Final Post for Integral Health Class

In my Unit 3 Blog I wrote...

On a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being optimal wellbeing), I  would rate my physical wellbeing, spiritual well-being, and psychological well-being all at about an 8. I have lived my adult life with an awareness of the importance of health and balance in these three aspects of human experience. 

Physically, I try to take good care of myself. In general, I eat healthy food, I get a moderate amount of exercise. There is room for improvement in all of these areas. I could eat more fruits and veggies, while decreasing my intake of sugary sweet snacks. Anyone who knows me, knows my weakness for chocolate. 

I really need to increase my level of aerobic activity, and maintain it. I walk and practice yoga asana daily. Sometimes I bike. Sometimes I jog. I need to make this a more routine part of my week. 

I would like to say my score has changed, but it hasn’t that much. I think I have made progress with my meditation practice. My exercise routine needs more improvement. My diet is making slow progress. I believe it takes consistent time and effort to implement lifestyle changes. It all begins with the mind, so taking things one step at a time, focusing on my meditation practice is foundational for changing the rest of my life. I think I have gotten to be more consistent with my meditation practice. Every morning when I wake up I spend some time focusing on my breath and maintaining a calm, quiet mind. Often I do my morning meditation in bed. Periodically throughout my day I meditate. I integrate meditation into the Yoga classes I teach. These meditation sessions have grown longer because of this course. I also focus on clearing my mind and breathing whenever I find my the wheels of my mind spinning. 

Lately, I have become more aware of the food I eat, especially because I have been experiencing hives, which I suspect are related to refined sugar and gluten. The Diet and Nutrition course I took through Kaplan was very informative and inspirational. I was eating very well, until the holidays anyhow. I broke out in hives in late January. A month later I cut the sugar from my diet and it cleared up quickly. I got back from China in late March and started eating sugary foods again. I broke out instantly. Sugar is a big weakness of mine. It has been a daily challenge for me to cut the sugar from my diet. It is much like trying to quit smoking or drinking. I must take it one day at a time.

 I still walk daily, practice yoga daily, and I bike and hike from time to time, but lately I have not gotten out as much as I would like, because it has been cold and rainy. Also I’ve been super busy. I really want to achieve my optimal health. I think as the weather improves, I will get out more. I’m considering getting a stationary bike or a treadmill so that I can get more aerobic activity without having to brave the elements. 

I have really enjoyed the class, Creating Wellness. The best thing about the class is that it reinforced and refined my personal philosophy of health and optimizing health care. Integral health, to me is optimization of health care practice. My goal is to become an Occupational Therapist and still use all of my CAM practices in my toolbox. It has always made sense to me that no one discipline has all the answers, that different practices work on different people, and that there is value and benefit from every medical tradition. I do not want to be a physical therapist who hands you a piece of paper with a few exercises on it and tells advocates taking muscle relaxers and cortisone shots as a first option. I do want to be a healer that teaches my patients to take the best possible care of themselves as they can. This class has taken me a step closer to that goal. I am now more comfortable with teaching meditation techniques and calling upon my breath whenever I am in a situation where I need to focus. It has helped me to build present moment awareness, be more compassionate, loving, kind, and calm. Over time I have developed my sense of karma, of service and action. This class has aided me to act in a way that is beneficial to help others within healthy boundaries. Sometimes I think I am too nice, too generous, to willing to bail people out of problems they brought upon themselves. I am growing stronger and more independent each day. 

अभिग्र्रह

ABHIGRAHA is Sanskrit for resolution. My abhigraha is to live the life that fulfills my spirit. I wish to project positive energy into the world. I am not perfect by any means. Family dynamics and work politics can be huge challenges for my cognitive and emotional wellbeing, but practicing अहिंसा AHIMSA (nonviolence) liberates me. My favorite mantra is 

ॐ सवा हः OM SWA HAH, let it go.