My Plan for Holistic and Integral Health

I Introduction:

It is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically. Practitioners must evolve because they are the leading edge of change and they cannot lead until they themselves have experienced the transformation. I personally want to develop and improve upon my leadership goals and develop a more biologically profound body. To do this, I will need to increase my exercise and lose some weight.

II Assessment:

To foster greater wellness in my biological life, I intend to eat better (no more sweets and simple carbs) and get at least 30 minutes, preferably 60 minutes of exercise. cardio daily, along with 30-60 minutes of toning and stretching exercises, pilates and yoga. I have begun the meditative practices and along with prayer, begin my day in this way. Whenever I find myself faltering or waning in courage, tenacity, strength, desire or ambition, I go back to my meditative practice and recharge myself. My spiritual score is around a 7, physical score is around a 6, and psychological score is around a 7.

III Goal development:

My goal for my physical area is, as I have mentioned, to increase physical activity and decrease weight. My goal for my psychological and spiritual activity is to incorporate loving-kindness and integral health into my work and personal life.

IV Practices for personal health:

To improve my biological health, I am implementing 30 minutes, preferably 60 minutes of exercise which includes daily cardio, along with 30-60 minutes of toning and stretching exercises, pilates and yoga. I have begun the meditative practices and along with prayer, begin my day in this way. Whenever I find myself faltering or waning in courage, tenacity, strength, desire or ambition, I go back to my meditative practice and recharge myself.

To improve my psychological and spiritual health, I will meditate and pray every morning and every time I feel like I need it. I will practice the loving kindness meditation and listen to the Rainbow Meditation.

V Commitment:

My progress will be easily assessed through how I feel and the success in my work that I am experiencing, which will include my finances. My strategies to maintain long-term practices for health and wellness will continue to remind myself of my goals and my daughter’s upcoming wedding this October. I want to be able to well afford her wedding, as well as look good for it. I have been in "love" with Integral health for as long as I can remember. The only time I feel "alive" while working is when I am able to teach others the wonders of integral health and thus, Human Flourishing is an area I have been searching for. I do not believe there will be any problem with my commitment now that I have landed. My commitment to my biological health, my daughter, my new husband and my family all bridge the area I am most comfortable in.

Integral Health for Humanity

Two practices that have been most beneficial to me have been The Loving-Kindness Meditation and the Subtle Mind. I can implement these practices in my personal life to foster mental fitness because of how the subtle mind will help me find peace and calmness when there is chaos all around me. The Loving-Kindness Meditation can help me help others find peace, health, joy and happiness, as well as myself. All of this can help bring a taste of human flourishing into our world.

"If humanity is to evolve to integral health, it is imperative to create a healthcare system that encourages and supports our efforts. We also need a community of trained professionals and like-minded friends who support our efforts. We cannot do this work alone in an unsympathetic culture.” (Dacher 2006 pp147-148).

Reference: Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA

The Hubble Telescope- "The Eye of God"

Our Subtle Mind

Meeting Aesclepius – Our Subtle Mind

The wise ones tell us that in the beginning stage of contemplative practice, the mind seems like a waterfall. Its noise seems louder as we go inward. Nothing has ever changed, except for our attention to the mind. With practice, the mind becomes like a rushing mountain stream, agitated, but not as noisy as a waterfall. Gradually, it becomes like a lazy river, flowing through the flat plains, easy and quiet. In the final stages, it becomes like a river, reunited with the still, deep, and stable ocean.

In any single practice session, you may go through each of these phases, the untamed mind, the increasing stillness of the witnessing mind, calm-abiding, and/or unity consciousness, or you may only encounter one.

If you can find a skilled teacher to be your guide, you will be quite fortunate. Such a person can look in your eyes, listen to your experience, and help you with any problems. A skillful teacher is one that has practiced and studied for many years within a tradition that aims for inner freedom, rather than mere relaxation.

We will use visualization to access our inner healer that is found at the source of our being. That wise healer who resides within each of us will help guide us through the integral process. The ancient Greeks call this inner healer, Aesclepius. We will call it our subtle mind.

