How I Ended My Struggle With Celiac Disease Using Meditation

Sticking to a gluten-free diet can be frustrating. It has been difficult for me to pass up opportunities like going to the State Fair (the biggest junk-food-on-a-stick extravaganza ever) with my family because there was nothing there for me to eat. It was also difficult recently when I went to a restaurant that Drew and I patronize regularly only to find out that some key ingredient in my favorite dish contained gluten all along.

It is tempting to get angry, to assign blame, to wave the white flags of surrender and just give up. It’s easy to get lost in the unfairness of having celiac disease because it is unfair. I also sometimes get trapped in thinking about how I will always have to stick to the diet and about how I will never be able to just order pizza.

At times like these, I try to remember the purpose of all this gluten-free business: to live a healthy life. Before my diagnosis, I spent a lot of time feeling unhealthy without knowing why. I had sinus infections, chronic lethargy, anxiety, and constant stomach problems. The gluten-free diet has largely solved those problems, and I stick to the diet even though it’s not always fun or immediately gratifying.

One thing that has really helped me to deal with my negative emotions about the self-denial inherent in the gluten-free lifestyle is mindfulness meditation. I know that it sounds a little like voodoo, but it’s really not. I first learned about meditation in graduate school, where I am studying clinical psychology and the mind-body connection. Meditation has allowed me to open to the experience of negative emotions and physical pain without getting lost in it, and I have seen it work for many of my patients.

Mindfulness meditation involves a focus on the present, not what happened yesterday or what may happen tomorrow. I find this emphasis on the present to be very helpful in dealing with celiac disease because I just focus on what I need to do right now, not what I had to do yesterday or what I will have to do for the rest of my life. Meditation also allows me to connect with my whole body and not just the constant stream of thoughts (both positive and negative) that run through my mind.

If you’re interested in pursuing meditation, there are a variety of opportunities available. In addition, meditation is an important part of yoga, which I also find to be tremendously helpful. Below I have listed some resources for further exploration:

Audio

Radical Acceptance: Guided Meditations by Tara Brach

Books

The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of the Buddha by Tara Brach

Online Resources

http://www.how-to-meditate.org/

http://www.learningmeditation.com/

Meditation Centers

Kadampa Meditation Centers

Yoga

Yoga for Life with Kurt Johnsen