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Meditation for Depression
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Messages: 1 - 4 (38 total)
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BuddhaChrist
10/10/2007 5:58 PM
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1 out of 38 |
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I have read many posts on this board and I can feel the pains caused by depression. I would like to address this issue in the spiritual level and teach a meditation method to help relieve the pain of depression. Although some medicines may help temporarily, those man-made chemicals always have some sorts of side effects, more or less. Deep in my heart, I believe meditation should work better than medication. If you have strong faith and will power, you can overcome the depression. Here are several steps to deal with depression through meditation.
1) Breath Meditation
Every night before you go to bed, find an undisturbed environment, like a small room with door closed. Sit straight and relaxed (not too tense), put your hands on your legs with palms facing up and index finger touching thumb forming a circle. Set your alarm in five minutes then begin your meditation.
First, close your eyes and take your breath slowly, then release your breath slowly. After several cycles of inhalation and exhalation, you should be able to calm yourself down. Then begin to focus your mind on the following sentence, “God Please Help Me; I Will Help Others.” Recite this sentence silently to yourself during each cycle of breath, slowly, and keep the slow breath and recitation until your alarm sounds off.
You can also practice this meditation at any time you feel tense, anxious or depressed. If you can continuously and persistently practice this meditation for a couple weeks, you should feel the difference.
Depression is not like the illness of brain tumor. It’s mainly a disorder of brainwave. Scientists have proved meditation can sooth the brainwave. Meditation will improve the over-all healthiness of brain cells over the time. Try it and let me know how you feel after practicing it for a couple weeks.
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BuddhaChrist
10/10/2007 5:58 PM
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2 out of 38 |
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2) Paradigm Shift in Your Mind
When people get depressed, they are always burdened by their “ME” concerns. What should I do next? Who can come to help ME? Why God doesn’t listen to ME? How can I handle all these crisis? … These “ME” concerns gradually turn into the mountainous pressure that becomes heavier and heavier every day. Eventually it reaches the limit and people snap.
The solution here is to detach yourself from all these “ME” concerns for a moment and think about what you can do for others. Throughout your childhood, you received all the helps and contributions from your parents and family, your teachers and schools, your friends or classmates, cities, government, and other taxpayers, and you haven’t done much to pay back what you received. You are a net beneficiary of the society. Now, it’s time for you to think what you can do for others.
I am not here to teach a moral lesson. I am revealing the spiritual connection here. Jesus once said, if you do anything to the least of my people, you are doing it to me. That is true. When some people asked why God didn’t help them, they often forget to ask themselves a question, “What Have I Done for God?” If you can be a little bit nicer to your neighbors, colleagues, family and friends, or give a helping hand to the needed or the elders, you are doing good to God. That’s how you can get your rewards from God, for God “will reward each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27, Revelation 22:12)
Therefore, I highly recommend people to join some volunteer programs even when they are depressed or facing some difficulties. In God’s eye, a widow’s penny worth more than the gold from the rich. Whoever goes out to help others will receive multitude from God. So don’t lock yourself up and cry. Go out to find some people you can help, even it’s just some unnoticeable small help. Make yourself a goal to help at least three persons a day, including the persons who don’t like you or even hate you. The more you help others, the more you are helping yourself. And the more love you have for others, the more love you will feel from God.
Depression is a mental issue. It takes a paradigm shift in your mind to deal with it more effectively. Don’t dwell on those “ME” concerns like frustration, anxiety, self-pity or low self-esteem. Go out to find some people you can help. Helping others is actually the most effective way to cure your own depression. It is also the Good Karma you need to turn things around. Even if you are facing some difficult life situations at this moment, your situation will be improved by those Good Karmas.
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BuddhaChrist
10/10/2007 6:05 PM
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3 out of 38 |
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3. Be Light-hearted
If you feel that you are in depression, I’d like to give you a homework to do. Go online to find ten funniest jokes you ever seen and try to tell your friends, colleagues or family members one joke at a time. I have a link here for people to share some funny jokes on this board.
I hope this information can help those who have suffered the pain of depression. Please let me know what you feel after a week or two. God Bless You.
BuddhaChrist
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lapatosu
10/10/2007 7:11 PM
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4 out of 38 |
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BuddhaChrist - I was wondering what is your professional or personal experience in treating the medical condition of clinical depression (vs situational depression) or bi-polar?
I've been a practicing Buddhist for a long time now, and if meditation alone worked, I would not need the meds, and the Dahli Lama would not wear glasses.
Your intention may be good, but one of the 8 precepts is right knowledge. I question your knowledge concerning clinical depression.
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