Ken Wilbur once defined depression as "having nowhere to put your love." Many experience depression after a significant loss of a dream, loved one, job, health, or a way of life. Adjusting to such a loss triggers feelings of dispiritedness and hopelessness, and affects people physically/biochemically, mentally, and energetically. This article will shed light on depression as a transformational teacher that helps us discover how to love, take care of ourselves and surrender to Spirit.
Phase 1: Reaching Out to a Loving Friend
Transforming depression begins with reaching out to a friend, relative, or professional with whom one has a loving, heart- and soul-centered connection. A mutually trusting, respectful, and empowering relationship allows the depressed person to get back in touch with his soul's joy and heart's love, and gives him hope to re-engage with life. Because the depressed individual's self-image is so negatively distorted, it is essential during this phase that the friend or professional maintain a vision that upholds the highest truth of who the person is. The love and support of other friends and relatives is essential, too.
Phase 2:
Moving Back Home to Self
Once a person has made contact with her inner hope, joy and love through the presence of a consistent, loving person, her next step is to start doing what she really enjoys with people she enjoys being with. Life becomes easier as her mood gradually shifts to a lighter vibration. She also starts paying more attention to nurturing herself to feel comfortable, happy and secure. Step by step, she walks the path out of the illusion-filled nightmare of depression back home to the truth of her Real Self. Physical movements such as yoga, tai chi, dance, running, cycling, or hiking in nature are recommended. Taking care of any physical symptoms or medical problems is also important during this phase.
Phase3:
Re-Engaging with Life from a New Place
The diamond buried in the darkness of depression begins to emerge as one re-engages with ordinary life activities from one's heart and soul as well as the mind, body and emotions. Joy, light and love gradually replace hopelessness and futility. Working with the inner family/trinity, or inner child, inner mother, and inner father is very beneficial at this time. As people take time to listen to and satisfy their inner child's needs through their own inner mother and father, they progressively become more whole. This re-parenting of the inner child allows for internal harmony, relaxation and deep peace. It also short-circuits people's tendency to engage with one another co-dependently.
Phase 4:
Integration, Maintenance & Following Spirit
The transformation is fully manifest when a person commits to making the physical, mental, and emotional nurturing and caring for Self a priority in life. At this stage, people begin to realize that nobody can care for them if they don't care for themselves. When people confidently "put their love" with themselves first, they are free to receive and share Spirit's abundant love and guidance without hidden demands or agendas. From this place of wholeness, following Spirit and doing God's will become natural and deeply satisfying. Depression is transformed into the joy of faith filled surrender to Spirit!
Originally presented in Baltimore Resource Journal, Vol 9, No. 2, Summer 1995, Baltimore Maryland. Lelia Griswold, LCSW, M.Ed. is a spiritual therapist, dancer and teacher dedicated to individual transformation and planetary evolution. She can be reached at The Light Center in Owings Mills, MD, at (410) 521-9465.
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