Introduction
Spiritual
growth is not just a practice, it is a lifestyle. The holistic lifestyle
creates a strong spirit and a healthier lifestyle. The core of this lifestyle
starts with discipline and motivation. As a health care professional it is
imperative not only to teach this lifestyle but to live it. Some may ask why is
it important to live it and not just teach it. The answer, because you cannot
properly teach something that you do not understand. The best way to get others
to follow the holistic path is to show them through your own experiences.
To have a strong and physical being in life
and wellness, one must practice the teaching offered by those who have shown
that this lifestyle is a great path to self-healing, wellness, spirituality and
a strong mind body and soul. In order to attain this spiritual lifestyle the
health and wellness professional must develop not only spiritually but they
must also grow psychologically. Psychological growth is necessary to unlock the
mind, to open up to the possibilities that come with becoming spiritually
connected with the universe and other living beings. Learning the reasons for
our inter connectedness will only come if the health professional is able to
learn the depths of the brain and what it is to connect the brain to the soul.
In
order for me to achieve and maintain the goal of a holistic lifestyle I must
open my mind. I must allow everything around me to be absorbed into my
psychological side, and then connect it to my spiritual beliefs. I am a
Buddhist and my belief is that we are all connected. The universe and my inner
being are one, and when I pass from this life to the next I will come back with
whatever karma has been passed from my family, generation after generation. My
goal with my spiritual self-awareness is to stop the karma and allow myself and
my family to live long health lives. Loving kindness and meditation will help
me continue to grow. The more I grow, the more I can pass on and the more I
share with others the more I will grow.
Assessment
When
assessing health in my spiritual life it is very important to take into account
both your everyday life and your overall life. Living for the past and the
future are important in order to maintain goals and prevent repeating mistakes,
but one must truly live for the here and the now. Assessing my wellness I
consider that I am somewhere in the middle of the road. Not in bad shape, but I
have not reached my full potential. My spiritual wellness on a day to day basis
is back and forth between highs and lows. Daily life can create so many road
blocks that it makes it difficult. According to my daily practice of Buddhism,
I have learned that there are 10 different worlds that we can transition
through on a daily basis. On the extreme side there is the world referred to as
Hell and on the opposite spectrum is the world of Buddhahood, or enlightenment.
Enlightenment is for those who are completely at ease with their spirit and
live the life of spiritual wellness, their physical wellbeing and their
psychological mind.
Physically
I find that I am far above the average person and rate myself very high. I go
to the gym once a day. I go to the gym to ensure that my body is well taken
care of. If I take care of it, then it will take care of me. I do cardio, such
as running, hiking and swimming three times a week. Yoga, tai chi and
meditation are the other physical exercises I do on a weekly basis. Continuing
to maintain my body in good healthy shape will help me to ensure that I am
spiritually well and psychologically well.
Although
I find that I am psychologically sound, I do find myself occasionally fighting
depression. Depression can come and go and is determined by my daily activities
and allowing the negative to build. Over time if I am not practicing what I
preach about spiritual wellness, eventually it catches up with me mentally. Routinely
meditating is the only way to live my life without depression, as time moves
forward, I will learn to continue to grow psychologically.
Goals and Practice
Spiritually I will work on my
mind and souls connectedness. My goal to attain this, as funny as it seems is
to set my alarm on daily to remind me that it is important to set aside an hour
a day to myself in order to meditate, chant and connect my mind with my spirit.
It is difficult because daily life can create so much chaos, and I will either
forget or fall asleep from exhaustion. Setting my alarm will allow me actually
stop me and remind me.
Physically
I will continue to push myself to my limits, reminding myself of safety, but
continuing to grow is important. If I walk a mile today, tomorrow I will walk
two, then the next day three. If I climb a hill today, I will climb a mountain
tomorrow. Mentally I will continue to focus on myself to workout harder and
meditate longer. This will help me both mentally and physically. Pushing myself
harder everyday will make my sense of purpose more pronounced. If I am
physically in shape, then it will boost my self-awareness and allow me to
continue to grow. The physical and psychological goals will be a part of my
daily routine. Psychologically, continuing to learn is how I will continue to
grow. Learning something every day, continuing my education and learning from
those I teach.
Commitment
The most difficult challenged
faced every day is discipline. Discipline leads to a lack of commitment. The
lack of commitment prevents spiritual growth. Commitment is follow through
every day with no excuses. Excuses lead to failure and failure leads to a loss
of spiritual connectedness and can bring forth an unhealthy lifestyle.
Spiritually missing a meditation session, physically not going to the gym, and
mentally failing to open your mind, causes of a lack of commitment. One day
will turn into a two days, into a week, into a month and continue on. Staying
strong and committed is vital to the holistic lifestyle and is imperative to
the spiritual professional.
Tracking
and assessing my growth and commitment will be simply maintaining a journal.
The daily journal will be for my physical routines, including current levels
and routine checks of progress. Spiritually I will discuss in my journal what I
have found on my daily journey to include challenges I have dealt with daily
and how I handles them, and psychologically, there are many programs that can
challenge this and leave me results to show where I stand. This all comes with
the ultimate commitment.
Conclusion
Throughout
the last ten weeks I have learned so much about myself. I have grown
spiritually, and mentally. I will continue to grow and learn more. One of the
most important things I have learned is, that no matter how much I know and
spiritually well I am, there is always room for more. Opening my mind and my
heart leads to a path of enlightenment. The holistic practice is not just a
practice, but it is a lifestyle.
References
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