Balloon Imagery Exercise - Diabetes Discussion & Meditation

48:50

48:50

Balloon Imagery Exercise - Diabetes Discussion & Meditation

by Patricia Daiker

Rated

5

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talks

Activity

Meditation

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Everyone

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55

Enjoy this replay of Patricia Daiker's Insight Timer Live session. Patricia is an RN and Diabetes Coach who bring holistic techniques to help navigate life with diabetes or other chronic condition. This track begins with a coaching imagery tool using balloons, finishing with a healing and restorative meditation for all parts of your physical body.

Coaching Burnout Breathing Emotional Release Self Acceptance Body Scan Affirmations Meditation Healing Nurses Burnout Prevention Polyvagal Breathing Visualizations Chronic Illness

Meet your Teacher

Patricia Daiker

Dallas, TX, USA

Meet your Teacher

Patricia Daiker

Dallas, TX, USA

Transcript

So just as an introduction in case anybody is seeing this pop up and they're wondering what we're going to be doing tonight, My name is Patricia Daker and I am a registered nurse and board certified nurse coach and I specialize in diabetes. Nurse coaching is really all about using your whole self to help heal and figure out how to navigate your way to wellness. I actually live with type 1 diabetes which is why I kind of focus on that but a lot of what we talk about is more than just diabetes and I will promise you we won't be talking about insulin or carbs or anything like that this evening. It's really the other side, The hard part, Right, Of how you actually make yourself do all the stuff you have to do and not get lost in your head space and it definitely takes some work. If you want to know more information about what I do, There's information in my bio. Obviously you can click on my little picture and that will take you to more information. Let's say my company is called Better Diabetes Life and I also have a circle on here called Better Diabetes Life and you can hop on there and ask questions and I try to comment and help people out as much as I can and the team, The group, The circle is really good about encouraging each other so we invite you to hop on there. I always like to start with some kind of advice or coaching tips and we're going to do like a little visual practice. We'll do the meditation too but this practice is going to be something a little unique and different and it's meant to help us change and so we all know we want to change, Right, But it's the changing part that's hard. Sometimes wanting to or trying to is not enough and we need to tap into other aspects of self to really understand and find ways to do that so that's what I want to do tonight. You know the medical community can be very harsh. There's a lot of expectations about what you're supposed to do and so this is a much softer, Gentler side and we really want to focus on strategies to help you actually want to do it, Right? So things you want to do you're much more likely to do. In my experience it's not a lack of education about the process, It's frustration that really gets you know burn out. I think that's probably the best term. We all get burned out and so how do we navigate that? And as we get started let's all take a breath and gather. I always like to gather and imagine that we are among friends. We are in a safe space. As we spend time this evening there are no images that we have to uphold, No expectations. This is a time of understanding. It's a time where we can come together and I want you to mentally imagine walking into a room full of people who know what it's like to live with your condition, With your life and with your struggles. Everyone in this room is, They get it. They understand you're among friends and it's okay to say what you want to say and think what you want to think. I always kind of like to imagine a little cloud above my head full of the energy of everybody that's on this call and we can kind of link up and put our minds together, Our hearts together and help each other as we go through this journey. So tonight we'll start with an intention focused on release and acceptance which are two sort of opposing thoughts, Right? Releasing, Letting go, Accepting, Holding on. And so our intention for tonight as we begin our practice is may we have the courage to let go and the openness to receive. So let's just get started. So we talk about change and diabetes requires a lot of change. So most of the time it's change that we don't want. There's all these things that people tell you you have to do. So we have to do more stuff. You get this condition and now you have all these other obligations and jobs and things and as if life wasn't busy enough trying to check your blood sugar, Have food, Have supplies, Get to doctor visits, Pay for all this stuff. It's a lot of stuff and we struggle. It's hard, Right? It's hard to do all that every day for the rest of your life without a day off. And guess what? Nobody ever does it perfectly. So what happens? We feel like a failure, Right? We didn't do it. I didn't make the mark. My numbers weren't good. I ate