A hole in the ground

I recently watched a TV commercial for a supplemental anti-depressant The ad recommended adding this medication if your current anti-depressant doesn’t control your depression.  However, the fascinating thing about this ad involved the presence of the depression as a black hole with eyes, interacting with the ‘depressed’ woman throughout the commercial.  At times, it was a hole in the ground, a black balloon, or a ball and chain. Rather than something afflicting the woman, it did a pretty good job of communicating with her!  

From a holistic health perspective, a depression arises from within us and has important, even essential information we need to understand. So taking medications for depression while ignoring its’ sources might only exacerbate the problem.  On the other hand, we might glean some powerful life lessons from our depression if we listen to it, dissipating its’ energy in the process. We need to receive the black hole’s message.

What would it be like then, to communicate with our depression or other difficult or unwanted emotions?  Instead of being afraid of or denying them, we can use awareness to observe their presence in our lives. While this may be a painful task, awareness gives us the space to do this, so we can receive their messages. We can also visualize our emotions in the way this ad has, which is to ‘personify’ your feelings. But instead of medicating these emotions, we consciously work with them. What would your emotions look like, what symbol might represent their energy or message?  As you tune into your emotions through the space of awareness, just ask yourself for an image, and then see what comes. It might even take a few attempts before an image arises, but it’s surprising how quickly one can appear. These images or metaphors offer you an excellent opportunity to look into what they convey about your circumstances.

You can interact with these metaphors and images very deliberately. First, get a pen and paper ready, then just visualize your image, be receptive, and then ask it what it represents or has to say to you. Then, just breathe and wait for the answer. You may be amazed what you get back!  You can actually dialogue with these images if you want, going back and forth.  This process gives voice to these important emotions, which come from within you and need to get listened to. Through observation and insight, you can recognize the interrelatedness of all of our bodies’ energies, whether these express themselves through physical, mental or emotional pathways. Once you act on these, you may find that your emotions have shifted or even dissolved, as you have responded appropriately to their message.