Father's Day

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there! My Dad is 2,000 miles away, but I will be talking to him sometime today. Been busy working on a tax return for a final exam in my tax class. It's complicated! I now remember why I never wanted to become an accountant!!!

Looking forward to the next two weekends without homework to do. The past year and a half have been a lot of working returning to school, but I am hoping to be done after two more classes. I don't know what I will do with all of my free time! Probably catch up on a year and a half of cleaning house. LOL.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers I know. I saw my Mother for a quick visit yesterday, but we will make plans to get together next weekend for some fun. Both of my daughter's were working today and I had homework to catch up on. It is my first Mother's Day knowing I will become a grandma this year. It is not something I was expecting or hoping for (so soon). It will be a big adjustment for all of us, but it is getting easier to tell my family and friends about it.
I miss my friend that I ended a relationship with. Why are the things that are often the best for us the things that make us sad? I just don't understand my feelings. I should know better!
I did get a good walk in this morning. Otherwise, I had a pretty relaxing day at home. No excitement for me today. Well, time to finish the laundry and get some sleep. Goodnight!

After Class Update

I know we do not need to blog anymore, but I figured this was easier than writing a journal. I am still working on the meditation exercises, just not on a regular basis. I made it to the gym twice last week with my neighbor, but she is planning a trip to Spain and has been "flaking" out on going. I ended the "unhealthy" relationship that I knew I needed to get out of. So I am making small steps towards some good changes in my life. I am so happy that I took this course and learned some useful tools for my self.
On another note, I took a road trip with a former neighbor and high school friend. She and I stayed with some other friends for the weekend, while I also got to go to a big carshow with some of my car club buddies. It was a wonderful break from home, work, and school. Very refreshing!

Unit 10 - Farewell!

My original assessment was: Psychological = 7            Physical = 4  Spiritual = 0

My current assessment is:     Psychological = 7            Physical = 5  Spiritual = 3

The reason my psychological has not changed is because I feel I overrated myself the first time. I need some work in this area as far as having more loving kindness and calming my mind. I have not had much success with the meditation exercises, but I have not given up. I will continue working towards reaching a more calm state for myself. My physical has not changed very much. Due to nicer weather, I have been walking in the early morning on weekends, and my neck problems are getting a little better. I have not returned to the gym yet, and I have not lost any weight, so I still need to continue my efforts. My spiritual was actually always there a little, but I am just now discovering it. I would like to get out and enjoy nature more. We had the strangest weather today. We all stopped working around 4pm to look out the windows at the hail-snow that was falling. We almost never get snow around here. The cars in the parking lot were getting coated in a hail-snow slush. It was quite a sight to see. Amazing!

I am still working on my implementation plan for improving my well-being in all of these areas. I have truly enjoyed sharing experiences with others in class and appreciate all of the encouragement I have received from everyone. I took this class as an elective, and am very happy that I did. It has been a pleasure to learn from everyone and has helped me with my personal growth. Thanks!!!

Unit 9 Project Blog

Introduction: It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because of the treatment limitations they face if they do not. They need to understand the importance of an integral, holistic health approach and need to experience it for themselves in order to convey this to their patients in their care plans. I have learned so much about myself, and I still have much to learn. I need to develop a lot more in all three areas.

Assessment: At the beginning of this course, I rated myself at a zero spiritually, a four physically, and a seven psychologically. These have changed after all of our reading and interactions on both the discussion board and our blogs. I have redefined my concept of spirituality and would rate myself at about a three spiritually. I still need lots of work in this area, but I enjoy nature and find a beauty in it that can make me feel happy and peaceful. Physically, I have not had very much change, but I would still up it to a five. My neck pain that began in January is better, and I have been out walking on the weekends. My rating psychologically is a tough one. Even though I think I am a kind, easy-going, and well-grounded person, I realize that I could use some more loving-kindness towards others. I have also reevaluated some of my friendships and relationships and realize that some of them are not very beneficial to my well-being.

Goal development: My physical goal is to become healthier and more active. My psychological goal is to end an unhealthy relationship and become more at peace with myself. My spiritual goal is to continue practicing meditation exercises and taking nature walks. I will also be getting monthly massages to develop in all three areas.

Practices for personal health: My strategy to foster growth in my physical health would be to exercise more. I joined a gym last year that I have not gone to for six months. Gyms intimidate me, but since I am still paying for the use of it, I plan to go back. Now that the weather is better, I can get out of the house and walk more, which I really enjoy. My strategy to foster growth in my psychological health is to end an unhealthy relationship that I am no longer happy in. I also plan to put more effort into my other friendships and relationships. I will be going on a three-day road trip in two weeks with a friend I have known since kindergarten. My strategy to foster my spiritual growth would be to continue practicing the meditation exercises. As soon as I have some free time, I would also like to give yoga a try. I have also discovered the benefits of massage therapy. I have found that it fosters growth in my physical, mental, and spiritual well-being all in one peaceful and relaxing hour.

