Integral
health is based around having a flourished physical, psychological, and
spiritual connection with health. Meeting all of these needs and achieving true
self-awareness is the path to integral health. Today, I will be looking at
specific aspects of integral health, human flourishing, and creating a plan to
better myself in all areas. Since taking
a course in health and wellness I have seen the importance of body, mind, and
spiritual health. There are specific exercises and goals in place that I can
use to change my current status and continue on a new path in life. I will
start preparing for my integral journey by using the three skills including
loving-kindness, skillful action, and silence and stillness (Dacher, 2006, pp.51-55).
I need to be aware of others and care for them, have planned and skillful
actions, while also creating a still environment that are calm. By completing
these steps I can start on my path to integral health. Creating a plan for
success and sticking with can lead to true human flourishing and a life with
integral health.
First,
I would like to look at why it is important for health and wellness
professionals to have good health. If trying to teach others about health and
wellness I need to first know what I am talking about. Having first-hand
experience of the dedication and work it takes along with the results can
provide a good starting point for clients. For example, if a client comes in to
lose weight and eat better but, I do not seem to practice these rituals how
could they listen to me? The answer is fairly easy as they would not. Following
the integral vow is vital to success and a good relationship with all clients (Dacher,
2006, p.173). Taking the steps to start changing my life and having a health
mind, body, and spirit would help me in the health and wellness field when
working with clients in changing their life habits.
I
need to improve multiple areas to achieve the goals I have set for myself. My
psychological, physical, and spiritual areas need to be worked on in order to
move forward on my path of integral health. Having the connection with my inner
and outer components are vital as I need to transform my entire life. By doing
this I will be able to live a better life and assist clients more effectively.
It is vital that I understand the five guiding principles of integral health
which are holistic, evolutionary, intentional, person-centered, and dynamic.
There are four realms to health including psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal,
and worldly that must all be cared for (Dacher, 2006, p.36). Humans can evolve
toward new knowledge and amazing accomplishments and we can choose our path and
actions that can intentionally help others (Dacher, 2006, pp.37-46). Being
person-centered and focusing on the individual helps one stay dedicated. Also,
life is dynamic and forever changing which means we must be willing to shift
and move with the new and get rid of the old (Dacher, 2006, p.47). I need to
realize my full potential as a human on the inside and out. Having an
understanding of human flourishing can allow us to reach places we never
thought imaginable and can create a great life.
In
assessing my health in all three areas I have seen room for improvement. For
physical health I have assessed it to be poor and rate it 4 out of 10. I need
to improve my health as I have many health conditions (depressive disorder,
anxiety, etc.) which could be improved through the long and life changing
integral path. This also makes me score
my psychological dimension as well but, not great. I would give it 7 out of 10
because I am able to attend school and do fairly well while managing a
successful life. However, I am always down and depressed which means I need to
change my thought processes. The human mind is endless and a precious gift that
I should be grateful for. I have learned this and have been more outgoing and
positive since taking this course and starting to meditate. My spiritual health
needs improvement as well. I feel comfortable with my spirituality giving it a
fairly well rating with 6 out of 10. I need to attend church and pray to the
lord more. I have been very distant from my spirituality and faith as the world
can consume us. However, the more aware I am of my integral health overall the
more I connect with my religion as well.
Having
a great deal of work to do there are multiple goals that I need to meet in each
area of integral health. Making three goals with help me get started on the
path to truly changing my life and recognizing my true potential as a human
being. For physical health I would like have good health and I want to start by
losing at least 20 pounds so I can feel and look better. Starting to work out at least three times a
week is my starting goal to reach my final goal of having good health. My
psychological health is not the best as I constantly stress and battle with a depressive
disorder. However, I have a goal to maintain good psychological health and not
feel so stressed or depressed. I want to control my thoughts and feelings while
being able to connect with my inner self. Being completely connected with my
entire mind body and spirit is important to me. It is so hard to disconnect
from the outer world and look inside but, I need to reach this goal. Human
flourishing is a divine process that transforms us from ordinary to
extraordinary while reaching our full potential in an dynamic and forever
changing world.
As
for a spiritual goal I want to have a better relationship with my religion. I
have strong faith in the lord and Christianity but, I am not involved near
enough. Attending church regularly and
praying could greatly benefit not only my social relationships but, also my
health as prayer has been found to have medicinal benefits (Schlitz, Amorok,
& Micozzi, 2005, p.317). By setting these goals and I can actually create a
plan to reach them. Dacher (2006)
shares, “The development of our inner life is the most unique and precious
opportunity given to as humans” (p.59). I want to reach that full potential and
be able to experience this other side of life. Being connected with my mind,
body, and spirit as one is my true goal in life.
To
reach my goal of having good physical health I need to start working out at
least three times a week. By doing this I will start to lose weight and be able
to also connect with my inner self. My second strategy is to watch what I eat
and look for foods with health boosting benefits. Having a proper and balanced
diet is vital to achieve good physical health. I will start implementing this
by completing my exercises on time and constantly monitoring what I am eating.
My
psychological health may be a little more difficult to change but, it is
definitely possible. Using Olympic Mental Fitness or training my mind is the
first strategy to improving my mind’s health. This allows one to train certain
areas of their mind while improving their health in all three areas. I will
continue to practice mind body exercises such as Meeting Asclepius, The Subtle
Mind, and Loving-Kindness (Dacher, 2006, pp. 56-75). Each of these exercises
trains the mind while allow one to express negative emotions and place positive
energy throughout their body. Mediation
is a great exercise to train the mind as one can focus on specific areas and
improve them while also reducing stress (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Physical exercise can also help improve my
mental health which means the strategies above can also assist my psychological
health. I need to make a plan for mediation and exercising that I can stick to.
By creating a certain time and space to complete these activities I am more
likely to continue them faithfully.
To
improve my spiritual health I need to be connected with my mind, body, and
spirit as one. Being able to connect with myself on an inner level allows true
human flourishing. Two exercises that would be beneficial in spiritual health
would be meditation and visualization exercises. This would allow one to become
connected with their inner self and reach a spiritual level. By meditating and
using images of my religion I can learn to connect them deeper with my soul. I
can increase my spirituality by building a stronger connection with myself and
my religion. I need to use mediation and visualization daily to get in touch with
my spirituality and improve my health (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Having a place to go
that with be completed secluded and peaceful is important. I will add every
activity to my plan and complete them.
To
assess my progress or lack of progress in the next six months I will be keep
track of them. By using a program on my computer I will mark if I have
completed or not completed the exercises each week. By creating this chart it
will keep my progress and I will be able to review it. In six months I will
look at the results and see how far I have come. Understanding the importance
of integral health is crucial to maintaining long-term practices. I need to
constantly remember how it impacts my life to not complete these activities.
Looking at the long-term goal of reaching true human flourishing is a great
motivator. I have learned the
importance of the inner self and having a connection with one’s mind, body, and
spirit. When we can look at all the realms as one whole and complete them the
integral path has been reached. It will take a great deal of dedication and
work but, forever transforming my entire soul and purpose is definitely worth it.
References:
Dacher,
E. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:
Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Mayo
Clinic. (2014). Meditation: A simple,
fast way to reduce stress. Retrieved August 4, 2014 from
Schlitz,
M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi. M. (2005). Consciousness
and healing: Integral approaches to mind body medicine. St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
