2. Breaking Out of Depression

First, let me get real.   A diagnosis of - and living with - depression can be a crushing blow to one's self-esteem and confidence, not to mention one's health !  None of us want to experience long periods of being utterly without motivation to live or do.  

When getting out of bed is the hardest thing to do, and all I have wanted to do is sink into slumber; when I have felt nothing inside; when life has been sucked out of me and I have nothing to give:  that is how I experience the heavy cloud of depression.

I have endured literally years of feeling like this!  

Yet over the past two years  I have witnessed a subtle shift in my state of mind, causing me to feel excited about getting up and living my life.

It's about this  change within me that I wish to share : this newfound ability to feel joy in life despite living with clinical depression.

Practicing Guided Meditation

If i could give you one word that would summarize a reason for my mind-shift it would have to be "MEDITATION".

Having said this, I believe God is in all the details of our lives, including in the practice of meditation.  

However, it is the practice of regular meditation - over some time - which has totally changed my mind-set and helped put me in touch with my emotions and encouraged a self-love I never before possessed.  

I try to meditate for a few minutes each day, with a heart-centered guided meditation.

More recently, I have specifically meditated on my life's purpose, with the help of free gifts from Life Purpose and Spirituality Coach Liz Keates (see www.lizkeates.com).   Liz’s free Life Purpose Meditation, which you can download from her website,  has helped me enormously to get in touch with my heart's desires for my life.  It actually was the "push" I needed to get started on this blog From Numb To Joy.

So, I'd like to speak to those of you who have never tried guided meditation before:-

Tips for Practicing Guided Meditation for Beginners

(1)  You can find several free meditation apps online which have a multitude of teachers to choose from.  If you are new to meditation I would suggest you pick a subject area you wish to focus on (i.e. self-love, stress, anger management, depression, joy, etc.,) and then listen to several people within your chosen subject area.  What feels right for one person will not be right for another.  You need to be able to connect to the voice you are listening to, to find it authentic and you need to be totally comfortable with the person's style of speaking.  So search around the internet (without spending a dime on apps) and listen to a variety of guides.  Some free mindfulness / meditation apps available for iOS and Android can be found on Insight Timer, but there are many other meditation apps available online.

Most meditation apps have the option for either free meditation or paid, so you do need to get used to navigating your way around each app to find the free portion.

(2)  Choose from the many free apps.  No need to spend money on them unless you particularly have the money to spend and wish to download meditations and listen to them off-line.

(3)  Don't choose a meditation teacher just because your friend recommended them.  Chances are the voice of the guide will not resonate with you like it does your friend.  Make your own choice of a meditation guide that feels right for you.  This may necessitate you listening to a good number of different practitioners until you find the right one.

(4)  Start with 5 to 10 minute guided meditation.  I usually don't meditate much over 10 minutes at a time.  You can always increase the time as you get comfortable with the process.

(5)  Find a place to sit where you will not be disturbed.  (I currently use a bathroom ! :-))

(6)  Get comfortable : if the whole time you practice guided meditation you are suffering from back pain, you are unlikely to be able to focus on your heart and relax into the meditation.  So sit on a firm cushion or mat on the floor, or on a chair, whatever works best for you.  

(7)  Schedule time in your day for meditation, however busy you are.  If you can't find the time then get up 15 minutes earlier.  There is always time.  It's well worth it !

(8)  Have an open mind towards your guided meditation - trust the process.

(9)  Write in a journal or notebook how you experience meditation.

(10)  Practice regularly - at least once a day if you can.