Looking at mental fitness, I believe the activities that would work best for me personally are visualization and meditation. Meditation would allow me the chance to focus my mind and relax my body. Visualization would make me a better coach and help me in improving my physical fitness. Both would improve my overall health and allow me the chance to have a more holistic focus.
As for professionally, I would use these exercises with my team. Visualization would help them with their performance and meditation would help them control their anxiety in certain situations. Of course, I don't know how relaxed I would want them to be going into a competition. But, I know it would be helpful.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Unit 7 Seminar
While I am thankful for the many activities and things I get to do, I am so sad that I have not been to many actual seminars this term. And, I won't lie, I'm kind of tired of doing option 2. I would much rather sit in "class" for an hour and interact with my instructor and classmates. Since I was on a plane while seminar was occurring yesterday, here are my responses to the following questions.
1. Upon reviewing your journal/blog and the blogs of others; evaluate which practices may be most beneficial for the population you seek to serve in your profession. (Select at least two exercise)How can you professionally apply these concepts? For example: Who you are targeting? How you will implement the exercise? Why you think it would be beneficial? What are the exercise?
The exercises that I believe will be most beneficial to my clients will be something like Skillful Action and visualization exercises like Meeting Asclepius. Since my clients are teenage athletes, I believe giving them the tools to create inner peace and strength and the ability to visualize positive thoughts can be very beneficial on so many levels. Our young people today have so much negativity bombarding their lives, and giving them the skills to have positive interactions is essential. I can apply these concepts by teaching my athletes how to use these types of activities to begin training and preparing their minds for success and health. In order to implement the exercise, I would take the time during my practices on a weekly basis to walk them through these exercises. I believe it will benefit them as athletes but also as people. And, ultimately, that is my goal.
2. Choose and article you discussed in the exercise assignment, that you believe is valuable for your profession. Introduce the article and discuss how it can be integrated in a health and wellness program.
An article that I chose is Physical Fitness and Enhanced Psychological Health by Thomas Plante and Judith Rodin. This article speaks about the benefits physical fitness brings to our lives as a whole. According to research, physical fitness improves our psychological functioning. However, it does not change our personalities. It is shown to reduce stress and more. One thing the article did say is that more studies need to be conducted. I believe an article like this can be implemented into a health and wellness program because it shows the correlation between the two areas and verifies the importance of both in overall health. In my profession, it backs the reason why participation in physical activity is important. I believe this is especially so for adolescents who are going through so much anyway. And, this is a way for them to release the stress in their lives.
1. Upon reviewing your journal/blog and the blogs of others; evaluate which practices may be most beneficial for the population you seek to serve in your profession. (Select at least two exercise)How can you professionally apply these concepts? For example: Who you are targeting? How you will implement the exercise? Why you think it would be beneficial? What are the exercise?
The exercises that I believe will be most beneficial to my clients will be something like Skillful Action and visualization exercises like Meeting Asclepius. Since my clients are teenage athletes, I believe giving them the tools to create inner peace and strength and the ability to visualize positive thoughts can be very beneficial on so many levels. Our young people today have so much negativity bombarding their lives, and giving them the skills to have positive interactions is essential. I can apply these concepts by teaching my athletes how to use these types of activities to begin training and preparing their minds for success and health. In order to implement the exercise, I would take the time during my practices on a weekly basis to walk them through these exercises. I believe it will benefit them as athletes but also as people. And, ultimately, that is my goal.
2. Choose and article you discussed in the exercise assignment, that you believe is valuable for your profession. Introduce the article and discuss how it can be integrated in a health and wellness program.
