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Introduction to the Ten Dimensions

This wheel is called Developing a Holopathic Healing Plan. Its circular design gives us a feeling of wholeness, a clear picture of who we are and what dimensions affect our health. This circle represents our lives, a holistic view of the Self. We divide the circle into ten segments, and label each one: spirit, mind, body, emotion, personal, family, social, career, financial, and natural. These are, as far as I can tell, the different areas of our lives that we manifest dis-ease. We use the word in this way to refer to anything that causes disharmony, imbalance, discomfort, conflict. We do not mean anything specific by it. I could have dis-ease about a situation that happened last year, or I could have dis-ease about facing my health issues right now. Eas-y come, eas-y go. Observe where Spirit is on the chart. We begin there, and define together what spirit and spirituality is, and what creates dis-ease for our spiritual selves. Imagine then, that the next segments are in order of how we develop, or evolve. First, we are Spirit, then Mind. Body follows Mind. Then we develop Emotions, as we build ourselves as a Person. We create Family, Social, and Career or Vocational dimensions to our lives. We build Finances. We believe that this is our world, but cannot disregard the natural dimension, our Universe, which brings us back to Spirit. We'll look at this chart as a container of our health and energy, across these ten dimensions. Notice the small dots along the spokes of the wheel; we'll use those to rate our health. The next section will describe how the rating system works.

The Rating System

Rating Scale (0-7) Starting from the center of the wheel, the score is 0, and counting from the center outwards, first dot, second dot, etc., we can achieve a score of 7 at the outer area of the wheel. Each number represents a quality. 0= never, or poor; 1= not enough, rarely; 2= slight, occasionally, once in awhile; 3= less than desired, needs work; 4= minimally, just right, OK; 5= good, well, more often than not, usually; 6= very good, regularly, habitually, most always; 7= highest potential, best effort, always.

Spirit

Your version of spirit and mine might be different, but we have to agree on what is spirituality in order to evaluate our health in this dimension. In order to understand spirit, we have to separate religion and practice. We have been taught, by our tribe, our family, teachers, ethnic group, and religious leaders, that there is a Higher Self, somewhere out there, in Heaven, or some other inaccessible place, and a lower self, us, that is in here, our bodies. Most people believe in a Creator, God, All One Consciousness, or some version of a Master Designer. Many people believe that there is, besides this One, a Spirit entity that guides us. Some groups honor this Spirit in all things. Some groups see it as one entity; some see it as many separate entities. We agree that spirit is an essence, not an entity really, but something ethereal, without form. We agree that if we weighed the human body before and just after death, it would weigh the same, and that all that's missing is the person's spirit. It is this essence that I use to define Spirit, and whether or not you feel any connection between this and a Higher Self, is your decision. There are no judgments about it. Consider that you are not a human having a spiritual experience, but a spirit, having a human experience. Establish a link within yourself, between the conscious, ordinary reality of physical form, and the non-ordinary, non-material, essential reality of your spirit. How's your Spirit feeling, today? Questions to consider: 1. How strong is your faith in a higher power? 2. How spiritual are you? 3. How much faith do you have in yourself? 4. Do you trust in yourself and your higher power? 5. How do your religious beliefs affect your attitude towards your state of health? 6. Is your attitude toward life supported by your religion? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart. You can give yourself a mid-score, or half-rating, as in "I feel like I'm a five and a half."

Mind

The mind is not the brain, but merely a tool of the brain. The brain is the bio-computer, which stores and retrieves information that the mind uses to develop concepts, or ideas.   The brain emits energy that can be measured, but the mind's energy cannot be measured. It can only be experienced, as consciousness. There are three aspects of consciousness, or awareness, that are within the realm of the mind - our intellect, wisdom and intuition.   How is your Mind feeling today? Inspect the part of your mind that contains your intellect. Think of the process involved in solving a complicated math problem. Your mind collects the data from the database (brain), conceptualizes a formula, brings it to a solution, and, you're done. You've solved a problem in your mind, using your intellect. We could say our mind is retrieving. Now, consider the part of your mind that contains wisdom. Think about answering a question that begins with Why? For example, Why did Mom cry at Grandpa's funeral and Dad didn't? Where is that information stored?   In this case, our mind is receiving. We tune in to vibrational energy that surrounds ourselves and others, call in our instinct, or knowing. We balance and harmonize these energies before we attempt to say anything. We also have intuition. When we allow our mind to see, sense and feel - our intuition kicks in. We have to quiet the chatter in our minds, and shut out the outer dialogues, and listen to the stillness of our own being.   It is in this still, quiet space that we can receive flashes of inspiration. When we use our intuition, we use our sense of what is happening in the energy fields that surround all living things. When looking at health of the mind, we might need to erase old tapes, and replace them with messages that support and nourish a holistic paradigm.   It is possible to heal from anything today, and it is in our minds that this blueprint takes form. So, how is your Mind feeling, today? To judge the health of your mind, examine how much of your intellect, wisdom and intuition you use in your day: 1. What messages go through your mind when you analyze your life situation? Are they positive, supportive, critical, demeaning? 2. Whose mind is it anyway? Do you have a mental sub-committee that dictates your life? 3. How important is life-long learning to you? 4. Is your job/life a no-brainer? 5. At what time of day do you feel mentally exhausted? 6. Have any good hunches, lately? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Body

