During Unit 3, the scores I gave myself for each area of wellness were: physical-5, psychological-8, and spiritual-6. However, these scores are no longer accurate for a number of reasons. First of all, I have learned SO much these last few weeks! In Unit 3 I was scoring myself on what I thought physical, mental and spiritual health was. Once I had learned what it really means to be healthy in these areas, I had to adjust the previous scores. A couple of weeks ago when I reassessed and adjusted my wellness scores (taking everything I had learned into account), my wellness levels were: physical-7, psychological-6, and spiritual-4.
Throughout this entire class, I have set multiple health goals and have worked towards continued growth and development in all 3 of these areas. While I still have a way to go in each area, I am happy to say that I have made some progress! My new scores would be: physical-8, psychological-7, and spiritual-6.
I have definitely made progress in my specific goals since Unit 3 as well. I originally set goals to start exercising each morning, practicing yoga to help de-stress and spending at least 1 hour a week developing my spirituality. Since then, I have successfully started running again each day, practicing yoga 3 times a week and have made daily prayer and attending church more of a priority in my life. I especially feel that running and yoga have helped me in all three areas of my wellness. Both of these activities have given me the opportunity to increase my physical health, de-stress and calm my mind, and increase my spirituality, all at the same time.
I personally have loved this entire course and am extremely thankful for everything I have learned. Some people may think of this class simply as a requirement for their degree, however I truly feel like this class was a life-changer! By implementing many of the practices and concepts I have learned, I have drastically improved my quality of life already. I know that this will also help me give the best care to my patients in my future career as a Naturopath. By starting on my path to human flourishing now, I look forward to being able to help so many others begin their journey later on!
Always in health and happiness,
Hannah
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
The Big Finale!
Final Project - HW420 Creating Wellness: Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Healing
I. Introduction:
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because our health does not only depend on the state of our physical body. Our text points out that "The condition of our body is a reflection of the condition of our mind" (Dacher, 2006, p.18). In order to achieve true health and wellness, we must develop ourselves in all of these areas-mind, body and spirit. Health and wellness professionals are not exempt from this idea. It is crucial that these professionals develop fully in all areas for a number of reasons. First, a person cannot teach something they have not found to be true for themselves, meaning a health care provider cannot teach a patient how to further develop in mind, body and spirit if they have never taken the time to do it personally. It is impossible to effectively teach unfamiliar concepts. Another reason health professionals must first develop themselves physically, psychologically and spiritually is because they can then be the actual resource that helps others heal and find wholeness. Dacher states that "The power of our mind can transcend physical space to affect the body, mind, and spirit of all those we touch" (2006, p. 23). Health and wellness professionals that have developed further physically, psychologically and spiritually can then become the healing force that helps others find true health. In order to be an effective and beneficial health professional myself, I must also work towards development in all three of these areas.
II. Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
In this course I have learned that health and wellness does not just pertain to our biological bodies. To be truly healthy we must tend to our physical, spiritual and psychological health. One way I have learned to accurately assess my overall health is to continuously ask myself specific and sometimes uncomfortable questions. The text gives two questions in particular to use as a starting point for assessment: "Which aspects of our life are the most significant sources of distress? Where is our greatest possibility for growth and development?" (Dacher, 2006, p. 105). By starting with these questions and answering them each honestly, I was able to then identify areas in my life that I need to further develop.
When we first were asked to assess our health in the three areas of physically, spiritually and psychologically several weeks ago, I originally gave myself a 5 in physical, 6 in spiritual, and 8 in psychological (on a scale of 1 to 10). However, after continuing with this course, I feel that these numbers are no longer accurate. For my physical health I looked at a variety of factors, such as my nutrition, current exercise habits, energy levels, sleep habits, strength and endurance. In most of these areas I score pretty well, except the daily exercise. I am still slowly getting back to exercising regularly after pregnancy. While it has been hard to find time with family and school responsibilities, I have gradually added more workouts to each week. Because of this improvement, I would now give myself a 7 in this area. I think if I keep improving my exercise habits, I will continue to see the physical benefits increase.
