The Integral Map

Introduction:

I am A Nutrition science major and I aspire to be a clinical nutritionist and nutritional counselor and advisor. I think that in this particular field it is crucial to attain whatever knowledge of natural holistic healing as possible. Implementing proper nutrition can really help attain a better biological health and can make a person feel so much better. By adding mental and spiritual health to the matter can open the mind and free the soul of any disturbances that can come with inadequate health. So adding nutrition to these aspects can certainly advocate an amazing lifestyle with the utmost benefits of life. I am personally nutritionally and physically in a substantially good place, my husband and I do a circuit training workout 3 times a week and we go on walks as often as possible, plus I am a waitress at a very busy local water side seafood restaurant so I am constantly walking, lifting and on the go. I am a vegan and I cook every meal at home with lots of natural and nutritious components and I make sure we get all the nutrients we need. I am very particular about what we eat and we spend a lot of time in our kitchen, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The one area I can say I need help in is my spiritual health, but I can say, that I have gotten much better controlling my stress level and mental acuity. I have taken techniques from this class and I have been able to implement them and learn how to better manage stressors in my life. I am a firm believer in practicing what you preach so I feel that with my life style and my drive to have a better more spiritual foundation that I can really help people strive to have a better more healthful life.

Assessment:

Back a couple weeks ago we did an assessment of what we thought our physical, spiritual and psychological health. I must say since a few weeks ago I do see so much clearer and I can say all my ratings have improved. Physically I am an 8/10, there is no such thing as perfection and no one can say there is, so I feel I am an 8. I can always improve and be better, but I am in a very good place, I am a healthy weight and I am very active. The longest amount of time I sit is doing assignments. The circuit training I have been doing have relieved stress and have increase my energy and has helped me through the stressors of the day to day.

Spiritual health I am at a 6/10. I am still a work in progress on this, but I can say that I can close my eyes, and before it would be a blur of busyness but now I have the ability to watch it fade away and feel uplifted. I think that the exercises provided have been helpful in opening my mind to something more than just the day to day. I still want to get to higher levels and I am going to try my hardest to get there but I have truly come a long way

Psychological health I am at an 8/10. I have improved here as well. I have been able to pinpoint stressors and try to avoid them and I have been able to have more control of emotions before I let them control me. I think with the meditation practices I have been using at night, with ocean sounds gets me a calmer mind and a deeper sleep and any of the stressful events of the day or I may have to endure I am ready for and I can handle them better. I can say how incredible it feels to have a better state of mind. Life is too short to be a ball of stress and let your head become full of clutter, clatter, and chatter. I am not perfect but utilizing these practices has really made me feel better.

Goal Development:

Goal for physical health: I wish to get down to my pre- car accident weight, I have about 8 pounds to lose which isn’t necessary but I am turning 30 this year and I wish to turn heads as well. It is a completely vain goal to have but I also am passionate about health regardless. So by tightening up not only do I improve health but I improve my body as well. Live by the beach so this will help me feel more comfortable being around people in bathing suits.

Goal for mental health: Do not ever stop meditating and do not ever stop believing in my mental capacity to be better. I never want to lose sight of my mental acuity, so I will always work on these exercises, test myself and make sure that if things do get hectic, to step back, breathe and remember what is really important. This and exercise is really helpful in improving mental health. While I am doing my cardio with my music I actually sometimes come up with the best ideas or I can figure out a problem easier. Mental stability is important; I wish to never ever lose sight of that.

Goal for spiritual health: Keep meditating and improve my meditation practices. I know that utilizing this will expand my mind and I will be more spiritually sound and implement my loving kindness to other and hopefully others will embrace my spirit as well.

Practices for personal health:

Well for all of these domains of health there are so many tools and exercises that can be implemented.

Physical: Cardiovascular exercises, swimming, zumba, aerobics. I can name so many more activities that you can do to improve your physical well-being. By doing any of these activities at least 3 days a week you can improve your physical health immensely and be on the road to further healthy practices. Any of these exercises can also help your mental health too. I use a lot of cardio to clear my mind of I am stressed with school or my kids.

Spiritual: yoga, meditation, retreats, church. All of these things can help spiritual growth no matter what practices you involve yourself in. Yoga is also good for your physical and mental well-being as well.

Psychological: Cardio, yoga, school, learning, traveling, meditation. All of these things can keep a dulling mind sharp or frantic mind calm. Meditation can really harness the inner calm and keep peace in your mind. Expanding your mind and calming your mind and removing chatter can pose to be so beneficial in life.  I like how a lot of these activities you can do can harness all aspects of life and be beneficial in all aspect of health.

Commitment:

I am just stubborn enough of a person as to where failure or lack of progress isn’t an option. I will be involved in helping people better their lives in any way possible. Lacking progress just simply cannot happen. Sure, stalemates are always probable, but I wish to always strive to always be better, wholeness, happiness, and complete physical health. I am going to continue my circuit training because it has been so beneficial to me, and I am going to hold myself accountable just like I would if I was nutritionally counseling someone. I think meditation will also be huge in my life, I cannot describe the benefit is has given me. My sleep is more restful and my mind has been clearer, I cannot imagine going back to using old practices and letting the mental chatter ruin most of my nights of sleep. From this point forward I vow to myself and for the benefit of my family I will never lose sight of the importance of what this class has shown me about happiness, wholeness, and human flourishing.