Balancing Diabetes and what is this Epidemic of Diabetes?

Is there a lesson to be learned from being diagnosed with diabetes? If so, what is the lesson needed that has created an epidemic of diabetes in this country and the world today? Can this epidemic be slowed?

Currently over 20 million people in the United States have diabetes. At least 95% of those 20 million people have Type 2 diabetes, or the type associated with obesity and resistance to the insulin produced by the body. Type 1 diabetes accounts for the other 5% of people with diabetes, is usually diagnosed in children and is an autoimmune disease that stops insulin production in the body. Both conditions produce high blood sugars, and require daily vigilance regarding diet, exercise, and paying special attention to your physical body. Diabetes currently accounts for over $100 billion in annual healthcare expenditures in the U.S. and accounts for 28% of the medicare dollars spent each year.

I have had Type 1 diabetes for 36 years now, which I believe qualifies me to discuss what is learned from living with diabetes. When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was devastated. I was given the task of finding joy in my life differently than most people that I knew. Like most 12 year olds, I wanted to “fit in” and be like my peers. Over the years I have had many lessons from diabetes that keep repeating. Some lessons apply to any chronic illness, and some are specific to diabetes.

The first lesson from diabetes is: You are unique and must accept yourself, and love yourself for who you are to stay healthy. When you accept that your body has special needs and that you can adjust your life to fulfill those needs, your life improves. If you feel sorry for yourself and neglect your health needs, you will suffer.

The second lesson from diabetes is: Self discipline is good and can be done with joy, without suffering. Our society often says that “spontaneity is fun” and “discipline” is a drag that leads to suffering. Yet self discipline is required to practice and learn new skills. To graduate from high school, first you must have the self discipline to get out of bed and show up for class. To hold a job you must have the self discipline to develop a routine where you can get to work on time, cooperate with your boss, and complete your work as expected. Self discipline is an important part of life, and achieving your goals.

To change your attitude about self discipline regarding food you must ask yourself, “What is missing from my life that I refuse to eat in a disciplined way? Is there another reason that I eat unhealthy foods?” Carbohydrates can have a calming effect and produce a sense of relaxation. If a person is overly stressed or has difficulty sleeping, they may overeat in an attempt to release stress. People with diabetes must learn new ways to nurture themselves to relax.

The third lesson from diabetes is: You are more than your latest blood sugar level. Most physicians value patient blood sugar levels over general patient well being. Patients are often told to worry about complications if they run high blood sugars, which can create fear, guilt, anger and long term stress.
The rate of depression among people diagnosed with diabetes is MUCH higher than the general population. Patients must be helped to become less fearful and not suffer over an occasional high blood sugar. When patients hate to check blood sugar levels because the numbers are always “too high” or “bad”, patients stop checking blood sugar levels. If every test affects self esteem, then there is a problem. Blood sugars are information and must be used to help patients accept their own needs.

The fourth lesson from diabetes is: Never, absolutely never, give up on deciding to love your life living with diabetes.
While some people with diabetes may be cured by loosing weight, discontinuing medications or changing their diet, most people will spend many years learning the lessons of diabetes. When people with diabetes decide that life is good and that they are grateful to be alive, managing diabetes gets easier. It's all attitude!
How can life be sweet even if you must take medications, watch your diet, and love your body? See what you choose to focus on in your life. Fill up your life with loving people, creative activities that you love, speak about life and yourself with joy.

The fifth lesson from diabetes is: Get help, stay motivated and surround yourself with support.
Let other people know that you have diabetes, don’t hide it or be embarrassed by the diagnosis. A wonderful way of living with diabetes is by being a diabetes D.I.V.A, which stands for Disciplined, Informed, Visible, and Active.
Create a support system of people who support the fabulousness of YOU, and help you maintain your goals to love life fully. It can be challenging to stay motivated to live a healthy lifestyle unless you surround yourself with people who share your value for good health. If all your friends love to spend social time eating sweets or drinking alcohol, then is that supporting YOU? Weight Watchers has weekly meetings to keep people motivated to follow a healthy diet. Find a doctor that you feel comfortable with and who encourages your efforts, avoid dreading going to a cranky doctor.