An article that I chose is Physical Fitness and Enhanced Psychological Health by Thomas Plante and Judith Rodin. This article speaks about the benefits physical fitness brings to our lives as a whole. According to research, physical fitness improves our psychological functioning. However, it does not change our personalities. It is shown to reduce stress and more. One thing the article did say is that more studies need to be conducted. I believe an article like this can be implemented into a health and wellness program because it shows the correlation between the two areas and verifies the importance of both in overall health. In my profession, it backs the reason why participation in physical activity is important. I believe this is especially so for adolescents who are going through so much anyway. And, this is a way for them to release the stress in their lives.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I love visualization exercises! Lately, I am getting better at being able to find my focus. When I was practicing this exercise, I thought of my friend Leon. He and I are in the same field of coaching. I appreciate his ability to remain calm in all situations and his ability to talk to and with others. I hope that over time I can learn many things from him.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Unit 6 Seminar
Considering yesterday was my husband's and my 13th wedding anniversary, I did not attend seminar. Here is my response for Option 2. I can't wait to get back to class next week because I love seminar.
Also, I am attaching a picture of my husband and I are on our two week trip to Alaska to this. We had a blast!
1. Upon reviewing your journal/blog and the blogs of others regarding assessment, loving kindness exercise and autogenic exercise, evaluate and discuss which practices may be the most difficult for your future clients to integrate into their lives. Why? How can you prepare to assist your clients in developing regular practices that foster psychological and spiritual growth?
Knowing that my clients will be athletes and their coaches, I believe the activity that will be most difficult at first will be the Loving Kindness activity. I believe that they will not be open at first. But, over time and with development of interpersonal and psychospiritual aspects, they will become more accepting of the activity. Some will say that it is not needed for athletes, but I totally disagree. I believe that I can prepare my clients in small steps through team bonding and other activities that take them away from the skills focus to the mental and connection focus.
2. What information in the blogs of others was helpful in answering this question?
I especially appreciated April's blog. Like me, she found her focus on one person. And, she mentioned the development and process that interpersonal connectedness go through. I believe this is and will be true for my clients.
3. Discuss how you can professionally apply the following concepts: Who you are targeting? How you will assist them? Why do you think it would be beneficial?
My target, as I said before, will be cheer and dance athletes and coaches. I will assist them by developing relationships with them. We will do activities that take them away from focusing solely on the technical skills to be successful, and we will focus on other aspects as well. By doing this, I believe the athletes will perform and compete better. They will feel more successful and accomplished at the end whether they win or lose because the ultimate lesson is in training and getting optimal performance out of their bodies and team. My goal is that they will also feel more relaxed, comfortable, and at ease during the process. As for coaches, I believe it will help them feel balance in their lives, and it will make them better coaches able to focus on the whole athlete. And, I believe that is essential.
Also, I am attaching a picture of my husband and I are on our two week trip to Alaska to this. We had a blast!
1. Upon reviewing your journal/blog and the blogs of others regarding assessment, loving kindness exercise and autogenic exercise, evaluate and discuss which practices may be the most difficult for your future clients to integrate into their lives. Why? How can you prepare to assist your clients in developing regular practices that foster psychological and spiritual growth?
Knowing that my clients will be athletes and their coaches, I believe the activity that will be most difficult at first will be the Loving Kindness activity. I believe that they will not be open at first. But, over time and with development of interpersonal and psychospiritual aspects, they will become more accepting of the activity. Some will say that it is not needed for athletes, but I totally disagree. I believe that I can prepare my clients in small steps through team bonding and other activities that take them away from the skills focus to the mental and connection focus.
2. What information in the blogs of others was helpful in answering this question?
I especially appreciated April's blog. Like me, she found her focus on one person. And, she mentioned the development and process that interpersonal connectedness go through. I believe this is and will be true for my clients.
3. Discuss how you can professionally apply the following concepts: Who you are targeting? How you will assist them? Why do you think it would be beneficial?
My target, as I said before, will be cheer and dance athletes and coaches. I will assist them by developing relationships with them. We will do activities that take them away from focusing solely on the technical skills to be successful, and we will focus on other aspects as well. By doing this, I believe the athletes will perform and compete better. They will feel more successful and accomplished at the end whether they win or lose because the ultimate lesson is in training and getting optimal performance out of their bodies and team. My goal is that they will also feel more relaxed, comfortable, and at ease during the process. As for coaches, I believe it will help them feel balance in their lives, and it will make them better coaches able to focus on the whole athlete. And, I believe that is essential.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Loving Kindness activity was helpful for me tonight. Although I do not feel that I have anger or hatred in my heart right now, I know that I have concern over a friend. This helped me see that person in a more loving light. I want to see this person be happy. I know she has gone through rough times in her life and in choices she has made. Yet, now it is an opportunity for her to grow. She is the person I thought of during this exercise. I am hoping that she finds happiness and wholeness in her life.
