New to forum

[MyReflections]

Hi all,
Have been a member for a week or two and have been looking around at the posts.
I did a mindfulness teacher training course a year ago but have yet to finish the final assignment!
My path has taken a u turn and I have been suffering with major depression since the beginning of the year.
I have been doing some informal mindfulness, which has helped and stopped me from getting worse. My goal is to be healthy and more mindful by next Easter. My plans for the future are to run mindfulness classes and mindful coaching.
My back ground is hairdressing >counselling>eating disorders support>victim support>support work in the mental health arena and finally mindfulness training.
In between all that I was diagnosed with BPD with recurring depression. I have found that mindfulness has been most helpful. Especially breathing at times during the day when I feel overwhelmed. But also when things are good it's nice to take just a few moments to make space around yourself with mindfulness.
Well think I have rambled on enough for now. Thanks for reading.

[guy]

I too have depression and the last couple of years have been particularly bad ones. What I found though, without a doubt, that the experience of doing a sitting meditation, or bodyscan for that matter to be of great use in combatting rumination which is the one thing that perpetuates depression.
I found that by attending, say to the breath or some other sense or sensation in the body removes you from the constant battle of thoughts in the head. I did lots of this at times and found that I recovered from the depression much quicker than I had in previous bouts.
I think what happens is that as the thought comes (normally condemnatory thoughts), you notice the thought and instead of going off with it you return to the breath and so on and so on. So you don't move on with that thought to a worse place. Its a sort of mind training and it really seems to work. At times I did lots of this, much more than say the daily half hour, and it paid off.
In my case things took a turn for the worse 3 months ago when I tried to get off a med. I was taking with a much too rapid taper. ( I know better now!) I got to a state where I could hardly meditate, but even so carried on going through the motions as it were.
Anyway , seem to be reemerging now and making every effort to incorporate mindfulness into daily living.
Heres hoping that you too have success in your practice, im sure that in the long run it is a far better option than the chemical route that so many of us have been pushed into by well meaning health professionals.
Guy

[JonW]

Hi MyReflections.
Have only just noticed your post. Apologies.
Welcome to the forum.
Please stick around and let us know how you're getting on with mindfulness.
All best wishes,
Jon, Hove

[MyReflections]

Hi Guy, thanks for the hope, I feel I will be coming here often
Would be good to give each other encouragement on our path to a more mindful way of living.
Thanks too Jon also for your reply.

[Gareth]

Would be good to give each other encouragement on our path to a more mindful way of living.

Exactly the reason that this forum exists.

Welcome.

[FeeHutch]

Hello MyReflections and thank you so much for introducing yourself, it is lovely to 'meet' you.
We are all on this journey together to share questions and answers