To assess my spiritual health, I mainly based my questions on whether or not I am currently participating in any daily activities that develop and increase my spirituality. I have always been religious, but when I actually stopped and assessed myself, I realized that I may have been religious my whole life, but have fluctuated in my levels of spirituality. Previously, I gave myself a score of 6 in spirituality, but I would now change that to a more realistic score of 4. After taking this class I have realized that just having a belief system is not enough, I need to actively and consistently work towards development and growth each day.
In the last area, psychological, I had given myself a score of 8 out of 10. Once again, after taking this class I would have to adjust this number to a 6. While I do consider myself of sound mind and a sane person, I have realized that psychological health also encompasses our mental chatter. I often struggle with negative and unhealthy thinking, especially towards myself. I now know that our thoughts are extremely powerful and can affect all other areas of our health. In order to improve my psychological wellness, I must improve the quality of my thoughts.
III. Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
I have recently set several goals for myself in each of these three areas. In the physical category, I have committed to exercising for at least 30 minutes each day/5 days a week. In the psychological area, I have decided to work on decreasing negative thoughts and reducing mental chatter. In the spiritual category, I have made a goal to spend at least 30 minutes each day devoted to spiritual growth activities.
IV. Practices for personal health:
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
One of the best strategies I can implement to foster growth in all of these areas is to schedule these activities into my day. If there is a time spot for it on my daily calendar, or if it
is written on my "To Do" list, I know that I will complete it each day. By officially scheduling personal growth activities like exercise and meditation on my agenda, I will give them the same priority as doctor appointments, class, etc.
In the physical domain, I can further my development with several activities. I plan to start running and practicing yoga on a daily basis again. By incorporating these two exercises into my daily life, I will improve my physical health while also receiving benefits in the spiritual and mental domains as well. To increase psychological wellness I plan to decrease negative thoughts and reduce mental chatter. The two best practices that will help work towards this goal are Loving-Kindness and Subtle Mind/meditation. By practicing Loving-Kindness each day, I will develop the ability to feel more loving kindness towards myself as well as others. The Subtle Mind practice (which I consider similar to meditation) will help me quiet my mind, reduce mental chatter and maintain a state of mental peace. For spiritual development, I plan to integrate daily prayer as well as make attending church each week more of a priority. In time, both of these activities will help me further develop my spirituality.
V. Commitment:
How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
One of the best ways I can assess my progress in the next six months is to make sure I keep a detailed record of each of my assessments and periodically compare the results. By writing out my original assessment, the scores I give myself in each of the three categories, as well as my goals, it will be easier for me to reassess in six months and compare my results. Each time, I can re-ask the same questions and see if my answers have changed. I also like the idea of scoring myself in each area, every time. This will give me a general idea of whether or not I have made any progress in my growth and development in a specific area/goal. Another simple thing I know I can do to stay on track with my goals is to create a check-off calendar. By having a calendar that I can mark each time I complete my daily goal of exercising/meditating/praying, I can easily and quickly assess my progress thus far. If I consistently put in the work and stay conscious of my long-term goal, I know I will eventually see the results and reap the benefits from these activities.
Source:
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
I. Introduction:
Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because our health does not only depend on the state of our physical body. Our text points out that "The condition of our body is a reflection of the condition of our mind" (Dacher, 2006, p.18). In order to achieve true health and wellness, we must develop ourselves in all of these areas-mind, body and spirit. Health and wellness professionals are not exempt from this idea. It is crucial that these professionals develop fully in all areas for a number of reasons. First, a person cannot teach something they have not found to be true for themselves, meaning a health care provider cannot teach a patient how to further develop in mind, body and spirit if they have never taken the time to do it personally. It is impossible to effectively teach unfamiliar concepts. Another reason health professionals must first develop themselves physically, psychologically and spiritually is because they can then be the actual resource that helps others heal and find wholeness. Dacher states that "The power of our mind can transcend physical space to affect the body, mind, and spirit of all those we touch" (2006, p. 23). Health and wellness professionals that have developed further physically, psychologically and spiritually can then become the healing force that helps others find true health. In order to be an effective and beneficial health professional myself, I must also work towards development in all three of these areas.
