Stress Center Peer Support

<span class="ev_code_blue">I've noticed that the majority of the threads tend to be about Christianity. I've decided to make this thread for anyone who is trying to cope with Anxiety and/or Depression through spirituality by the means of a "less-popular" religion or spiritual path. By less-popular I'm refering to Non-Religious, Athiest, Agnostic, New Age, Taoist, Buddist, Wiccan, Other Eastern paths, and many other "less-popular" types.

It is my hope that there are others in here who are interested in or follow these beliefs, and that we can share some ideas, literature, religions and differences of opinions in order to better help ourselves not only with Anxiety but in our understanding of diversity, the world around us and others.</span>

NOTE: I would like to keep this thread soley for persons of the above spiritual preference or preferences. If you would like to add some more "popular thought" such as Christian, Judaic or Islamic then try to keep it to a respectable minimum. I just don't want to see this thread turn into a boiling pot of debates!

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- I have found through studying: Advaita, Taoism, Toltec Teachings, Science, History and some other "less-known" beliefs that I can greatly increase my resilency to stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and over-all emotional instability by simply accepting "what is".

To get this thread started I will begin with a Toltec book I have recently finished:

The Four Agreements (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz

In this book Mr. Ruiz discusses four agreements that one must make with themself in order to free themselves of unnecessary pain, guilt and sorrow.

1) Be Impeccable with Your Word
2) Don't Take Anything Personally
3) Don't Make Assumptions
4) Always Do Your Best

I will briefly summarize each one:

1) "Think before you speak" this is the essence of this agreement. Make sure you say what you mean. This may sound simple but it is in fact one of the hardest things to do. We often blab out things we do not mean, say things that hurt others, that hurt ourselves, that spread ugly rumors etc...

If we can learn to stop, think and re-think what we are saying then and only then can we say something with absolute conviction and clarity. Doing so lessens the possibility of feeling guilt or regret; two things that perpetuate anxiety.

2) What another person says or does is a reflection of themselves and a reflection of their perception of the world around them. No two people perceive the word in the same way. The majority of the time people are thinking about themselves and how what you are saying relates to them. There is a saying that "The most interesting thing to a person is themselves." Ask someone about themselves and, the majority of them, can go on for hours. If you can learn to not take things personally you will find that a lot of that, "lack of self-esteem" we anxiety sufferes feel, will begin to degrade. It will also allow us to become more comfortable in social gatherings and during performance.

3) Assumptions are bad. When we make an assumption it is based on our perception. As was stated above our perception is different from others.

Lets say you are at a restaurant and a waiter at the table next to you has a "nasty" look on their face. You may assume that this person is a bad worker, jerk, angry about something etc; some may assume that this waiter is just an unhappy bum working a dead end job. Now lets say you come to the same restaurant the next day and this same waiter is in a completely differnt mood; we find out from another waiter, because we are nosey, that the waiters girl friend was in a horrible car accident the day before but is okay now. Did it occur to us that a tragedy may have happend in this waiters life the day before? No, because we were too busy focusing on what our perception told us -- and that was that the waiter was a miserable jerk!

The point is we cannot assume anything. By assuming something about others or ourselves we open ourselves up for guilt, anger, anxiety, depression etc...

If we assume that a physical symptom of anxiety is really the symptom of heart disease then we are setting ourselves up for a whole lot more anxiety and stress. The rational thing to do is see a doctor and rule out heart disease; not begin making assumptions based on our perception of the symptom.

4) Always do your best. If you do not give it your all you can leave yourself open for lots of guilt and self-blame. Your best will vary from time to time but if you feel that you gave it your all then you will be satisfied and free of excessive self-blame or self-dissapointment.

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Besides the book above, some other recommended readings are:

The Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu
(To better understand how we fit into this Universe)

Acceptance of What Is and Never Mind, Waygne Liquirman
(To better understand how we fit into this Universe and how our thoughts are the cause of our pain and suffering.)

Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot, Carl Sagan
(To better understand the origins of the Universe, our place in the Universe and what the future holds.)

The Mastery of Love, Don Miguil Ruiz
(To help heal our negative energy and thought patterns.)

Good morning BA, (not sure your real name and hate calling someone Beat...lol),

Ok, I'll give this a try but I won't be surprised if there are some who won't accept any other type of religion/tradition in any way, shape or form. To those people I would say "you need a new life..please do your self and everyone else a favor and go get one...away from here".

I was born and raised a Baptist and stayed with the church for over 30 years. My wife grew up as a Lutheran so I tried to go to her church but never could "get it" then gave up and went back to the Baptist church once again. In all fairness my wife tried to change from her beliefs to the Baptist side but couldn't make the switch either. See once you are born and raised with something change is very hard.

When I was young (10 or 11 yrs old) I remember going to my great grandmothers house where she would tell of her fathers life alot. The openess of the lands, the streams one could set by all day and drink the water without fear of anything and the togetherness of their family. She'd always say to me "someday you will learn the ways of the old and will greet them with open arms and on that day your ancestors will once again know they will see you again someday".

In my 40's I gave up on most religions around the US because to me the church had gone to cliques, you do this for me and I'll make sure your saved, or as I was once told, "if you don't believe in our way you will go to hell". I told the minister who said it that I've already reserved a seat in hell right next to me for him.

That basically cut me off from the typical bible packing hypocrits that range through the US today spouting how good of christians they are. Some of you know the kind...get bombed on saturday night, play with the neigbors wife/gf afterwards then go to church on sunday morning and get 'resolved from all sins'...turn around and do it again the next week. Fine, that's their choice not mine. Nothing more nothing less.

