Holistic
Integral Health:
Creating
Wellness
For
the
Body,
Mind, and Spirit
Unit
9 Final Project
Marcella
Gracer
HW420-01
Kaplan
University
Professor
John Aguilar.
April
3, 2012
Part
I – Introduction
Integral
health and wellness is a practice encompassing the entire human experience; body
(the physical self), mind (mental outlook/emotional status), spirit (happiness/inner
peace within the soul), and environment (the how,
with whom, and where of existence) to achieve optimal human flourishing. It is
about assessing and treating each individual as a whole entity, not a sum of the
parts. Human beings are not just a head, heart, and body. Rather, each
individual is unique and requires health care capable of addressing the total being.
Conventional allopathic (Western) medicine puts a focus on either
the biological body or the emotional mind, using pharmaceuticals to cover up
symptoms; making the mistake of treating each separately, instead of as one whole
person. This type of health care has proven to be of little use when it comes
to addressing the chronic issues of depression and other health maladies
connected with a disconnected body, mind, spirit, and environment in today’s
society. The path to integral health is the answer to finding a healthier
future for those willing to learn and practice the skills required to follow
the integral health pathway as described by Dacher in his book, Integral Health – The Path to Human Flourishing.
The main objective of the integral health pathway is the goal of self-transformation
to attain the highest possible level of consciousness and health; also known as
optimal human flourishing.
Within each individual is the ability to develop, cultivate, grow,
and maintain a higher level of consciousness if taught the proper skills
required such as learning to practice loving kindness developing the open heart;
to practice silence and stillness cultivating the subtle mind allowing for
mindfulness, which leads to skillful and intentional actions; ultimately
leading to the creation of one’s own wellness and increased levels of human
flourishing. Note that simply learning the skills required is not enough to
facilitate the necessary changes within. Rather, as with any skill, practice on
a daily basis for the entirety of life offers the best opportunity for success.
It is necessary to practice the five guiding principles of the integral
health pathway as outlined by Dacher to realize this flourishing of which he
speaks by “applying the integral model to our life” (Dacher, 2006, p 35). They are
as follows:
1.
Holistic – of body, mind,
and spirit as a whole, not parts
2.
Evolutionary – ever-changing;
open to new ideas in body, mind, and spirit
3.
Intentional – with loving-kindness
and a subtle mind make intentional, not reactive, choices
4.
Person-centered – Individualism is the
key component to being person-centered
5.
Dynamism – having motivation; a life force;
a desire to transform
Part II – The Integral Assessment
The
Integral Assessment is a tool used to determine meditative priority; providing
there is not a current emergent situation earning right as the first priority. Meditative
priorities can vary from day to day, and even moment to moment depending upon
life situations, circumstance, and the level of consciousness one has managed
to attain through integral health practices. Using mindfulness and the subtle
mind it is possible to establish where focus and intention should be directed in
regard to the four aspects of the human experience as introduced by Dacher. The
four aspects he refers to are psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and
worldly. Utilizing these four human aspects a formal integral assessment begins
by cultivating a still mind to reach a contemplative state of consciousness. It
is in the contemplative state where inventory of the four aspects is processed
and priorities are set for meditation. It is in this contemplative state that
one also makes the decision as to which specific practice would be most
beneficial to restore harmony and inner peace. Along with the four aspects of
human experience there are six Principles of Integral Assessment we learn from
Dacher. The six principles to help guide one through the integral assessment
are:
1. Alleviate
needless suffering and promote human flourishing – here we can assess the
priorities of human aspects requiring attention based on two things – where is
the cause of the most needless suffering; and where is the greatest possibility
for growth and development.
2. Recognize
the difference between short-term relief of needless suffering and permanent
relief.
3. Recognize
the difference between immediate pleasure and long-term flourishing. Knowing
immediate pleasure is derived from extrinsic sources; while long-term
flourishing comes from within the inner-self.
4. Psychospiritual
development is an essential component of integral health. It is through this
development and cultivation of an expanded consciousness enabling us to be more
attentive and focused.
5. Deep
listening and guidance are key components of integral assessment.
