Meditation for diabetics by a diabetic
The science is out there: meditation is good for your brain!
Meditation increases your brain's neuroplasticity; which refers to the brain changes that occur in response to EXPERIENCES. Neuroplasticity augments the growth of new neurons in the brain as well as your own improved ability to learn new and healthier patterns. Last week's video was about the brain's tendency to grab hold of negative experiences and ignore positive ones. Therefore in order to move past stale and unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior we must actively create more powerful positive experiences. This is especially important skillset to have when you live with type 1 diabetes. Even the best of intentioned diabetic will react to diabetes triggers unconsciously further perpetuating the snowball effect of up/down, high/low instead of calmly responding and putting an end to it. I want to show you that you are completely capable of mastering your mind's triggered reactions to type 1 diabetes (and any other life stressor) through simple meditation. I know just how hard it is to live with the high emotional cost of diabetes and I also know that if it were not for meditation I would not have the HbA1c that I do. This 20-min meditation is known as an open meditation. The idea is to allow your mind to move freely. Thoughts are always related to a time: past, present, future and a quality: positive, negative, neutral. By simply naming the thought and then letting it go, the thought ceases to control your mind and improves your brain's cognitive functioning, mood and of course behavior. You stop reacting and start actively RESPONDING. This can greatly affect your attitude about living with diabetes. With practice a regular meditation practice can help you to master type 1 diabetes with grace.
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Taming the Diabetes Stress Reflux (How to do it once and for all)Even though I have lived with type 1 diabetes for over 20 years and have dedicated my life to helping other diabetics master and overcome their challenges with this disease, I do not profess to have this thing figured out. What I can tell you is that even if I “can’t figure it out” everyday I do have the power to choose how I respond to the ups and downs. This inner strength is all you need overcome even the biggest diabetes struggles.
You always have two options: RESPOND or REACT Reacting is like a reflux. It is quick, impulsive, without thought and emotional. It can be aggressive and cause a snowball effect of more reactions causing unlimited suffering. Reactions are unconscious, meaning you don’t choose to react your unconscious mind does. Responding on the other hand, is conscious, meaning you have choice. It is calm, intentional and assertive. Once you respond from a clear place, the drama is over. I think it's safe to assume that most of us would like to respond to type 1 diabetes from a calm place but instead we react without thought. Every time we have a negative experience in regard to type 1 diabetes this re-circuits the brain to make future freak outs more likely. It’s no wonder so many type 1 diabetes report higher levels of anxiety and depression. Yoga tradition maintains that negative thoughts proceed negative behaviors. The mind holds onto negative experiences more readily than positive ones. It takes about 10 positive experiences to overcome 1 bad experience. I'm here today to show you how to overcome your learned behavioral refluxes which turns into diabetes chaos! In this video you will learn: How to lean into your own self-wisdom The antidote for in the moment diabetes distress Three ways to reinforce self-empowered choices 3:36 The beginning of my three steps for self-empowered choices Yoga taught me to turn my whole life into a practice, especially type 1 diabetes. This simple mind-shift helped me to see that living with type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism is a beautiful and curious practice of yoga. However it is easier said than done. I am not immune to challenges. The last few weeks I have been struggling to get my blood sugars in check. Every time I notice that my numbers are off I reason the direct cause of the imbalance. Here’s the step-by-step question analysis:
Through this scientific deduction process I usually can discover the cause of my imbalance. But what happens when you still can’t figure it out? It is so frustrating! It can lead to diabetes burnout, fatigue, anxiety and ultimately depression. The answer to mastering your condition and rising above the highs and lows is turning your experience into a practice. Yoga therapy is a science of deductive reasoning through sva-dhyaya or self-awareness. In this video I will go over my top 6 steps to help you increase self-awareness, promote clarity when you are confused and become non-reactive in the face of the most frustrating diabetes ruts. Learn my top yoga therapy action steps to get out of your diabetes rut now and in the future.Last week's video was all about the vagus nerve and how stimulating it can improve your stress response, lower your heart rate, increase circulation, digestion and decrease insulin resistance. The vagus nerve is responsible for your body's innate power to SELF HEAL. It's no secret that type 1 diabetics are susceptible to overwhelm, anxiety, depression and it takes longer for us to recover. Stimulating the vagus nerve is an essential self-care ritual that should be a part of your daily practice. This week I am going to show you how stimulate the vagus nerve and increase your ability to heal from the inside out. Whether your goal is to promote more internal homeostasis, be less reactive to external stimuli, have more energy for adventures, family and personal pursuits. The work starts here with breathing. If you are short on time: 1:48 Explanation of how to breathe 2:40 Breathing practice begins The science of yoga and diabetesSome of most common daily side effects of type one diabetes are insulin resistance, anxiety and gastro-intestinal distress. Left untreated these common issues can turn into bigger problems like retinopathy, depression, heart disease and gastroparesis.
