UNIT 7 EXERCISE

1. Complete the "Meeting Asciepius" exercise on track #4 of the Dacher CD. Describe your meditative practice(s) for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

I truly enjoyed the blog exercise this unit.  The first person I thought of was my great-grandmother, Lorena. She was full-blood Cheyenne Indian. The Native American have strong belief in contact and protection from their ancestors all throughout the journey of life. It was no surprise that she popped into my head effortlessly.  Her healing love surrounded me, as it does at trying times in my life. What an amazing experience.  

It was a little easier to concentrate during the exercise this week. Maybe it is all beginning to come together for me.

Mindfulness and meditation have honestly made me more intuitive. Well, at least I seem to be more in in-tune with the feelings and needs of myself and others. I also feel better equipped to deal with stress than at the beginning of this class. I will continue to work on patience and acceptance with myself and others in order to continue psychological and spiritual growth.

2. Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (P.477) How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

       I believe the message they are trying to convey with this wisdom is that you should also be on your own journey of enlightenment and learning in order to heal others and guide them in their experiences. I can quote from a textbook or rattle off about things I have learned in the Health Sciences, but unless I have walked a mile in my patients’ shoes, there can be no completion of the treatment. We must also be evolving in order to guide others to the Promised Land. We absolutely have that obligation to develop these things personally. Without this aspect, healing and treatments seem hypocritical and empty.

       For starters, I can supplement my personal life with practicing some type of religion, one that I am comfortable with and feel at home in. I can also pass everything I have learned on to my spouse and children. This will start the ball rolling on generational evolvement and enlightenment.