Hello and welcome to the mindfulness practice to help alleviate depression It's very useful to practice bringing kind awareness to the sensations of your body this will serve as a foundation for concentration as well as present moment awareness Also,
It can be easier to access more energy and love in the body by calling forth an image or feeling from someone whose presence creates within you a feeling of loving acceptance In this meditation we will invoke their loving presence and use this energy and love to help dissolve blockages and barriers around your heart,
Your belly and any area of your body that may feel heavy,
Tense or disconnected So if at any time you experience any uncomfortable thoughts just redirect yourself back to your breath Let's begin by exploring how we can bring mindfulness to our feelings of sadness and depression Mindfulness helps you to reconnect with your bodily sensations by cultivating an attitude of observing your thoughts non-judgmentally As with all difficult emotions trauma lives in our body and creates tension So by becoming aware of the tension in our body we are able to identify blockages as well as verbalize feelings of trauma by labeling the emotion that we are experiencing Once your self-soothing skills are in place this is easier to do More and more people find that directing their attention to their bodies and the sensations within them helps them to relax,
Feel stronger and improve their sense of well-being It not only reduces sadness but also alleviates the stress of their feelings It reduces sadness but also alleviates pain,
Lowers anxiety and boosts the immune system to name just a few benefits So let's begin by helping you to relax and clear your mind Then we call upon your senses and awareness to engage your embodied presence So finally we encourage you to experience a new way of being one with a stronger sense of love,
Care,
Courage and self-compassion This sense of being feels fuller and more engaged with each passing moment without getting caught in whatever has happened to you in the past Should you notice your mind wandering away from anything I ask you to do you can gently guide it back to what's happening here and now with gentle ease So let's begin this mindfulness exercise for depression See if you can position yourself as comfortably as you can shifting your weight so you're allowing your body to be fully supported by your chair or your bed or whatever is supporting you Take a couple of deep full cleansing breaths inhaling fully and comfortably deep into the chest and belly in and out Now see if you can send the warm energy of your breath to any part of your body that's tight or heavy so that you can now release the discomfort with a slow exhale You can feel your breath going to all the tense or heavy places loosening and softening them See if you can feel the healing action of the breath with friendly but detached awareness Any unwelcome thoughts that come to mind those too can be sent out with the breath released with the exhale so that for just a moment the mind is empty and at peace Allow any feelings to just come up and move through you seeing it as a kind of necessary rinsing that's taking place inside your body Any emotions that you sense might be embedded in there those too are noted and acknowledged and sent out with the breath so that your emotional self can be still and quiet Now picture someone who loves you deeply more than anyone else They could be alive or have passed away.
They could be a parent,
A child,
A pet,
A spiritual figure,
Or a friend Someone who loves you unconditionally with strong feelings warmth and care Reflect on their love for you and how they look at you.
See if you can feel the charge of powerful loving energy in your heart Imagine yourself walking with them breathing in their compassion and loving kindness towards you Breathing out any negativity that's holding you back As you walk side by side imagine a place where you sit with them to talk Breathe in compassionate words that they say to you You are kind.
You are worthy of the love and happiness that you seek Your presence is needed on this planet Let warm pulsing waves of nourishing soothing energy move right through barriers of dull deadened corners of your mind melting away any thick heavy fog in the body and the mind going straight to the core of your energy releasing and awakening it and feeling it begin to expand all through your body charging and renewing each and every cell Feel your energy gather getting stronger deep in your center The rich vital supplies of your own unique life force radiating strength and purpose to every corner of your being You can breathe more deeply and easily now filling your whole body with this generous healing energy Feeling its warmth and aliveness sending hope and comfort to every part of you Breathing in to touch it breathing out to let it move through you Feel your body awaken feel the fog around you dissolve and lift The dullness evaporating in your body the mind sharpening the senses coming alive with each breath breath by breath moment by moment Living with some form of depression around your heart can be very hard on you emotionally and you may feel cut off from yourself and others how isolated have you been in this heavy fog that has surrounded you see if you can feel with your whole heart with your whole being that you are in the process of healing that you will continue to heal as you release the places that hold pain and resentment disappointment and self-hatred as you breathe with this increased energy pulsing through you you can remember the feel of your body with its full vigor doing what it loves to do strong and smooth and steady alert and focused enjoying its aliveness breathing in to touch it breathing out to let it move through you sending your own energy to every corner of your being sending your own energy to every corner of your being you are feeling rich full and clearer than before now take a deep full cleansing breath you might feel that something powerful has happened in your heart your body and your mind and now feel yourself sitting in your chair or lying down breathing in and out very rhythmically and easily and open your eyes whenever you are ready thank you for having the courage to do this unusual mindfulness practice if you suffer from feelings of sadness or depression come to this mindfulness meditation practice often to replenish yourself with loving kindness wish you a wonderful day my friend so so so so