Commitment: For getting more active, I can set a goal to lose a couple pounds each month. I can track my exercise and weight loss in a journal on a daily or weekly basis. My neighbor belongs to the gym that I have not been to lately, so maybe I can enlist her help to get me started up again. As far as ending an unhealthy relationship, once I make the commitment to un-involve myself, I am sure that will be that. I have to remember that it is for my own peace of mind and well-being. To continue the meditation practices, I need to establish a regular routine and also a backup plan in case my routine gets disrupted. I can also track my meditation practices in a journal. It seems more realistic and a better strategy when you have your goals in writing. I have also committed to having monthly massages for the next six months, which has helped me in all three areas.

Unit 8 Blog

Loving Kindness is the first practice that I can and would like to implement in my life. Everything bad you have ever heard about California drivers is probably true. I find myself to be an unkind person when I am driving and see other people do stupid things. I have even told myself that my thoughts or words are not following loving kindness. I do not like the way I feel when I get angry with others on the road. Maybe it is because they are strangers to me, but I know that it is not a healthy way to react. I need to learn to just accept others actions as mistakes and let it go without much thought or reaction.

The second practice I would like to implement is the subtle mind. As with loving kindness, I need to learn to calm my mind so I can calm my reactions. I often find myself dwelling on past situations that I cannot change and therefore am wasting my time thinking about. My mind is very busy and cluttered, so I would like to learn to let go of things that really are not important. I would like to train my mind to focus on more important things, especially my own well-being.

Unit 7 Post

"Meeting Asclepius" was not a difficult exercise to try, but I did not achieve a sense of accomplishment with it. I was able to imagine a wise person, but I could not reach any deep level of thought or feeling with the experience. I found the long pauses on the track left my mind open to wandering off too much. I know I still need to work on my quiet place and my focus with all of these exercises.

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” refers to the ability to teach others about integral health if you are not practicing it yourself. You won’t have the knowledge or experience to help others on this path if you have not been there yourself. In regards to the health and wellness professional, you want someone that “practices what they preach”. We once discussed overweight physicians telling you to lose weight. It is hard to believe in someone or to take them seriously if they do not follow their own advice. If you feel they are being hypocritical, you will not take them seriously and will not follow their advice either.

Unit 6 Blog

I have not made much progress with any of the meditation exercises. I have not been able to find a quiet, undisturbed place to practice them. I am either interrupted, or I cannot keep my mind from wandering off in other directions. It just gets away from me, yet I know how much I could benefit from doing them.

For my personal integral health assessment I will begin with my psychospiritual flourishing. I believe that my motivation is mostly based on survival needs and some psychological needs. I try to be sensible and grounded, but I let my instincts and reactions get the better of me at times. I am a creature of habit, and my first thought is to take care of myself, not others (unless it involves my loved ones). So, I am inwardly selfish, but I don’t think I portray that side of myself to others. I would like to think that I am neutral when it comes to my emotions, but I do not have a “poker face”, so there are times when my negativity is easy to spot. Honestly, I could use a lot of work on loving-kindness practices and learning to think more of others before myself.

For my biological flourishing, my nutrition is not bad, but there is always room for some improvement. I joined a gym last year, which I have not been to for months, so it is obvious I could use some discipline in this area. I enjoy the simpler activities like walking because I can combine that with being outdoors and enjoying the scenery or weather. I know that I should develop a regular workout plan and stick to it.

For interpersonal flourishing, I have always said that family comes first. Of course, having been a working mom most of my life, it was sometimes easier said than done. I have some friends that I have known most of life that I still keep in touch with, and just last year I joined a car club and have met and made some wonderful new friends. My work relationships are always pleasant, but I have a tendency to keep to myself and avoid some of the chit-chat and drama that accompanies a work environment. I think this gives some people the first impression that I am not friendly or approachable. I have made some good friends at other jobs, and then have lost touch when we weren’t working together, so I tend to keep workplace friendships at a distance now. I guess I could learn to be more open to and trusting of others.

Worldly flourishing is not a big part of my life right now. The car club I joined last year does community activities, and I sometimes participate. We collect food for a local homeless shelter, we raise funds for scholarships, we send food and supplies to the troops serving overseas, and we participate in local parades. I recycle at home, but I am probably more wasteful than I realize. I don’t spend much time thinking beyond what I need to do in the present. This is an area I could work on developing, but I need more hours in the day. Work, school, and life in general are keeping me quite busy lately.

Overall, I have a lot of areas I could improve in. I think the most important is to work on my biological flourishing. I think that if I felt stronger, healthier, and more energetic, it would give me the start I needed to work on the other areas in my life. Of course it sounds selfish, but we to be healthy ourselves to persevere and grow. Now, I am off to attempt another meditation exercise. Wish me luck!

