthodox surgery, and the energy medicine, yoga, Qigong or acupuncture needles
it is the person who holds the bag and is practicing integral medicine. A
practitioner that practices integral medicine has most likely transform themselves
since one cannot study without opening their mind, body and spirit in this
field by doing this it is open for all to see (Schlitz, Amorok, and Micozzi, 2005).
An integrally informed medical practice changes the
practitioners first when they choose which of the treatments conventional,
alternative, complementary or holistic treatment is to be utilized,
individually and collectively when practicing medicine with integrity (Schlitz, Amorok, and Micozzi,
2005). As medicine evolves so must the practitioner,
they change expanding the tool kit, transforming medicine and evolving it to a
new level (Dacher, 2006). The transformation of the practitioner does not
happen overnight it must be cultivated by infusing daily activity with
awareness, consciousness, and loving-kindness that arise from a contemplative
practice (Dacher, 2006).
Assessment
This class has opened so many doors to a healthy
transformation of mind, body and spirit for me I guess that I would have to
start with a healthy mind. Looking at
the integral map it begins by simply acknowledging that human experience
expresses itself in four ways: psychological, biological, interpersonal, and
worldly these are the four aspects of our experience (Dacher, 2006).
In the psychological aspect I do like the statement
mentioned in the book as Gandhi said, “Become the change you want to see happen
in the world” (Dacher, 2006). It also state that the most underdeveloped aspect
of western medicine is psychological and is the primary source of epidemics of
mental suffering and premature disease and the greatest obstacle for human
flouring (Dacher, 2006). The development of our inner life is essential to all
aspects of our life (Dacher, 2006). So I feel this is the most important area
to develop in my life and actually have a great start to this class and feel
this is just the beginning a new wonderful journey that this fifty year old lady
is ready to embark on.
First I feel I have a firm and genuine commitment to rechannel
my energies inward and am prepared myself for the psych-spiritual practices
that are essential to initiate the inward turn and the integral process in my
life. I have learned to let things go and fall off the shoulder for anger,
intolerance, jealousy, pride and greed is the destruction of the human mind and
brings illness and disease to us. As we practice loving - kindness doing the
exercises that are stated in the book we can feel a calmness that arises within
practicing kindness, care, patients, and generosity(Dacher, 2006). Loving
kindness opens the heart with acceptance, respect, fairness patients and
honesty. I feel that I have a good grasp on this part in my life after taking
this class. The spiritual process aims at penetrating the deeper layers of the
mind to uncover the natural wisdom, inner peace, and loving kindness that are
the pivotal causes of a sustained well-being (Dacher, 2006). The spiritual
aspect of my life I feel has greatly improved with this class. I have also gone
to a holistic nurse practitioner for the nutritional health of my life changing
western medicines cure-all for healthcare all the dreadful prescriptions that the doctor has
put me on, never taking any away just adding more pills when a side effect
shows up after taking the medication that has been prescribed. I actually score
my wellness quite high at this time compared to what it was nine weeks ago or
prior to this class.
Goal
Development
My goal is to continue on my journey and receive the four
essential points the truth of health, the truth of human flourishing, the truth
of the integral path, and the truth of the fruits. The first the truth of
health has two aspects of health – ordinary, or relative, health and integral,
or ultimate, health (Dacher, 2006). Ordinary, or relative, is based on our
biology and is our conventional understanding of health. Integral or ultimate
health is based on our level of consciousness. We are healthy when our mind is
both free of mental afflictions and suffering and endure well-being, happiness,
and wholeness (Dacher, 2006). This is intentional, self-cultivated, and
flourishes over time I find this to be and extraordinary goal to pursue. This
then turns into human flourishing which is sustained, and self-cultivated
health, happiness, and wholeness (Dacher, 2006). Then preparing a proper
foundation and steadily progressing in our development from body to mind to spirit
(Dacher, 2006). The truth about integral health requires our attention and our
approach to health becomes a personal choice expressed through deliberate
actions that are in accord with our intention. The fruits of human flourishing
– health, happiness, and wholeness are the direct results of an integral
approach to life. To remove confusion, misunderstanding, and unnecessary
suffering of an ordinary untrained mind and know what to cultivate in your life
and what to discard and abandon (Dacher, 20060. This is my ultimate goal for me
that I will hopefully spill over to others around me and in my life and for
strangers to see and desire the same wholeness. I have met awesome spirited
people that just leave a real good feeling of warmth and love with trueness
that I have desired but never knew how to reach. Through this class I have
found the map to get there and live a full life of health, happiness, and
wholeness.
Practices
for personal health
As far as the health part in my life I have taken this
very seriously for the first time by researching about holistic care and
treatments. I now go to the Circle of life Healing Arts Holist Clinic and am
under the care of a nurse practitioner who in just four weeks has done great
things. I am now on health supplements that make me feel great and balance me
out, my cholesterol is down thirty points and other numbers are following. This
is under strict supervision of the nurse practitioner with lab test to make
sure that everything is on track and no side effects are visible. I also have
been making better choices in my food looking for more fruits and vegetables
and decreasing sugary and fatty foods.
As far as my spiritual I am listening to relaxing sounds more often,
meditating, experimenting with yoga and qi-gong looking for ones that fits my
life style. This however is very hard to put into a routine every day. The qi
gong seems to be the best at this time there are simple routines that can be
done with relaxing the mind that fit into my schedule at this time. It also is
easy to follow and does not require you to be an athletic to do the movements,
gives you flexibility and increases your muscles with training your mind in
meditation and thought. Meditation is my next goal to be able to clear and
empty the mind to think of nothing just be imaging a peaceful and warm feeling
overcoming my inner self for total relaxation of my mind, body, and spirit. The
exercises that we did in the class for meditation are great I also downloaded a
meditation exercise on my kindle that I listen to every night before I go to
bed to wind down the day, clear the mind and be at total peace before I go to
bed.
Commitment
My commitment to this change is going to be lifelong I
have realized all the years of anger, hate, and meanness that has polluted my
mind has taken its toll on my life and now that I have tasted the peacefulness,
calmness, and wholeness I have no desire to give it up but only to embark on
this wonderful journey to complete transformation. I was thinking that I may
continue with the blog or start a new one to document my journey through the
transformation. I feel that it is important to document the long journey so you
do not forget from where you came from and where you are going. One of the test
that the nurse practitioner did on me was my energy or cortisol levels at my
good level in the morning it did not even register I had nothing left to give
and I am a giver, a listener, and a helper however I was all worn out with just
stress levels that were so depleating I could barely go on. I cried the other
day (I don’t cry very easily life has made me tough) I finally felt like a
person on the road to a new exciting life with the tools and the desire to help
others reach their inner self and regenerate their mind, body and spirit. This
was my goal going into psychology and my last two classes Complementary and
Alternative Medicine and Creative Wellness: Psychological and Spiritual Aspects
of Healing have directed me into a path that I am ready for in my future. There
will be a lifelong commitment in this field that I am entering in my career I
had the goal of treating people without medication, but changing their
behaviors and this holistic journey has given me great tools to work with in
the future.
References:
Dasher, E. M.D., (2006). Integral Health; The path to Human
Flourishing. Basic Health Publications, Inc.
(Schlitz,
Amorok, and Micozzi, (2011).Consciousness & healing; Integral Approaches to
Mind-Body Medicine. Elsevier Inc.
