Unit 9

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3QEw-hoF9OsQ2RtVWM0VEhQQ3M

Unit 9 project

Veronica Ratliff

Unit 8

I found that of all of the exercises we have tried over the course I really like meditation the best.  I know from previous posts it would seem as though this would be the least plausible for me bit I have learned to make my mind quite from having a focal point.  I also have been using vanilla oil when I meditate which I know most people use jasmine but I really can’t stand the smell, so it does not work to calm me.  The smell of the vanilla is pleasant to me and I believe because of positive association that I have it calms me.  I am now able to thoroughly relax my mind and body for much longer that before.  For lack of better words it feels as though I am going an o mini vacation when I am done I feel refreshed and ready to go again.  The second practice that I have found I like is the visualization.  At first I really struggled with this one.  Honestly I felt ridiculous doing it the fist time but I tried after I meditated and since my mind was already relaxed I found my self much more open to the experience.  I am hoping that I will continue to improve and take on more of the characteristics of my person. 

            I feel that I am already improving my mental health.  I find I am more willing to stand back and examine a situation rather than jumping in head first.  I also have found that when I am wronged or something goes wrong that it does not impact me as deeply as it would have before. I also found that meditating after a workout takes away that feeling a mental and physical fatigue.  This is very important to me because my body is not in the best shape and I used to really struggle after a workout.  I plan on using these methods after this class.  I have been doing one or the other and some times both a day.  I have found I enjoy it and look forward to the benefits for a lifetime.

Veronica Ratliff   

Unit 7

1). I had a little trouble with this exercise.  to be completely honest when the recording mentioned summoning up an image of a wise man or women the first image that popped into my head was a Native American women shrouded in clouds.  It is an image I have seen in art before but I am surprised that is the first thing that came to mind, but I stuck with it.  I tried to imagine the light transferring for her to my self and that is where I had the trouble. While I was unable to do that part I did notice that the visualization did help me to direct my thoughts and hasten the time it took for me to relax and focus on the traits I desired for the wise one.  I feel that the meditation is helping me to take more time in the things I do.  I notice happiness in others more because I am taking the time to take in my surroundings more.  I feel that am a little more relaxed and am pleased that I am looking to better myself. I will try to increase the amount of time I meditate so that I may get closer and closer to achieving a calm abiding mind.

2. I take the saying to mean that you can not live your live in  the "Do as I say not as I do" manner.  If you as a health care provider are not in possession of a calm abiding mind and believe in the bodies' ability to heal then your patients are going to pick up on that.  If a doctor is an overweight smoker and they prescribe weight loss and smoking cessation people roll their eyes and call them a hypocrite. The same here holds true.  IF you have not been down the path to a calm abiding mind with kindness and love then you can not direct someone else down that path.  If you feel your patient is in need of psychological and spiritual growth and you are not able to assist them you should at least have contact information for someone who can.  I do however, believe that health care providers should be able walk the walk and talk the talk.  We need to be at our best for those we serve and so a calm and abiding mind is really the best for our performance physically, mentally and spiritually.  I have been trying to make sure I take time to reflect each day since we started this class.  I have been trying to practice the loving kindness and calm abiding mind exercise but I still really have a busy, cluttered mind but it has gotten a little better.  I would like to do better to not only help myself but those around me.  The better I am the more I can help them. 

Veroinca Ratliff

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications

Amorok, T., Micozzi, M., Schlitz, M. (2005). Consciousness & Healing. St. Louis, MI: Elsevier Churchill Livingston, Inc

Unti 6

When I redid the loving kindness exercise I found that I appreciated the bringing the thoughts and meditation even further out from myself and my center of relationships.  Taking in the suffering from a wider scope and wishes health and wellness even further out can only further improve, mine and others spiritual health.  For the assessment I found that my biological aspect is one of my areas for suffering an difficulties.  My body is a wreck in a few ways.  I have epilepsy and sacrcoidosis plus more arthritis than someone in their 70's.  I always have some type of pain or discomfort and am always tired.  I keep my mouth shut and always push on becausee I know having people pity you does not good.  I also know that if I sleep too much it can turn into giving up.  So my brain still wants to fight.  When coming to the part where i have to choose what I want to work on developing and growing I have to pick interpersonal.  I know for a fact that the more upset or stressed out I am the worse my health is.  I literally pull my disks out of place when I am very stressed out. My doctor tells me calm down or you are going to kill yourself.  I have alot of turmoil and misunderstanding in my life with relationships of all kinds unfortunately.I have fought to keep some relationships that I know I should have let go along time ago, the bad relationships have effected all of the good ones I have.  Sometimes you just have to know when to move on and wish peace and good fortune to people that you can not help yourself.  In my work there is a ton of stress and I have learned how to deal with that but there are just one or two professional relationships that are more than they should be and I have been working on setting those right.  For the next step I will reevaluate some of my relationships with others. look into why I am so co-dependent and try to work on that and have a long needed conversation with a co-worker.  Hopefully this work will also go to further my biological well being.

Thanks everyone, Veronica

Unit 5 Project

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3QEw-hoF9OsLUZDNVpncEtxX1E