Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 196 – Guided Meditation: Busy Life, No-Self

Guiding us in three short, guided meditations, Joseph Goldstein helps us break down our identification with the body and the self.

This talk from the Insight Meditation Society was originally published on Dharmaseed.

“On my last self-retreat, quite spontaneously, a 9-minute-a-day plan came to my mind. I thought of it as a way of turbo-charging our daily practice by doing three short meditations a day. Three 3-minute meditations. Each of these sessions that I am about to guide us in targets a particular area of strong identification where this mistaken sense of self is created and is strengthened.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein guides us in: 
  • Accessing deeper meditative states outside of a retreat
  • Turbo-charging our practice through shorter meditations we can do in our daily lives
  • Finding the mental areas where our mistaken sense of self is created
  • Listening to sounds and considering the ‘knowing’ rather than being a “knower”
  • Breaking through the identification we have with the body
  • Directly experiencing bodily sensations and their changing nature
  • Watching our thoughts and being aware in their moment of arising
  • Enlivening our understanding of the Buddha’s teaching through a combination of practices

“This exercise allows us to see the selfless nature of thought and allows us to choose which thoughts are helpful and which are not. Which do I act on, which do I let go of.” – Joseph Goldstein

Listen to more from Joseph:
In the search for liberation, we must explore the nature of our existence. Joseph investigates the wisdom of impermanence in Insight Hour Ep. 2.
There are deeper levels of truth about reality. Joseph explores different ways of freeing the mind by understanding the habits of preference and the emptiness of thoughts in Insight Hour Ep. 41.
It’s possible to smile at the antics of one’s own mind. Joseph offers responses to questions about selflessness, shame, cravings, and more in Insight Hour Ep. 111.
Metta practice can penetrate deeply. Joseph explores how love, kindness, gratitude, and friendship can revolutionize our lives in Insight Hour Ep. 117.