There is no cure just yet but in the meantime there is a simple and powerful way to improve and even resolve these common side effects with yoga. The answer is vagal tone. The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve, the longest in the body. It is also known as the "wandering nerve" and connects the brain to the heart, lungs, diaphragm, stomach and digestive tract. By toning the vagus nerve you can improve your stress response, increase circulation and reduces heart rate, inflammation and insulin resistance. Not to mention a healthy vagus nerve elicits parasympathetic response improving your brain function, reducing anxiety, depression and giving you the strength to recover sooner from the side effects from hyper and hypoglycemia. Naturally yoga therapy is more parasympathetic. In this short 10 minute video you will learn:
Lead With Love in Aspen, Colorado is a unique opportunity to celebrate all forms of yoga from the physical practices to the people who live the philosophy and transform the world. The festival has hosted keynotes like Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Seane Corn, Richard Branson and Rod Stryker. The combo of practice and integration makes Lead with Love a worthwhile destination for anyone who seeks to learn from great masters of their trade. Gina Murdock, Lead with Love Founder is a visionary inspiration. I have personally known Gina for years from working in the Aspen yoga community and believe in her mission to transform our community, minds and hearts for the better.
Her team have a mission to take the original Aspen Idea which is to live a life inspired by human potential and educate as many people as possible about how to make that happen. This exclusive yet inclusive experience stands out in the sea of Colorado yoga festivals because its intention is singular: to live a life inspired by love. It is this direct understanding of what it is to be love, to give love and to lead our businesses from love and our relationships from love that changes the world. Lead with Love is not all about yoga asana. The event consists of masterful yoga practices, pranayama workshops (lead by yours truly) but also and more interestingly incredible speakers who inspire your mind and touch your soul. These talks are perhaps the most vibrant and transformational of all the retreats experiences. I am honored to be a part of this festival for the second year in a row. Join me for a pranayama workshop and lecture on yoga therapy for chronic illness sponsored by Almeda. Use promo code EVANLOVE for $100 off the 4-day retreat at the Aspen Meadows. Please join me and the whole Aspen yoga community for this not to be missed experience. In yoga philosophy and important concept is the idea of seer and seen. You the subject are observing an object. This object can be your breath, a symbol, a candle flame or it can be a health condition. In my case, it is type 1 diabetes. The ability to separate yourself from your condition is an essential tool in the journey towards self-mastery. It is a relatively easy concept to understand from an intellectual perspective You have a health condition and it does not define you.Yet it is harder to apply this wisdom when you are in the midst of a challenging moment. When I can establish an awareness that I am observing the thoughts, sensations and feelings but that those things are not me it helps me to respond better to the highs and lows. If I am not aware the impulse to act and react to the thoughts, sensations and feelings is stronger than me. I may eat too much to treat a low. I can overly inject insulin. I can ignore the warning signs and further perpetuate a vicious cycle of highs and lows. I might not see clearly how my actions are responsible for what I am experiencing and not make appropriate changes. In this week's video you will learn how to:
Yoga Therapy Can Change Your Life Forever. It Did For Me.Isn't all yoga therapeutic? Although the lines between the practice and tradition of yoga may seem blurred, there are some subtle yet important differences between yoga and yoga therapy. Yoga therapy is different from yoga in a few special ways: 1. Yoga Therapy is designed for the individual. What that means is that sessions are created for the person who is practicing. These practices may address a specific health condition or illness. 2. Yoga Therapy pools the wealth of knowledge from yoga tradition and philosophy and intentionally creates practices for specific health concerns. 3.. Yoga Therapy is a form of physical and psychotherapy. With self-study and discipline the practitioner of yoga therapy can overcome all limitations from structural, physiological and self-limiting beliefs. The goal is to be self-functioning and the means is unique to the individual. A yoga therapist takes a formal intake of each client much like a healthcare professional. 4. Yoga Therapy looks at the cause of suffering. If it is a back problem, look at what makes it worse and what makes it better. Apply intervention practices to address the pain. If it is an illness like diabetes yoga therapy looks at behavioral patterns and uses the energetics of physiological balance to help regenerate and restore the body's innate power to heal. 5. Yoga Therapy is uniquely for the practitioner. Although there may be yoga practices and classes that address a specific condition, these practices are generalized for a group. Yoga therapy not only helps to modify and adjust the practices to suit the individual but makes the practice just for the individual who is multi-dimensional. 