An emerging field of science called, Psychoneuroimmunology, or PNI, is providing us with research that shows the body, mind, and emotions are linked. There are measurable electromagnetic and chemical changes in the body that respond to our thoughts, for example. We can look at different studies in biofeedback and self-regulation and find applications in chronic pain, cancer, depression, anxiety, heart disease, and any of a number of stress-related illnesses. Using self-regulation and biofeedback, patients have been able do system-specific, and organ-specific healing. Elmer and Alyce Green had a patient who shrank a grapefruit-sized malignant, brain tumor to a golf-ball size, by practicing the repeated visualization, "Find the part of your brain that shuts off the blood supply to the tumor." Psychologist Hans Selye "cured" himself of a rare form of brain cancer. He was given a few months to live and decided to write his memoirs. He chose not to focus on anything negative, so, when experiences came up that were stressful, he processed them, in his mind, using forgiveness and compassion. He only published positive experiences. When he was done, so was the cancer - completely gone. The current model of aging, as defined by medical texts, tells us that we have a limited amount of years that are pain free, and that eventually, we will experience degeneration and disease. However, prevention and maintenance are not a part of that concept. Think about this: If we knew when we were twenty what we know now, would we have spent so many years smoking, drinking, eating junk foods, so that we could become couch potatoes when we were fifty? How sick do we have to become before we realize that the avoidance of certain practices will make us healthier? The new view of aging is that we can entirely prevent degenerative diseases, and even delay the onset of genetically inherited ones. If a young woman learns to balance her hormones at twenty, will she suffer from PMS, cysts and fibroids, tumors and cancers? If someone with a family and genetic history of diabetes is strict about diet, exercise and lifestyle when they are young, will that delay the onset of symptoms? We also have research on aging, and chronic diseases that show they can be reversed. Arteries can be cleared, tumors can be shrunk, pain can be diminished, if not completely dissolved. Armed with this information, we can reevaluate the old standards in medicine, and make better choices. When you evaluate your body's health, scan your physical body for signs, but also look at your energy level. As you become conscious of your energy, you can note when it is high or low. You can also pay attention to what thoughts, attitudes and behaviors raise your energy levels. How is your Body feeling, today? 1. By what time of day are you physically drained? 2. How do you rate your overall physical health? 3. Is your happiness limited by your physical state of health? 4. Do certain activities or people drain your energy? 5. Do you eat, drink, sleep, or act in any way that is excessive? 6. Do you consciously participate in a healthy lifestyle? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Emotional

How do you express anger? How did your father express it? Your mother? It doesn't matter whether you come from a family that was volatile or super controlled, anger is a heat producing emotion. There is no way that a healthy person can rationalize it, sublimate it, or intellectualize it. In my workshops, I hear a range of experiences: Some students say they were brought up never seeing nor displaying anger. They were taught that getting mad doesn't change anything, anyway. They are solution oriented. I asked one of these students what her response would be if she found her car windows smashed after class. She said, calmly, "I'd get on my cell phone and call the service. Then, I'd call my husband and tell him I was going to be late." "I'm confused," I replied, "you wouldn't get angry? How can you be so calm about something like that?" She decided it depended how balanced she felt that moment. If she'd had a particularly hard day, maybe she'd curse. If she felt very centered, she'd just get on with the solution. I wondered what would have to happen before she felt she had to express her anger. I wondered why we felt like we can't show emotions, and whether that was healthy or not. Another student stated, "I know that when I have an emotion, it is like garlic - potent, volatile, and lingering. It heals. It affects everyone in the room. I hope it doesn't smell, well, I mean, I hope it doesn't offend. It is in my nature to express my feelings." The ways we express emotions are also largely learned responses. Think for a while about the range of emotions (from love, joy, bliss, harmony, to sadness, despair, fear and rage) and rate your emotional health based on how well you can express them. 1. How many episodes of conflict do you experience in a day? 2. How well do you handle negative stressors (like a broken car window, or a lost wallet?) 3. How do you express anger? How often? 4. How do you express love? How often? 5. How well do you rest? Sleep? 6. How many times a day do you wish you had resolved a conflict (said something, done something?) Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Personal