In the mid 80's I worked side by side with a couple who were pure Cherokee at the Great Smoky Mountains, Occonoluftee side (south side), as a backcountry ranger.

(Note: A backcountry ranger patrols the boundry of the park, always off the trails, and in the areas of the most beautiful places in any park where the public never sees. A backcountry ranger patrols for drug smugglers, poachers, and possible fire hazards.)

From Theresa & Bently, I learned much about their ways and beliefs in life and in death. I found it to be very interesting and also found myself understanding those ways more than I'd ever understood anything else in my entire life. So, I learned as much as I could from them, spoke to my grandmother (great grandmother had already passed into the spirit world by then) and started a life long quest of learning the ways of the Lakota/Sioux from which part of my blood comes from.

I can teach more if anyone is interested in what I have learned and continue to learn, what the Sioux specifically Lakota believe, and other things about a native american/indian if there is interest. If there isn't any interest that's fine also...see I honestly know where I will go when I die...do you?

Happy Mothers Day to all the Ladies here no matter what your religion or belief is.

wakan tanan kici un

translation: may the Great Spirit bless you

hi! just wanted to share a cherokee something, as my husband was part cherokee, altho not rised or knowledgable of those beliefs. the night he died (which was very very unexpected), my daughter was living in cherokee, NC, and her girlfriend was sioux beliefs there. they were driving home from work at the indian casino late one night, and an owl crossed the windshield eerily. the indian girlfriend said, "OH NO!!!!" someone close to us has just died!!!". i just then called my daughter in the car and as the owl passed the windshield again, told my daughter her dad just died. the indian girlfriend said the sign of the owl is always for an indian blood very close relative that just passed/died. anyways, thought i'd share.

Hi Just a short note- Just wanted to say that growing up I felt very scared (I guess we all did, or we wouldnt be on this site!) Because I was raised with no religion and felt that I was basically screwed when it came to questions about death and what is considered "bad" and was I suffering with this anxiety because of the fact that I wasnt baptised etc.. As an adult I feel very lucky and thankful to my parents for not shoving anything down my throat and letting me explore. My mom would take me to any church I wanted and sit there without passing judgement and let mem read about any religion I wanted. Because of this, I now realize that a little can be taken from every religion and used any way you need. I dont subscribe to any one religion but have found some enlightenment from many different kinds. The bottom line:What ever makes you feel good, is what is right for you, and my belief is that no religion should make you feel guilty, ashamed,nervous, etc..Who needs more of that in their life?? Thanks for bringing this topic up..It is a very interesting one!

have no idea if this other one belongs here, but got another story. several months after my husband died, i was moving myself along into my new single life..and trying not to look back or have a pity party best i could. the point is, i was not dwelling and wondering about him or the afterlife before i went to sleep. one night i had one of those extremely vivid dreams...those kind that seem so real even after ya wake up. in it i was walking along a very bright hallway of some kind of hospital "like" institution, kinda being guided somewhere by someone i didn't know or see---just kinda "felt" a warm presence. anyways around the corner ahead comes my husband smiling at me being guided by a very bright clothed man, tall.....coming towards me. my husband was a young man again, about 30 years old. it didn't seem real, even in my "dream"...i was cautious "wondering--'what in the world?????"---but transfixed still walking closer to him. we were then face to face and he was bending over to kiss me--and it was warm --he then kissed me again and it suddenly turned very cold. we stood looking at each other him still smiling at me, and me remembering how good his kisses were--even in my dream i knew this could not be. the man dressed in bright bright white next to my husband looked at me so kindly, then quickly steered my husband off to the side of this bright hallway, where my husband just suddenly left with that tall "man"..gone. take it as you wish...but i do believe there are unexplainable things---"gifts" from beyond so to speak. luv to all

I had a very similar dream after my uncle died! It was so real, at the time it scared me, but now I like to think of it as him doing a check up on me. It was like a little visit.

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Originally posted by New Found Hope:
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haha nice!

o gi do da - ga lv la di he hi

ga lv quo di yu - ge se s di - de tsa do v i

tsa gv wi yu hi - ge sv - wi ga na nu go i

a ni e lo hi - wi tsi ga li s da - ha da nv te s gv i

na s gi ya - ga lv la di - tsi ni ga li s di ha

ni da do da qui sv - o ga li s da yv di - s gi v si - go hi i ga

di ge s gi v si quo no - de s gi du gv i

na s gi ya - tsi di ga yo tsi na ho - tso tsi du gi

a le - tla s di - u da go le ye di yi - ge sv - wi di s gi ya ti nv s ta nv gi

s gi yu da le s ge s di quo s gi ni - u yo - ge sv i

tsa tse li ga ye no - tsa gv wi yu hi - ge sv i

a le - tsa li ni gi di yi - ge sv i

a le - e tsa lv quo di yu - ge sv - ni go hi lv i

E-mena


English translation below:

Our Father, heaven dweller,
My loving will be (to) Thy name.
Your Lordship let it make its appearance.
Here upon earth let happen what you think,
The same as in heaven is done.
Daily our food give to us this day.
Forgive us our debts,
The same as we forgive our debtors,
And do not temptation being lead us into,
Deliver us from evil existing.
For thine your Lordship is,
And the power is,
And the glory is forever.
Amen

Thank you for this thread, it is always eye opening and mind expanding to learn and hear about other faiths/beliefs/religions--whatever you want to call them---than your own. A lot of this stuff is really fascinating and it is just amazing how much our beliefs can help us with our anxiety and depression.

I don't really have anything to add here, but am learning a lot, so thank you to all that are posting.

Tara