Meeting Aesclepius

Describe your meditative practices for the week and discuss the experience. Explain how mindfulness or meditation has fostered an increase in your psychological or spiritual wellness. How can you continue to apply these practices in your life to foster greater health and wellness?

I had a good relaxing meditation practice for this week’s exercise. I chose to think of my grandmother who I find to be a very loving, supportive, wise person whom I have a close relationship with. I found this to be relaxing and stress relieving. I had to keep bringing myself back to the exercise because I kept thinking of memories of my grandma because we had to focus on our “mentor.” I think that this exercise would be easier to focus on someone I don’t know but view as wise to keep my mind on track, but I did have happy feelings when thinking about my loved one. I think that mindfulness helps increase spiritual wellness because it allows us to focus on our body as a whole, mind, body, and spirit. When we can focus on our body as a whole we can reduce stress and stressors in our lives and really live life to the fullest. I know that when I take time out of my day to relax and let the stress of daily hassles and just life in general I feel refreshed and renewed. This helps me clear my mind and not let the noise in my head affect me psychologically or physiologically. I believe I will continue to use meditation and exercise as practices to achieve wellness throughout life.

Describe the saying: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself" (p.477). How does this apply to the health and wellness professional? Do you have an obligation to your clients to be developing your health psychologically, physically, and spiritually? Why or why not? How can you implement psychological and spiritual growth in your personal life?

I think this saying is great and true in my perspective. I believe someone must truly know what another person is going through by going through it themselves. I think this applies to health and wellness professionals because in order to preach health and wellness we must truly practice it ourselves and understand the real impact it has on our mind, body, and soul. I think there is some sort of obligation, I am a nurse and I think it is crazy how many nurses preach to eat healthy and quit smoking to many patients but they themselves go out on their breaks to smoke and life an unhealthy lifestyle. I believe that because we chose this profession and gain knowledge to better ourselves and others we should be doing the same for ourselves. For me implementing spiritual and psychological growth is going to be a lifelong process, we are always changing and always growing in every area of our lives. I think that I will continue to work out (running is my hobby), trying to eat clean for the mind and body, and cleanse my mind with meditation and relaxation techniques. I really like deep breathing exercises myself.