6. Assessment
should take place at intervals suited for the individual considering the
dynamism involved, meaning our circumstances are always changing, as should our
personal care plan (Dacher, 2006, p 105-106).
In
doing my own personal assessment my scores were not up to par. I find there is
plenty of room for improvement. Having learned these wonderful skills to
develop and cultivate an inner peace from a personal level all the way up to
the worldly level. As for my biological score I will say I am doing the best in
this aspect. Healthy eating, regular exercise, and activities in nature help to
keep me biologically fit. With regard to my emotional/mental score I have made
this particular aspect a priority for meditative purposes as I have been
experiencing a good bit of stress over the past few months with needing to care
for others and being frustrated because I only want to focus on myself. Taking
this course has given me the insight to see the benefits of a contemplative
consciousness, the ability to be mindful of what is in my mind and how to
become accepting of these situations. Using the Loving-Kindness practice will
help to foster a greater level of consciousness in my spirit aspect. Learning
to forgive myself for feeling selfish and forgive others for their needs,
rather than be frustrated by the pull of my family.
Part
III – Goal Development
Goals
to foster growth and development at a personal level for me biologically would include
adding a yoga class to my exercise routine; to continue eating healthy,
nutritious, whole foods, drinking plenty of water, and continue with my
chiropractic care to improve pain associated with my degenerative vertebrae.
In
regard to improving my mind, or consciousness level I will continue my
meditation exercises currently part of my daily routine such as
loving-kindness, mindfulness, and subtle mind practice. As well, I am going to
sign up for some personalized meditation training offered on line I found in
the resources offered by Dr. Dacher (Dacher, 2006, p 105). The idea of having
someone to help guide me through the process and help to mentor with questions
as I transform and grow is appealing and makes the process seem more realistic
for me.
As
I work to improve my mental consciousness level I will also be developing my spiritual
consciousness. The psychospiritual growth and development of my own self will
help to improve my ability to better handle the stress of daily life. Again,
reaching out to some of the resources such as the Institute of Noetic Sciences (I
ONS)offering great introduction and guidance for meditation at all levels.
Part
IV – Practices for Personal Health
Strategies
I can implement to foster growth in each of the domains; body, mind, and spirit
are continuation of the exercises and practices learned in this course as
outlined by Dr. Dacher. These would include the yoga and breathing classes for
fostering growth in my body. The Loving-Kindness exercise and mindfulness
practice will help to still and quiet my mind, allowing for a subtle mind and
contemplative practice. This will foster growth both psychologically and spiritually.
To
foster growth and development in all aspects of my human experiences I am going
to continue to study integral health practices through the resources provided
by Dr. Dacher. I believe that with the help of a guide or mentor I will better
improve my abilities over time with plenty of practice and commitment to
integral health and optimal human flourishing for myself. Once I have mastered
this practice for myself I can then share the experience with others in the hopes
of helping them to accomplish the same successful results of attaining optimal
human flourishing; only to know they will go on to do the same. With this type
of commitment integral health will become the new ‘conventional’ health care
system to create a greater level of health and wellness worldwide.
Part
V – Commitment: The Next Six Months
As
I continue to practice what I have learned thus far in this course, and add to
that the new strategies I will be implementing to foster increased growth and
development of the integral health pathway I will use the formal integral
assessment previously described to assess my progress or lack thereof. With the
contemplative practice and mindfulness I will be able to prioritize what
aspects of my life are in need of greater development.
Strategies
I can use to assist in maintaining long-term practice for health and wellness
will be the continued pursuit of my own personal growth and development, as
well as my motivation to have the ability to share this wonderful theory of
health and wellness with others; allowing them to also foster, develop, and
grow in body, mind, and spirit. With this accomplishment comes the ultimate
reward of optimal human flourishing regardless of the current situation or
circumstance with an open heart, open mind, and open soul; all ready to
flourish even further than ever thought possible.
Dacher, ES 2006
Integral Health – The Path to Human Flourishing Pub: Basic
Health Publications, Inc. Laguna Beach,
CA
Institute
of Noetic Sciences (IONS) 2012 Consciousness and Healing Self- Study Courses Retrieved on March 31, 2012 from http://noetic.org/education/self- study/consciousness-healing/ using Internet
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