Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sharon (Sneetch by the Beach) on February 3, 2011 at 7:54am

Meditation is an amazing tool for easing stress. I recommend finding a meditation center in your area...hopefully you will have a few to choose from. There are several styles of meditation out there....and I recommend going to a center or class. Its more powerful to be in a group with a teacher to ask questions etc then if you just buy a CD and do meditation at home on your own. At least in the beginning when you are first learning.

Good luck and meditation does have a positive influence on the physical body. Thanks for your question....you are inspiring me to get back to meditation class too :)

Permalink Reply by Trish on February 3, 2011 at 8:03am

I see that there are several different types of meditation out there, have you tried different types?? I am just not sure where to begin..

Permalink Reply by Sharon (Sneetch by the Beach) on February 3, 2011 at 8:20am

I recommend picking 3 different places to check out ....all meditation centers I have been to offer 'meditation for beginners' or a 'introduction to meditation' class. Finding a meditation class is a matter of personal connection - some are more relaxed than others. For me its all about finding a teacher that I connect too - and a comfortable environment with friendly people. If there is a yoga studio in your area, I'm sure they would have some meditation center recommendations to offer.

I personally like Buddhist meditation classes - they have changed my life in a profound way. I was diagnosed with Type 1 a year and a half ago, and my meditation and Buddhist teachings keep me from getting depressed and gave me the tools to stay positive. Take care and I wish you luck on your meditation journey - have fun with it and explore!

Permalink Reply by Cathy Jacobson on February 3, 2011 at 8:30am

I live in a very remote, rural area of SD. there are no meditation centers, the farmers would laugh --- go out to the barn! I find that my best meditation of sorts happens when I am alone in a place I feel safe. However, that being very nice, I , too feel that stress is my biggest enemy in diabetes healing. I call it that because I am getting better at controling my numbers and that is healing. So sneetch what would you suggest in my case....I need to control the stress, meditation would be a good thing for me....but how and where?

Permalink Reply by Sharon (Sneetch by the Beach) on February 3, 2011 at 8:40am

HI Cathy - I live in Los Angeles where yoga and meditation centers are on every corner! If I were in your shoes, I would go the CD route and listen to them at home. For me, it takes more dicipline and dedication to start a meditation practice on my own. That is why I love meditation classes - but in your case without the access to classes - with effort and discipline, you can achieve the same positive results on your own.

There are hundreds of meditation teachers out there with guided meditation CD's for purchase. I would recommend starting with these -

view this link: http://www.tharpa.com/us/new-items.html#medCDs

I am off to teach yoga - have a great day! :)

Permalink Reply by Leilani on February 5, 2011 at 6:56pm

I have used the principles of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to help in becoming more aware of areas in life where I was reacting rather than responding. MBSR uses several different forms of meditative/mindful practice. Yoga that places emphasis on breathing and bodily sensation is especially helpful (such as viniyoga). There are numerous books and CDs available for use in the practice of MBSR and the cultivation of mindfulness. Books by Cheri Huber have also been helpful to me (such as “Be the Person You Want to Find: Relationship and Self-Discovery”). I agree, however, that it is helpful to find a teacher or instructor when first getting started . . . and that finding the right instructor and type of yoga is important . . . as some types of yoga are not as helpful as others . . . and developing your ability to pay attention to the sensations in your body is KEY over the act of placing your body in any given posture.

Permalink Reply by Abby-Lael on February 5, 2011 at 9:51pm

I have found that by taking Fish oil, and flax seed pills everyday has helped me a lot. Both my sisters are on medication for stress and both there doctors have lowered there medication and added both fish oil and flax seed pills. It has really helped me out. I also have found a very good tea I drink when i am in stressful situations or when things are starting to over whelm me. I have also found the tea doesn't affect my numbers its just a calming tea that I found at a health food store. I have been trying these natural methods just because I personally get sick of being so highly medicated with my diabetes and also my medication for insulin resistances. I wish you the best of luck! ~Abby~

Permalink Reply by Trish on February 7, 2011 at 5:30am

Thank you everyone for your advice... I am going to try the MBSR also... I have found a couple of yoga centers right near me and i am going in this week to do a trial... They have one or two week unlimited packages so you can try out all of their different classes. In the meantime i am starting to do yoga at home each morning to try to start the day off on a positive note. I also take the fish oil each day and i am going to give the flax seed pills a try too.. Thanks again for all your thoughts!!!

Permalink Reply by Nancy on February 7, 2011 at 5:00pm

I've been a T1 for 17 yrs and I had a huge problem with Insulin resistance after my pregnancy. My doc put on Metformin almost a year ago and it's really helped. I'm off of it as of today and my highest BG was 130. It's something to consider to go along with the meditation. My best stress reliever is a really good book while my daughter naps.

Permalink Reply by Emily on February 8, 2011 at 3:33pm

I love my acupuncturist. It has massively helped with the high stress job (teaching high school math in the equivalent of an inner city school).