Depression is very common in today’s world. In fact, statistics show that one in five people will suffer from depression in their lives. So what is Depression? Everyone feels down or sad from time to time. Depression is not simply being sad. Depression is different to sadness in that it is more severe and persistent and can affect your day-to-day activities. When “sadness” stops you from going to work or studying, from being able to look after your children, if it affects your relationships or stops you from socialising or participating in activities you used to find enjoyable, then you are more likely to be suffering from depression.
Depression consists of some or all of the following (different people have different symptoms):
- Very low mood most days
- Loss of interest or enjoyment in activities you once enjoyed
- Low self-esteem and poor confidence
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Disturbed sleep and appetite – either too much or too little
- Decreased sexual interest
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or suicide
- Fatigue
- Poor concentration or poor attention
- Bleak or pessimistic outlook about the future
One of the big factors that stop you breaking free of depression is lack of support and connection with others. Depression can be so debilitating that it takes up nearly all of a person’s attention and energy. Friends stop calling or you push them away, and little by little you find yourself isolated from others. You may not even want to reach out to others because you haven’t the energy or confidence to even ask for help. Each day you can retreat into a world that becomes more lonely.
This scenario cuts you off from the oneness and sharing. How can you let go of the feelings that block you from reaching out to others?
Reviving the Happy You
The answer is you have to get back to the real you: Your Origin. The first step in breaking free of depression is to return to the source of who you really are – your origin. Without realising it, we often don’t live our lives, in fact we live our fears. This happens through the power of your mind. Whatever you believe to be true will become true. Our consciousness is the greatest resource we have, but if your mind is imprisoned, then so is your potential. You can break out of this prison firstly by recognising that it is your mind, and you can create something new. This is not just a simple case of ‘will power’ or ‘looking on the bright side’; or ‘snapping out of it’ or ‘getting on with it’. There is a technology of consciousness, just as there is nuclear technology and electromagnetic technology. You need to learn how to create using your consciousness. It is your consciousness on physical, emotional and mental levels causing the depression, and it is your consciousness that can create a different reality for you. One effective way to do this is through learning to focus your mind and heart through meditation.
Meditate on Joy
The thing about depression is it makes you feel really, really small – very separate and very insignificant. You feel separate from the beauty, the love, the laughter, the success and joy, and abundance of the world. Something, somewhere along the way made you feel separate from all that is good, all that is free, all that is loving. We are not going to worry about what it is that made you feel separate. We are just going to focus your mind on the beauty that is waiting for you and draw it closer to you.
Before we start, I want you to focus on all those things you feel separate from. See them all together – imagine them in a ball all condensed together. See that ball take on a form – it could be an angel, a beautiful scene, god, whatever. See all that beauty that seems to be out of reach. This is what we will meditate on. The Buddhists call this Vajrayogini – Deity Yoga. It means ‘union with the divine’. You can at any moment, stop, take the time to be still, and connect with the Oneness. It is always there and always available to support you. You can connect with the Oneness through a walk in nature, a prayer, or this simple meditation. Sit with an alert and relaxed body posture so that you feel relatively comfortable without moving. You can sit either in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor, or on a thick, firm cushion three to six inches off the floor. Keep your back, neck and head vertically aligned, relax your shoulders and find a comfortable place for your hands (usually on your knees).
Meditation
When you’re relaxed, bring your attention to your breathing. Observe the breath as it flows in and out. Give full attention to the feeling of your breath as it comes in and goes out. Whenever you find that your attention has moved elsewhere, just note it and let go and gently escort your attention back to the breath, back to the rising and falling of your own belly.
When you can maintain some continuity of attention on the breath, try expanding the field of your awareness to make a connection with someone special for yourself. If there is no-one you can think of connecting with, make a link with a special being in the universe: a guardian angel, god or spirit.
See it, in detail. Breathe it in. Enjoy it. Meditate in your mind. Whenever your focus wanders, bring it back. Focus on the beauty of the Oneness.
Relax your whole body and open to this being. You can name this being whatever you want. The universe, goddess, mother, Buddha-nature, god. Allow your heart to open up to the beauty and love this being has for you. Allow your heart to heal and dissolve the negative feelings and thoughts that have been blocking you.