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Enduring the Internal Monologue: Finding Stillness Amid Depression and Anxiety

February 21, 2025Film4238
Enduring the Internal Monologue: Finding Stillness Amid Depression and

Enduring the Internal Monologue: Finding Stillness Amid Depression and Anxiety

The endless stream of thoughts that often accompanies conditions like depression and anxiety can feel overwhelming. Just two and a half months into my journey with medication, I find myself wrestling with that constant internal monologue. It’s a struggle to see the end of the tunnel. Yet, as someone who has both experienced and taught meditation, I’ve found a way to find stillness and happiness.

Traditional Approaches Sometimes Fall Short

Allen started his journey as a meditation teacher and has firsthand experience with the challenges depression and anxiety pose. He mentions that medication hasn’t been as helpful as he had hoped. After trying a dozen different medications, he was still faced with the same thoughts and feelings. However, through the practice of meditation, he has found genuine happiness, free from depression and anxiety that once plagued him.

The Path to Stillness: Meditation

Swami Rudrananda offers a profound insight: ‘Take your mind and stick it in your heart.’ This guidance suggests focusing on the heart, not the physical muscle, but the center of your chest where you feel love and inner stillness. To achieve this, Allen recommends an exercise: take a breath and focus your attention in your heart. This practice involves noticing the internal and external worlds and finding the point of stillness between them. This point is known as the heart chakra, a place of quietness and calm.

Why Affirmations Are Not Enough

Affirmations, while helpful, can sometimes exacerbate the situation. Allen argues that affirmations fight against the very thoughts they are meant to address, akin to ‘fighting fire with gasoline.’ What is needed is a fundamental shift in perspective, a willingness to surrender the need to be right and to understand everything. The struggle to quiet the mind only adds more energy to the internal monologue.

Practicing Mindfulness: Awakening the Inner Stillness

Alex’s journey highlights the importance of consistent practice. By dedicating time to focus on the heart, the goal is to develop awareness and eventually feel the heart all the time. This ongoing practice is key to finding an alternative to reacting to the constant stream of thoughts. The heart serves as a sanctuary, a place of rest and recovery from the exhausting battle with mental noise. By focusing on the heart, one can find solace in the still point in the eye of the hurricane.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

It is not just a religious or illusory concept but a real path to freedom. The light at the end of the tunnel is inside you, radiating calm and sweet love, just as the sun shines behind the clouds of thoughts. By finding and nurturing this inner stillness, one can navigate the challenges of depression and anxiety with a more peaceful and enlightened mindset.

In conclusion, while the internal monologue can be a formidable adversary, the practice of meditation offers a ray of hope. Through consistent and focused effort, one can find stillness in the heart and experience a profound release from the burdens of depression and anxiety.