something I shouldn't have, Blah, Blah, Blah, Right? On and on and on. And so that leads to frustration and frustration is the foundation of burnout and burnout is I don't want to do it anymore. I'm playing this game. I can't win. The rules aren't fair. And it just, They keep changing. Every time I think I get it figured out, Something changes, Right? It's a recipe for failure. And what can happen is we get this stinking thinking, Right? We've heard of that where, You know, Just in our mind, It's all bad, Right? In our head, We just have beaten ourselves up. Really critical, Just really a lot of anger towards ourselves, Right? And we really focus on the body, The external world, What we have to do. I have to do all these things. I have to do these things perfectly. I have to execute. And if we think of self, We have body, Mind, Spirit, Right? So we really attack our bodies quite frequently. We're not good enough. We're not the right shape, Size, Form, Not the right level of glucose in our blood. There's a lot of things that are not right. And then in our mind, We kind of beat ourselves up to, I should be able to do this. This should be easier. We have these ideas of what things should be like. But often we don't really think about our spirit, Right? We think of these things in separate pieces. So tonight we're going to learn how to pull some of these together. And again, This idea of medicine, Medicine really focuses on the physical, Which is okay. That's where the symptoms show up. But in my own personal experience, Just focusing on doing the physical perfectly has not given me the energy, The momentum, The self care to really actually do it. And so I really found that I can use my mind and to tap into my inner spirit, My wisdom, Which gives me the energy and things and the perspective to do something differently, Right? To see how else we can do it. So we can find a lot more success, That inner wisdom, Listening to our own needs, Our intuition, Talking kindly to ourselves, Right? And working with your own body to produce the results that you want or to change or just move or navigate, Right? We never really, I don't think we ever get the results because once we get anything, Then there's another one to do, Right? We never really arrive. It's the journey. We're always constantly evolving. If we think about this situation where we get frustrated, Right? If we peel back the layers and peel back the onion, We get rooted in feelings of fear. We feel like we're in a bad mood. We feel like we're in a bad mood. We feel like something's going to happen. Something bad is going to happen. It makes us anxious. We feel like a failure, Maybe shame that we didn't do it right or embarrassed. We don't want to tell people that we actually did something not according to plan or ate something we should have or didn't take our blood sugar or forgot to take our medicines. Like all these things we have to do to manage this blood sugar level, If we don't do it right, We don't want to do it. We don't want to live with a lot of emotion. We live with regret. It feels impossible, Right? I can't do this. How am I going to do this? Maybe trapped and stuck. I don't like this life. I don't want to do that. All of those feelings are very common and typical. If you paint a person with all those feelings, What's the likelihood that somebody who feels trapped and fit like a failure and shameful and embarrassed and is that person really going to have the energy to go do amazing, Over-the-top things that it takes to live your life this way? All of those feelings ultimately lead to poor glucose control, Which is not what we want. We don't want that. We want better glucose. It's not fun. That is just not a recipe for fun. Who wants that? What would life be like with ease and peace, More possibility, More hope, More support, More growth, More choices, More progress, More possibility, I think I said that. What would that be like? How do we get there? It's a great idea. Blah, Blah, Blah. It's all talk until we do it. I want to do this meditation. This isn't really the meditation part. We'll get to this, But this is kind of a coaching tool. It's a visualization tool. We're going to start that here in a minute. We're going to use imagery. I'm going to ask you to come up with images in your mind. They're going to guide and sort of talk to our inner self and help us explore and tap into these other places that can help you. Our soul, One of the ways we can talk to our soul is in pictures. What we can think about in our mind can help us shift. I've talked about this a lot. We get into this worry state of frantic and anxiety, Which actually has physical effects from the chemistry that happens when we're in that state. We can use these pictures and ideas to move into this more relaxed, Healing, Gentle state. Our sympathetic and our parasympathetic fight or flight versus rest and restore. We want more rest and restore. We can actually get there. Let's gather again. I think there's a lot more people on here come together. What I want you to do is close your eyes, Relax, Be open to watching this little inner movie that I'm going to guide you through. We're going to do a little bit to get ready for