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and visualize an image of a very wise loving man or woman. Choose an individual alive or passed on whom you respect and honor, and whom you feel a sense of connection. If identifying such a person is difficult, then create one. Stabilize this image in front of you and carefully observe this individual.

As a result our consciousness expands and we cultivate a special wisdom. Loving kindness and wisdom are the results of these two practices and are the two essential elements that bring an end to needless suffering and reveal the fruits of human flourishing, an authentic and enduring health, happiness and wholeness.

I have chosen my mother, who has passed on 18 years ago but I still feel a special connection. I see her bright eyes and warm smile and the wrinkles on her face have long gone. Her skin is smooth, clear and beautiful, and so is her hair.

I sit in communion with her and reflect on her qualities and characteristics, her peace, wisdom, compassion, love and joy. As I allow our connection to deepen, I visualize the beam of white light from her crown and visualize it coming into my mind. This light and energy bathes and purifies my thoughts and feelings, and images I have are slowly transforming my mind into the still, pure and wise mind of my mother.

Another beam of light emanates from my mother's throat and bathes and purifies my speech. My speech becomes loving, wise and sensitive.

A beam of light emerges from her heart and it bathes and purifies my heart with kindness, love and compassion, transforming it into a heart of loving-kindness and wisdom.

As I experience my purified mind, speech and heart, I take on the qualities of the wise one and I become her.

I allow her entire image to dissolve into a bright white light and enter my body at my forehead and slowly permeate my entire being so that I fully become this wise person.

What does this feel like? What is it like to experience this wise guidance and healing of my inner healer? I accept and experience myself as a wise and loving healer in mind, speech and heart. Who is this wise and caring person I first imaged outside myself? Where has she been? It is now time to welcome her home. It is now time to know the healing God, Aesclepius is none other than the natural essence of my heart and mind.

This inner essence is a guide, healer, and gift giver. It guides my choices and actions from a deep wisdom. It heals my body, mind and spirit by eradicating the misunderstandings, confusion, and sense of isolation that are the underlying causes of mental distress and stress related illnesses. It gives the gift of profound and enduring health, happiness and wholeness. This essence is my inner guide, healer, and gift giver.

As Integral healers, we must experience this inner essence if we are to lead others there. We must have Mindfulness in our work, which focuses on mindfulness practice to reduce stress, increase work satisfaction, and help others attain this level of calm-abiding. Any healthcare professional must become a healer integrally because it is a critical component of wellness.

Dacher, E (2006). The Path to Human Flourishing, Contemplative Practices: An Audio Companion to Integral Health. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA.

If all hands that reach could touch...............

Expand your consciousness for a moment, to a universal consciousness in a Loving-Kindness meditation, and you have the ability to have a spiritual union with the universe. As our consciousness expands, so does our reach. Our capacity for empathic listening, seeing, and caring for one another with open heartedness, sensitivity, generosity and emotional intimacy can spread to all of our relationships. You can see others, acknowledge others, hear others and be present with others whether that other person is in the next room or across the globe.

Close your eyes and for a minute, rest into the natural ease of your mind and body, and repeat the following phrases. It is recommended you do this for 10 minutes:

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.

May I assist all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May I assist all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.

What did you discover about yourself? I discovered that it gives me a high that can’t be compared to. I find this meditative practice to give me a sense of unity and euphoria as I gain freedom from suffering and find sustained health, happiness and wholeness, and assist others do the same.

Do an Integral Assessment of yourself at this time in your life. To flourish in this area, you must understand that your development is broken down into four categories:

1. Psychospiritual

2. Biological

3. Interpersonal

4. Worldly

Psychospiritual and biological flourishing involve personal areas of growth and development. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Become the change you want to see happen in the world.” Psychospiritual flourishing is our most undeveloped part in Western history and it involves mental suffering and premature disease and is the greatest obstacle to human flourishing. When this area is developed, we gain the most for our effort, and is done through meditating.

Biological flourishing includes the anatomical and physiological body, and the mind/body/spiritual body.

Interpersonal influence is how you share your life with others. This is a shift from I, to you, to us, to all of us.

