My Personal Journey to Health

Introduction – As a health and wellness professional it is first imperative that we foster and develop our own minds and bodies in every aspect of health, in order to train and fully encourage others to follow suit. Not only does incorporating spiritual, mental and physical wellness practices give you a benefit; but it also shows you have integrity and the lifestyle of these domains as well as knowledgeable in their practice. This lends credence to your opinions and profession. I believe I have the need to improve in all areas, but some more than others. As a personal trainer I have a great handle on my fitness but could develop at a higher level by taking my yoga and tai chi practice to new heights. My psychological fitness could use some positive adjustments by incorporating possibly some more Qigong or other activity such as a new language. I have been working on learning both activities but need greater focus on both. My spiritual side is sorely lacking, but I would like to add more meditation. There is also a group that I would like to become involved with that is holistic and spiritual in nature, I believe that it would add some depth to my health and wellness practices.

Assessment – Physical - My physical self I believe to be at its highest in my life. I work out each day and walk in nature with my husband. I eat only the purest of foods; no preservatives, GMO’s or unnatural substances. I have followed a diet of clean eating and carb cycling for many years. I would give myself a score of 9 in my physical life. There is always room to improve and become more. Psychologically – I do well with dealing with stress and emotions, but still have some interpersonal conflict with family, but I am learning with the integral health practice how to deal with this stressor in my life and will continue to improve on these results. Within my psychological life I would give myself a score of 8. Spirituality – is that which gives meaning to one’s life, in my life my natural tendency is to lean toward the spiritual and not religion. I grew up in a Christian home but through the years, I have evolved to be more spiritual than religious, believing in an overall higher power. I do not believe spirituality to be only religion, but to be a broader concept than religion. I use prayer and meditation to connect on a higher plane. In the realm of spirituality I would give myself a score of 8.

Goal Development – At this point in time my goals are as follows: physically I would like to bring my nutrition to an even higher level by incorporating juicing into my daily plan and finish one marathon with training toward a triathlon. Psychologically, I need to implement a goal to place boundaries in certain relationships so I spend the most quality time with my husband. Also when adhering to those boundaries I need to learn to keep the emotions of guilt and frustration in check. Spiritually my goal would be to take more time for meditation and journaling, they both keep me grounded and feeling at peace.

Practices of Personal Health – to make sure that I keep growing in my practices and as a person, I will implement certain strategies in each domain to help propel myself to my best personal health. Physical: this strategy is to build upon my ultimate goal of competing in a triathlon. For this I will need to keep a continuous log to track my progress in my training and diet. I wish to continue the art of Qigong, I believe this practice will not only help me physically but also with my psychological life as its meditation and discipline are key parts of my life. Psychologically: continuing with Qigong is important to this domain, but I also intend to continue with all of the meditation practices. I have also decided to learn Hungarian as a new language and challenge myself. I plan on traveling there soon. Spiritual: as far as spiritually, I would like to start some charitable ventures, with chair aerobics for the seniors in town and spend some time coaching children on healthy diet and exercise to help them attain a healthy lifestyle. I believe that giving my time to those who need and appreciate it, is a great benefit to all.

Commitment – For the next six months and beyond I plan to assess my progress through my log and journal, there I will see my progress made within all domains. My log will keep track of my physical and mental progress and the journal will show progress in my spirituality. The strategies that will help me in all endeavors and keep me motivated to continue on my road to integral health; will be each success I incur, all the great work I do and all the lives that I touch.