that. I want you to be in that receptive state. We'll repeat our intention. The intention is, May we have the courage to let go and may we have the openness to receive. We're going to do some breathing techniques real quick just to shift, Kind of turn off the day to move from the outward to the inward. It's a really simple exercise. I just want you to relax, Close your eyes. We'll breathe in and out through your nose with your mouth closed, Tracking the air that goes through your nose down the back of your throat. We'll breathe in for like a count of four and out for a count of eight. If that's not comfortable for you, You can do any number. You just want the exhales to be twice as long as the inhales. This from a physiological standpoint is going to shift your body into a state that is more healing and more relaxed. It's called polyvagal breathing. As you do this, I'll count, But I want you to breathe in fully, Expand your lungs, And exhale fully. As you exhale, Relax. I'll count and we'll begin now. Go ahead and breathe in, Two, Three, Four, And relax, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, In, Two, Three, Four, And out, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. In fully, Two, Three, Four, And relax, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Again, Fully in, Two, Three, Four, And let go, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Feeling better, In, Two, Three, Four, And exhale, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Letting your body soften, Become relaxed. Breathe in, Two, Three, Four, And exhale, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Deep breath in again, Two, Three, Four, Relax and exhale, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Fully inhale, Two, Three, Four, And relax, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Slowing down and shifting, Breathe in, Two, Three, Four, And breathe out, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Last time, Big breath in fully, Two, Three, Four, And exhale completely, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Just let your breathing return to normal. I want you just to notice how you feel, How those minute or so of breathing with that intention and that pattern actually slows down your heart rate, Drops your blood pressure, It shifts you from fight or flight to rest and restore, Moving from the external to the internal, Just by your breath. Okay, So as we progress, We're going to do this technique and you just need to close your eyes and imagine what I'm going to tell you and let whatever happens, Happens. There is no right or wrong way to do this. There's nothing you can do to screw it up. It's pretty simple. So I want you to close your eyes. Imagine yourself standing in a beautiful place, Maybe outdoors with a big sky with room around you. It's open. And I want you to imagine you're holding a giant bouquet, A bunch of helium balloons. They're all different colors. They're beautiful, Pretty, Bright, Sparkly. Maybe like the movie Up, If you've seen that movie where they had the big, Big, Ginormous, Huge bouquet of balloons. So look at the balloons and you see them up there. Everyone is, They're beautiful, They're pretty. Everybody loves balloons and now we're supposed to enjoy and everyone believes balloons are lovely and good and it's such a nice thing to hold on to these. And the world thinks you need these balloons, Right? It's great to have balloons. Balloons are pretty. But as you hold them, You might notice your hands are tired. You really can't do what you want. When the wind blows, They may kind of pull you to one side or the other. Your arms might feel fatigued. So even though the balloons are fun and beautiful and lovely, They're a burden to bear. Holding on to those balloons takes some energy and effort. But everybody kind of wants you to have the balloons and the balloons have become acceptable. So I want you to know that right now each balloon holds some aspect of yourself that you have agreed to. There's something in each balloon that you've agreed to hold on to and most likely without even realizing it. Something that has happened over time, A pattern that's been established, Words that were spoken over you that stuck, Ideas and things, Emotions that you've experienced and kept with you. And somehow you believe all these balloons are necessary. And you believe it has to be this way, That you have to hold these balloons. But I want to offer that today during this time, We're going to let some of those balloons go. So feel the weight of the balloons, Feel them tugging at you. I want you to look up these balloons above you. I want you to find the balloon that is filled with guilt. Guilt for not doing it right. Guilt for not making the perfect choice all the time. Guilt for disappointing others. Notice what color it is and let it go. Watch it sail away, Up into the sky and allow it to be gone. And as you let go of this balloon filled with guilt, Notice that you're still here. You are still present. The guilt is gone. Look up next and find the balloon filled with shame. Shame that somehow something that you have done was wrong. That there's something about you that's different than others. Find