A Compassionate and Spiritual Approach to Rediscovering Joy Using easy-to-follow techniques and practical advice, Philip Martin shows you how to ease depression through the spiritual practice of Zen. His lessons, full of gentle guidance and sensitivity, are a product of his experiences in using Zen practices and wisdom to alleviate his own depression. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of depression and recommends a meditation or reflection. With these tools, coping with depression becomes a way to mend the spirit while enriching the soul.
This Zen guide to utilizing depression as an opportunity for spiritual growth and personal acceptance includes personal accounts, written excercises, and meditation instructions.
Long ago, the Buddha taught that we create the world with our thoughts; and the more attached we are to things being a certain way, the more we suffer. Nowhere is this clearer than with chronic illness and pain: Our self-blame, anguish, depression, fear, loneliness, anger and embarrassment are the byproducts of denying the reality of illness or pain. If we are courageous enough to set aside our beliefs, hopes, and longings for a former or mythical ideal of health, which pull us out of the present moment, we free ourselves from the hell realm of suffering. Mindfully observing what is right here-and-now enables true healing to take place--healing that moves us beyond our naive ideas of health and illness. After all, we are not brains on a stick. Mind and body are united by spirit and it is spiritual understanding that leads us to the well where wisdom, love and compassion abide--qualities vital to the recovery of wholeness and well-being. SUFFERING BUDDHA points the way to inner healing; it is not a how-to manual or glib prescription for spiritual transcendence, precisely because such are not necessary. In our own wise, awakened hearts lies the key to wellness and ease.
For the first time, all the secrets of Zen Buddhism are revealed in this book. On the basis of this modern method developed by the author, you can master the Zen path faster than by the traditional methods, and to do this you need absolutely no teacher or master to attain satori, enlightenment and nirvana. In this book, the author combines the Eastern wisdom of Zen with Western psychology. In doing so, he systematically supports the reader along the Zen path to spiritual wholeness.
Using the vivid, poignant and personal stories of the members of a website support group she founded (www.depressionfallout.com), Anne Sheffield, the author of two highly acclaimed books on depression, provides an honest record of what happens to a love relationship once depression enters the picture, and offers solid advice on what the non–depressed partner can do to improve his or her own life and the relationship. Of the millions of people who suffer from a depressive illness, few suffer in solitude. They draw the people they love – spouses, parents, children, lovers, friends – into their illness. In her first book, How You Can Survive When They're Depressed, Anne Sheffield coined the phrase 'depression fallout' to describe the emotional toll on the depressive's family and close friends who are unaware of their own stressful reactions and needs. She outlined the five stages of depression fallout (confusion, self–doubt, demoralisation, anger, and the need to escape) and explained that these reactions are a natural result of living with a depressed person.
Discover the Power of Impermanence to Find Peace and Happiness. In a world that values permanence and stability, embracing impermanence can be a radical act of self-care and transformation. Drawing on the wisdom of Zen Buddhism, "Embracing Impermanence: The Zen Path to Serenity and Fulfillment" offers a practical guide to cultivating mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion in daily life. Exploring the foundational principles of Zen, this book introduces readers to the practices of meditation, ritual, and ethical conduct, and examines the role of community and lineage in transmitting the teachings. Delving into the application of Zen principles to various domains of life, including relationships, work, and social change, this book offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to living a life of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Through engaging stories, practical exercises, and insightful teachings, "Embracing Impermanence" offers readers the opportunity to: Develop a daily meditation practice to cultivate mindfulness, clarity, and insight. Understand the nature of impermanence and how it can lead to greater freedom and joy. Explore the principles of interconnectedness, non-duality, and compassion. Learn how to cultivate ethical conduct and create positive relationships. Discover the power of community and lineage in supporting spiritual growth. Apply Zen principles to work, leadership, and social change. Experience the transformative power of ritual and ceremony. Perfect for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, "Embracing Impermanence" is an essential guide for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Zen and apply its teachings to modern life. Join author [ Alex Sterling ] on a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and awakening, and discover the power of impermanence to find peace and happiness.
Combining humor, honesty, and plainspoken advice, Momma Zen distills the doubts and frustrations of motherhood into vignettes of Zen wisdom Drawing on her experience as a first-time mother and her years of Zen meditation and study, Karen Miller explores how the daily challenges of parenthood can become the most profound spiritual journey of our lives. Her compelling and wise memoir follows the timeline of early motherhood from pregnancy through toddlerhood. Momma Zen takes readers on a transformative journey, charting a mother’s growth beyond naive expectations and disorientation to finding fulfillment in ordinary tasks, developing greater self-awareness and acceptance—to the gradual discovery of "maternal bliss," a state of abiding happiness and ease that is available to us all. In her gentle and reassuring voice, Karen Miller convinces us that ancient and authentic spiritual lessons can be as familiar as a lullaby, as ordinary as pureed peas, and as frequent as a sleepless night. She offers encouragement for the hard days, consolation for the long haul, and the lightheartedness every new mom needs to face the crooked path of motherhood straight on.
Creative people will experience depression — that’s a given. It’s a given because they are regularly confronted by doubts about the meaningfulness of their efforts. Theirs is a kind of depression that does not respond to pharmaceutical treatment. What’s required is healing in the realm of meaning.In this groundbreaking book, Eric Maisel teaches creative people how to handle these recurrent crises of meaning and how to successfully manage the anxieties of the creative process. Using examples both from the lives of famous creators such as van Gogh and from his own creativity coaching practice, Maisel explains that despite their inevitable difficulties, creative people possess the ability to forge relationships, repair themselves, and find meaning in their work and their lives. Maisel presents a step-by-step plan to help creative people handle their special brand of depression and rediscover the reasons they are driven to create in the first place.
