We spend great swaths of time in a trance that removes us from awareness of our body and senses. This meditation reconnects us by scanning through the body, including sounds and then resting in the field of awareness and aliveness. We practice relaxing and gently arriving again when thoughts carry us away; learning the pathway home to living presence.

Most people get depressed at times, and many suffer greatly from bouts of major depression. At the heart of the suffering is the experience of severed belonging—of being imprisoned in the pain of separation, unworthiness, unlovability and hopelessness. These two talks explore several meditation practices that reconnect us with our natural aliveness, openheartedness and awareness. They empower us to develop our inner resources, energize us to awaken, free us from rumination and remind us that we are not our depressive thoughts and feelings. The growing realization of the loving awareness that is our home heals the very roots of depression.

{This talk is part of a set of two recordings from the retreat (Instructions – Mudita; Guided Meditation on Appreciative Joy). Both recordings focus on Mudita (appreciative/altruistic joy) with practical instructions and a guided meditation.}

{This talk is part of a set of two recordings from the retreat (Instructions – Mudita; Guided Meditation on Appreciative Joy). Both recordings focus on Mudita (appreciative/altruistic joy) with practical instructions and a guided meditation.}

Description of meditating using the body and the breath as the main meditation object. Encouragement for relaxation and ease.

We are conditioned to scan for “what’s wrong” and contract our body and mind in anticipation of danger. This meditation helps us undo these primal survival habits, and frees us to inhabit the full aliveness, creativity and love our natural being.

{This talk is part of a set of three recordings from the retreat (Vedana; Instructions – Mindfulness of Vedana; Guided Meditation – Mindfulness of Feeling Tone). All three recordings focus on mindfulness of feeling tones with general explanations, practical instructions and guided meditation.}