How did Lord Buddha walk through the trials and tribulations of life ?
Mindfulness is one of the latest but oldest and ancient ways of achieving a state of mind. A state of mind away from emotional turmoil , a way to live a more vital existence and feel more connected to what matters to you.
2,500 years ago, Buddha changed the life of millions of people, he was a prince who gave up everything, his kingdom his young beautiful wife and wealth to live the life of a monk. He gained enlightenment until the shade of the Bodhi tree.
“…whatever arises in your life, no matter how awful, no matter how dark, is workable,” Jon Kabat-Zinn co developer of MBCBT ( Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) says. – Counselling Northern Beaches. Continue Reading
From the category archives:
depression
Maybe you have less energy , can’t enjoy your favourite activities anymore, or maybe you can’t seem to finish anything you start . If this is you, you may be experiencing some depression. These are common complaints of people with depression.
Its easy to cut back on things you do in that state, and it may seem logical or necessary, but beware, this actually aggravates one’s symptoms. One can fall into that dreaded, dark spiral of even further lack of interest in doing things, increased helplessness and lowered self esteem. Eventually coming to the point of thinking that one is incapable of solving problems.
If you are going through a really sad time, a period of unspeakable pain, you may be hurting from the cruel taunts of others and are confused or lost, there is help. By just looking around you in nature can take you out of your self imposed mind torture.
Eckhart Tolle describes the flower as the ” enlightenment of plants’. Seeing their beauty can awaken you to their essential inner being , their true nature. “They are like messengers from another realm” with their fragrance “from the realm of spirit”. An unexplainable happiness, amazement and joy overwhelms us when we really look at a flower. Continue Reading
If you’re experiencing anxiety to the point of being nervous all the time, overwhelming depression that you can’t even get out of bed, resorting to addictive behaviours as eating not because you’re hungry but for comfort or becoming so scared or fearful that you avoid all company, help can be there for you. Psychotherapeutic treatments such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a way for you to get through your difficulty and improve your situation.
Chocolate keeps stress at bay
When I read that, I thought that research has got to be funded by a big chocolate company!
Sure enough, Nestle, headquartered in Switzerland has come up with scientific studies to show that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced the levels of stress hormones in highly stressed people.
There’s a lot to be said for basking in the sun, despite the dire warnings of skin cancers from over exposure to the sun. Underexposure , a common thing when the winter months arrive is the flip side of the coin.
Millions of people in colder climates suffer a noticeable mood drop as the seasons change. Plagued by fatigue, lethargy , increased appetite , cravings for starches and sweets, weight gain, social withdrawal and feelings of depression, these individuals fit the criteria for Seasonal Affective Disorder. (SAD) Continue Reading
When I read thatChocolate keeps stress at bay, I thought that research has got to be funded by a big chocolate company!
Sure enough, Nestle, headquartered in Switzerland has come up with scientific studies to show that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced the levels of stress hormones in highly stressed people.
A staggering 25,000 of Australians have been lost to suicide in the past 10 years. Thousands of mentally ill unable to access medical care have self medicated at the end of a rope or under a train with all the associated trauma and heartache.
Clinical depression can be treated, the most efficacious intervention is a combination of pharmaceutics prescribed by the doctor together with counselling provided by a trained psychologist. Scientific research in this field supports this finding.
For symptoms of moderate to severe depression, antidepressants will assist the person, whose life has been disrupted. Typically this will be revealed as an inability to continue his or her role at work, staying at home, avoiding friends and even withdrawing from family, loss of appetite, or even excessive gain in weight and generally the person will appear flat or emotionless, without their usual spark or joi de vivre.
A CBT therapist’s approach would look at the way they were thinking, which leads to the kind of negative emotions that come up causing them to behave in unhelpful ways. It is a structured programme that utilizes writing in a weekly diary, so that negative thoughts can be identified and be replaced by positive thoughts. Other strategies have been effective in helping people through crises to come through that “dark night of the soul”.
Psycho-education about the biological and environmental causes of depression helps a person understand more objectively about his condition and step out of the forest of misery.
The availability of an independent professional is an important benefit. Someone who is nonjudgemental and is there to support you through this low period. Don’t be another statistic, you are cared for and truly loved, you just can’t see it right now!
If you recognize yourself as having this kind of malaise, go and see your doctor. Help is available.
