Meditation Related Issues

Let's look at some very important issues that have enormous impact on the success of your meditation.

Blood Sugar

Variations in your blood sugar level can have a tremendous impact on your emotions. Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. High blood sugar is diabetes. If you're not sure about the stability of your blood sugar level, it would be a great idea to see a qualified health practitioner. (I am not a qualified health practitioner.)

Your health practitioner might suggest a diet and exercise program.

You can monitor your blood sugar level by using a kit from your local drug store.

A number of people, including me, have had great success with Michael Thurmond's Six Week Body Makeover. A doctor friend told me that this is the best program for weight loss.

Although you can get better prices on eBay, you can get more info at www.Provida.com.

You can get tremendous discounts on the program from eBay. The last time I checked, there were people selling brand new, unopened programs at huge discounts. That's how I got mine. Do a search on "Michael Thurmond" without the quotes.

Candida and Yeast Infections

These can also drain you. Although it could seem like a form of punishment, there is a Candida Diet which is supposed to resolve the issue. However, many people have had tremendous success with using supplements instead of doing the diet.

Water

Drink lots of water. This does wonders in helping our bodies balance blood chemistry. It's been suggested that we drink two liquid ounces of water for every pound of body weight. For example, if we weigh 200 pounds, we would drink 100 ounces of water every day. One quart contains 32 liquid ounces.

Breathing

Conscious breathing does wonders to bring oxygen to our blood stream. This happens automatically with aerobic exercise. We can do this every morning when we wake up. When you do this, it would be best to emphasize the inhale and let the exhale happen on its' own. Too much blowing on the exhale can temporarily imbalance our blood chemistry and give us hand cramps.

My meditation retreats include a daily [Tranformational Breathing->] session.

Depression

In addition to help from your doctor, there are a number of things you can do to raise your self up. 

• Get some exercise. You can take a brisk walk, go the gym. One of my favorites is to put on some uplifting music and start dancing.
• Start getting things done. You probably have a backlog of things to do. Simply dive in and go for it. We can overwhelm our selves by setting huge goals. Instead of milestones, set inchstones. In other words, you can set small targets for your self. Congratulate your self when you meet the targets. One fun way to do this is to set up a reporting system with a friend. Tell your friend what you're going to accomplish in the next two hours. Two hours later call your friend and tell her what you accomplished.
• Do some volunteer work. Find some cause that you support. Volunteer your services.
• Pick one simple thing you know you can accomplish. Do it. It might be screwing in a light bulb in that closet that's been dark for the last two years. Do it. Do another simple thing.
• Do some house cleaning.

Conclusion

The above is not really part of an at home meditation practice. However, it is important to handle these issues as they do affect your meditation experience and your life experience.

Yours in mutual perfection,
Jim Kitzmiller