Worldly living is dependent upon a healthy inner life and healthy personal relationships. From mere survival to creative expression, to fulfillment in your life and work to service for others, worldly living is our creation of our world. “Become the change you want to see happen in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi.

My Integral Assessment is generally pretty lopsided. The way it is today may be different tomorrow, as this assessment is done regularly because it is a dynamic area. Today, my fitness and nutrition (biological) are areas I need to work on as I have been working on my psychospiritual, interpersonal and worldly health quite a bit this past year.

To foster greater wellness in my biological life, I intend to eat better (no more sweets and simple carbs) and get at least 30 minutes, preferably 60 minutes of cardio daily, along with 30-60 minutes of toning and stretching exercises, pilates and yoga. I have begun the meditative practices and along with prayer, begin my day in this way. Whenever I find myself faltering or waning in courage, tenacity, strength, desire or ambition, I go back to my meditative practice and recharge myself.

This is the path to Human Flourishing. And if I reach out my hand and touch you, then I have done my job in spreading the word and opening the path to a better world. Please visit my website at http://NutriTech12.com.

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral Health, The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publications, Laguna Beach, CA

Sensei Charles

Part 2 of 2 for “The Subtle Mind"

I have seen this connection of mind/body/spirit first hand in many areas of my life. I could write an entire blog of my experiences, but I will narrow it down to one.

Twenty years ago, I went into labor at only 20 weeks gestation. My mother rushed me to the ER and while there, the doctors informed me that because my amniotic sac had busted, that I would deliver the baby, and because the fetus was not viable, would die soon after birth. They were preparing me.

My mother began crying and started calling the ladies of the church to put me on the prayer chain, and I went into a deep meditative state. I completely blanked out the beeps and noises of the hospital and went to a waterfall in my mind and kept myself calm.

They brought in a portable sonogram machine, and once I saw my baby's body, the head, the tummy, the legs, and once the technician said, "watch this!" And she pointed out nourishment flowing from my body into the baby's, I knew my child would survive.

The next morning, the contractions had stopped and I was admitted to the hospital. The doctors all expected me to be delivering and leaving soon. But one day turned into a week, and even though I was instructed to "stay in bed" I got stir crazy and would get up to walk for exercise. As soon as I felt cramping, I got into bed and reached for my Bible. My mother saw to it that I had absolutely no stress, and because I worked at home for my step dad, all of my bills and insurance were paid. Mom brought my work to me at the hospital, and I was able to work off my laptop.

About two weeks into my stay, I began suffering severe anxiety. The doctors suggested they give me some kind of medication, but I refused it. I asked my Mom to open my window and help me to the window for fresh air. As soon as I stuck my head out and took in fresh air, my anxiety subsided. It was then that Mom lobbied for, and got me a wheel chair and took me outside every afternoon.

Well, the doctors then began to worry about the baby's lungs not developing because a fetus will swallow amniotic fluid to develop their lungs and this baby had none. So, they gave me steroids to develop the lungs which caused me to be so alert that I couldn't sleep for two days. I got steroid shots once a week. That, to my knowledge was the only type of medication that I did take.

Even though the amniotic sac never closed, I managed to hang on to the baby, and I strongly feel it was, in large part, due to my faith and my ability to keep calm in all adversity, and my Mom. I was told that they never had another woman stay as long as I did with ruptured membranes. And even though I was healthy in mind, body and spirit, their prognosis for a viable baby was still poor.

Well, Charles Daniel Hilbert was born on November 4, 1989, 10 weeks premature and weighed in at 3 lbs. I brought him home when he was 19 days old on a heart monitor. Except for some upper respiratory issues when he started elementary school, and a tonsillectomy when he was 10, he's never sick.

He is a 2nd degree black belt and Sensei in Martial Arts, and the apple of my eye. He received a full scholarship to attend college from his good grades and I thank God every day for my blessing. I think his Dad is pretty proud of him too, and I know his brothers Shayne and Kevin, and his sisters Melissa and Brenda think he's kind of great too.......