the balloon filled with shame. Notice its color and let it go. Watch it fade away and float up into the sky. Relax. Look up. Notice the balloons, The weight in your hand and find the balloon full of regret. Things you wish you had done differently. The past that you can't change. The ideas that somehow you should have known more than you did. Let that balloon go. Look up now and find the balloon that's full of worthlessness. The balloon that tells you that somehow you're not worth the effort, The time, The energy. That somehow other people have more than you do and are more deserving. Find that balloon. Notice what color it is and know that every person on this planet has worth and purpose and let it go. Then you find your balloon full of frustration. The emotions that you feel when it's hard. When you don't want it to be this way any longer. Do that balloon. Notice where it's at in the pack and let it go. Look up and find the balloon that's full of impossibility. The belief that there's no way out, That nothing can change. That what you know today is the only truth that exists. Let go of impossibility. Watch it sail and soar into the sky. Do you have a balloon that's full of fear? Worry, Anxiety, Fear that something's bad, It will happen, Fear that you did it wrong, Fear that you're not enough, Fear that you will be judged. Find that balloon and let it go. Release it from your hands. Notice it sail away. Are you starting to feel the pull and the tug become a little less strong? The balloons that remain in your hand, Can you find the balloon full of failure? The times you didn't measure up, Where it was too hard, No matter how hard you tried, You couldn't get there. No matter the circumstances that prevented it, Those feelings that somehow you should have done more, Been better, Or been able to accomplish what you couldn't accomplish. Again, Notice the color of that balloon, Where the balloon is, And let go of feelings of failure and let it sail away. Relax, Know that it's okay to let these go. You are still standing strong on the ground. You are still you without the balloons. Look up the balloons soaring above you, Still tethered to your hands. Find the balloon filled with anger, Anger at the world that it's not fair, Anger with others that they don't understand, Anger at your body for not performing as it should, Anger that something you need isn't there. See that balloon, Notice its color, Notice where it is, And let that string go. Let the anger go away. Do you have a balloon full of sadness? Maybe this is a heavy balloon that holds you down, That makes you feel like a gray and gloomy day, Sadness at loss, Sadness that things aren't different, Sadness that you think there's something you're missing. Notice that balloon and let it go. Do you have a balloon filled with disappointment? Is there a balloon of a shape and a size and a color that contains a different disappointment in yourself, Disappointment in others, Disappointment that it's not different? Notice that balloon and let it go. Take a breath again. We've let a lot go. Relax your shoulders. Nothing bad has happened. In our mind's eye, We see our balloons dwindling down and these heavy and negative things are sailing away. Do you have a balloon full of lost dreams, Things you feel that are beyond your reach that maybe can't happen any longer, Dreams that someone else told you you can't have, Shouldn't pursue? Let go of the lost dreams, Knowing that deep within your heart, Your real dreams always will exist. Do you have a balloon full of pain, Physical pain, Emotional pain, Spiritual pain, Anything that hurts on any level? Do you see it sailing above you? What's the color? Can you let go? So I want to give you a few more minutes to name and release any balloons still in your hand. Even if you don't know what the emotion is, Imagine what's left in your hand. Notice the color. Feel what you're feeling in relation to that balloon. And if you can name it, Do so. But if it's just a feeling, You can also just let that go. Whatever comes to mind when you see that balloon or something that you need to release, It's okay. So I'll give you a few minutes in your mind. Look at the remaining balloons. Think about them. Feel them. You have permission to let them go. Let each and every one go. When you have one last balloon in your hand, Your hands in the air, Holding on to the single thing that's hardest to let go of. Take a breath. Relax your shoulders. Feel your feet planted in the earth. Notice the color of this last balloon held between your hands above your head. Be brave enough to let it go. And as you stand there with empty hands, I want you to open them, Reach up, And have your open arms in a position of receivership. Hands in the air, Reaching towards the sky. Notice how stable your feet are. No balloons dragging you, Nothing tugging at your hands. Notice the freedom without having to hold on to this burden. Notice your stability. I want you to stand tall with your arms reaching up. Do you feel unusual? Does it feel different not to have this burden? Perhaps you might feel a little naked, A little vulnerable without all these things that you've clung to, These ideas that you've agreed to, These