Hello Wm, I'm sure you are not crazy and I don't think that is what Joe implied. I haven't been with zen practice for long, but have done quite a bit of this and that with meditation.
There is this practice that I'd like to share with you, which may help. It's not that cool meditation type where you'd sit still for hours and be peaceful and joyful, but it sorts of help with anxieties or depression (or so, I have found). What I do is, I just open myself to that unpleasant feeling of depression, sadness or whatever and be in 'okay-have-a-go' attitude towards those feelings. At the same time, I try to keep strong awareness, observing the feelings as if they were not mine and just 'look' at them. Funny how it would slowly dissolve once you begin to be able to look at it in a more dettached way. The more you fight against the depression, hating the feelings, wanting them to go away, the stronger they become and the more you suffer. This may not be pure meditation, it may also not be entirely in accordance to Zen. But it works alright with me, perhaps you'll find it helpful too. Be well, Best wishes, Siska -----Original Message----- From: "wmcashierslave" <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:53:52 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: [Zen] Re: I have a problem with seperation anxiety and my brother told me about zen. IT's not a problem so big I need a doctor, it's just something that happened when my mother died. The thing I mentioned was crying w hen my brothers leave and getting depressed and nausiated becuase of being apart from them. it doesnt last forever, just a few days maybe less than that. I dont need a shrink. I need to kick this problem and mood medications wont help. I am not that far gone, I just need to practice some things to make me feel more at peace. People jump to conclusions and thinks "see a doctor or "Shrink" no im not that far gone I just want some peace and to kick a small problem. zen isnt a religon. Some people use it to feel peace in the world, so far on these groups people jump to conclusions and think im crazy or something. No im not..zen is a part of buddism but it's not beinb budist..I know a christiam woman who uses zen practices to attain peace and she meditates and it helps. I dont need a doctor or a shrink..thanks for the help but im not crazy and I dont appricate it either. Im gone..ill do this on my own it's apparent nobody will help me out and educate me as to mediation basic practices..they want to jump to conclusions in group and make someone like me with small problems she wants to overcome, look like she needs a straight jacket. I know myself not you. --- In [email protected], "Joe" wrote: > > Wm., > > I suppose the phenomena you mention are indeed, are in fact, a problem to you > if you think or feel that they are. > > I don't know yet if Zen practice is a way to help you with them. > > There may be other, more immediate, ways. > > But I know that any event or force or reason that brings us to Zen practice > is a fortunate one. I mean, we are lucky to make contact with Zen practice. > It usually does all people good who take it up and continue. But that can > come later. > > I think it's more immediately called-for that you get some relief from the > current manifestations somehow. How can you do it? What comes to mind? Is > there enough time in the free week to see a talk therapist or counselor of > some kind? > > On the other hand, I know that in Zen practice, sometimes certain > purifications occur to people spontaneously on intensive 7-day retreats with > their teachers and practice group. People will sometimes cry for several > hours, or laugh, and sometimes cry first and then laugh. These purifications > leave them exhausted, but very settled and calm, and then they can practice > to a very deep level. Not everyone goes through this, or needs to, and > everyone is different when it comes to Zen practice (which is why an > experienced and qualified Zen teacher is so valuable). > > The shedding of emotion is physical, just as the bottling-up of emotion is > physical in its effects. It may be that the separation anxiety you > experience is "just" a trigger to the emotion that can apparently be released > by you so readily. You may in fact be fortunate to have such a trigger. > Some people are rather "hardened", and even though they sense or feel that > they must release emotion, they cannot DO it! You know best about your > situation, though: the anxiety or other manifestations may not just be from a > simple trigger acting to release emotions from many other sources: maybe it's > all emotion due to the recent losses and current separations. > > If you have a general doctor, a general physician, may I please urge you to > see him or her soon?, just to mention what's going on? If you're willing, > the Doc can refer you quickly to someone who can help even better. But > please, please see the Doc, first. There are certain nutritional needs that > can cause extra sensitivities if they are deficient, and sometimes one person > needs lots more of something versus another person, depending on our > digestive system's ability to absorb certain minerals, etc. Even a lack of > Iron (!) has such effects, and is very simple to fix! > > If you don't yet HAVE a general doctor, may I also please suggest that you > see one soon. You can find one or pick one, maybe by getting a > recommendation from a friend or family member. Or else, just go to the > Yellow Pages (the book in your house, or else online), and look under > "Doctors", and call one or two, or three. It's easy. No biggie. And worth > every penny to get a vitamin or mineral deficiency "fixed" quick. > > That's the route I would take. See a Doc. Tell about what's going on. Ask > if there are vitamin deficiency tests the doc would order. If the tests come > back OK, then the Doc will know what else to suggest, by way of tests, or a > simple visit with someone to talk to. It's not rocket science! But I would > have the physical stuff checked, first. Our food is not as nutritious as it > used to be! > > Wishing you well. > > Please keep us posted? > > Or perhaps you already know that you are in the best of health. If not, > don't hesitate to use your time-off to find out: it's that important!, and > easy! And it will be very satisfying and lead to another stage of life. > Even if the Doc gives you a clean bill of health immediately, you'll feel > better for that, too. > > Do the simple stuff first! > > Best, > > --Joe / Arizona > > > "wmcashierslave" wrote: > > > > My brother and I are from two different religons, but since my mother > > died in 08 I suffer from seperation anxiety when he leaves or my older > > brother and his family leaves. When I know it's time for them to leave I > > feel my guts tie in knots and I get nausiated and depressed and cry. they > > leave and I am depressed for a few good hours. > > > > This time my brother told me about the zen approache to life. I am a > > christian but I found I can use the zen ways to overcome my emotions, learn > > to meditate and over come crying and depression nausia and feeling terrible > > after they leave for a week or so. This time he talked to me and gave me a > > few practices to repeat to myself, hate that emotional problem, be free of > > it, it's useless and only makes me feel bad and is not good for me. I dont > > need it. > > > > I would like you guys to help me use zen to free myself of anger, > > depression seperation anxiety and work, I work retail and got so angry at > > work and life that I took a week off. I need to master my emotions...my > > brother said finding a good forum of people to help me with new zen > > techniques would help. I am a newbie to the zen world so if you dont > > mind...I do need to kick this problem...it's not doing me any good and I > > dont need to feel this way it's useless and I hate it. > > >
