It is important for health and wellness
professionals to develop in all aspects including psychologically, spiritually
and physically because they serve as the example for us to follow. Question, if a health and wellness
professional prescribes meditation, or a fitness regiment to help us achieve
our goals; what would be the result for the individual seek help from the
professional if the professional themselves were out of shape and did not
subscribe to meditation in their own life?
It is important for those administering the advice and recommendations
to practice and believe in what they preach.
I have several goals I am striving for; one is to incorporate loving
kindness (Dacher, 2006) into my life. As
I have previously posted, I somehow have a dis-connect within myself where I
have terrible difficulty in expressing compassion and empathy possibly due to a
PTSD issue my doctor claims I suffer from.
Also, due to multiple injuries, I have suffered both recently and in the
past, I am not physically the person I once was or want to be. I very much desire strengthening my spiritual
tier as I once was.
Throughout this
course I have assessed my health in all domains and I seem to come up short in
all respects. As I have stated
previously, the last nine weeks have taken a toll on all aspects of my life due
to illness, injury, work issues and loss resulting in family issues. Because these have been identified, I now
have a starting point to recovery and holistic wellness. I set a goal for my physical tier to further
recovery from injury and illness though both western physical therapy and
through eastern methods such as acupuncture and aura therapy. Spiritually, I lost perspective, and am
seeking counseling through several methods from religion to my eastern medicine
physician who promises a wonderful outcome.
Mentally, though meditation, prayer and social groups, I have been able
to begin to pull myself out of hole I proverbially fell into.
My number one
strategy is to stick with what I have learned with this course. Meditation I have learned has helped me
significantly in all three tiers.
Utilizing breathing visualization techniques have helped me to look
beyond the fog of physical pain and depression, and have opened my spirit to
hope once again. I try to find time to
get away from the crowded areas demanding my attention and for at least a short
period in the day to practice diaphragmatic breathing while
performing visualization meditation (Seaward, 2009). Also, prior to going to sleep, I have begun
to perform progressive muscle relaxation techniques prescribed by my physical
therapist, and I can tell the times I forget.
During this exercise I focus on slightly tensing and then relaxing
particular muscle groups starting from my toes up to head. This technique has performed wonders for both
stress relief as well as muscle tension due to stress. Spiritual prayer I employ throughout the day,
when I first wake up, then while I am at work, and before I go to bed. I have seen a dramatic increase in my mood
and a decrease in my stress levels. Also I have learned the value of social
support (Sapolski, 2004). For years, I
felt I had to be that tough ole’ sarge who didn’t complain or seek help in
venting frustration and pain, I just went on with my life. As I was going though this course, the doors
from within began to crack open and shine light on things I have been hiding
from for years. Through a trusted
support network, I have been able to slowly vent off some of this pain and
horrible memories. Unfortunately due to
circumstance, many others surfaced.
Luckily now I
have help and I am aware of my condition, , I can say I am not sure how I will
assess my progress in the next six months as my life situation will be
completely different from what it is now with living in a new region and
hopefully with a new occupation. I do
know that throughout the next six months I will ensure my growth will be a
continual process with the integral health infrastructure which hasbuilt
ranging from the health and wellness counselor, medical practitioners,
spiritual counselors and social support groups.
As for long term, keeping with and moving forward in a holistic approach
is my goal, but I am incredibly intimidated by the process.
Thank you for reading.
Aaron
References:
Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing stress: Principles and
strategies for health and well-being. (6th ed.). Sudbury,
MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Dacher, E. (2006).
Integral Health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:
Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Sapolski, R.
(2005). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. (3rd
ed.) . New York, NY: St Martin’s Press.
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