belief systems that are ingrained, Patterns created over many, Many years. What's it feel like without that hand full of these balloons that you have to hold? And if it feels different, That's okay. Different is how change happens, Right? Being different, It's new. And when we don't like the way things are today, We want change. So I want you to imagine once again, Looking up at the sky, Arms open, And receive all that is yours to receive. I want you to repeat these affirmations after me. I am free. I am able. I am capable. I am worthy of good things. I am alive. I am breathing. I am choosing this. I am here. I am open. I am in charge of my life. I am wise. I am listening. And I am receiving. And I am okay. Linger in that for just a moment. Breathe and let that wash over you. This feeling of lightness, Of letting go. And without the burden holding you down, You now have an open and easy opportunity to receive. So we're going to proceed with the body scan. I'm going to cover and talk about all the different parts. I just want you, As I name each part, To receive what that part of you needs. Use to let it in, Attract it to you, Be receptive to what your body wants and needs. And again, Living with diabetes or any chronic illness can be a hardship to your physical self. So now that we've let go of this mental baggage, We have the space and the intention to receive. And we'll go from your toes on up. So we'll start with our toes and our feet. And let your toes and your feet receive what they need. Adequate blood flow, Oxygen, Healing, Energy, Light, Perfect circulation, The new blood vessels growing to support and nourish the parts of your body the most distant from your heart. Move up to your legs, Your knees, Your hips, Your joints, Your bones. Let them receive what they need. Let the muscles be relaxed. Let the joints be fluid. Let your body's internal healing systems and immunity proceed to every cell that needs anything. Standing on those strong legs firmly rooted to the earth, Connected. Move your attention to your hands and your fingers, Stretched out and up towards the sun in a state of receiving. Feel the warmth and the glow. Feel energy and aliveness on the inside of your hands. Let your body's resources heal every finger poke, Every arthritic knuckle, Every scratch and hangnail. Any pain or inflammation in your hands can be tended to and addressed. Let that warmth and healing flow into your arms and your shoulders, Relaxing the muscles, Relieving tension in your shoulders. Let them soften and melt. Move upwards into your skull, Into your brain, The center of electrical activity or thoughts seem to originate. Let your brain receive peace and calm. And your brain and yourself, Your insides, To shift into a peaceful state of safety, Of healing. Let blood flow easily and smoothly to every cell in your brain, Through every blood vessel in your brain. Healing, Smoothing and providing perfect circulation. Feel an ease and peace wash across your skull. Move your focus to your eyes and let your eyes receive what they need. The eyes which can be impacted by high glucose over time can be damaged by the ravages of diabetes. At this moment, Your eyes are open to receive whatever they need. Increase blood flow, New small micro vessels, Release of pressure, Healing of scar tissue. Ease and peace and restoration, Receive this and allow it to be true in your eyes. As we think about the blood vessels of our eyes and our brain, Let that wash to your whole body. Every blood vessel in your body, Clean, Pink, Smooth, Effortlessly being the vessel that carries blood to every cell in your body. Nourishing, Exchanging, Cleaning away waste. Your blood vessels which are the highway throughout every part of your body. Let them be healed. Let your internal resources address any issues that need to happen. Let your circulation be easy, Effortlessly, And smooth. Move your attention to your lungs as you breathe and expand, Exchanging the outside air for the inside air. Every breath, Something from the world becomes part of you and every exhale, Something from you becomes part of the greater world. Let your breathing be easy. Let your lungs be the conduit for change in your body systems. From your lungs, Think about your throat and your neck, The connection between your mind and your body, The entry point of food and air and water, The exit of your voice as it comes from your lungs and travels back out into the world to tell them about you. Let your neck be supple to look in all angles. Swallow and release any tension in your throat and receive the peace that is yours. Settle into your abdomen now to your liver, The right upper quadrant. From your open arms, Receive healing, Light, Energy into this area. Let damage be repaired. Let function be normalized. Let intracellular processes happen easily and effortlessly, Even if you don't understand how it happens, Your body knows. Allow it to be so. Next, Move your attention to your digestive tract that runs throughout your entire body that performs so many functions. Receive healing, Receive peace, Receive rhythmic and calm function throughout the system. Your digestive tract influences your emotions, Your digestion, Your