Unit 5 Post

I was much more comfortable with the Subtle mind exercise than the Loving Kindness exercise. I could not capture the feelings of love that Loving Kindness required. It is not that I do not love the people in my life, but that overwhelming feeling was just not there. For the Subtle mind exercise, I found it simple enough, but I have not been able to find a place where I can truly relax. I lose my concentration quickly and am not able to focus, so I give up after a while. I get frustrated with my busy mind and would like to be able to calm it down. This just proves to me how much I undoubtedly need to learn this. I wonder if there is an exercise out there called “Relaxing for Dummies”!

Comparing spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness is not easy for me, either. I originally rated myself a zero in spirituality, but I upped it to a two after enjoying a beautiful morning walk. I am not a big nature girl, but I enjoy the simple and natural beauty of frost in the morning, the sun shining, clouds blowing across the sky, a glowing sunset, waves crashing onto a beach, etc. These things make feel connected to this earth in a way nothing else can. I guess seeing the beauty in everything around you can be spiritual. If you can do that, be it in nature, or people, or everyday items, you have a healthy spirit. This can be a foundation for a healthy mental outlook, which improves your physical wellness in turn. I have a good appreciation for nature and people, and my mental well-being is not bad, but needs improvement, just as my physical health does.

Sally

Loving Kindness and Mental Workout

Loving Kindness:

I am really struggling with the Loving Kindness exercise. I have two daughters that I love dearly and would do anything for, but I cannot elicit the feelings that the exercise suggests I should have when thinking of one or the other of them. I have the same problem when trying to think of either my mother or father. I cannot feel the depth of emotions that it seems I should have to complete the exercise. I know that I tend to hide my feelings quite deep inside, so I will continue to try this exercise and report later if I have any success with it.

Mental Workout:

The concept of a “Mental Workout” is to use contemplative practices to open our hearts and minds, and then to further develop the mind. Without using our mind and exercising it, we are not attaining our potential to discover and evolve our psychospiritual self. The two types on contemplative practices are loving kindness and the subtle mind. Loving kindness is to focus our concern and compassion on others and their needs before our own. The subtle mind is the taming of our busy minds to a stillness where we can develop a witnessing consciousness, or a trained mind that can set aside distractions and become clear and focused towards peacefulness.

Spiritual well-being

I meant to post this first thing this morning, but it has been a busy day! So I got up and took a walk this morning around 7:30am. It had rained yesterday, and then hit the 30's last night. When I got outside, the sky was clear and the sun was shining, while everything was covered in a beautiful frost. Cars, lawns, bushes, rooftops - it was so pretty I wished I had a camera with me. I watched as the sun melted areas of frost and a magical mist came rising off of the things it was warming. I think enjoying this natural beauty upped my spiritual level from a 0 to a 2 or 3. I took spiritual to mean basically just a strong belief or faith in something, but I felt something inside of me that made me feel a part of all that I was seeing. Today started beautifully!

Unit 3 Blog

Well, I am going to try to be as honest as I can be about my ratings:

Physcial well-being: 4 - My goal is to be more active. I have already started walking on the weekends, and will start some stationary cycling during the week. I might even start going to the gym I joined last year!

Spiritual well-being: 0 - My goal is to learn meditation. After I learn to to meditate, then I will try to practice it on a regular basis.

Psychological well-being: 7 - My goal is to "calm down" or worry less. That is what my daughter always says to me. She thinks I get worked up too easily over things that aren't that important and I think she knows me all too well.

For the "Crime of the Century", I enjoyed this exercise, but I could not concentrate for the entire time. I found the voice relaxing, but I found myself disagreeing with some of the suggestions he was was telling us to repeat out loud. I think I was too disagreeable to get into it, but plan to try it again soon.

Sally

Reflective Statement

I am in this class because I needed to take an elective for my Accounting degree. There were so many choices available, and I was even considering one called "Investigating Cybercrime". I made out a list of about ten possible choices, but I cannot explain how I ended up choosing this class, except to say that the description drew me in. I believe that all things happen for a reason, and perhaps by the end of this course, I will discover the reason I am here. I do believe this class will teach me a lot about myself and help direct me towards a healthier lifestyle. I am not the most disciplined person, so I know this may be a challenge for me. I intend to move forward with a positive attitude and am eager to learn more about meditation and other techniques for self-improvement.

Introduction

Hi Class!

First of all, I am terrible when it comes to sharing about myself. But I'll give it a try!
I am a native Californian and haven't been out of the state much and have never left the country. I hope to travel as soon as I can retire. Maybe in about ten to fifteen years?
I have two daughters that will both be starting college in the fall, around the time I will be finishing.
I work for the local government in a mid-level accounting position, but I will be able to promote once I get my Bachelor's in Accounting from Kaplan this year.
I joined a local Mustang Club last March, and truly enjoy going on outings with them throughout the year. It is the most fun I have had in a long time. There is nothing like a convertible in this lovely weather!
I look forward to talking to you all soon!

Sally

Saturday, 2/5/11

Hello! This is test to see if I set up my blog correctly. It's a sunny, breezy day here in Vacaville, CA. It's time to take a drive in the convertible just to feel the sunshine on my shoulders. Although, I should be doing more of my homework!