I'm deeply grateful to Cynthia for her presence, her profound wisdom, and for sharing it with us. This excerpt is exceptional in it's capacity to guide us into our awakening to the truth of who we are.
8:14 min mark she says, *"The more you work with sensation, the more things will change. The more you work with the narrative about the emotions, the more it gets cast in stone”* For anyone reading this correct me if I'm wrong but what I hear her say is that there is a cause and effect. While the cause of human trauma are many and if we were traumatized early on by, say, our parents or family member, the narratives we tell ourselves (and others ad nauseum) about how much we suffered, legitimate as it may be, nevertheless becomes a perpetual toxic and addictive habit. When we fixate solely on our narratives with all manner of anger, resentment and blame, we lose sight of the underlying sensations that perpetuates these negative feelings. By embracing, with deep humility, the ill sensations caused by trauma, we free ourselves from bondage and it brings us closer to the Absolute. Cynthia's observation ties in with Alice Miller who said *_"The truth about our childhood is stored up in our bodies and lives in the depths of our souls. Our intellect can be deceived, our feelings can be numbed and manipulated, our perceptions shamed and confused, our bodies tricked with medication, but our soul never forgets. And because we are one, one whole soul in one body, someday our body will present its bill. The wounded and lost child is only in hiding; the soul is still whole in spirit. Ultimately, our deepest self will accept no compromise or excuses, and will not stop tormenting or contaminating us until we stop evading the truth"_* From her book: Thou shall not be aware: Society's betrayal of the child
Incredibly insightful. I came across the Welcoming practice through Rhonda Byrne. But this is a really in-depth discussion and explanation. Thank you. Useful indeed. 🙏
Amazing to wander across this video while I’m reading Andrew Holecek’s book on Reverse Meditation. Same concept, different descriptive words from different traditions.
I find it hard to locate depression in terms of a physical symptoms with exception of fatigue and I don't get aches and pains. I , like most , feel it as mood in my mind. Can anyone tell me how to locate it as a physical symptom please?
I'm no expert, but here are some ideas: 1) You could try to feel the heaviness/thickness of it (try to imagine what being happy and free might feel like, for contrast), how it's just a complete absence of motivation or enthusiasm, etc. The complete deadening of energy, is kind of an inverted sensation. 2) Simply IMAGINE what it might feel like, even just metaphorically, to get the ball rolling. Imaginatively look within / at your own body, to picture what the depression is, at a sensory level. Maybe that will stimulate something. 3) You could also try to feel what the depression is preventing or protecting you from feeling. Ask yourself hypothetically why you'd be choosing depression - what's the benefit of it, in this particular moment or life circumstance? Is there another feeling (eg anger or grief) that you'd "risk" feeling instead, if the depression weren't shielding you from it? What's the biggest problem in your life, and what would a non-depressed person likely feel in response to that? Can you feel any of that instead?
I am no expert, but you might consider your depression to be a dissociation reaction to previous trauma. Instead of reacting with anger or fear, you shut off emotionally. This was helpful at the time, but no longer. Here psychotherapy might help to retrieve the trauma, and meditation (by this very welcoming process described by Cynthia) could help you to recognise and transcend the old situation. Mark Epstein wrote some excellent books about the interface between psychotherapy and meditation.
acedia.. like a lethargy- a sloth - a lack of interest in spiritual things- God- prayer - growth in the spiritual life- sometimes a painful sort of wail - the day seems long and endless!
