Happy Mind: Meditations from the Ancient World to Modernity

Take a moment right now and think about what happened in the last few days. Were there any disturbing feelings? You're reading this so there probably were, or are still. In this meditation you will take a hard look at the reality of your situation. Where is your body right now? What is your body doing? What is really going on? In reality, isn’t your body in a safe, friendly, even hospitable environment? So isn’t that how you should be feeling? Safe and friendly and taken care of. If that isn't how you feel, give this mediation a try.NOTE: This is a 20 minute version of the "I Am Safe" guided meditation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your emotional self sometimes gets out ahead of the facts on the ground. You could be playing a board game or in a simple work situation and suddenly feel an enormous pit in your stomach, perhaps even a sense of panic. Or perhaps you are simply plagued by some other negative emotion like loneliness, anger, sadness, anxiety or any of the other terrible feeling flavors that are all too familiar. Sometimes those feelings are appropriate and you can let them run their course but most of the time they are disproportionate to the situation at hand. In either case, there are some very simple techniques we can use to help reset our emotional baseline. One of the best ways of performing this reset is to reestablish your foundation on the fact that you are safe and protected right now. You need to remind your emotional self, using pictures and very simple, repeated phrases, that everything is ok, right now. You will be amazed by the effect that pointing out these seemingly obvious facts can have. Note: This is a 10 minute version of the I Am Safe guided meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This simple breathing meditation guides you through one of the most basic but most powerful meditation techniques. And keep in mind that if you want to retrain your mind and your body to be responsive to your guidance and commands, you need to start with simple techniques like following your breath so when the big moments come along, it is second nature to keep focused on what is important in life. This meditation guides you through the counting breaths up to ten practice. (If you lose count just restart at one again).NOTE: This is a 30 minute version of the counting breaths to ten practice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This simple breathing exercise provides a much needed reset. And it is an essential component of retraining your mind and your body. You master your self by starting with the simple things like following your breath. This meditation guides you through the counting breaths up to ten practice. (If you lose count just restart at one again).NOTE: This is a 20 minute version of the counting breaths to ten practice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our bodies and our minds are designed to generate the kind of calm and peace that underpin a happy and fulfilling existence. We have to take control, assert our dominance over the default mode of fantasizing, self-criticism, replaying the past, judging ourselves or others and the list goes on. A simple way to do that is to just count your breaths. So that is what we do in this meditation. (If you lose count of your breaths, you can just start right back at the beginning with one again).NOTE: This is a 10 minute version of the Count to 10 Guided Meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a marathon session for those in need of a thorough grounding in themselves and the landscape around them. You will be working with the country around you, the actual and mystical energies nearby, and as always, light, light light. Note: This is a 2 hour version of the Grounding Complete Set Meditation. Also, you will probably want some element from the land around you for the session. It can be a scoop of sand, a rock, a leaf, a branch or piece of bark or some other natural object that is indigenous to the landscape around you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whether you are jet-lagged or just run ragged and jagged by the splintering impacts of everyday life, it might be time for a energy refresher. An easy way to do this is to use the earth, your location, energy and light. They're free and always at hand. This meditation will help you ground yourself where you are and in who you are. It is so easy to forget!Note: This is a 90 minute version of the Grounding Complete Set Meditation. Also, you will probably want some element from the land around you for the session. It can be a scoop of sand, a rock, a leaf, a branch or piece of bark or some other natural object that is indigenous to the landscape around you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes by consolidating your energies and harmonizing yourself internally and externally, you will find that you have the strength and positivity to handle what life brings you. This meditation combines using the earth, your location, and light to align you with where you are. (Though not necessary, you may want to use a stone or a leaf or a stick or the earth itself so best if you have one handy before you begin). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spend the next hour pulsing with what the Hawaiians called Mana, the Chinese called Qi and the Indians called Prana. Meditating by following the breath or a mantra can be wonderful. But if you really want to connect with the energy all around you it is sometimes helpful to take a more structured path. Connecting to this energy is energizing and healing in any circumstance, but it can be particularly helpful when you are anxious or scattered or over-tired. And the grounding that is conveyed to the physical body by connecting with this subtle energy can have a powerful healing influence when you are suffering from more extreme cases like panic attacks or other psychological maladies. This is a 60 minute version of the Grounding - Use energy meditation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are many ways to meditate. And each meditation will be different. Even with meditations as simple as following the breath or a mantra will be different every time. And these sorts of meditations can be wonderful. But to connect with the energy all around you it is sometimes helpful to take a more structured path. Connecting to this energy (the Chinese called it Qi, the Indians Prana and the Hawaiians Mana) is energizing and healing in any circumstance, but it can be particularly helpful when you are anxious or scattered or over-tired. And the grounding that is conveyed to the physical body by connecting with this energy can have a powerful healing influence when you are suffering from more extreme cases like panic attacks or other psychological maladies. This is a 45 minute version of the Grounding - Use energy meditation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A meditation can be a simple following of breath or a mantra. But to connect with the energy all around you it is sometimes helpful to take a more structured path. Connecting to this energy (or Qi or Prana) is energizing and healing in any circumstance, but it can be particularly helpful when you are anxious or scattered or over-tired. And the grounding that is conveyed to the physical body by connecting with this energy can have a powerful healing influence when you are suffering from more extreme cases like panic attacks or other psychological maladies. This is a 30 minute version of the Grounding - Use energy meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Students of modern science will be familiar with the idea of energy and forces permeating the universe. In ancient times there was a similar idea of fields of energy connecting and filling all of space. They called it Qi or Prana. Modern science dismisses this notion of a vital life force. But the ancient masters taught that there was this other kind energy that humans can awaken to. We can't measure it with our scientific instruments today but we can use our bodies to sense it. And we can use this energy to ground our bodies and connect with where we are. Whether we are anxious or stressed, overtired or jet lagged, or even if we are suffering from panic attacksTry it now by listening to this 20 minute version of the Grounding - Use Energy guided meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Space is permeated with fields of energy. Migratory birds navigate using this energy. Bees can feel changes in the electromagnetic field from flowers. And the ancient masters taught that there was another kind energy, or Qi, that humans can awaken to. We can use this energy in all sorts of ways. Today, we use it to ground our bodies and connect with where we are. This is a 10 minute version of the Grounding - Use Energy guided meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This simple meditation will help ground you when the inevitable chaos and confusion in the world and people around you becomes too much. You might be someone that has a long commute each day. Perhaps you're jet lagged. Or maybe you have recently traveled in the same time zone or moved house or changed jobs. Or maybe there is something more serious going on and panic attacks or anger are frequently threatening to overwhelm you. If so, there are many places you can go for help. One of them is within your own mind. This is a 45 minute version of the Use the ground meditation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you have a long commute each day? Have you recently traveled? Moved house or changed cities? Perhaps you're jet lagged. Or maybe there is something more serious going on and panic attacks or anger are frequently threatening to overwhelm you. If so, there are many places you can go for help. One of them is within your own mind. This simple meditation will help ground you when the inevitable chaos and confusion in the world and people around you becomes too much. This is a 45 minute version of the Use the ground meditation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.