Unit 3

In reflecting upon my three aspects of health: mental, physical, and spiritual, I find that spiritual is the one category in which I need the most improving. I rated myself as a 7. A great deal of this has to do with my experiences in the religion realm. I grew up going to many different churches all within the Christian denomination, but there was never any consistencies in where I would be taken by my parents. In becoming an adult, I started to explore my faith on my own and believe I now have the best grasp on what I want and need. I am less about conformity and rigid adherence to religious protocols. I want to provide myself and environment where God is celebrated, people are uplifted, and judgements are left at the door. I am staying strong in my faith as I continue to discover the place of worship which is best for me (I have moved a great deal of times in the last year). My physical health stands around an 8. I engage in exercising and eating healthy. My one problem area deals with my adversity to the taste of some of the greatest and nutritious foods. I try to counter this by taking multi-vitamin daily and occasionally trying foods which I know I do not like in hopes of having a change in my palate. Finally I think my strongest is my mental state with a 9. I have dealt with many struggles and challenges in my life which have helped in strengthening my mental capacities for dealing with stress and change. I also like to keep my brain engaged in learning and mind puzzles. One of the few improvements I would like to make would be the procurement of less mental activity especially at bedtime. I think if I could begin to do more breathing exercises or meditation prior to bed, it would aide me in falling asleep faster and feeling refreshed in the morning.

Crime of the Century

This was a rather different exercise in which I felt somewhat relaxed, but found the suggestions for visual imagery a little difficult to enjoy. I wanted my mind to be clear and did not want to imagine the rainbow and of its colors. Also the title of the exercise through me off completely and I am the type of person who likes for things to make sense and to be rational

Unit 2 Journey On

After listening to Journey On, I felt a sense of relaxation, freedom, and energy. I am quite the analyzer, so after just a few seconds into the exercise, I noticed the narrator using the word "lay" instead of "lie." This bothered me, but I let it go and just listened to his words and the music which was played. I felt my body relax and my limbs becoming heavy. My eyes even felt heavy although it was only the middle of the afternoon. I felt myself block out everything around me and truly absorb myself in the experience. The freedom I felt was that of a clear mind, one that was not judging and analyzing. Granted that took a minute or two before I was there, but it did happen nonetheless. After the session, I felt renewed and energized, similar to the way I feel after working out or reading something inspiring. I saved Journey On on my desktop and will revisit it in the future.

Introduction and Reflective Post
I am Jennifer Duke, a 28 year old, born and raised in rural North Carolina. After graduating high school I spent 8 and half years in the Navy working in Administration. In January of 2009, I left the service in hopes of using my experience and Associates degree to get a great job. Needless to say with the condition of the economy, I found this endeavor discouraging and decided maybe revisiting school would be the way to go. Perhaps give myself new opportunities toward satisfying an innate drive of helping others. I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness. I would love to one day dispense nutrition advice or work as a wellness coach. Presently, I live with my sister and her husband and I provide childcare to my five month old nephew. Between school and taking care of him, I have little time for much else....except for talking on the phone and keeping in touch with friends on Facebook.

I am hoping this course in understanding the psychological and spiritual aspects of healing will help to make me more conscientious of particular stresses and strains in my life and help me to find a inner calm and peace in my mind and then translate this to my physical self.