Happiness is far more than a positive feeling that comes and goes. Science is proving that happiness is a skill that we can all develop. On Meditations for Happiness, Dr. Rick Hanson presents a series of guided meditations that allow you to literally rewire the neural pathways in your brain to experience deeper and more lasting contentment and peace. Dr. Hanson discusses the nature of happiness, its role in our evolution, how our brains both make us happy and create suffering, and how we can use and shape our brains over time to experience more joy and be more at ease in everyday life. He then leads us step-by-step through 14 transformative meditations and exercises.
Not relaxing The majority of the cd’s are studies done on happiness. The actual meditation’s are too short to be of benefit ( 10 min) or shorter.He also runs through the meditation quickly giving too many things to think about, and very little time to relax and ponder what he wants you to think about.
Not Enough Meditations I’ve tried 2 of Rick Hanson’s meditation audios, this one and Stress Proof Your Brain, and I like listening to him. He has such a relaxing voice that my pets fall asleep! If you want exercises and advice to think about, you’ll probably like Meditations for Happiness, but if you want something to meditate to, Stress Proof Your Brain is better. Meditations for Happiness just doesn’t have many actual meditations, though it offers some useful advice.
Happiness here I come! Rick Hanson is a gift in whatever way that he presents himself: in his books( Buddha’s Brain), on the Utube, in his weekly “Just One Thing” newsletter(that he kept sending even when he was very ill) and in his DVDs. Although I bought all three of these, I am still listening to the first one I opened: “Mediations for Happiness”. I absolutely love it. I listen to it early in the am and in the car.I suggest it to my clients.Rick has a soothing, well modulated voice that eases you into a mediation mode. His content is IQ and EQ combined. His images are so alive and apt, that you find you cannot drift into automatic pilot like you used to. He brings such thoughtfulness to your mind that it stays there: he makes you mindful. What a gift.