nutrition, Your mood. Release any emotions from this area that are held and allow healing, Calmness, And peace to be offered throughout this whole area. Next, Move your attention to your pancreas behind your belly button in the middle of your stomach, The organ that gets such a bad rap when you live with diabetes. For most of us, This organ still performs many, Many functions. I want you to open and receive whatever your pancreas needs. Allow warmth, Growth, Healing to pervade this area. Allow your body to give it what it needs. Next, Move your attention to your kidneys above your waistline, Towards your back, Beneath your ribs on both sides. Let the kidneys have what they need. Be open to effortless blood flow, Repair, And restoration of the microscopic vessels. Perfect function. Allow warmth and light to flow through this area, Releasing pain, Releasing suffering, Undoing damage, Promoting health and healing. I also want you to focus your attention on the fat cells in your body, The fat which we have a horrible relationship with most of us, But that provides function. The fat that also secretes hormones, That provides energy when we need it. I want you to think about this part of your body and receive the state it should be. Let go of any need to cover yourself, To hide, To be embarrassed. Open your arms and allow yourself to be the shape and size you need to be. Let go of anything you're holding onto, Negative imagery, Negative self-worth. Allow the fat that is healthy and necessary to remain. I also want you to think of the glucose system. It's not a single place in your body, But in every cell there are chemical reactions, Enzymes, Molecules, Electrolytes, Fluids, Mobilized to try to keep this balance. It happens without our knowledge and we try to influence it as much as we can. I want you to receive the perfect state of all of these systems. Allow your body to synchronize and do a dance of glucose control. Believe that better is possible. Keep healing and ask your body to bring you back into balance. Allow this energy to flow through your body, Repairing, Restoring every molecule, Every cell of your whole body. Lastly move your attention to your heart, The epicenter of your circulation, Tightly connected to your breath. Your breath and your heart begin and end your life with movement. I want you to open your arms, Imagine those arms reach toward the sky, Open and receiving all that your heart needs physically so it can beat strong and steady so that blood flows to every cell of your heart muscle. Emotionally so your heart is full of joy and happiness and possibility and spiritually so you are connected from one heart to the next via a network of unseen energy and connection with everyone. With this image of your arms open wide and your heart lifted up, I want you to allow a smile to come across your face as you receive this goodness. As you're smiling, Let that smile settle into your heart and let it be there and let it be the guide, The smile that opens up the connection between you and the world, Your body, Mind and spirit. Again, Come back to this image of standing firmly rooted, Arms open, Strong, Confident, Willingly letting go of that which no longer serves you and receiving every good thing you deserve. Once again, We'll repeat the affirmations. I am free. I am able. I am capable. I am worthy of good things. I am alive. I am breathing. I am choosing this. I am here. I am open. I am in charge of my life. I am wise. I am listening. I am receiving and I am okay. From this place of truth and groundedness and peace, I want you to notice how you feel, What it feels like to be you in your body right now in this state of healing, Of restoration, Repair, Relaxation, Receptivity. Get the seed in your mind. Bookmark it so you can come back to it during the day. And all it takes is recalling this image of grounded, Feet firmly planted, Arms open and receiving all the things that you are worth and worthy of. Let's linger here a little while in this nice place. I want you to know in this state right now, Your body has shifted into a parasympathetic state. And from a physiological perspective, Different hormones are influencing your body, Influencing your heart rate, Your blood pressure. Your energy is now available to work on you, On what you need because we're not in a fearful and worried state about the world. We're relaxed at peace and ease. The energy that you have, The infinite energy within you is focused on you and your needs. And so if it's late where you're at and you're going to drift off, Good night. You'd like to come back and finish your day, Take a deep breath. Breathe that in, Relax. Move your hands, Move your toes. Breathe deeply again. Flutter your eyes open. And turn off the movie in your mind. Come back to your surroundings. But know that you've let go of all those things. When you hold that mental image in your head, It becomes true on your inside. So thank you again for being with me. I wish you peace. I wish you ease. I wish you grace to navigate the challenges that this life offers. That you are worthy of all the good things. So that is my wish for you. Y'all be well, My diet buddies, And we'll talk with you soon. Take care. Thank you.