Unit 8- Exercises and practice sessions

1. Review the exercises and practice sessions you have completed in this course. (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.) Choose two practices that you have determined to be most beneficial. How can you implement these practices in your personal life to foster “mental fitness”? Provide specific examples.

            Personally, I find the Loving Kindness and the Subtle mind exercise to be very beneficial. I have been practicing these exercises since the beginning of the course and have seen many great benefits, such as an ability to concentrate better and a sense of calmness. I will implement these exercises as I am currently doing; which is to take some time in each day to practice. Similar to the physical body, mental fitness can be gain by training the brain on a consistent base. Also, it is important not to just stick to one specific practice; therefore, I plan to eventually start practicing other types of exercises. All and all, daily practice and implementing come change can lead to mental fitness.

Unit 7- Meeting Aesclepius

1. Complete the Meeting Aesclepius mp3 (located in the Doc Sharing area). Describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

The Meeting Aesclepius exercise was very interesting as it allows one to visualize characteristics that seem important and image that one has those characteristics. When I first started doing the exercise, different individuals came to mind; therefore, it was difficult to concentrate on one individual. However, I decided to choose one person per day; this allowed for the experience to be different every day. Undoubtedly, these past few weeks I have notice a great change in my psychological and spiritual health. Meditation has helped to decrease stress levels and has allowed me to feel inner peace. I plan to continue to incorporate meditation practices in my life in order to foster greater health and wellness. By remembering the benefits of meditative practices, I continue to put my psychological and spiritual health, along with my physical health, as a priority.

2. Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477). How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

Undoubtedly, it is difficult to guide others on a path that one is not familiar with. Unless one has experienced a certain adversity, they may not be aware of all challenges and difficulties that may occur in the process. For a health and wellness professional it is important to reach the point of feeling wholeness, as it helps to properly guide one’s clients. Additionally if one experiences that inner peace it is easier for others to pick up on it and incorporate it in their lives. Personally, I feel an obligation to help my clients in their entire personal development. Being equipped with the information that I have, I find it necessary to spread the knowledge. Additionally, I know that physical health is affected by one’s psychological and spiritual health; therefore, in order for my client’s to thrive physically, psychological and spiritual health needs to be addressed. By relaying all this information and by incorporating holistic practices, I am able to see psychological and spiritual growth in my life.

Unit 6 -Integrative assessment

Integrative assessment- Unit 6 

            After having meditation for a couple of weeks and undergoing the assessment, I have noticed many changes about myself. First and foremost, I am more concentrated when completing the Loving Kindness meditation. Throughout the time doing the meditation exercise I have noticed that I feel calmer and on the right path towards wholeness; undoubtedly, after going through the assessment, my thoughts were validated. Personally, I have seen that my relationships with others have become better, as I am able to see things differently.

            Even though, I have always been open-minded and laid back, there is always room to grow. Becoming a little more open-mind would be one of the areas that I would like to develop further. Sometimes, I feel that stress may gear me off the right path; however, it is important to develop an open mind and a light heart, in order to avoid the effects of stress. I will continue to incorporate meditation into my daily routine as well as implement some relaxation techniques. Alongside, I would like to familiarize myself with Reiki healing, as I have heard that it has many great benefits.