Right now in my life, I would say the area that I need to focus on is biological. I need to continue working towards getting my body in shape. I need to spend more time exercising. I am active, but I need to increase my activity level. As I do this, I will also be improving my psychospiritual aspect as well. I believe that this is the area that needs both development and healing. I believe that I have made a fair assessment. And, I am excited to move to the next level. I will especially have to pay attention to this as I start the school year and my schedule gets crazy busy.
Right now in my life, I would say the area that I need to focus on is biological. I need to continue working towards getting my body in shape. I need to spend more time exercising. I am active, but I need to increase my activity level. As I do this, I will also be improving my psychospiritual aspect as well. I believe that this is the area that needs both development and healing. I believe that I have made a fair assessment. And, I am excited to move to the next level. I will especially have to pay attention to this as I start the school year and my schedule gets crazy busy.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Reflections on this week
It is interesting to see how we all experience the activities we participate in for this class. With all of us spread around the country, from different backgrounds and beliefs, it seems that we are falling into two main categories when it comes to the meditation exercises. Either we find it easy or we find it difficult. I wonder why that is. Perhaps it has to do with our previous background and exposure, maybe it's where and when we are able to find the time to get the exercises done, or I'm sure there is another explanation.
What this means to me as a professional is I need to take the time to learn about my clients. I need to know whether finding the ability to concentrate is easy or difficult for them. I also need to know how receptive they are to something like this. I think specifically of a good friend of mine. If I were to suggest he try an activity like this, he would laugh at me. This would mean I would need to start with a simple and effective activity. I have other friends who would jump right on board and would desire to move somewhere fast. With those friends, I could develop a little more quickly and give them different types of activities to try. For example, for some we would need to start with exercises that ask you to focus on one thing only and others could work on changing their focus at an earlier stage. I believe this would be the same for clients in the professional setting.
While looking at the blogs, Adrienne's presentation stuck out to me. It was very professional and clean. It provided a lot of information in a short time, and it inspired me to get working on mine. As I have been on vacation the last two weeks, I must admit getting work done has not been my first priority. Looking at her presentation an thinking I know and appreciate this information made me want to get to work on mine.
What this means to me as a professional is I need to take the time to learn about my clients. I need to know whether finding the ability to concentrate is easy or difficult for them. I also need to know how receptive they are to something like this. I think specifically of a good friend of mine. If I were to suggest he try an activity like this, he would laugh at me. This would mean I would need to start with a simple and effective activity. I have other friends who would jump right on board and would desire to move somewhere fast. With those friends, I could develop a little more quickly and give them different types of activities to try. For example, for some we would need to start with exercises that ask you to focus on one thing only and others could work on changing their focus at an earlier stage. I believe this would be the same for clients in the professional setting.
While looking at the blogs, Adrienne's presentation stuck out to me. It was very professional and clean. It provided a lot of information in a short time, and it inspired me to get working on mine. As I have been on vacation the last two weeks, I must admit getting work done has not been my first priority. Looking at her presentation an thinking I know and appreciate this information made me want to get to work on mine.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Subtle Mind
This exercise was much easier for me. I found that I could concentrate more. These are the types of exercises that I find most helpful because learning to control and use my mind for healthy benefits is my main goal. I believe that the correlation between the mind and body and health and wellness are essential. Finding a way to incorporate the mind into my physical fitness routine actually allows me to get more benefits all the way around. I am able to get the exercise I need to maintain a healthy body while allowing my mind to become more enlightened. When I use both in a workout, I feel much more free afterwards. There really isn't any other way to explain it.