The Subtle Mind

This is Part 1 of 2 for this Blog. Please be sure to read about Sensei Charles in my next post.....

Meditation can help lower stress levels, thus help improve the quality of life and health. Previously, I wrote about a "Loving Kindness" meditative exercise and today I am writing about the "Subtle Mind" exercise.

The Loving-Kindness meditation practice gradually diminishes self-centeredness, and opens our heart to others, priming our mind for further development, while the Subtle Mind meditation is a basic daily practice that can progress one to the three levels of the subtle mind, which are:

1) The witnessing mind
2) Calm abiding, and
3) Unity consciousness

The subtle mind evolves over time and gives one a stable mind, less reactivity, greater patience and inner calm. The breath is used to obtain a subtle mind, and is used for two reasons: There is direct relationship between the breath and the mind. A peaceful breathing pattern will lead to a peaceful mind. Still the breath and the mind is stilled. Second, the breath is always with us.

Using the breath, one can learn how to tame and stabilize the mind by developing a witnessing consciousness. As witnessing consciousness replaces grasping and clinging, we progressively experience calm abiding and that eventually evolves into unity consciousness.

As you practice the subtle mind meditation, you will feel such a sense of comfort and peace, that you may not want to come back to the present. This is a technique that I was very happy to learn and one that I will utilize any time, especially in times of stress and anxiety. I feel blessed that I know of this technique because there is a limited culturally learned understanding of our body that is linked to our narrow outer view of our mental and spiritual aspects of our biological body. Most people in the United States are currently in that paradigm.

Science, aka: "traditional medicine," arrives at its understandings by reducing the body to its most physical elements. Traditional medicine has the physical facts of our biology mapped out quite well. But there is a connection of spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness when we stop looking at the body in segments, such as the cardiologist, the gastroenterologist, the gynecologist, or the oncologist would. The profound mystery of life is encoded into our physical nature. (Dacher, E 2006).

Our biology is no longer a problem to be solved but rather a mystery to be lived and explored first-hand. It is in this way that we discover the higher levels of our biology - the mind/body and the spiritual body.

Loving-Kindness Meditation

My experience with the Loving-Kindness meditation was beneficial to me. I naturally have a loving-kindness personality, but I do become weak and agitated at times when too many things seem to be going wrong at one time, involving too many people. So, for me to be able to reach out and take in the suffering of a loved one and allow it to just “be” and breathe out happiness and health was very uplifting. It helped me reach calm abiding, and gives me the sense of unity with those I meditate on.

I found myself taking in the suffering of more than one loved one, which I am assuming is ok. There is no right or wrong way to allow loving-kindness to manifest in ourselves.

When it was time to take in the suffering of those who are beyond my loved ones, or those I may not know, I thought of those suffering with catastrophic illnesses and I breathed out health and healing and think about their ability to see their illness as a manifestation of something that needs to be addressed either physically or spiritually, or both, and that will be shown to them in a thought or vision.

I also thought of those who live in constant turmoil, agitation, poverty, addictions, and hatred. It is those people who need a distant and divine manifestation to intercede into their lives because they will never find it without that.

I thought of those who are greedy and materialistic, and breathe out a sense of charity to them. At some point, they will begin to understand we are all in this together and to be greedy or materialistic only shuts them out of the big picture.

I feel peaceful when I come back to my surroundings and I have a renewed strength and encouragement to keep faith that my life purpose will continue to manifest and I will continue to have success. I will not doubt my abilities, nor of the Divine’s intentions for my life, and I realize that I am just a grain of sand on the beaches and my worries and my ego have no place in this peaceful bliss I now enjoy, and hope to enjoy again and again. I will practice this meditation at least twice a day, or more as needed, and I hope to be able to manifest that sense of peace in my life at all times of the day.

I definitely recommend anyone to try this exercise. It helps alleviate stress and can improve one’s health, but even more than that, it can help fulfill a sense of unity all of us truly want but may feel is elusive in this world. When that curtain is pulled back and you see the warmth and white light of truth, peace and unity, your life purpose is revealed when you just let go and let be, and allow yourself to be filled with loving-kindness.

Paula