“Less is More.” Have you heard that before? My first “reaction” to hearing this quote was ….’Sure it is,” ingrained with a sarcastic and dismissing tone. Then I started to “get it.” Type 1 diabetes has certainly been a big challenge in my life. It’s been kinda like a two edged sword, in that, to really get over the hump and take full response-ability for “it” and to “it I had to directly experience the Truth and Lessons of “Less is More.” The quote personifies a universal Truth of The Reality we find ourselves in this whacky world of ours. It represents the duality that is weaved in everything and everyone. The duality of Light and Dark; Positive and Negative; Right and Wrong; Good and Evil; Up and down; Hot and Cold; On and Off. Yin and Yang. The Buddha taught that nothing can arise without its polar opposite. If one is lucky, the wisdom gleaned in inquiring into the nature and law of duality is that, since one cannot exist without the other it is futile to engage in a battle that makes something more good or less evil, NO! Perhaps, the objective of the game (an I do believe it is a game) is more about finding balance and equanimity instead of quick and unconscious reactions based on liking, wanting, desiring, not liking, not wanting and not desiring….no matter….what emotion we have attached to our reactions whether it be anger, jealousy, pride, unworthiness or the opponent’s favorite elixir………a sense of entitlement.
I’ve been “living with” T1D for over 42 years now. I thought I would have figured out how to cure myself by now or died. Neither of the two have happened which leaves me in a bit of a pickle because I didn’t plan this far ahead. However, I have come close and I have not veered from the path to a cure. About 17 years ago I had an opportunity to put the pedal to the metal, so to speak. I had some money saved. I was in between jobs. My girlfriend and yoga partner was an acupuncturist, cranial sacral therapist, Chinese Herb specialist and Macrobiotic chef. Talk about hitting the jackpot! I had been “practicing” Bikram yoga for a few years and running 3.3 miles per day. I was getting regular “treatments” of acupuncture, massage, cranial therapy. I had not gone on the pump yet and was getting A1C’s in the 8’s.. For about 3 months we really stepped it up. I was waking up at 6am,,,going to a 7am Bikram class, coming home and eating a great breakfast, perhaps throw some needles in to balance the yang energy that the Bikram class creates. Go for the 3.3 mile run. Sit out by the pool (I was in South Florida), Get ready for the 4pm Bikram class. Had to drink lots of water. Get home at 6pm and make a great dinner with some wine and a beer or two. Studied some new metaphysical “maps of the territory” that I was being introduced like yoga, meditation, Integral Theory (Ken Wilber), Spiral Dynamics, Kabbalah, and more…..We worked at this pace for about 3 months. I had reduced my Daily Dose of Insulin by 50% and had many occasions where I could forego an injection that I normally needed. My A1C dropped to low 6’s.
I eventually went on the pump and achieved even more flexibility and control. But life happens and things change and I find myself in upstate NY praying for the sun to shine and the rain to stop and the temperature to get into the 50’s. I’ve gained a little weight, not working out enough, eating like crap and feeling my agoraphobia kicking into overdrive. I am ready for another “push.”;; Another “push.” I am planning an escape from NY back to Florida. It is complicated because of all the issues that arise in life,…..health insurance, finances, friends, family, obligations, logistics…..
So, you might be asking……Where is the less is more lesson? Less is more taught me the secret to the path of healing leading to a cure. The secret in a word is – RESTRICTION. When I woke up at 6am and was tired and not wanting to go and sweat for 90 minutes in a stinky yoga room I restricted that reaction and the feelings associated with it and got up and went. When we react blindly without restriction we create what is called in Sanskrit – Sankhara. When we react we create energy pathways like ruts of least resistance. Overtime these ruts become deeper and the energy can pass through with more ease and more abundantly. These ruts create toxicity and dis-ease throughout the physical, mental and emotional bodies. There is only one way to heal Sankhara. It is to starve them by restriction of the normal reactions that create and sustain them.
The three months I engaged in actions that were proactive in nature instead of reactive in nature. I not only stopped feeding the old “ruts of reactivity” I created new ones that were both different and healthier for someone with T1D. I know that the three months that I really pushed it changed my life and is one of the reasons I am still here today. I figure the minimum requirement would be a 21 day push. There is some research to back that.
I am looking for a way to get back to Florida and lead others in what I did 17 years ago. I believe this approach and experience to be of value not only to T1D’s but parents and siblings and medical professionals. I also see it being of tremendous value to those with Type 2 and those who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. What is needed in those cases is, for sure, a change in lifestyle. A 21 day immersion of yoga, meditation, body treatments like acupuncture, massage, cranial sacral therapy, bio-feedback, running/walking, great food, sunshine, ocean, beach, party, and some metaphysical map study.
I’ve beta tested the “training” with others. They were not diabetic. One was dealing with addiction. This kind of training is ideal for addiction. Here is a link to his review of the training. Namaste….