We are overwhelmed with responsibility in America. How many times have you said, or heard someone say, "Oh, if I only had more time, I'd...." Keep in mind that there are many elements to our health, and if we become exhausted and overworked, we can replenish our energy, in many ways. Why take another dose of Vitamin C when the answer might be to take some time out and visit a bookstore or garden center? Do you know what you'd do if you had free time? Sometimes, people say they have been doing what their spouse likes for so long, they don't even remember what they like to do! They feel they've lost their sense of "Who I am." Think about the things that turn you on, and how much time every day you give yourself to pursue them. 1. How much time do you spend with YOU every day? Do you spend quality time alone? 2. Do you feel overwhelmed with responsibility for others, with little time for yourself? 3. Do you feel you are spread too thin, doing for others? 4. Do you need time to reflect on who you are, what you like? 5. Are you living your life in keeping with your life purpose and values? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Family

The Family segment of the DHHP chart is subdivided into smaller slices: significant other, siblings, parents, children, friends, co-workers. How energy draining or energy sustaining are your relationships? Are your relationships toxic, nurturing, or nourishing? Here are some new definitions that will help you define the health of each of your relationships. Toxic: We all know what toxic relationships are, they are draining. You can feel the drain as soon as a toxic person walks into your energy field. We feel exhausted by the negative energy that some people generate. And, unfortunately, many of us have toxic relationships right in our very own homes. Nurturing: Nurturing relationships are those people who will do anything for you - your shopping, cooking, pick up the kids, take care of you when you're down, but generally cannot support your emotional needs. You can tell if someone is nurturing by how much they'll DO for you, but how little they can BE with you. Nurturing people want to keep you, or bring you back into balance, but even positive changes can shift this balance. And the reason why you are "unbalanced" is not an issue for nurturers. They just want to get you back to functioning the old way. Nourishing: Nourishing relationships are those people who are happy to be with you. You can tell them anything, and they don't judge or criticize. You can share your grief, sorrow, fear, and not be given directions or advice. You can tell them you're going to quit your job, sell your home and live in Tibet. They will think that's great. If you call them up two hours later and say you've changed your mind, you're going to move to Argentina, and join a dance troupe, they will continue to love and support you. These people love you unconditionally, and there are no strings attached. This is the ultimate type of relationship to have; the ultimate way to be. The difference between nurturing and nourishing, is that the nourishing relationship will listen to, and support what is unbalanced, wrong, not working, and rather than try to fix it, will allow you to BE unbalanced, wrong, not working, and stilll love you through it. Be honest. Examine your relationships in each mini-slice, and rate your health. Give each category (siblings, significant other, children...) a rating of 0-7. If you don't have a spouse, or children, skip that mini-slice. You can substitute neighbors for friends, or other people's kids for your own children, but pets and plants don't count here. How's your Family, today? 1. Are there people in your life that act like energy vampires? 2. Do you have people with whom you can only share your successes, not your emotional shifts? 3. Are there conditions (strings attached) to some of your relationships? For example, do you have to be well, or ill to relate? 4. Do you avoid listening to your family's or friend's emotional meltdowns? 5. How much time do you spend rescuing your relatives and friends from their own life lessons? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Social