The sixth lesson of diabetes is: To enjoy your body by being active, keeping food and activity in balance.
Find an activity that you love, such as swing dancing, yoga, tai chi, power walking with a friend, jazzercise, dog training, gardening, biking as you watch sports on TV, or even massaging your feet. Figure out what you enjoy, and find a way to do it daily. Set yourself goals for time spent being active in a way you enjoy (lesson #2) .

The seventh lesson of diabetes is: To love all types of food without being overly attached to one type of food, and don’t feel denied.
When we are overly attached to something then we suffer without it. Some foods become a type of addiction for people. If I believe that I have no control over how I eat, or am being controlled by cravings, it is time to get help. Identify beliefs about food that are controlling your behavior. Take your power back to look at your beliefs and habits. Examine your attachments to certain foods and decide what you can let go of or adjust.

So what are the lessons that our country needs to learn to slow down this epidemic of diabetes?

1. Love and accept your body needs, avoid feeling sorry for yourself, perfection is not an option.
2. Practice self discipline with joy, and be patient while working toward your goals.
3. Set goals, don't suffer over one blood sugar, send yourself positive messages about your health.
4. Love life, celebrate life, never give up on loving life.
5. Get help and create a network to support your goals for good health.
6. Enjoy being active daily.
7. Love food without extreme attachment

Bringing these lessons into your life now will decrease your risk on developing diabetes. Learn the lessons now. Pass it on.
Namaste, Anne

Creating a Sacred Space

I love symbolism. I find it everywhere. Opening sacred space is creating ceremony to add meaning to our lives. When life seems more about making money, and less about finding joy in life, I create a ceremony.

There is a reason that most cultures have sacred traditions and ceremonies. We each yearn to participate in something that feels sacred. Many native cultures have a tradition of opening sacred space. This is done by connecting with the symbolism assigned to the four directions, the earth and the sky. This tradition reminds us to honor the earth and our spiritual helpers in life. Adding ceremony to life can provide a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves.

Yoga and the medicine wheel practices such as opening sacred space have helped me ground my energy, feel more connected and able to appreciate our planet. We can root as deeply into the earth as we reach up into the heavens.

Try opening sacred space before meditating or upon arriving at your home. By showing appreciation for the world around us, and being thankful, we can create sacred space and shift our energy. There are thousands of ways to open sacred space.

Some of what I have learned has come from the Peruvian tradition discussed in "Shaman, Healer, Sage" by Alberto Villoldo Ph.D. I have completed the four directions of the Medicine Wheel with John English and continued in his Beyond the Medicine Wheel classes. Currently I am a mentor for new students in the Medicine Wheel program. For more information on John English's Medicine Wheel see http://www.dtpublications.com/.

Here is an example of words used to open sacred space :
Standing Facing South “To the winds of the South, blow through this space and help me open sacred space. Show me how to release all that binds me, as the serpent sheds her skin. Help me to release all attachments and patterns that lead to suffering, and walk in beauty. Thank you.”

Standing Facing West “To the winds of the West, where the sun sets, blow through this space and help me open sacred space. I ask the jaguar to help me track all sources of darkness, fear or limitations in my life and clear them. Help me identify all karmic and genetic programming that no longer serves me and release them with your help. Thank you.”

Standing Facing North “To the winds of the North, blow through this space and help me create sacred space. I honor the hummingbird who drinks from the nectar of life and know how to make long journeys with faith. I honor all the spiritual teachers who teach that anything is possible through love. I listen in stillness to connect with spirit. Thank you.”

