My Plan for Fostering Integral Health

This week we are asked to post our Final Project in our blog post for this week! Mine follows.

My Plan for Fostering Integral Health

By Brandy Hairl

Kaplan University

HW420: Creating Wellness: Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

     Integral health is a very important achievement and one we all should strive for in our lives. This concept is not just for the everyday normal person, but also important for the health and wellness professional. It is very important for the health and wellness professional to present a picture of integral health if they are to aid others in fostering this lifestyle. In order to educate, advocate, and aid others in attaining this goal one must live the life and be the example. In striving for Integral health there is three facets of our lives that need focus and attention, they are physical, psychological, and also spiritual. Maintaining these three facets of our lives through contemplative practices allows the professional to practice what they advocate for. Often times it is easier to be an example by action to teach someone how to improve the quality of life by striving for Integral Health and ultimately human flourishing. (Dacher, 2006)

     I am no exception to the rule. I am also striving for Integral health. Part of the journey to this goal is discovering obstacles and weakness, then eliminating them using contemplative practice. For me my specific weakness is the Spiritual aspect of my life. I have not been religious for a very long time. In fact I am really unsure what I believe as far as God and a higher being. What I do enjoy is communing with nature. Doing this connects me to the world around me and aids me in feeling centered and grounded. This is what I plan to focus on. The other area I am always striving to do better in is psychological. As with many people these days stress is rampant, and my life is no different. I am constantly working toward finding healthy ways to harness and release stress and anxiety from my life.

     In order to properly progress down the path to Integral health it is necessary to look introspectively and take inventory of ones life and access needs, obstacles, and goals. For me personally I have taken health inventories and most recently used a graded system to rate my life in each of the three facets. After rating the three domains, based on those numbers I set goals that focus on ways to better each of the three facets of my life. Some facets are more advanced than others, but in my own humble opinion there is always work to be done and higher goals to achieve.

     In regards to my own personal inventory and physical domain, I rated myself at an 8 as I work out 4-5 days a week and try to stay active. However, I did not give myself a 10 as I still over-weight even after having lost over one hundred pounds. As for my spiritual well-being I will rate myself at a 6. I am not religious, but do consider myself to be spiritual, but this area could use some work. My psychological well-being on a normal basis I would rate at a 7. This is also an area that can always use improving. I tend to stress and worry often but I am working toward implementing strategies that will lessen the stress.

     For each of these areas I have set goals. For my physical well-being I will stay on track as I am and continue toward my goal of my healthy goal weight. In order to do this I will continue to be physically active and participate in vigorous physical exercise for 30-45 minutes 4-5 days a week. This includes cardiopulmonary activity, strength training, and also stretching and flexibility exercises. I will also continue to monitor my eating habits by being more consistent in keeping a food journal as I have off and on for three years. For my spiritual well-being I will seek and give forgiveness to those who I have wronged and feel as though have wronged me. I will garden more, as this allows me to commune with nature, as well as it allows for time to observe and admire the beauty of my surroundings. This time will also allow me to seek peace and stillness in my mind. This leads to my psychological wellness goals. For this aspect of my life I will more diligently and consistently participate in my yoga practice. The deep breathing and meditative aspects of yoga allow for relieving of stress and calming my over-worked mind. This leads to less stress, worry, and anxiety.

     We know that personal inventory and goal setting is very important for continuing toward to the goal of integral heath and wellness. However, implementing practices to facilitate these goals is even more crucial. No matter what facet, nor what practice; hard-work, diligence, and consistency are the keys to making these goals become reality. For me personally in addition to practices already mentioned there are many other exercises that can be used to attain my goals in each of the three domains. In order to further improve the physiological aspect of my life, I can implement new forms of exercise such as dance and or Pilates, and also focus more on strength training rather than just cardio. I have done some Pilates but not consistently, however the benefits to my body were evident from the first time I tried it. More specific ways that I can fine tune my spiritual side is through meditation, mental imagery, and also visualization. Specifically exercises such as those provided in Elliot Dacher’s book Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. (Dacher, 2006) Some of my favorites included the Subtle Mind exercise as well as the Visualization exercises in chapter fourteen. I plan to include these in my weekly routine to foster an improved spiritual being. Finally, other ways to foster better psychological health in my life include yoga with deep breathing and meditation, as well as using mental imagery and visualization for relaxation and calming purposes. In addition to the previous mention of implementing forgiveness as a means to foster improved mental health, I have been engaging in a daily gratefulness exercise for the last twenty days. I believe that recognizing and highlighting the wonderful things in my life affirms positivity and gratefulness which inspires loving-kindness which ultimately aids in human flourishing.

     I mentioned previously that the keys to being successful with most any endeavor in life are hard-work, diligence, and consistency. Commitment is also very important. I think that above all else, committing to making change is the most important yet difficult step on this journey to Integral Heath and human flourishing. We can contemplate change, make assessments, produce goals and plans for change, but ultimately committing to the journey and following through is the hard part. The most effective ways that have worked for me in the past as well as the present are personal accountability and having a strong support structure around me. With these two tools I know I can achieve any of my health and wellness goals.

     Personal accountability has been one of the best tools I have used to help me stay committed. One way I utilize this tool is through keeping journals and diaries, specifically exercise and food diaries. In order to foster better psychological and spiritual well-being I can add those to the lists of journals I keep. Perhaps keeping a log of my meditative practices, just as I log my exercises into my fitness tracker, this could help me keep up with how often I am actually practicing these exercises. I can continue to maintain my gratefulness exercises in this manner as well. The other important way I am able to reach my goals is by having the love, support, and help of my friends and family. I have the best support structure, they keep me accountable, remind me of my achievements as well as when I need to give myself a break.

     The path to integral health and wellness and human flourishing is long and ongoing, but very much worth the journey. Through contemplative practices I can continue to evolve and grow and flourish. By doing so my hope is that I am a beacon of light to others. My wish is that though my own path to flourishing I can be an example and advocate for integral health in others. Using my own journey and experiences I want to be of service to others and aid in health and healing using the integral vision; ending human suffering. In my own quest to find health, happiness, and wholeness I hope to provide the same to others as we are all unique deserving beings who has the full potential for flourishing. (Dacher, 2006)

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.