Consider yourself plus one other person a social group. Animals, plants, crafts, don't count here. In America, we are spiritually and energetically disconnected. Normally, we have one country of origin that teaches its natives a religious practice, a form of cookery, how to celebrate rites of passage, and one political body that defines the economy - a kingdom, perhaps. Residents were divided into clans within a territory, obvious by their clothing and dialect. In America, we have segregate groups, more nations that we can possibly imagine, more holidays, more varieties in personal practice and ritual, and way too many choices in restaurants. We are brought up, within our families, to marry someone with similar values, perhaps of the same ethnic or religious background, raise two kids, have a house with a picket fence, and a dog. Where does living alone fit into that? Where does LGBT fit into that? Where does divorce fit into that? Do we spend time evaluating our social life based on what our tribe wants? Well, primarily, yes. Society recognizes and reinforces us for conformity. We have hidden unconscious messages that program our choices, whether we are aware of them or not. I sense these messages when I meet or make a new friend. I hear my Mother's Voice saying, "Oh, he's black," or, "Why hasn't he been married before, at his age?" I anticipate the energy and the dialogue when I bring friends over to meet my family. "He's cute.  Is he single?  What does he do for a living?" Even if we have learned to create and maintain our own boundaries, we still have to face these old issues when we have contact with diversity. If we are alone, are we content with it, or do we feel the need to have intimacy with someone? Keep in mind that our social group is anyone we have frequent contact with, and this can be our neighbor, the clerk at the store, or our postal worker. Yourself + one other person = social, for the purpose of this evaluation. If we wander through this world isolated and alone, we will find our social life needs "medicine." On the other hand, we sometimes fill the need for validation, intimacy and love by looking for quantity, not quality. We may be overly social with everyone. Assess your energy around your social situation - is it draining, or energy giving? How is your Social health, today? 1. Do you prefer to stay alone? 2. Are you alone because you do not have a social group? 3. Do you spend an excess of time socializing, partying? 4. Examine your behavior at work - do you love to chat, socialize, or do you prefer to focus on task? 5. Do you have excuses for not socializing with certain groups? 6. Are you afraid of intimacy, becoming dependent or a burden to someone, of controlling or being controlled? 7. Are you a party animal? Do you spend most of your time or energy planning what you're doing after work? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Vocational  (Job)

Consider what you do for a living: your job, career, profession, vocation. (If you are retired, please tap into who you felt you were, or consider your volunteer work.)   Please forgive me, but many times, when I meet new people socially, and they ask, "What do you do for a living?" I say, "I'm not working right now."   It's not a lie, but an evasion.  When people hear what I do, often, they want to talk about their "stuff" and I am not free to be myself and have fun.   We are often defined by what we do.  Isn't that the first question you are asked at a gathering?  "What do you do, Jane?"   Besides feeling like we are defined by the work we do, there are many work-related stressors. There are three types of stressors we feel on the job:   "wearout" - where the person gives up, feeling drained and run-down while confronting the daily challenges; "burnout" - where a person works increasingly harder in the face of increasing challenge; and, the "no-brainer" - the job that is monotonous and boring, with little challenge. If we evaluate our health within these boundaries, we don't have to separate out the white collars from the blue collars. There is an underlying psychological question that therapists look at when evaluating their patients' health, "Why did this person choose this job? What underlying, significant life (or childhood) experiences contribute to this career or vocation? What qualities do you have that your choice of career or vocation supposedly can benefit from?" Let's pick on a clergyman, for the sake of example. He has compassion, high ideals, and optimism. He works hard, with very hard problems, for his entire life. His day is filled with his work, and his dreams are filled with his work. When he experiences burnout, or wearout, is this because he is a failure as a clergyman? Now, let's look at another worker: A woman chooses nursing because of her caring, love, and nurturing capabilities. She is willing to tend to someone who needs her services, and asks for nothing in return (from her patients, that is.) However, she is mistreated, has intergenerational conflicts, interracial conflicts, and may be traumatized by sick people yelling, swearing, and even throwing things at her. When she experiences burnout, or wearout, is she a failure as a nurse? Now, think of a job that is relatively monotonous, like a parking lot attendant, or security officer (in a low traffic, low risk environment.) These individuals report work strain, too, when they get home, they are in bad moods, bored, and have little of interest to report. How does this type of job, the "no-brainer" affect your health? Look at your life: How is your Vocational health, today? 1. How much of your wisdom, intellect and intuition do you use at your job? 2. Is there room for advancement? Is there any adventure or positive challenge? 3. Do you feel you are doing the work you love? 4. Does your job still serve you (do you still serve your job)? 5. If you could get paid for doing work that you really loved, what would it be? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Financial

