We all know what it feels like to be depressed. It’s sticky and dark, a deep hollow devoid of energy or vitality. It is never-ending . . . or seems so. Even if we know that, like the seasons, all things change, waiting is painful. We begin to lose ourselves in those dreadful moments.

Our posture turns in on itself, and, as our shoulders slump, our gaze drops to the floor. We no longer see eye to eye. We distance ourselves from others. Now alone, we become more depressed. Professor said the chi is stuck in the brain, unable to move freely throughout the body. As we lose physical vitality, which often leaks out in audible sighs, the fury in the brain creates more unrest. Depression may elevate to thoughts of suicide. Within a few years, a life may be lost. Do not wait. Keep reading, for there are many things you can do to help yourself or someone else.

One extremely effective way to loosen the grip of depression is called the Three Flute Method, and is done by placing three bamboo flutes between the mattresses of the bed in a particular way. It can be used in conjunction with other cures or performed alone. Either way, it is important to understand the significance of the traditional Chinese, bamboo flute. This knowledge will make the cure’s visualization more powerful.

When I visited China, I was amazed to see scaffolding made of bamboo – even on buildings with a great number of floors. I was reminded of Professor’s list of the attributes of bamboo, the first of which is strength. I saw its strength with my own eyes. When using the bamboo flute as a cure, that strength can build your bones, straighten your spine, and, in this case, fortify your resolve and will. It will support you during even the most difficult days. Choose large, sturdy flutes. The size of the flute contributes to the strength of the cure. Also, make sure that each flute has the natural segments of bamboo. The segments will lift the chi, and help to lift your spirit.

Several years ago, I listened to the wind blow through a stand of black bamboo in Hawaii. That was when I came to understand the second item on Professor’s list of the attributes of bamboo. “ Bamboo delivers a message of peace and safety.” I was mesmerized by the sound of the stalks rubbing against one another in the wind. It was as soft and gentle as it was loud. As the wind increased in intensity, the bamboo bowed to the force and did not break. It seemed at ease, safe, and comfortable. I felt as if I could stay forever, despite the gathering storm. As the clouds of depression capture and threaten one’s life, bamboo allows the mind to rest, knowing that it, too, will not break.

For some reason that day in Hawaii, I put my ear to a stalk of bamboo and I was startled by the sound. It was as if a powerful, fast-moving river was flowing inside, and I was connected to its very source. The next moment I was walking to the pool beneath the waterfall just steps away. In I went, no hesitation, no fear – energized by the sound of the bamboo, following the impulse to do the next thing. We lack that impulse when we are depressed. We’re stuck. But a river has a destination, and it flows persistently under, over and around any obstacle. It drops over the steepest cliff, not worried about the rocks below. At its core, bamboo carries the essence of life. It moves us, carries us and sends us on our way to somewhere. Somewhere other than stuck.

As the chi begins once more to move freely, we notice more clarity. The swirling, cul-de-sac chi in our brain begins to calm down, and, if we’re lucky, we’re humbled by our experience. Depression reminds us that life can easily slip away. We are asked by the experience to be bold, yet empty, allowing the force of life to flow through us without impediment. This allowing is our greatest protection, and I understand the ability of the bamboo flute to “drive away evil persons and negative influences.” With its red ribbon and tassels, it also becomes the symbol of a sword, able to cut through a deadly mood and the demons creating our despair.

“Being without emptiness, the root of suffering.”

Dennis Studebaker

A student of Professor Lin Yun