Mindfulness and Depression:
Things Are Looking Up
by Maya Frost
From yoga
studios to cancer clinics, from preschools to college
campuses, mindfulness is quite the buzz.
Law schools are offering courses in mindfulness as
a tool to help in mediation, and business consultants
are pouncing on mindfulness as the latest surefire
path to better client relationships and higher sales
figures.
I find all
this interest in mindfulness quite thrilling. It's
fun to see people looking at ways to pay attention
at work as well as at play.
Of course,
most of the approaches focus squarely on meditation
and its role in providing clarity in a variety of
settings. The higher the stakes, the more it seems
that meditation is considered the only right path
to mindfulness, and the most urgent circumstances
seem to encourage the most brow-furrowing effort.
It would appear that serious problems require
serious solutions.
I beg to
differ.
Sometimes
the lightest approach is the one that lifts those
who are in the deepest pit of despair. Those
suffering from severe depression have the most to
gain from mindfulness, and there is no reason to believe
that meditation is the only way to get there.
There's tremendous
power in levity, and because I'm an evangelist (evangelista?)
when it comes to playing with mindfulness, it's not
too surprising that people assume I shy away from
anything too deep.
Au contraire.
Mindfulness
saves lives. I've seen it happen again and
again. I offer it, lovingly and lightly, on a silver
platter to those who are facing the toughest fight
of their lives--finding a reason to live.
Mindfulness
is a tool for living that provides what I affectionately
refer to as the "p-word"--perspective.
Without meditating, without once mentioning the Buddha,
without ever coming across as a counselor or coach
(I'm neither), it's possible to encourage those who
are suffering to step back and see even the most desperate
plight as a temporary, useful period prior to enormous
growth.
There's
something freeing about staring death in the face.
Our natural tendency is to tiptoe around those who
are suffering, but when you can't even imagine ever
smiling again, there's nothing more welcome than a
nearly-pee-your-pants belly laugh.
If
you're sitting at the bottom of a well, another weight
around your neck isn't going to help. You
need to look up, to feel light, to rise up and climb
out of your dark hole. When you've lost all hope,
laughter lifts you up and mindfulness helps you see
your way to the top.
Seems like
a perfect combination to me.
I love the
fact that mindfulness-based techniques have been developed
to help those suffering from anxiety and depression.
I only wish they incorporated a healthy dollop of
humor at a time when it is sorely needed and remarkably
healing.
Finding hilarity
in your failed suicide attempt? Now that's a sure
sign of climbing out of that well. I've held hands
and laughed with others during their "I'm such
a loser I can't even kill myself right!" talks.
With humor, warmth, and gentle guidance, we can use
mindfulness to plant the seed of gratitude that grows
into joy.
In
the face of despair, mindfulness and laughter are
a breath of fresh air.
Breathe deeply.
© Copyright 2005, Maya Frost
Maya Frost
has taught thousands of people how to pay attention. Through her
company, Real-World Mindfulness Training™, she offers playful,
powerful, eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation.
To read her free tips and tricks for everyday awarenss, visit
http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com
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