Unit 7

Good evening all,

Let me start off by saying this past week was capital “T” tough. It seemed as though everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, and in a really big way. I felt like I was drowning in all my responsibilities, I never seemed to have enough time to get anything done. Anyway, enough ranting….

So this week’s assignment was rather enlightening. I enjoyed completing the “Meeting Asciepius” meditation and visualization exercise. I was able to focus on and picture my grandmother, a very strong, single black woman who stepped in to raise myself and my two younger siblings. She is a mother of seven children herself and she had already finished raising all of them except one who still lived at home, once she took us in. Through this meditation, I was able to really sit and focus on all that she had done, the strength, confidence, character and class she exuded from her spirit everywhere she went. I was able to feel the warmth of her arms and the tenderness of her embrace when I visualized us hugging, sitting and sharing. This was a great exercise and one I plan to continue practicing. Especially whenever I feel the need to really remember the strong, caring people I’ve been fortunate enough to have in my life, who have helped me get to where I am today.

The saying “one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” to me means that a person cannot really teach someone about something they have no knowledge of. I feel like this is especially important in the health and wellness profession. Many patients choose to listen to their health care providers; mainly because they truly believe that they are very knowledgeable and well educated in the field in which they are practicing. They tend to trust them more and find it somewhat easier to open up and be more compliant with the prescribed plan of treatment. I feel like I have an obligation to develop myself, psychologically, spiritually and physically not only as a way of benefiting myself but also my clients. I can’t be sick, mentally distressed, or practicing unhealthy habits and expect or scold my clients for not being healthy, practicing positive ways of life. I feel as though I would be a hypocrite. I am a firm believer that you must be willing to walk the talk, practice what you preach by setting good examples for your clients.

Until next week,

Ebony