The Integral Plan
Introduction: It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and physically because they are the core element of the implementation and completion of the integral healing process. The healer is the guide to the transformation from outer healing to inner healing. The healer’s capabilities can only extend as far as their education. If a healer failed to develop all aspects of their personal life and mind and spirit, their capacity for healing would then be limited. By incorporating the integral practices into their life, the healer gains greater knowledge, and can then discover profound possibilities of integral health and healing. (Dacher,2006.)
In order to persevere toward my goals I must consider my physical wellbeing and health at this time. My goal is to develop a more healthy food choice habit. Practicing mindful meditation and reflecting on the reasons we eat, why we eat what we eat, and the emotions we feel are connected to our food habits, is the first step to being aware. I will learn to make intentional choices on food choices and exercise activities.
Assessment;--I have assessed my well being in the three domains—psychologically, spiritually, and physically—by first resting in a still and calm mind, then by reflecting on which areas of my life are causing distress or dysfunction. Then I contemplate which areas can be developed. I ask myself what is my current level of development and what can I aim for. (Dacher, 2006.)
I score myself after considering all aspects of my assessment. Spiritually I scored a 7, as I am quite comfortable in my belief of the purpose of life. Psychologically I scored a 8, as I am confident in myself as a person and my abilities to pursue my goals. Physically I scored a 5, as I feel I need some work in a few areas. I must develop a more healthy food choice habit and I need to be more intentionally active.
Goal Development;--My physical goal is to become more active and develop muscle- strengthening exercise habits. I walk 50 minutes every day, and I plan to incorporate 15 minutes of weight lifting ( 5lb.) . Psychological, for my mental fitness development, my goal is to learn simple yoga practices that I can implement into my evening meditation. Yoga practices benefit all aspects of our well being. Psychological development also includes my goal to become more aware and mindful of my nutritional health, which is directly connected to my physical well being. Spiritually, my goal is to become more aware of being part of a larger picture. I plan to implement more mindful meditation(during yoga) to transform my perspective from an outer response to a more inner perspective.
Practices for personal health;-- Mindful meditation, every morning, practice of being in the present and the practice of loving-kindness are to gain better personal insight and develop a caring attitude toward others, to develop my psychological well being.
To further develop physically, I will practice intentional choices of food nutrition and develop healthy eating habits. To foster physical fitness, I will practice muscle-strengthening exercises along with the cardio benefits of walking.
To enhance my spiritual development, I plan to practice more social interaction, by joining some groups at the church designed to help others. I also will practice the loving-kindness mini exercise before standing in long lines or at the check-out lines.
Commitment: To assess my progress and any areas in need of further development, I will repeat the personal assessment of my “whole” being—body, mind, and spirit, every three months. To further maintain my goals and track progress I will keep a journal. Journaling is a reflective practice and an outlet for the thoughts, feelings, and anxieties of the day. When we write these feelings down, we can then form a plan to deal with them or simply to just let them go.