Standing Facing East “To the winds of the East, where the sun rises, blow through this space and help me create sacred space. I ask the Eagle and the Condor to show me how to see life with impeccable vision, how to travel as my true self, and with spirit. Show me how to manifest more than I have yet to dream of. Thank you.”

Hands to the Earth “Mother Earth, help me create sacred space. I honor all your creations, your plants, the stones, and all the animals. Thank you for creating this place of learning and providing so much to support me. I honor the fish, the birds, the insects, the four legged animals and all your people, I seek to know you deeper and support you. Thank you.”

Hands to the Sky “Great Spirit, God, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, blow through this space now and help me create sacred space. Thank you for the life energy that you provide us, for all that you provide that I may not even understand. I seek to work on your behalf and honor you. Thank you.”

Shakti healing with creative energy

Shakti represents the creative energy in the universe. Her gift of energy to create in life gives deeper meaning to our lives, as art, as connection to new ideas to take action on. Shakti provides inspiration to restore balance, sometimes to clear what is not working, sometimes to make a new start.

Shakti is divine energy, always flowing and feeding each of us. Vital as water, we can reach out to receive at any time. Nurture your spirit, allow change into your life. Creating structure and a positive routine that supports you will decrease the impact of change on your peace of mind. Shakti is the focus of today's Daily Om http://today@dailyom.com/.

Astrologically we are entering a time to focus on improving our health, our daily routine, our ability to clear karma interferring with those areas of our lives. Love yourself, act inspired to support your spirit.

Mars is pushing you to get busy

This week, Aug 20th to 27th is going to be busy. If it's not you may feel like there is something you are supposed to be doing. Mars, the planet of action and masculine energy is opposing Jupiter. This causes tension. Jupiter likes to expand and Mars wants to move. On August 21st, the moon will be joining the picture as it moves in Jupiter's current part of the sky. Look at the moon tonight near Jupiter. So what does this mean? You might be moving too quickly and need to slow down a bit to stay centered. There may seem to be too much to do, and get angry or even start a fight. Watch how you feel, organize and work through projects methodically without fear. You may notice people are more aggressive or taking more risks than usual. Not to worry, it is temporary. Don't take it personally and get sucked into something that is not yours. This is a good time to just mind your own business and defuse negative behavior by laughing or getting more grounded.

The Sun is still traveling near Saturn this week, so people will be very serious about their work, responsibilities, etc... possibly moving into fight or flight (fear). Get out of their way, do your work and trust the universe.

What's up in the night sky?

The brightest visible object in this month's night sky is Jupiter. After sunset Jupiter is visible to the south east. At this time Jupiter is near the reddish star, Antares (part of Scorpio). After midnight Mars rises in the east and has a reddish glow as well. Currently, Mars is traveling near another reddish star, Aldebarran.

On August 28th there will be a lunar eclipse that will be visible in the western United States. The full moon enters the earth's shadow and totality of the eclipse occurs at 2:52 AM and lasts 91 minutes. Much superstition exists around an eclipse and some feel this is not a good time to be active. Astrology considers eclipses to be active for 6 months and are transformational if they fall close to a planet in your chart. This eclipse fall at 4 degrees Pisces, with the Sun at 4 degrees Virgo.

Venus will not be visible in the pre-dawn sky until the end of August. The moon will be visible near Venus before the sun rises on Saturday September 8th and Sunday September 9th, 2007.

Legs Up the Wall Pose to Restore Balance

Is the summer heat getting to you? It's 108 degrees in Phoenix today. Sure drinking lots of water helps balance the heat, but if that's not enough try this easy yoga pose. It's one of my personal favorites. (Avoid this pose if you have a hiatal hernia, increased eye pressure, heart of neck problems, spondyloolysis, disc disease, have a sinus infection, indigestion, or are pregnant.)

