I pour through materials on stress reduction, nutrition, exercise, spirituality, and well being on a regular basis. It is wonderful to see the importance placed on this proactive topic within the Corey’s (2010) books. I feel it is not only important for each of us to practice and model these facets, but also to celebrate them in our students and cohorts. In schools, wellness education is often overlooked. We shouldn't expect that these behaviors are being taught at home. The future health of our nation requires wellness to be an important theme from earliest childhood on. We can not continue to be a reactive society.
I began my quest for wellness information, shortly after college. One of my early (and most rewarding) jobs was working with clients leaving long term state institutionalized mental health care and entering group homes. In my position I ran social rehabilitative groups for their day programming requirements. My personal goal was to provide a holistic experience for my clients while they learned to readjust to the community at large. We covered everything from art and hobbies to yoga and tai chi to healthy eating and games. As I was in my mid-twenties at the time, I had to research a lot of these topics myself in order to be somewhat knowledgeable. Since then, my zest for knowledge in wellness has only expanded.
Wellness is universal, as is dis-ease. The ideals of a wellness conscious lifestyle provide the physical and mental health needed to weather the storms of human existence. So, what holds us from living this life? Consider this, what makes one choose anything but healthy behaviors? Lack of awareness? Old pain? Peer pressure? Attitude? Ego? In Eastern philosophy, the cultivation of mindful behaviors can attend to many unhealthy choices. Through accepting and understanding the monkey mind or chatter, we gain awareness and adopt a less judgmental view of ourselves, experiences, etc. (Luan Khong, 2007). I value the benefits of my personal meditation and mindfulness practices. Through these, I have learned a lot about myself, my triggers and how to respond with awareness. I am learning to accept my imperfections :) In her article, Luan Khong (2007) discusses the importance of cultivating the quiet mind first as a therapist then as a tool to share with clients. For the therapist, understanding our own mind can lead to self acceptance, the ability to stay in the moment, and to reduce judgment. In this section, Caroline’s excerpt resonates with me. In it she shares her gratitude for her therapist being able to sit and listen, help her be who she is without judgment. This is a very difficult concept to learn sometimes for myself. I am a fixer, and an empathizer. Bringing the open space to the room is understandably a very powerful tool. I often feel internal pressure to fill the space with helpful questions or tie- ins. Through this article I feel empowered to trust my intuition, that simply listening may sometimes be more effective. For the client, learning mindfulness and meditation in sessions can be very helpful. I believe journaling the effects of such practice leads to these behaviors integrating into personal wellness kits. Remember however, that these ideals of what we “should” be are elusive and false; in acceptance is the truth.
Corey,G.,& Corey, M.S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth. (9th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole.
Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.
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