6. A yoga therapist’s goal is to grant the client independence and to show them how to practice for themselves. A good yoga therapist helps the client understand how they have the power to influence change in their perception and to gain dominion over their life and choices. As a type 1 diabetic for over 20 years I rely on my yoga therapy practice to help me balance the inevitable challenges that follow chronic illness and autoimmune conditions. Yoga therapy is not a substitute for health care it is a supplement which grants the individual the ability to change the course of their lives. We all have challenges to conquer in this lifetime and yoga therapy is a means to live this beautiful life of yours fully. Learn more about starting a yoga therapy practice online with Evan. In order to master type 1 diabetes you need to be disciplined in so many ways. You are not born with the power to be self-disciplined. It is a required skillset that can be refined and strengthened like a muscle. According to yoga tradition, self-discipline (tapas) is a key first step in the practice of living in harmonious balance inside and out. Without it, you cannot acquire the strength to ascend beyond impulses and live freely in your choices. When I was first diagnosed, I lacked self-discipline. My impulses drove most of my choices. When my blood sugars were low, I would over eat. When I felt empty, I would reach toward unhealthy food choices to slake the uncomfortable feeling of not being enough. Self-discipline is not about control. It is about power. The power of choice. When you can choose from a place of knowing versus impulse, you are in charge. In this short video you will learn how to:
Yesterday, I was fly fishing with my boyfriend. It was below 30 degrees outside and we were fishing in a dark canyon with little sunlight. Naturally, I run cold, despite having grown up at 8,000 ft, I am usually cold even in the summer. This could be a result of type one diabetes and a lack of circulation, who knows. Needless to say, my body was working extra hard to stay warm and despite my best efforts, my blood sugar numbers would not stay regulated. I saw the dreaded diagonal arrow down on my Dexcom cgm and tried to mitigate before it was too late with glucose tabs and temp basals. Suddenly I was that kind of low that you just can't function. It is so uncomfortable and painful. I just wanted to cry, "Why ME! I am so TIRED of this!!!" but I didn't because what good is that? So I sat, watching the far away sun on my face waiting for the time to pass until I could function again. It was so cold and I felt so awful but I had to surrender to that light of the sun to hold me, help me stay patient and separate from the horrible feelings and sensations that I was feeling, not to mention the guilt of not getting the equation right and missing out on prime fishing. This is a common scenario for the adventuring diabetic. What did I do wrong? I thought I knew what I was doing? How did I get it wrong? Sometimes you just do everything right and it is still wrong! It is hard to resolve these uncomfortable feelings and emotions that follow any type of chronic condition. When you have done everything possible, the only thing left is to surrender. Surrender – One of the core tenants of yoga is a Sanskrit term called isvara pranidhana: to surrender to something that is bigger than you. This implies that there is a force that is bigger than you. This has nothing to do with dogma or religion, simply the belief that you come from something that cannot always be explained. It implies that you are not in control of EVERYTHING in your life. Isvara is the ultimate power that has never ever experienced sorrow. It knows what it is, but is impervious to fear and darkness. It is the strongest most pure force that is completely fearless and wise. It is a guiding light in turbulent moments. Now I get it, this sounds a little new agey...but stick with me. Sometimes these ancient beliefs are universal truths that surpass all time. When you can surrender to the fact that despite your BEST EFFORTS you still missed the mark, this will save you time, grief, stress and unnecessary self-ridicule. You can learn to surrender more in your life with regular practices like yoga nidra, pranayama (seated breathing) and meditation. These simple, yet incredibly potent, practices can help you to see where you are contracting, straining or holding on to something that is not useful. Don’t waste energy on your mistakes. See diabetes as a relationship that is constantly evolving and changing. Once you try less and surrender more you can choose what you give your energy and power to, saving you time and vital energetic resources that can be put forth to the things that REALLY matter. I would love to show you how you can start to do this work for yourself. It is definitely work but the benefits can change your world and relationship to your disease.
xo, Evan |
AuthorEvan Rachel Soroka Archives
November 2021
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