II. Assessment:
How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
In this course I have learned that health and wellness does not just pertain to our biological bodies. To be truly healthy we must tend to our physical, spiritual and psychological health. One way I have learned to accurately assess my overall health is to continuously ask myself specific and sometimes uncomfortable questions. The text gives two questions in particular to use as a starting point for assessment: "Which aspects of our life are the most significant sources of distress? Where is our greatest possibility for growth and development?" (Dacher, 2006, p. 105). By starting with these questions and answering them each honestly, I was able to then identify areas in my life that I need to further develop.
When we first were asked to assess our health in the three areas of physically, spiritually and psychologically several weeks ago, I originally gave myself a 5 in physical, 6 in spiritual, and 8 in psychological (on a scale of 1 to 10). However, after continuing with this course, I feel that these numbers are no longer accurate. For my physical health I looked at a variety of factors, such as my nutrition, current exercise habits, energy levels, sleep habits, strength and endurance. In most of these areas I score pretty well, except the daily exercise. I am still slowly getting back to exercising regularly after pregnancy. While it has been hard to find time with family and school responsibilities, I have gradually added more workouts to each week. Because of this improvement, I would now give myself a 7 in this area. I think if I keep improving my exercise habits, I will continue to see the physical benefits increase.
To assess my spiritual health, I mainly based my questions on whether or not I am currently participating in any daily activities that develop and increase my spirituality. I have always been religious, but when I actually stopped and assessed myself, I realized that I may have been religious my whole life, but have fluctuated in my levels of spirituality. Previously, I gave myself a score of 6 in spirituality, but I would now change that to a more realistic score of 4. After taking this class I have realized that just having a belief system is not enough, I need to actively and consistently work towards development and growth each day.
In the last area, psychological, I had given myself a score of 8 out of 10. Once again, after taking this class I would have to adjust this number to a 6. While I do consider myself of sound mind and a sane person, I have realized that psychological health also encompasses our mental chatter. I often struggle with negative and unhealthy thinking, especially towards myself. I now know that our thoughts are extremely powerful and can affect all other areas of our health. In order to improve my psychological wellness, I must improve the quality of my thoughts.
III. Goal development:
List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
I have recently set several goals for myself in each of these three areas. In the physical category, I have committed to exercising for at least 30 minutes each day/5 days a week. In the psychological area, I have decided to work on decreasing negative thoughts and reducing mental chatter. In the spiritual category, I have made a goal to spend at least 30 minutes each day devoted to spiritual growth activities.
IV. Practices for personal health:
What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
One of the best strategies I can implement to foster growth in all of these areas is to schedule these activities into my day. If there is a time spot for it on my daily calendar, or if it
is written on my "To Do" list, I know that I will complete it each day. By officially scheduling personal growth activities like exercise and meditation on my agenda, I will give them the same priority as doctor appointments, class, etc.
In the physical domain, I can further my development with several activities. I plan to start running and practicing yoga on a daily basis again. By incorporating these two exercises into my daily life, I will improve my physical health while also receiving benefits in the spiritual and mental domains as well. To increase psychological wellness I plan to decrease negative thoughts and reduce mental chatter. The two best practices that will help work towards this goal are Loving-Kindness and Subtle Mind/meditation. By practicing Loving-Kindness each day, I will develop the ability to feel more loving kindness towards myself as well as others. The Subtle Mind practice (which I consider similar to meditation) will help me quiet my mind, reduce mental chatter and maintain a state of mental peace. For spiritual development, I plan to integrate daily prayer as well as make attending church each week more of a priority. In time, both of these activities will help me further develop my spirituality.
