Unit 10

I rated my physical well-being at a 7, my spiritual well-being at a 9, and my psychological well-being at a 9 during our unit 3 assessment. I re-assessed myself during my unit 9 final. I rated my physical well-being at a 7, my spiritual well-being at an 8, and my psychological well-being at a 9. Yes, the score has changes, because my ideas of what this well-being meant has changed. My ideas about well-being have expanded and are not as general as it used to be. I have made some progress in every area I set goals for. I do have a bit to go before I will reach them, but that is because they are long-term goals. The following is my goals from our unit 3 blog.

I plan to stay about the same as I am in each area. However, I will start adding a healthier meal at-least once a week and skip desserts. I will also add an extra 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to each of my daily workout routine. In my spiritual and psychological areas, I plan to add at-least one extra time a week of doing either an extra 20 minutes of meditation or self-hypnosis. I believe this will help make a little bit more of a difference. However, the trick I noticed is keeping a balance. I have implemented my plans and have headed closer to my goals. However, since they are life-long goals I am still achieving them over and over, which gets me closer to the other goals I made in our unit 9 project, because they help set the stage for everything else.

I think the most difficult thing for me is doing some things more simply, like our meditations. I just seem to notice how some of the things we do simply can be made more effective by adding a couple of things or altering it slightly. However, I have noticed that I have gotten much better at doing things much more simple than before. I believe this class has helped me with helping others even more, because it is not about how much change we do. It is rather just the right amount of change, because it is the journey that is the destination and everything along the way teaches us something.  

The Grand Finale Unit 9 Blog

The following paper is written in the third person as per the requirement. I hope everyone finds usefulness in it.

Introduction

Integral health is achieved the development of our inner healing abilities and inner life. As a health and wellness professional one will help lead people in developing themselves. It would be rather hard to teach someone how to develop psychologically, if one has not developed themselves psychologically. Part of psychological aspect of integral health is identifying destructive emotions and dysfunctional patterns. Once one identifies them, then one can replace them with new healthy behaviors and attitudes. This step is referred to as the witnessing consciousness in integral health. Psychological development leads one to spiritual development (Dacher, 2006).

Exploring our deeper nature we uncover peace, loving and kindness, which lead one to develop more spiritually. In integral health this process is called developing the calm abiding consciousness.  During this process one intention grows and develops, which causes it to become clear, confident, focused, and unbiased. Through this one develops even future into what integral health refers to as the subtle mind. All of this also helps one to develop physically (Dacher, 2006).

The mental transformation that occurs, because of mental training, which helps develop an enhanced resistance to mental distress, physical disease, increases one’s ability to heal, and helps promote well-being. In the 1970’s Candace Pert discovered proteins, which are called neuropeptides. These proteins carry messages to our entire body. Candace Pert’s follow up study discovered that thoughts, feelings and other mental activity can produce specific neuropeptides that alter our physiology, which means a mental change leads to a physical change (Dacher, 2006).

Another study by Schnall helped reinforce the finding of Pert’s study. Schnall identified managers who suffered from job related stress and those who did not even though they were put into similar circumstances. The results showed that those who responded in a healthy way mentally dealt with the issues and those who did not respond well mentally developed several health issues (Dacher, 2006).  This means what one thinks does become reality to a degree, which means perception is definitely a variable and one can control it if they notice it first.

Assessment, Goal Development, and Practices

It is important to do a self-assessment, because it gives one a way of knowing what one needs to work on. The self-assessment includes how one is doing spiritually, physically, and psychologically. In integral health there are two aspects of doing a self-assessment one want to identify.  These are which parts of our life are the most significant source of distress and what parts has the greatest possibility for growth and development? One must make the distinction between short-term relief and long term relief. This involves understanding the deeper sources of conflict. One must also recognize the difference between immediate pleasure and long-term flourishing. Psychological and spiritual developments are an essential part of integral health, which should be includes as part of the assessment. The assessment requires one to be in a mental state that is free from the bias of random thoughts, feelings, and visualizations. The assessment addresses the parts, levels, and development that are relevant to our current situation (Dacher, 2006). 

Spiritually, Ricky would rate himself at an eight out of ten. Ricky says this, because he knows that he needs to vary the techniques he has been using to explore the deeper levels of himself. Ricky does a lot of exploration and he is at peace with himself, he has experienced love, and kindness, but he believes it is possible to experience these at even deeper levels. Physically, Ricky says he is at a seven out of a ten. He knows that he could eat better and exercise more. Ricky is still finding new ways to balance himself, which he believes is the key to help keep things together. Ricky knows he could do some more than what he currently does in this area, but he also knows he needs to make sure the rest of himself stays in balance as well. Psychologically, Ricky says he is at a nine out of a ten.

