Wellness Plan

Introduction:

According to Elliott Dacher, the goal of true integral health is to heal, restore and nurture the entire being (Integral Health, 2005).  As practitioners, we cannot expect to guide or aid our patients on their own path if we are not consciously developing on our own. The psychological, spiritual and physical aspects of our humanity are all equally important and valuable, and deserve concentrated work to develop and inspire.  For me personally, one of my greatest challenges has been to nurture my psychological health, so in order to achieve my goals I need to cultivate freedom and compassion in that area.

Assessment:

After assessing my “health level” in each domain, I can safely say I am moderately high in well-being in my spiritual and physical lives, but have more instability in my psychological aspect.

Goal Development:

My goal for my physical development is to continue to develop my interests- yoga, dance, and hiking- to further my well-being.  My goal for spiritual development is to continue to read about Taoism, and ethnic mythological beliefs, as well as cultivate greater awareness and connection between my senses and inner world.  For my psychological health, I am working on ways to create more stability and the ability to let go if negative thoughts instead of letting them take hold and control my feelings about myself and my life.

Practices for Personal Health:

My physical practices, dancing and hiking, are both very nurturing of my well-being as they get my heart rate up, foster confidence, and get me outside in the fresh air.  Hiking, as well as yoga, are also very spiritual experiences for me as they connect me with myself as well as the greater forces at work around me.  My psychological health is greatly improved by physical activity, as well as creative work such as writing, painting, and playing music.

Commitment:

Integral health is a lifelong practice that incorporates work in several planes of consciousness (Dacher, Integral Health, 2005).  I constantly assess my “progress” based on the way I feel, as well as the way I react to others.  My goal is to keep growing, learning and developing in confidence, creativity, awareness, and kindness, in order to gain as well as give the most I can in life.

Reference:

Integral Health

Elliott Dacher, 2005

"One cannot lead another where one has not gone herself..."

Even though I'm not one to get a lot out of normal daily meditation practice, I have been trying to notice my thought processes more, especially when I'm in the midst of something that I believe brings me closer to myself. Being outdoors and active, especially hiking, is one of these ways.  In Meeting Aesclepius, the part that struck me the most is to look for an inner healer, or our subtle mind, as the manner in which we find the answers.  I've had this experience many times when I'm outdoors, doing what I love, and I call it reconnecting with myself.  There is peace, and understanding- the freedom for any thoughts or feelings to surface, which may need some attention.  The saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone herself" is very pertinent for a health practitioner, especially in the integral health field, as this work requires true empathy and connection.  And how can we, as practitioners, connect with someone who is struggling to develop spiritually, when we are not on a similar path of learning ourselves?

Integral Assessment

After completing the Loving Kindness meditation exercise, I had a lot to think about.  It's an excellent exercise, but like most guided exercises, it doesn't work well for me.  However, the Integral Assessment was very interesting to me, as it presented some valid points for me to consider developing in my life.  I definitely struggle with my attitude towards work, and that came out loud and clear during this assessment.  Confidence issues have always also been a source of pain and growth for me, and this Assessment reminded me of that as well.  Yoga, hiking, and making art are all activities I've found to be beneficial for me for both of those areas of growth, so I will continue to pursue them in hopes of greater learning.