V. Commitment:
How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
One of the best ways I can assess my progress in the next six months is to make sure I keep a detailed record of each of my assessments and periodically compare the results. By writing out my original assessment, the scores I give myself in each of the three categories, as well as my goals, it will be easier for me to reassess in six months and compare my results. Each time, I can re-ask the same questions and see if my answers have changed. I also like the idea of scoring myself in each area, every time. This will give me a general idea of whether or not I have made any progress in my growth and development in a specific area/goal. Another simple thing I know I can do to stay on track with my goals is to create a check-off calendar. By having a calendar that I can mark each time I complete my daily goal of exercising/meditating/praying, I can easily and quickly assess my progress thus far. If I consistently put in the work and stay conscious of my long-term goal, I know I will eventually see the results and reap the benefits from these activities.
Source:
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Monday, June 10, 2013
I loved them all!
I have honestly enjoyed all of the exercises and practice sessions that we have completed throughout this course! Some have definitely been easier for me than others, but I feel I have benefited from incorporating each of them in my life. My two favorite practices are probably Loving-Kindness and Subtle Mind. I personally think the Loving-Kindness practice is beneficial for me in a LOT of areas in my life. First and foremost, it helps me to show loving-kindness to myself, something that I often need to work on. I often feel or show loving-kindness to others, only to turn around and think negative or harmful thoughts about myself. I also appreciate how this practice helps me have more patience when interacting with people. In the past I would get so frustrated at times, but now I just try to remember that in life we are all searching for the same thing- happiness. Some people go about it in CRAZY weird ways, but deep down we have a common goal. Remembering this helps me to feel a sense of love and appreciation for everyone I come in contact with in my life. Since the first time I tried the Loving-Kindness practice, I have continued to do it at least twice a week and have definitely seen a significant difference.
The second practice I especially love is Subtle Mind. This practice has been soooooo hard for me, but just because I really need it! My mind is constantly racing from one thing to the next, and before this class, I never even realized just how much it exhausted me! I love the Subtle Mind practice because it has taught me how to take a break from the constant racing thoughts. I know I have a long way to go and I'm no where near having a clear and calm mind, but I'm actually looking forward to practicing this a lot in the future. Eventually, I won't even have to worry about "taking a break" from my thoughts because my mind will be at constant peace.
Now that sounds absolutely AMAZING.
Always in health and happiness,
Hannah
The second practice I especially love is Subtle Mind. This practice has been soooooo hard for me, but just because I really need it! My mind is constantly racing from one thing to the next, and before this class, I never even realized just how much it exhausted me! I love the Subtle Mind practice because it has taught me how to take a break from the constant racing thoughts. I know I have a long way to go and I'm no where near having a clear and calm mind, but I'm actually looking forward to practicing this a lot in the future. Eventually, I won't even have to worry about "taking a break" from my thoughts because my mind will be at constant peace.
Now that sounds absolutely AMAZING.
Always in health and happiness,
Hannah
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
My Integral Assessment
This week's assignment was to complete the integral health assessment in Chapter 11 of our text (Dacher, 2006). I already knew I had a lot I needed to work on so I wasn't really looking forward to the uncomfortable truth of my results. It was helpful to keep in mind that integral health does not mean we have to be fully developed in every aspect of our life. "The path to integral health requires that we at least become aware of the sources of needless suffering, distress, and dissatisfaction and the possible sources of future development and flourishing" (Dacher, p. 111). Basically that means we don't have to be perfect, we just need to be AWARE of what areas of our life need improvement. Phewf! I can totally do that!
So we already know that the "body, to mind, to spirit" approach should be applied to the four aspects of our human experience (psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and worldly) (Dacher, 2006). For the integral assessment, the text breaks each of these categories down even further. Each of the following sub-categories are specific areas in our life that we can assess.
Psychospiritual
In health & happiness,
Hannah
So we already know that the "body, to mind, to spirit" approach should be applied to the four aspects of our human experience (psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and worldly) (Dacher, 2006). For the integral assessment, the text breaks each of these categories down even further. Each of the following sub-categories are specific areas in our life that we can assess.
