Giving Up Without Giving Up: Meditation and Depressions

The author, Jim Green, suggests that depression may contain experiences and lessons that are essential for our full life. He offers a practical approach to personal desolation based on the practice of meditation, learned from the Buddha, The Desert Fathers and Mothers, and Jesus himself. This approach helps us to treat ourselves and each other with care and compassion, allowing us to be depressed for as long as we need to be and then be brought back to life, which is change itself.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Depression, a pervasive and often feared condition in modern society, raises a thought-provoking question: What if it holds experiences and lessons essential for our full aliveness? This intriguing inquiry is explored in Giving Up Without Giving Up, a book that challenges us to reevaluate our perspective on depression. While it may be widely feared and avoided, the author suggests that we can glean valuable insights from the challenging times we face, particularly when we feel as though we are losing everything, including our sense of self.

Drawing on his extensive experience in meditation within the Buddhist and Christian contemplative traditions, as well as his personal journey through personal loss and bewilderment, Jim Green offers a poignant account of how meditation can be a companion on our path of recovery. He delves into the historical invention of depression in the mid-twentieth century, questioning the tendency to medicalize human suffering. Through his profound insights, Green proposes a comprehensive and practical approach to navigating our times of personal desolation. He emphasizes the importance of treating ourselves and others with care and compassion, drawing from the wisdom of the Buddha, The Desert Fathers and Mothers, and Jesus himself.

At the core of this approach lies the practice of meditation, which the author believes can help us embrace depression as a necessary phase, allowing us to mourn for as long as we need without prolonging it. By embracing this practice, we can undergo a transformative change that brings us back to life, recognizing that change itself is a vital part of our journey.

Giving Up Without Giving Up offers a profound invitation to explore the depths of our suffering and discover the untapped wisdom and growth that lie within. It encourages us to embrace the challenges we face with resilience and compassion, recognizing that our struggles can be a catalyst for personal transformation. Through the practice of meditation and the lessons learned from the desert times in our lives, we can cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, empathy, and resilience, enabling us to live more fully and authentically.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 218 x 135 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472957450