Wellness Technique Paper—Meditation or Progressive Muscle Relaxation

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Short Paper #1:  Wellness Technique Paper—Meditation or Progressive Muscle Relaxation

The purpose of this assignment is to expose you to a well-known, well-studied technique for reducing bodily stress, increasing mental clarity, and maintaining emotional balance. Like anything having to do with wellness, nothing works for everyone.  The goal of this assignment is for you to explore something new to see if it is doable and potentially beneficial for you in your wellness journey (for example, if you have been meditating for years, try the other option).

Your task: Wellness Technique Paper

  1. Watch both videos presented below.
  2. Choose a technique you would like to explore more.
  3. Schedule at least four times before the assignment is due that you can practice this technique for 15 minutes.  Try to space these out evenly.
  4. BEFORE YOU START EACH TIME, write down (see chart on last page to track this):
    1. The best description for how my body feels right now is:
    2. The best description for how my mind is working right now is:
    3. The best description for how I feel right now is:
  5. AFTER YOU FINISH EACH TIME, write down (see chart on last page to track this):
    1. The best description for how my body feels right now is:
    2. The best description for how my mind is working right now is:
    3. The best description for how I feel right now is:

Your paper:

  1. Introduction:  One short paragraph describing which technique you chose, why you chose it, and how often you did it.
  2. Background of the technique (one to two paragraphs):  Do research to understand the technique better. Specifically, a) describe the history of the technique (where, when, how it was developed) and b) describe the known benefits and the drawbacks/risks of the technique. **Use academic sources—books, journal articles, legitimate websites, and NOT product websites, blogs, or pseudoscience websites. Make sure to cite your sources.
  3. Describe your experience with the technique (at least two paragraphs):
  • Describe your experience with the technique (at least two paragraphs):
    • What did you learn about the technique that was new and/or surprising to you?
    • What did you like and dislike about the technique?
    • What did you feel like (body, mind, and emotions) before and after using the technique (this is a narrative, using the information from your tracking chart)?
    • Do you think you will continue to use this technique?  Why or why not?
  • Include your completed tracking chart at the end of your paper.

Wellness Techniques:

1) Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation is an ageless wellness practice. Ideally, it aligns the mind and body by releasing the responsibility of thought and relaxing the body. Meditation is most often accompanied by restful music, a private/peaceful environment, and a comfortable space. Please remember that there is no “right way” to meditate or to practice mindfulness…different people can find peaceful alignment via different practices, and this is ok!

2) Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

This is an established technique used to relax the body and mind through the progressive tightening and releasing of your muscles in sequence from your limbs to your core to your head. The person practicing PMR is fully aware of and engaged with their bodily sensations during this time, ideally resulting in release of stress from the body and clarity of mind.

Additional Information:

Format:

The assignment should be no less than two full pages (not including references or tracking chart), double spaced, and presented in 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins.  ONLY put your name on the top of the paper…no other information or cover page is needed.

APA reference style is required:

You must cite your sources in APA style.  All information that you present that is not the product of your own original thought must be appropriately cited in APA style in a reference page.

For those of you not familiar with APA style, you should either consult an APA style manual in the library, or the following site can give you useful guidance: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01 (see the tabs on the left side of the web page to find the guidance section you are looking for).

Plagiarism and Quotes:

You may not plagiarize in any way on this assignment.  All work must be yours and yours alone.  You may not use quotes from any source, whether accurately cited or not.  Everything should be in your own words to reflect your own understanding of what you did and any material you have read.  Plagiarism and/or use of direct quotes (whether appropriately cited or not) will result in failure on the assignment and possibly in the class.

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