NITA SWEENEY
Simple, helpful questions Hear that sizzling? That’s the sound of the world literally and figuratively on fire. Some days it’s tough to breathe. In times like these, two simple, helpful questions slow my spinning mind. I’ll share them in case you need them, too. Is it happening right now? First, I
“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.—A. A. Milne Is there anything more to say? Today. That’s all there is. Today. The only day. That’s why it’s so simple and profound. It’s always today. But how much time do I waste thinking
My watch said 2am. As I lay alone in the narrow retreat center bed—heart pounding and chest aching—hope vanished and my thoughts descended into despair. Was I going into cardiac arrest? Dizzy as I was, I wondered if I should stand and wobble to Ed’s room in the men’s area,
Dispelling confusion around suicidal ideation This Facebook meme from The Depression Project hit home about suicidal ideation. People who have never been depressed, especially for long stretches, don’t understand suicidal ideation. The idea of wanting to die seems ridiculous. “Why would you want to die? Can’t you think of something more
Are you an innie or an outie? No. Not belly buttons. Motivation. Some people are internally motivated. They get things done by deciding they are going to do them. Their drive to act comes from within. Those are the “innies.” They are most prized in our culture, held up as
How to meditate through anxiety, panic, and depression Anxiety and panic. When I first began to experience anxiety, especially panic attacks, I could not meditate directly on the experience. First, I had to convince myself that I would not die from the panic attack. Panic attack symptoms mimic a heart
The pain of mental health challenges During my first big race, the Capital City Half and Quarter Marathon in Columbus, my anxiety nearly kept me from even signing up. On race day, when we hadn’t allowed enough time to arrive and park, my body flooded with unpleasant jolts of adrenaline.
Desensitizing Around Painful Sounds I use meditation to overcome difficulties around unpleasant thoughts and body sensations, specifically the sound of leaf blowers and lawn mowers. If a landscape crew was on our street, I used to feel panicked, as if the machines (not the workers) might attack, even though I
The Power of Pain Pain often pulls at us more intensely than the breath or other body sensations. Rather than trying to ignore it and hold fiercely to a different object of meditation, we might have a more fruitful meditation session if we tune into that pain. The peril here
Practicing with Pain and Pleasure There it was, that familiar twinge. While training for a third marathon, I’d chosen the indoor track over the ice and snow-covered Olentangy Trail. Sixteen miles into the twenty-mile track run, the back spasms began. Time to work with pain. When Ed introduced me to