Psychospiritual
- conative
- cognitive
- emotional
- fitness
- nutrition
- self-regulation
- personal
- family
- community
- generativity
- social activism
- work
In health & happiness,
Hannah
Universal Loving Kindness
This week's practice was universal loving kindness. While reading about universal loving kindness in our text, I especially loved the line that says "to see another, acknowledge another, hear another, be present with another, and feel one with another- a lover, a partner, a friend, a stranger, and even an enemy- is a profound healing gift for oneself and the world" (Dacher, 2006, p. 93). I do believe that practicing universal loving kindness is extremely worthwhile and that these things would indeed help heal ourselves as well as heal the world. The text also gives an example of a universal loving kindness mini-practice. After 2 minutes of sitting with eyes closed and resting, you are supposed to repeat the following 4 sentences to yourself for the next 10 minutes:
May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.
I must admit, this was not my favorite practice. While I did feel relaxed and peaceful at the end, I personally thought repeating the same 4 sentences over and over seemed monotonous. I definitely had to focus on staying aware and conscious of what I was saying and not go into robot-Hannah. I think I'm discovering that chanting or repeating the same thing over and over isn't my preferred style of practice. I much prefer the audio-guided practices in the past units where I got to focus on visualizing something instead of just repeating a phrase.
In health and happiness,
Hannah
Source: Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.
I must admit, this was not my favorite practice. While I did feel relaxed and peaceful at the end, I personally thought repeating the same 4 sentences over and over seemed monotonous. I definitely had to focus on staying aware and conscious of what I was saying and not go into robot-Hannah. I think I'm discovering that chanting or repeating the same thing over and over isn't my preferred style of practice. I much prefer the audio-guided practices in the past units where I got to focus on visualizing something instead of just repeating a phrase.
In health and happiness,
Hannah
Source: Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Loving Kindness vs. The Subtle Mind Exercise
So, once again, I had a hard time with the contemplative exercise this week. (I have begun to realize that I really have a problem quieting my mind :/ ) To me, the subtle mind exercise was even harder than the loving kindness because there was less "guiding," so to speak. In the loving kindness practice, first you are instructed to focus on a loved one, then yourself, then a group...yada yada yada. The point is, I was relaxing my mind but was also constantly alert or actively following the directions. (Basically my mind thought it was still busy, so it didn't seem as awkward for me.) However, in the subtle mind exercise, the focus was to quiet and relax the mind by focusing on my breathing. That's it. No more steps really, no more guiding. Just focus on my breath and don't think. Guess what?! When I'm trying not to think, all I seem to want to do is THINKTHINKTHINK. It must be my mommy-brain taking over, but I tend to continuously think 10 steps ahead of myself. And I know the exercise says to just bring your focus back to your breathing if you get distracted, but I seemed to have to do that constantly! I even caught myself thinking "Up.Down.Up.Down" with each breath, which is obviously not helping to quiet my mind any. So my overall impression is that while this exercise seemed a lot harder, it is probably just because I really need it. I'm definitely going to make this a daily habit from now on since I obviously NEED the practice.
In health and happiness,
Hannah
In health and happiness,
Hannah
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Loving Kindness for Everyone!!
Practicing the loving kindness exercise this week has been
difficult for me. It isn't necessarily hard for me to mentally picture feeling loving
kindness towards myself, loved ones, or strangers. I consider empathy as
one of my best traits, often being overcome with emotion simply because someone
else is experiencing it near me. It sounds hokey, but I always say that I genuinely
love
people...everything about them, the differences, the similarities, the quirks,
everything that makes us each unique. So mentally extending the feeling of loving
kindness to others and reducing their pain and suffering felt awesome in this
exercise.
The part I struggled with was actually just relaxing and getting my brain to
SHUT UP for once. I went back and forth from participating in the exercise to racing,
random thoughts of "AmIdoingthisright? Idon'treallyknowwhatIamsupposedtobedoingexactly.
Man,Ineedtopracticethis. CrapnowI'mnotevenlisteningtotherecording.
Ahhhhhhh!" Overall, I did enjoy this exercise and would recommend it to
others. I would also recommend practicing
often (but that is more just a recommendation to myself!)
