Meditating Against Depression

But I am willing to settle for much less.

Now comes what is simultaneously the simplest and most difficult activity ever devised by a living being: I attempt to shut out all other thoughts as I follow my breath in and out my nose. The ideal, according to the Buddhist monks, is to concentrate all thinking on the tip of the nose, but I am quite content to keep my thoughts confined to the immediate planet.

Fortunately, the monks have come up with a fall-back meditation: As you sit quietly you simply watch your thoughts in a detached manner, refusing to be drawn into any dialogue your mind's many TVs and VCRs may want to engage you in. When you find yourself "thinking", you simply let the thought go and resume your meditation.

Like Seinfeld, we are talking about a show about nothing. But there is far more to nothing than meets the eye. No self, no other. Who can truly say what lies beyond?

What you take away from the experience is for you and you alone. You may be content with five minutes in a chair or you may set aside a whole hour. It could be ten minutes of torture or the first time you find yourself experiencing real peace of mind.

According to the Suite's Buddhism editor, Patricia Swain, describing her meditation retreats:

"For me, these peaceful days irregular and infrequent as they are, have started a process within me that, once started, takes on a life of its own and grows like a tree rooted in the cracks of a sidewalk. It's as though the meditation process is still going on in whatever I do; that the quiet noting of thoughts and distractions, the awareness of body and the roots of defilements is a constant within me, like a heartbeat.

"It is a knowing, a calm, an ability to tap into a seemingly endless source without strain. My teacher describes it as embodiment."

But is it effective against depression? According to natural health guru Dr Weil:

"[Buddhist psychology's] basic prescription is for the daily practice of meditation, and I am inclined to agree that this is the best way to get at the root of depression and change it. That requires a long-term commitment, however, since meditation does not produce fast results."

Now if you don't like the eastern flavor of meditation you can change its focus

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4