Start by sitting with your knees bent and one hip next to a wall. Lay back, turn your body to face the wall and extend your legs up the wall. If this hurts your back, then keep the knees slightly bent and even press the soles of your feet into the wall. Let your arms come out to your sides with the palms facing up.
This is a great way to reduce swelling in legs and feet at the end of the day. This pose can reduce blood pressure, reduce hot flashes, and help insomnia. Try meditating here, or just reading a magazine. Children love this pose for reading bedtime stories. Have fun and relax.

12 Astrological Sign Symbols

The symbols to the left are for the 12 astrological signs and their star constellations. The earth, the moon, and the planets rotate around the sun along the ecliptic (invisible line across the sky). The 12 star constellations used by astrology fall fairly evenly spaced around the ecliptic. To look for the ecliptic, follow the path of the moon each night through the sky. The star constellations stay fixed in a quadrant of the sky. As the earth moves around the sun, the sun appears to be moving through each constellations quadrant of the sky. The moon takes 29 days to move around the earth. The moon will move into a different astrological sign, or quadrant of the sky every 2 1/2 days. The major stars of the 12 constellations used in astrology suggest the symbol of that sign.

12 Astrological Signs & their Symbol

1. Aries (the ram) …............. .........rams horns
2. Taurus (the bull)….................... bulls head and horns
3. Gemini (the twins)…..................Roman numeral II
4. Cancer (the crab)….. .................crab claws
5. Leo (the lion) ..............................lions tail
6. Virgo (the virgin) .......................Greek spelling of the word virgin
7. Libra (the scales) ........................the scales
8. Scorpio (the scorpion)....... .........scorpions tail
9. Sagittarius (the archer)..... .........archers arrow
10. Capricorn (the seagoat) ............seagoats horn and tail
11. Aquarius (the water-bearer)....waves of electricity
12. Pisces (the fish)...........................two fish tied together

About Me

I was born a Libra and I have spent years finding balance in my life. I have studied astrology, yoga, therapeutic touch, shamanism, herbal medicine and other restorative healing practices. I have a B.S. in Pharmacy from University of Washington and I worked as a pharmacist for over 20 years. I am interested in holistic practices that combine mind, body and spirit.

Astrology provides insight into each soul's intention for their life, their talents and their challenges. I have been finding balance living with diabetes since I was 12 years old, that's over 36 years now. Hence the creation of Libra Sun Astrology and this blog for Finding Balance. Life is about adapting to change, understanding relationships and although pain is somewhat inevitable, suffering is optional. You can reach me at aem929@aol.com. Enjoy this blog.

Defining the 12 Astrological Houses

Astrological Chart Houses

1st House: Also called the Ascendant or the Rising Sign, shows the outward personality,
the first impression made, and somewhat the physical appearance.

2nd House: What you value and what you are attracted to such as money, food, and
material possessions that you accumulate.

3rd House: How you communicate, early learning, brothers and sisters, neighborhood
Short trips.

4th House: Your home, your family, your sense of belonging, your childhood
your security, your mother, your inner self.

5th House: How you love, creative expression, care for children, play, go on vacation,
Risk taking, involvement with sports and performing arts.

6th House: How you work, take responsibility, serve others, your daily routine, health,
and how you organize your life.

7th House: Also called the Descendant, shows your relationships, partnerships, types of
people that we attract, open enemies, and commitments.

8th House: Shared resources and intimacy such as shared money, inheritances, taxes,
sex, death, research, and power, types of energy we share with others.

9th House: Your beliefs, religion, higher education, worldliness, interactions with the
legal system, publishing, and your in-laws.

10th House: Your career, your long term goals, your father, the public side of your life,
recognition from society and your reputation.

11th House: Your interactions with groups of people, memberships in clubs, relationships
with acquaintances and co-workers, sociability, participation in society goals,
help we may give or receive from others.

12th House: Hidden strengths and weaknesses, subconscious limitations, self-undoing,
chronic illness, spiritual needs, areas of secret hopes or desires.



Created by Anne Morris
Libra Sun Astrology