I think of a mental workout as mentally practicing something that
does not come natural to you/your state of mind. Whether it is loving kindness,
inner peace or stillness of mind, these things take lots and lots (and if you
are me, lots more) practice. Research
suggests that the mental exercises of feelings such as compassion, loving
kindness and empathy can lead to actual changes in the brain's functioning.
When we continually practice these attributes we can eventually get to the
point where our mind is naturally in this state of compassion, peace, etc. I
obviously need to practice stillness of mind a LOT in order to improve my
psychological health. Too much chatter and not enough substance going on up
there if you know what I mean... :/
In health and happiness,
Hannah
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
My Mental Rainbow
So, I reeeeaaaaalllllly enjoyed this week's relaxation exercise :) At
first I was frustrated because it was seemed hard to calm my mind this evening.
My mind kept racing through random thoughts and I had to really work at focusing on the exercise. It must have worked eventually though, because by the
end of it I was actually starting to nod off! It's pretty impressive to
go from very alert, nonstop thinking, to struggling to stay awake in just 10
minutes! (Well, it's impressive for me at least) I really appreciated the imagery of the beams of light as well. Trying to
imagine the various colors beaming from different areas of my body definitely helped
me stay focused. Overall, I think practicing relaxing and mental rainbows should be on my To Do list a lot more!
In health and happiness,
Hannah
My Own Level of Wellness
When reflecting on my own level of wellness, there
are some obvious deficiencies. On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being optimal, I
would give myself the following scores:
Physical Well-being: 5
Spiritual Well-being: 6
Psychological Well-being: 8
My physical well-being is my worst area at the
moment. I am currently (slowly) working my way back to pre-baby health. It's
been almost an entire year since I had my son, so I don't think I can get away
with calling it baby weight anymore! While I do eat extremely healthy in
general, it has been really hard to make exercise as much of a priority as I would
like. Learning how to juggle taking care of two kids instead of one and
going to school has definitely been tricky for me! I know that exercise is
important, as well as getting back to my pre-baby health. My goal is to get
back into the shape I was in before pregnancy (or better) by getting up early
(before everyone else wakes up) and exercising each morning. My health needs to
be a priority in order for me to do my best taking care of my family.
My spiritual well-being is rated a *little* higher because I feel that I do
a *little* better at making that a
priority. I am very aware of my spirituality and do many things to encourage
growth. Whether it is through my church or through my yoga practice, this is
one area I feel I am constantly aware of and in touch with. However, I do feel
that I always have room for improvement. My goal is to spend at least an extra
hour a week developing my spirituality, whether it is by attending an extra
church class or furthering my yoga practice.
Psychological well-being seems to be my best area of
the three. I think I am pretty sane, so that's a start! Haha :) But in all
honestly, I think one of the best things I do to encourage my psychological
well-being is that I actually allow myself to
have/express/feel/communicate my emotions. Whether it is happiness, sadness, fear,
anger, etc, I don't hold it all back. I think too many people stifle everything
back for so long that they eventually explode with emotions... or implode,
depending on the person. Either way, it's an unhealthy way of dealing with
things. I don't go crazy and overwhelm others with my emotions but I think I
have found a healthy balance of expressing myself and effectively communicating
with others. One goal I do have for my psychological well-being is to do better
at de-stressing. I need to take a break now and then to relax, unwind and
recharge. I think my first physical well-being goal of incorporating more yoga
practice into my routine would also benefit me in this category as well. Yoga
is an awesome way to clear my mind and re-focus on the important things in
life.
Monday, April 29, 2013
"Journey On" Relaxation Exercise
First of all, let me just say my imagination ROCKS!
I remember when I was young (like 11 or 12?), I did an exercise similar to the Journey On exercise. We were guided (via an audio recording) to relax our body, one muscle at a time, releasing all our stress and tightness. We were to allow our bodies to "melt" into the floor, like ice cream melting on a warm day. So, I must of been really good at this or something, because I literally started to feel like I was melting into the ground. I started to worry and thought maybe I was slightly crazy. Even now, I can vividly remember how freaked out I felt about the whole thing. Imagination in overdrive? Maybe??
