Happy Mind: Meditations from the Ancient World to Modernity

We have confused our self with our body and the feelings, memories, and thoughts it produces. But that is not who we are. Use this mediation to practice remembering who you really are. When you remember that you are truly your higher self, lasting peace, health and happiness can be yours. (This is a shorter, edited down version of the 15 minute version).For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Definitely a classic. One of the best. Very simple. Originating in the Indian Buddhist tradition, Vipassana meditation has a long and illustrious history. Most recently, it has had a powerful influence in the Thai and Burmese Buddhist traditions in the 20th Century. Vipassana is a Pali word meaning "insight" and by insight it is referring to our ability to directly experience reality and truth without thoughts or feelings distorting things. Through this unmediated experience of the truth, we are said to have been liberated or to have "awakened." Through the practice, we become liberated from the three core misunderstandings about the nature of reality: 1) that life and everything in the phenomenal world is impermanent; 2) until we learn to master letting go of attachments (especially to the self), we will always be plagued by suffering and unsatisfactoriness; and 3) even though we think there is a self and we are that self, this isn't true. You are guided through this ancient technique in the recording but in essence it involves contemplation and observation of our bodily sensations, usually our breath. We could also say that it fits into the modern tradition of mindfulness.For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you have trouble keeping your attention focused during meditation, this is a great one to use. It is a four-part breathing meditation that sounds complicated to explain but is actually very simple when you do it. The "complexity" is actually its virtue, since that is what helps keep the mind from wandering. You can listen to this track and be guided through it or, once you have it down, simply set a timer for 5 or 30 or whatever minutes and you get as far as you get in that time. You can practice it as a variation during your seated meditation practice or you could do it during the night if you have trouble falling asleep. You could also do it on the bus or during an aggravating meeting. Whenever, wherever is fine.For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a simple meditation practices. You simply count to eight as you breath in, hold the breath for eight seconds, breath out to a count of eight, then hold the breath with empty lungs for eight seconds. And then repeat.For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is one of the most basic and frequently used meditation practices. You simply count each breath until you reach the tenth breath and then begin again. A simple but extraordinarily powerful practice. Zebediah Rice guides you through it before leaving you to practice it for a few minutes on your own.For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This track is an eight minute version of the longer Split Screen guided meditation. Once you have become familiar with the full length version, you can use this shorter one going forward. If possible, you will want to do these mind training meditations while the experience you are focusing on is recent and the feelings and memory are very fresh. A word of caution: these meditations can bring up some very strong past emotions. Please proceed with care and seek professional help if you do have serious traumas to deal with. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo.This is a 10 minute version of the Split Screen episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you have ever had a big emotional response in a situation that doesn’t require such a strong reaction (or are feeling sad for no apparent reason), then this exercise is for you. The principle here is that you are the master of your emotions: If you don’t want a particular emotion in any given situation, you can drop it. But you have to realize you have the power to do this and then develop mastery of the “dropping it”. How do you do this? Like anything else you want to master, you have to practice. With this guided meditation practice you can reprogram that connection, you can refile the memory/emotion connection. This is the full length version. A word of caution: these meditations can bring up some very strong past emotions. Please proceed with care and seek professional help if you do have serious traumas to deal with. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo.This is a 20 minute version of the Split Screen episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This track is a shorter version of the Fire & the Well guided training meditation. Once you have listened to the full length version once or twice, you can use this one for everyday practice. It is best to do these Training Meditations while the experience you are rewiring is recent and the feelings and memory is very fresh so find a quiet, private place as soon afterwards as you can or grab your headphones and a pair of sunglasses and maybe a hat and find a comfortable place to sit so you can run through the training. A word of caution: these meditations can bring up some very strong past emotions. Please proceed with care and seek professional help if you do have serious traumas to deal with. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo.This is an 8 minute version of the Fire and the Well exercise See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This track is a shorter version of the Refiling guided meditation. After you have listened to the full length version once or twice, you can use this one for everyday practice. It is best to do these Training Meditations while the experience you are refiling is recent and the feelings and memory is very fresh. Try to find a quiet, private place as soon afterwards as you can or grab your headphones and a pair of sunglasses and maybe a hat and find a comfortable place to sit so you can run through the training. A word of caution: these meditations can bring up some very strong past emotions. Please proceed with care and seek professional help if you do have serious traumas to deal with. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo.This is a 12 minute version of the Refiling episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You are the master of your emotions. If you don’t want them in any given situation, you can drop them. But you have to realize you have the power to do this and then develop mastery of the “dropping it” technique. But how? Like anything else you want to master, you have to practice. If you are not a master of your emotions already, that means your emotional self, like an unruly dog, needs to be re-trained. The following guided training meditations, which we can call "Refiling," are a good way for you to train this part of your self. A word of caution: these meditations can bring up some very strong past emotions. Please proceed with care and seek professional help if you do have serious traumas to deal with. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo.This is a 23 minute version of the 'Refiling' episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Each of us has the power to leave a dysfunctional life behind. One of the best and simplest things we can do, as a sort of antidote to being stuck in an unhappy life, is to make believe that we are 100% responsible for whatever is happening to us. Our mantra has to change from "He, She, or It did it to me" to "I did it." Use this practice to drive that lesson home. For the companion podcast covering the theory behind why these meditations work, check out the Serena system podcast at https://goo.gl/Dxu4eo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.