Monday, August 2, 2010
1. What are the similarities and differences in the individual experiences(communicated in the blogs) of the Loving Kindness exercise and muscular relaxation exercise from unit three? As a health and wellness professional how can you individualize these practices to meet the needs of your unique population? Provide specific examples.
There seems to be two groups of people in terms of this week's exercise. There were those who were able to focus and get into the exercise very easily and those who had a more difficult reason. Mainly those who had a more difficult time found the problem was in too many distractions. I believe as a professional that it would be important to find out what type of client I had. I know I use my team a lot as an example, but that is what I know. I have two distinct groups on it; those that find mental training and preparation beneficial and relatively easy to do, and those who can not find the mindset in a large group setting. Therefore, I work with each of these groups differently. I believe I would do that in other settings as well. For those who are able to focus on their own, I would set them up with a plan to work on exercises. If I was in a group setting with the others who had a hard time concentrating, I would have them separate and work on activities to help build mental focus. Maybe it would be short activities at first, and then we would move to longer activities and work on improving focus in small progressions.
2. Discuss a research study or article that discusses the benefits of psychological or spiritual exercise on health and wellness.
The research study that has stood out the most to me this term has been that of Pert. By learning that research has been done that shows the effect that the mind has on the body makes what I've always believed true. I believe that the mind is the greatest influencer our lives. I have heard the quote "If you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right." That is only one part of our mind. Our mind also decides how to handle stress, feelings, and more. How we handle that effects our physical health just as much. I believe this study was important because it showed the correlation between physical and mental health, and I believe it became a catalyst for further studies.
3. What did you learn from the blogs of others that will be beneficial to you as a health and wellness professional? Explain and provide examples.
I have really appreciated the blog of Danielle. Her blog is Integral Health and the Benefits of Massage. As someone who benefits from massage on a weekly basis, it is nice to hear the perspective of the massage therapist. Also, she seems to work hard on her mental and psychological health and wellness. It helps me understand ways I can become more enlightened. And, honestly, that's how I feel, enlightened. Another blog I appreciate is Hiro's I appreciate his humor the most. Color Wheel of Life is cool as well. Just looking at the beautiful picture on the blog makes me happy.
There seems to be two groups of people in terms of this week's exercise. There were those who were able to focus and get into the exercise very easily and those who had a more difficult reason. Mainly those who had a more difficult time found the problem was in too many distractions. I believe as a professional that it would be important to find out what type of client I had. I know I use my team a lot as an example, but that is what I know. I have two distinct groups on it; those that find mental training and preparation beneficial and relatively easy to do, and those who can not find the mindset in a large group setting. Therefore, I work with each of these groups differently. I believe I would do that in other settings as well. For those who are able to focus on their own, I would set them up with a plan to work on exercises. If I was in a group setting with the others who had a hard time concentrating, I would have them separate and work on activities to help build mental focus. Maybe it would be short activities at first, and then we would move to longer activities and work on improving focus in small progressions.
2. Discuss a research study or article that discusses the benefits of psychological or spiritual exercise on health and wellness.
The research study that has stood out the most to me this term has been that of Pert. By learning that research has been done that shows the effect that the mind has on the body makes what I've always believed true. I believe that the mind is the greatest influencer our lives. I have heard the quote "If you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right." That is only one part of our mind. Our mind also decides how to handle stress, feelings, and more. How we handle that effects our physical health just as much. I believe this study was important because it showed the correlation between physical and mental health, and I believe it became a catalyst for further studies.
3. What did you learn from the blogs of others that will be beneficial to you as a health and wellness professional? Explain and provide examples.
I have really appreciated the blog of Danielle. Her blog is Integral Health and the Benefits of Massage. As someone who benefits from massage on a weekly basis, it is nice to hear the perspective of the massage therapist. Also, she seems to work hard on her mental and psychological health and wellness. It helps me understand ways I can become more enlightened. And, honestly, that's how I feel, enlightened. Another blog I appreciate is Hiro's I appreciate his humor the most. Color Wheel of Life is cool as well. Just looking at the beautiful picture on the blog makes me happy.
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