Heal-O #1: Starting up

Hello! My name is Lehoa and I welcome you to join me in my journey as I chronicle my next two years in the Health Education and Active Living (HEAL) program at Simon Fraser University.  

..:: Let's talk about HEAL-O ::..

"HEAL-O" represents Health Education and Active Living: Opportunities, Optimal, and Ownership. Coincidentally, this also constitutes the letters that make up my name! I anticipate that this program creates opportunities for sharing, learning, and exploring; it is a time for each of us to determine how this program will best optimize our work and the reasons why we are here; and it is a way for us to take ownership of our own health and to impact others who we interact with daily.

..:: Why HEAL? ::..

I am very interested in exploring health promotion and health education using a social ecological model (SEM) of health promotion. This is a multi-level approach that involves interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy level groups that work together on a common goal. I am particularly interested in bridging this model with opportunities for experiential learning and fostering skills within an educational context.

In a very broad sense, this is what I am interested in. But why am I here? What do I hope to gain? What do I want to focus on?  What can I contribute? Right now, I am feeling like the image below.

[Source: Lehoa M., 2011/2012 - SHAC photovoice project (not submitted)]

I took this picture in my photovoice project when I was part of the Student Health Advocacy Committee within Health and Counselling Services at SFU. Figuratively speaking, there is a path towards the light at the end of the "tunnel". The spotlights represent the different pathways of exploration I can take to get there. There are some shaded areas that represent uncertainty and possibly risk. We will all start off at the same spotlight, but our paths of getting to the end will vary. I am looking forward to the journey almost more than I am looking forward to the outcome. What path will I take?  

..:: What is the relationship between health, body, and mind? ::..  

I think that the health, mind, and body are all interconnected by emotional, social, and behavioral influences. I came across a television show about a neurologist who spoke about how emotions are attached to memories. The stronger the emotional output during that particular experience, the longer one retains the details of that memory (ironically, I can’t recall the name of the show, but a similar concept can be found in this TEDxTalk by Shawn Hayes). 

In the same way, our experiences (whether they are mental or physical) are also interrelated with our minds. For example, a former instructor of mine shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early adult years. Her dominant form of treatment was a naturopathic method using mindfulness meditation strategies and spiritual guidance. In about a year, she was cancer-free. Although this is one example, it begs the question: is it the physiological aspects of body functioning that had an impact on the outcome or does it have something to do with a deeper construct from within one’s mind? Perhaps it is both physiological and psychological. I am curious to learn more about the relationship between health and mind/body. 

..:: The HEAL Experience ::..

My values revolve around four concepts we are all familiar with: live, love, laugh, and learn. To me, this means…

Live: my experiences affect my choices in the same way that my choices affect my experiences

Love: there are individuals who have made an impact on me; and individuals we have all made an impact on 

Laugh: i recognize the types of experiences I enjoy and want to look into how I can encourage others to seek or continue activities and experiences that they enjoy

Learn: we are always learning something new, whether it was a mistake or a new concept; I value life-long learning

What do I wish to gain from this experience and what will I contribute to it?  

• I strive to keep this (the above) in mind and maintain balance among all four concepts throughout the next two years and beyond.
• I hope that these next two years will help me explore the depths of what it means to be a healthy and what it takes to foster health, wellness, and vitality among a community.
• I hope that in our discussions and weekends together, some light will be shed on what I want to do and synchronously what everybody else came here to achieve.
• I am looking to contribute and share my enthusiasm for health education and active living; be open to sharing my confusion and struggles; and be there to support and commit to this significant time together.

After just spending an evening and day with this cohort, I sense that this group constitutes compassionate, esteemed individuals who I look forward to lean on, learn from, provide support to, and experience the next two years (or more!) together. With that said, I leave you with a renown quote from Margaret Mead:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

This officially starts my journey in this program and a huge step forward in the next chapter in my life.