The past few months have been a struggle. A lot of juggling, no new experiments, just keeping your head above water.
Because I have a life and that is my priority. That doesn’t mean we’re ignoring diabetes. That means making an extra effort to keep the keel even. I double down and laser focus. This means sticking to your routine, sticking to your yoga practice, and avoiding the dreaded lows and uncontrollable highs.
However, there are still things that can be frustrating. Whether I need to take longer hikes or change the split dose ratio to test my newly acquired information on how to give myself IV feeds to prevent continued hypotension. I was hoping to try Fusilli’s pasta dish again to confirm.
I’ve been asking myself how I can be adventurous and try new tacts while tackling all the tasks I need to accomplish.
Zoom in…and zoom out
Zooming in means focusing on one thing each day that is fun, challenging, or that challenges you beyond what you habitually do. It could be; you’ve added new food combinations, foods you’ve never tried before. Divide your dose differently or try to have a snack about an hour before the onset of low blood pressure. You might even try walking an extra 10 minutes deep into the woods to treat your hypo without kicking yourself for not having a snack before heading out. No matter the task, making small changes and facing small challenges means progress can be made. The effect is cumulative.
This is also true in your yoga practice, when you commit to holding poses a little longer each day to strengthen your muscles. Or stretching an area of your body like your hamstrings, even if you know it’s the tightest area but don’t want to stretch.
Slow repetition over time creates lasting change. It took me years to accept my body and its limitations. I had to learn to trust the process. Yoga practice and what happens to your body are not sequential. In fact, what was once free and open when you were 19 years old is now even more restricted due to hormonal changes and the aging process. I had to adjust my posture and learn to accept my limitations.
This takes you to Step 2: Zoom out.
Zooming out means accepting the fact that what I hoped to achieve and what I actually mastered in my 35-year career as a yoga teacher and practitioner are very different. Masu. As a young yogi, I focused on practicing dropbacks and handstands. Now, once you master any pose, it doesn’t bother you so much. I’m more interested in my overall health. Am I able to respond rather than react to challenges? Am I compassionate and considerate towards others and myself?
Learn the deeper teachings of yoga called atma vidya It taught me that zooming out is not just about achieving results in the world. It’s about understanding who I am. No matter what changes occur in the relative material world, my human nature, cognition and consciousness, remains the same. The same consciousness I see through the eyes of a 19-year-old is still the same at 56. The only thing that has changed is the realization that our bodies have a limited lifespan, and keeping our bodies well-balanced throughout our lives means maximum enjoyment of whatever is going on.
Living with a chronic illness certainly highlights challenges and obstacles, but zooming out can provide perspective and create self-compassion. Ask questions like: Have I gotten more in the ballpark overall over the past few months? Are the ups and downs hitting me more? Will you be able to achieve victory and forget about the rest? Will you feel more bold and free in everyday life?
And what’s the big question I’ve been focusing on lately? Am I more ready to take risks and try new things than I was a year ago?
The resounding answer is “YES”. By zooming in, I make small changes, and by zooming out, I feel better and truly enjoy life.
That’s it!
I would like to express my respect…
rachel
PS I would like to take a yoga class with you, so please check it out. Sundaram Online Ashram…A hub for all things yoga and Self-knowledge. Or visit here. YouTube or insight timer.