I am happy to say, that in the 10 years that these courses have been taught, we have learned a lot more about how to manage our finances.  It seemed America had to understand the basics of credit, lending, interest, and investing.  We had to learn about scams and bankrupcy.    There is more to our financial health than just budgeting.  There is an energy to money and wealth.   When I get my hands on a sum of money, my body is leading me to the door to go shopping, before my wallet is put away. I never carry large sums of money with me because I can't hold on to it very long. I spend it like a gardener sows seeds.   I have learned to use a credit card for everything, get my frequent flyer miles, and pay the balance every month in full.  I can not carry cash.   What is your relationship with money like? Many people, even with comfortable salaries, have no savings, and huge debts. Why? We learn a lot about money from our parents, and whether we are aware of these messages or not, they are plugged into our subconscious minds. Were your parents alive during The Depression? Think about how that sounds, energetically - "The Depression." Remember the stories about the value of saving a penny, and how hard people worked, for pennies a day? Nowadays, we see pennies lying around everywhere. No one is scrambling to save them. Financial advisors today put people on budgets - save money and spend some, too. Keep things balanced. So, in your mind, evaluate how important money is to you. Did you marry someone who was financially secure, and then, learned to love them, or did you fall in love, and then learned to save/spend? Before you buy anything, do you evaluate how these things will be valued by your in-laws, friends, family?   Do you try to impress your spouse, co-workers, and others, with gifts?   Do you get an emotional or physical charge when spending money?   Do you feel low or depressed after your spree?   Examine your relationship with money. How is your Financial health, today? 1. Do you feel you have what suits your style of living? 2. Do you feel jealous of others' material possessions? 3. Are you sacrificing other needs (health, relaxation, personal time) for money? 4. Are you following a financial plan that was decided for you, by anyone other than YOU? 5. Do you spend money to satisfy other needs (love, attention, comfort)? 6. Would you be willing to give up your job if your health depended on it? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Universal

Our bodies were designed to live outdoors, all day and all night, and throughout every season. However, we live in cities that are filled with harmful, electromagnetic fields (EMF's) as a result of electrical wiring in our homes and offices, televisions, appliances, computers, video terminals, printers, microwave ovens, overhead lights, electrical poles, and power lines. The normal frequency of our brain and nervous system is altered when exposed to higher levels of EMF's. Research supports that abnormal brain and central nervous system functioning is directly related to high exposure to EMF's. We also have proof that some childhood cancers, brain tumors, suicides, depression, chromosomal abnormalities, learning disabilities, and miscarriages, are attributable to high levels of EMF's. Scientists wonder, how does this affect genes and chromosomes? We know the human body has an electromagnetic field. We can measure brain, heart and nervous system activity as electromagnetic energy. Every cell in our bodies contains an electromagnetic charge. It is clear that spending time outdoors, away from electrical sources can renew our state of balance. The oxygen alone contributes both energizing and relaxing benefits. Imagine being in "God's Country" - beautiful green valleys, mountains, the sound of a waterfall, animals rustling about and birds singing. Does this image bring you solace and peace? Although the visualization can give us healing results, actual contact with the Earth's powerful energy is much more clearing and healing. How's your connection to the Great Outdoors, today? 1. How much time do you spend outdoors every day, just breathing? 2. How much time do you spend in natural sunlight daily? 3. Think through the different seasons: do you have activities that you enjoy daily - outdoors? 4. Do you have a favorite "power spot" in nature, or a favorite place to vacation? 5. When was the last time you went for a walk, ate lunch outdoors, sat or stood outside during your tea or coffee break? Rate your health in this dimension, from 0-7, using the scale at the bottom of your chart.

Congratulations!  You have now finished your personal evaluation of health across ten dimensions. Make sure you have marked your chart with your rating number, and, if you'd like, connect the dots. More than likely, you will have an ameoba-like shape, and can see what areas need healing. Why take more vitamins, when your relationships need work? If you spend little time outdoors, why not spend thirty minutes a day deep-breathing fresh air during a daily walk?   Perhaps your job is the source of stress - why not face the issues and create more job satisfaction? Thank you for your participation in this free lesson. For those interested in a complete 7-session program to rebalance and refresh all areas of your life, click on "Creating Miracles" at the toolbar. Your feedback is important as we continue to build this WebCenter into an effective, self-driven tool for transformation.   Please email your comments and suggestions: holopath@earthlink.net.   We love and support you on The Journey!