Ricky spends more energy on his psychological development currently more than anywhere else. He is attempting to learn to be able to keep this balance psychologically, but in less time. This will allow him to focus more on the other areas, which hi believes will assist him psychologically as well. Ricky believes this step is important to develop him further psychologically. This leads on into naturally developing goals, which need to be defined in terms of what we are going to do to solve these issues.

Ricky believes that starting to develop himself more spiritually will have a direct impact on him psychologically. Ricky will start this by using different forms of meditations that he is not used to using, because his primary focus has been solely on psychological wellbeing. For instance, Ricky has started using the loving-kindness meditation in various forms, which he has noticed has had a direct impact on his subjective experiences since starting them. Physically, Ricky plans on exercising more, but by combining meditative practices with his additional exercises. Ricky believes this will help him develop more physically and spiritually, which will also help him develop psychologically.

For instance, while Ricky is jogging he can use the loving-kindness meditation or simply the subtle mind meditation. This is basically working on two issues at once, but it does not hurt to do more than that. So, to further help himself spiritually he plans to lean at-least one new meditation and self-hypnosis exercise a month. This will have an effect on both his psychological and spiritual wellness. However, without a proper way of measuring change, then one is simply just doing different things and hoping it is making a difference in the ways we want.

This includes making goals that are measureable, which are specific, and can be observed in some way. For instance, happiness can be observed and measured. Another thing that can be measured is emotions and our health. So, Ricky plans on using a questionnaire, which addresses the basic goals he has laid out and the emotional aspects that are relevant as well. Ricky will do it monthly to find out, which self-hypnosis and meditations help me develop, so Ricky can look into finding more of them that are similar. This makes it so Ricky can see his progress and make adjustment as necessary. Ricky believes this will also provide himself with reinforcement for doing said things to head towards my goals. Even some improvement is heading towards ones goals. So, as long as Ricky is heading towards his goals, then he is maintaining a long-term practice towards health and wellness, but he also knows how he is doing it to getting there and developing even further. 

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach,CA: Basic Health Publishers, Inc.

Unit 8 Loving Kindness and visualization exercises

I found the Loving Kindness and visualization exercises to be the most useful. The loving kindness exercise makes us re-think how we might respond to something. It also helps us start with the perspective of love and kindness. If we start with that perspective, then we create a positive environment, which is beneficial for both us and others. This mean we actively make our lives better by making others’ lives better. This makes sense, because the variable we always control to some degree is ourselves, but sometimes we have to notice what we are automatically doing. Below is a summary of the visualization exercise I did for this week.

Find a comfortable spot, relax, then close your eyes and remember or imagine a time with a significant amount of happiness. Remember or imagine this experience as vividly as possible. Allow the feelings to intensify. Pay close attention to all the details, like what would you smell, what would you see, how would it sounds, how would it feel and did you not notice anything else in it yet? Now, bring up an experience or imagine a time where you felt a sense of wholeness, connection, and flow. Pay close attention to all the details, like what would you smell, what would you see, how would it sounds, how would it feel and did you not notice anything else in it yet? Allow the feelings to intensify. Last, but not least recall or imagine a time where you experienced vitality, radiant health, and well-being. Recall or imagine a time where you are filled with energy and life. Pay close attention to all the details, like what would you smell, what would you see, how would it sounds, how would it feel and did you not notice anything else in it yet? Then allow all three of these experiences to come together so they become a single experience, but a new experience (Dacher, 2006). How does this affect what you bring to others in this world?

I can imagine using these along with my normal daily meditation and self-hypnosis exercises I do. I know what I already do helps, but I also know going out into doing something slightly different than what you are used to as something that is useful and is sometimes exactly what one needs to do. As for being specific, I do not know how I can be any more specific than I already am, because otherwise it would speculation. I do know that I will include it at-least once a week specifically the way it is without any alteration. However, I have a modified version to use as a way to combine the feeling, which I find to be more useful. Below I will give an idea about how this modification works. I pick some sense and create a metaphor for each feeling. For instance, a normal practice is to associate some color or colors with a feeling or even a sound or a word, then associate it until it triggers some of that feeling. Then we amplify it until it is at-least as strong as the original feeling or more. If you are interested in learning more about this method, then research submodalities.

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach,CA: Basic Health Publishers,Inc.