Needless to say, when completing today's relaxation exercise (almost 20 years after I had melted like an ice cream cone), I succumbed to my imagination just as easily. I listened and followed the directions of the audio. I let my arms and hands relax. Mentally, I guided the blood from my torso, up my shoulders and to my arms. I felt the burning, warm sensation. And when he said to lift your arms? Yup, I couldn't. I mean couldn't. They felt like they weighed 10,000 pounds each and those suckers weren't going anywhere. So whether it was due to the power of the mind, due to my crazygood imagination, or me just being a weirdo, this relaxation exercise definitely seemed effective. At least for me.
Yeah, pretty much I loved it.
In health & happiness,
Hannah
I remember when I was young (like 11 or 12?), I did an exercise similar to the Journey On exercise. We were guided (via an audio recording) to relax our body, one muscle at a time, releasing all our stress and tightness. We were to allow our bodies to "melt" into the floor, like ice cream melting on a warm day. So, I must of been really good at this or something, because I literally started to feel like I was melting into the ground. I started to worry and thought maybe I was slightly crazy. Even now, I can vividly remember how freaked out I felt about the whole thing. Imagination in overdrive? Maybe??
Needless to say, when completing today's relaxation exercise (almost 20 years after I had melted like an ice cream cone), I succumbed to my imagination just as easily. I listened and followed the directions of the audio. I let my arms and hands relax. Mentally, I guided the blood from my torso, up my shoulders and to my arms. I felt the burning, warm sensation. And when he said to lift your arms? Yup, I couldn't. I mean couldn't. They felt like they weighed 10,000 pounds each and those suckers weren't going anywhere. So whether it was due to the power of the mind, due to my crazygood imagination, or me just being a weirdo, this relaxation exercise definitely seemed effective. At least for me.
Yeah, pretty much I loved it.
In health & happiness,
Hannah
Introductions are in order!
Okay, now that I'm getting the hang of this, how about I introduce myself??? My name is Hannah and I am 30 years young :) I just celebrated my 10 year anniversary with my amazing husband last Tuesday. We have 2 beautiful little boys, Liam who is 6 years old and Seeley who is 11 months. Right now, I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mommy while also going back to school online. In my opinion, I basically have the Best. Job. Ever.
I absolutely LOVE anything related to health and wellness and oftenwaste spend way too much time researching different related topics. Oopsies! I guess it's a good thing I'm going to Kaplan for just that-a BS in Health & Wellness. Now I can just pretend all of my nerdy personal researching is "homework." Hee-hee.
So after I finish my BS, the plan is to go to school...again. Whether it is to become a Naturopath, get a master's degree (in something health related I'm sure) or become a yoga teacher, I know I will be in class/school for many more years...and I am completely okay with that! I may not know exactly what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know it will be something that has to do with health!
Always in health and happiness,
Hannah
I absolutely LOVE anything related to health and wellness and often
So after I finish my BS, the plan is to go to school...again. Whether it is to become a Naturopath, get a master's degree (in something health related I'm sure) or become a yoga teacher, I know I will be in class/school for many more years...and I am completely okay with that! I may not know exactly what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know it will be something that has to do with health!
Always in health and happiness,
Hannah
Monday, April 22, 2013
I'm a blogging newby!
Hi all!
So this is my first official blog post and I must admit I have no idea what I'm doing! I am definitely new to the blog world, so this might be quite the adventure for all of us. While the initial start of this blog is due to a college course, I have a feeling I will enjoy this enough to keep up with it even after the class ends. Yea! Lucky you!
That's assuming I figure all of this blogging stuff out of course! We should all be getting pretty excited right about now! Woot!
In health and happiness,
Hannah
So this is my first official blog post and I must admit I have no idea what I'm doing! I am definitely new to the blog world, so this might be quite the adventure for all of us. While the initial start of this blog is due to a college course, I have a feeling I will enjoy this enough to keep up with it even after the class ends. Yea! Lucky you!
That's assuming I figure all of this blogging stuff out of course! We should all be getting pretty excited right about now! Woot!
In health and happiness,
Hannah
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