Sorry
everyone, but, during Unit 3 I was on vacation in the Dominican Republic. Before I left for vacation, I had full
intention of completing all of my assignments and I had a set plan in place to
do so. However, once I got there, I
realized just how bad I needed a vacation and a break from all work, including
school. So, in lieu of that, I made the
decision not to complete the Unit 3 personal assessment blog and forfeit the
points.
But,
reflecting back, while on vacation, I noticed areas in my life that were not
complete. If I had to guess, at that
time, I would assess my psychological domain as a 4, my spiritual domain as a 1
and my physical domain as a 7. I was
under a lot of stress, had automatic reactions, negative thoughts and emotions,
and had some lifestyle behaviors affecting me physically that needed to be
changed. Since then, I have noticed a
growth in each of these areas. From the
practices learned in this course, I have less negative thoughts and emotions (especially
about others); I respond intentionally to situations, versus being emotionally
hi-jacked; and I am becoming more physically fit and healthy each day.
The
activities that I have found to be the most helpful in implementing this change
were the meditative practices Loving-Kindness and Subtle-Mind. Practicing these each day, I noticed my
awareness of myself and surroundings to increase. As I started to feel better about myself, I
started to take care of myself better. I
started eating more fruits and vegetables, less processed foods, and increased
my exercise routine from 3 days a week to 5 days a week. Although, I am getting healthier in all of
the areas of my life, the most rewarding process through this experience has
been not feeling stressed. I am more at
peace and don’t let the little things bother me any longer. It is such a great feeling to say “we will
find a way to get through this” versus fretting over issues each day. I now live life one day at a time and try to
make the most of each day. I believe
that the more I live life this way and practice integral health, the more it
will spread to those around me.
Thanks
everyone for a great class and all of your informative and inspirational
discussions. I wish everyone the best of
luck in all that you do.
Excellent post, sometimes it is important to just have a break from everything. It can really do a lot in relieving stress. It is great to hear that you are really making a change in your life and becoming overall healthier. As you can see the benefits are great. Best of luck to you as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristen,
ReplyDeleteSometimes we need a moment to gather our thoughts and to get away from the pressure. By getting away from it all for just a moment is a gamble we often take for the good and the bad. I have found out for most of the time that I felt rejuvenated and able to complete tasks little easier. Best of Luck to you.
Latonia