Here in the United States, western
medicine is most prominent and widely used. It only addresses one area of our
being and that is in a biological/physical sense. Eastern medicine addresses
the entire body. It encompasses the psychospiritual aspect as well as the
worldly, biological, and interpersonal areas within us (Dacher, 2006). The way
in which we “treat” our bodies is changing.
It is starting to become a reality
and people are beginning to understand and grasp that you can’t just treat the
symptoms, there is a root to every problem. These problems that arise on a
regular basis’, more and more as we progress into the future, must be dealt
with in a better way. That way is to treat the root of the problem. This way of
life is a holistic and integral way of living. It is a much deeper
understanding of the mind and body and how it works together. Health and
wellness professionals should grasp this concept and dive deeper into the inner
workings of our psychological, spiritual, and physical states in order to helps
others.
As a health professional moves about
through their career, they will be faced with many different challenges. In our
society, we are taught to deal with them in a western sense with medicine.
Medicine is a cure all; supposedly. Could there be another way, a better way to
treat individuals in this profession?
Integral healing is a way in which health and wellness professionals can
truly help and treat the patients they are faced with. It is such an expansive
and deep way of healing that is goes beyond the capacity we know now (Dacher,
2006). This type of healing not only treats the symptoms but can also treat the
root of a problem, which is beneficial to the professionals. It is also
important for these professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually, and
physically so that they may have a broad array of tactics to help their patients.
It is hard to teach someone this when they themselves have not yet explored.
For me, each of these areas,
psychological, spiritual, and physical could always use development. In order
to achieve goals I have set for myself, I need to further develop each area and
in doing so, it will put me closer to attaining my goals. The body may have
limits as to how far it will go, but the mind does not. Psychologically
speaking, this is the area I would most like to work on to learn how to be a
better person inside will help me be a better person outside. Dealing with
stress, negativity, and mental anguish in a much more effective way is a
personal goal of mine.
When assessing my health in each
area, they are all pretty poor. Learning all of the necessary things has shown
me that I have lots of work ahead. I would rate each area the same, between
poor and average. A balance of inner spirituality and psychological health can
lead to something better physically. It is possible to have sustained health,
happiness, and wholesomeness in an eastern sense. Some goals I have set for
myself in each area can be attained through this way of life. Physically, I
would love to have a healthier leaner body. It is important to make this a
priority and I will achieve this goal by drafting the support of my husband and
completing workouts on a daily basis. Psychologically, I would like to be able
to deal with stress, mental anguish, problems of any kind, and negative
thoughts in a positive way. I would like to achieve this goal by slowing
changing my negative thoughts to positive ones. When I begin to think my glass
is half empty, I can train my mind to see the glass half full and find the
opportunity in situations. I also want to meditate on a regular basis to be
able to clear the mental chatter and have better peace of mind. Spiritually, I
would like to attend church more often. God is an important part and I would
like to let that in my life more by attending church on Sundays.
A good strategy to attain my goals
set in each domain is a calendar marked with the times I need to do something.
For example in the spiritual department, I can mark on every Sunday of the
month to attend church and list the times I can go. I can also pray before I go
to bed every night. As for psychologically, I will set reminders in my phone to
go off for meditation times. This can be a daily reminder or only certain days
of the week. I really enjoy relaxing in a hot bath with lavender and this is a
good time for silence and meditation. To be better physically, I bought
Insanity and I will follow the regiment that they put together with my husband.
I will also follow the nutritional guide as well to foster better eating
habits.
To assess my progress in all of these
areas, I will create a spreadsheet or weekly calendar with each of the areas
listed each day I intend to do them. Each day, I will mark off what I have
completed successfully. At the end of the week, I will be able to see where I
slacked off and what areas; I feel could use more improvement. I will be able
to keep record of previous weeks in a binder to I can monitor my progress over
a long period of time. This will help me see what goals I am attaining in six
months and which goals I am not meeting. It gives me great accountability as
well. My husband is a great person to support me with these goals and having
him onboard will be best at keeping my goals in full view. If I fall off the
wagon, he will be there to help me back on.
It is great to have goals to work
towards. Nothing feels better than when you work so hard and you achieve what
you have set out to do. It lets you make more goals to help you foster integral
health and wholesomeness. Sustained happiness is important in my life and with
these strategies; I will be able to attain that level over time and with
determination. Physical, psychological and spiritual health and flourishing is
the key to a happy and wholesome life.
References:
Dacher, E.S.
(2006) Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Basic Health Publication.
Laguna, CA.