Unit 7 and Random other things

I have had many teachers and I still do. I have a resource online of various individuals from many different areas of thought. I have found this to be very useful. For me, this week’s meditation was very strange compared to what I am used to. The main changes I have noticed is I have been doing types of meditation I am not used to. I have found this to be having a much difference experience on myself and the subjective experience of doing it. Maybe, because the themes we have been doing are much different than I am used to and seem very foreign to me. The best way to describe it is it feels awkward. For instance, when they start to describe light coming from an individual I imagined from what I know to be chakra points and to begin to become like them, because to me even though they are my mentor I do want to be specifically like them. I may want to learn from them and to make my own judgments based off of what I learned from them, but I want to still be myself. So, I felt a bit strange to say the least. I have no problem seeing things from other people’s points of views and attempting to understand others better, but I do not want to become them or be that much like them. I think difference is a good thing, because it lets us find new ways to do many things.

I will continue to meditate and do self-hypnosis. However, I highly doubt I will use this specific meditation. I do think I will use the other meditations again, because I found them to be useful even though they are very simple. Of course one has an obligation to develop their self psychologically, physically, and spiritually. However, I believe this is an obligation even if one does not have clients, because otherwise we become stagnant and stuff where we were or get worse, which is not an idea state of being and I am pretty sure many would agree with that statement. One can always even take small steps in implementing things in their life to foster psychological and spiritual growth. For instance, something as simple as meditating to understand better helps us develop ourselves and our actions to fit in with what we really want to achieve and to develop a balance and growth from these actions. For instance, nine years ago I was worse off than I am today. I just got out of the military and I was mentally scarred. However, utilizing meditation and self-hypnosis I was able to achieve what many doctors said would be impossible. I had a severe case of PTSD and was diagnosed with several other issues. I can tell you from my own personal experience that when I think back to those times it seems more like a bad dream than something that really existed. So, yeah I really do believe in meditation and self-hypnosis, because it helped me get past things that I was told I would probably live with for the rest of my life. 

Modified Self-Hypnosis Exercises

Swish Pattern Modified (using ehe principles, ideas and is direction based)

Step 1. Choose target behavior you want to change.

Step 2. Write a minimum of four different ways you could respond, which could be useful in those situations. 

Step 3. Mentally go through those different ways you could respond making sure they are as useful as you thought.

Step 4. Create a mental image or movie of behavior you want to change, start at the beginning, but instead of going through it put the number of different responses you picked as small boxes in the middle of it.

Step 5. Put the different ways you could respond one at a time in the boxes.

Step 6. As you make the boxes bigger until they completely consume the old behavior, imagine a swish sound and then say to yourself the time is now.

Step 7. Future pace by going though future situations where the old behavior would have occurred and make sure the choices occur instead of old behavior. The go completely through it if it has generalized.

Step 8. If it has generalized, then go through 5 more similar examples of where this behavior would have occurred in the future. If not, then repeat the exercise, but a little faster.

Step 9. Adjust as needed.

I hope you all find this modified swish pattern useful. I have found it to be much more useful than the original swish pattern.

Modified Visual-Kinesthic disassociation (Also known as the fast phobia cure) with redirection and propulsion system

Note: This is useful for situations where someone has a highly charged memory, which henders them from making changes using normal methods. There are many other ways one can do the same work. However, I have found this technique to be very useful, because it works quickly and also deals with the issue.

Imagine a cellphone, on that cellphone I want you to imagine (Insert emmotionally charged memory here), but stop it before it plays.

Hold it right there and we will come back to it after we do a couple of things.

Imagine how you would like to respond in a situation, like that instead of the way you were. (i.e what else could you do that would be useful)

Note: Sometimes they might need a bit of help with comming up with this part. This comes to the next part which will occur in both circumstance. However, if they need help comming up with something. Then after this next part have them think about it again.

Imagine a time when you are creative, if that feeling were a color, then what would it be. (write this down or remember it).

Imagine a time when you are learning something and having fun, if this were a color, then what would it be. (write this down or remember it).

Now, lets go back to the cellphone, but first before you play the memory, I want you to play it three times faster than it would normally happen and repeat three times. (This does a few things and I wonder if you can figure out all of those things it does).

Now, I want you to go to the begining of that memory you are imagining on a cell phon(e. Before you play it this time I want you to add (The first color) and repeat three times. (Then repeat this again for the second color).

Now, make the memory its normal size and tell me what changes do you notice so far.

Note: They should already be repsonding differently and doing something differently in said memory. However, sometimes it takes adding a bit more other things in with it to break the triggers that are associated with said memory. I have found that usually three feelings repeated three to four times and sometimes repeating that process has been the norm for this exercise. Generally speaking, this exercise does not take long and and help make it a lot easier to help them make some changes faster than some techniques, which will use up a whole session. After you have achieved this result continue on.

Now, think of five different times when you would have had that issue and tell me how are they different and make sure to do them in their full size. (Ecology check and generalizing many of the changes made so far).

(During this part many times no additional work is needed. However, I suggest generalzing the changes even more. If more changes are needed, then make adjustments. You could use things like the swish pattern, repeat the overlapping technique to help make even more changes to this situation and so on.)

Now, think about five times in the future when this issues might have occured before we made these changes and notice how they have changed.

(Do induction or just have them close their eyes or concentrate. If you did everything above as written their state of mind will already be altered quite a bit. I will usually do an induction, but mostly as a form of fractionation or what not).

Go ahead and close your eyes or key them open. It is time to make it so these changes go everywhere they need to go. Your unconscious has already made many changes. Now, I want you to go over everything we did and repeat it very quickly. Then run though more scenarios of when this new response would be useful. I am going to continue to talk and you can continue as I talk. It is alright, if you begin to drift off you're unconscious can still hears me and can respond accordingly. Keep going over everything we did, new scenarios, making slight adjustments when necessary. Then latter on when you sleep and dream I want you to reapeat this all again exactly as we are doing right now.

Unit 6 universal Loving Kindness and the Integral Assessment

1. Practice the universal Loving Kindness (meditation) exercise on p. 93.
2. Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).
3. Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?

The loving kindness exercise consists of closing one’s eyes for a minute or two and resting into one’s mind naturally. Once you have achieved that, then repeat the following mantra for ten 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” (Dacher, 2006, p. 93). I found this a little more interesting the second time around. The assessment was a little strange to me, because I normally do not talk the way the author does. So, it seemed a bit foreign to me. Even though I was saying the things to myself in my own voice, but it still seemed odd.

Basically the assessment is another form of reflective meditation. I do something similar with self-hypnosis, but I normally have some more specific goals in place. I found the assessment to be a bit unnatural to me and I do not mean, because I normally do not do it, but rather the wording is strange. For instance, the author states “What aspect of my life psycho-spiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly is the source of difficulty and suffering?” (Dacher, 2006, p. 115). This is a very general statement. One can make inferences, but is that what was meant or was the generality of the statement on purpose, so we make some decision on what it should mean to us. He then goes on to state “Focus on this one area” (Dacher, 2006, p. 115). That one area can be very big; because the statement is not specific it does not refer to whose difficulty or suffering and from whose perspective. I bring this up, because suffering and difficulty requires one to perceive it as such and so on. However, that same thing may not be difficult or a form of suffering from a different point of view.

I am not sure, if I am just over thinking this, but this seems like something that would be important when making some decision, like this. Then he goes on to have us make a comparative decision, which means we are placing importance on something due to some perception, which means we are generalizing some idea and then applying those generalization even further by making it explicit without considering every possibility. The rest of the assessment makes complete sense, but the first part takes a considerable amount of thought, because it is so general and can many possibilities.

I already know that one of the things I really need to work on is spending more time connecting with others. I spend so much time inside my head that I am sure I have at-least achieved a high level of self-mastery.  I have always had more issues understanding others, because I think very differently than many do. I need to work on just general conversation. I am very good at talking or listening, but general or “normal” or “ordinary” conversations I am not so good at. I usually end up blurting out facts about whatever it is we are talking about or something similar to it. If it is about sports, then I really have issues, because I am more of a person who plays some sports and watches none of them. In fact, I would rather read or study something than do most “ordinary” things. I have no trouble talking or so on, but rather I prefer facts and understanding than what I think of as pointless conversation.  I think randomly engaging in these types of conversations may help me understand people in general better than I do and could possibly help with rapport in general.

References

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.

Unit 5 The Subtle Mind Exercise

1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

I found this one to be a little better than all the previous ones. However, I still prefer to do meditation solely myself or with just background sounds. This may be, because I have become used to doing meditation that way. However, I will sometimes listen to some self-hypnosis things I have recorded, which is somewhat similar to the audios the professor has had us listen to. I found this meditation to be more relaxing and reflective. The other recording seemed to talk so much that I was thinking and listening more than meditating.  

2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

I believe that they are all interconnected and people have created ideas, which inherently separated them as being different. This is both the blessing and curse of language, because it is all just a generalization and a form of stereotyping things. We are a system and in systems everything affects everything. So, what happens mentally, spiritually or physically affects the others to some degree and vice versa. For instance, if some ideas or belief does not fit your environment, then it creates stress, if one does not adapt, then this causes our bodies to react by creating cortisol and so on to go into the fight or flight response. This response in turn affects our mental state, which then affects our spiritual aspects of ourselves.

For instance, if I find more opportunities to have fun in any circumstance, then I will create a positive effect on both the physical and spiritual aspect as well as the mental aspect. This is because everything affects everything. You can alter your mental state, which alters your physical state and that also alters your spiritual state. None of these are specially constants per sey, but rather variables in an equation, which equals outcome we give names, like moods and so on. 

Below is another video I put together that you may find useful. It is designed to be useful in helping people get into an altered state of mind. I hope you enjoy it.