Introduction to the Serena Podcast | June 13, 2017 | 10 mins
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
If you are new to the Podcast, it is probably best to start with this episode. In this episode Zebediah Rice introduces a method for how to feel great, all of the time. This method is based on the insight that a life of happiness and health is within the grasp of all of us and is based on the universal insight of all the great wisdom teachers from throughout the ages that life, just as it is, is perfect. Sounds crazy, right? Well, tune in to this episode to hear more about this topic as well as what distinguishes this method from others and for a bit of background on your host and fellow student, Zebediah Rice.
Episode #2: The Gates of Hell
In this episode, Zebediah Rice relates the story of the encounter between the famous Zen monk, Hakuin, and a powerful Samurai seeking insight into the nature of heaven and hell. From this extraordinary little story, we learn much about the nature of the human self and how to achieve an optimal state of well-being. Using the story as our guide, we learn about levels of consciousness and in particular we learn about the first two, the physical self and the subconscious or emotional self.
Episode #4: The Jetliner Views
Now that we have a handle on our lower self, it is time to peek over to the other side and hear how the great masters describe what it is like in heaven, or, to use the apartment building metaphor, what it is like on the floors with the jetliner views. If you haven’t listened to the earlier couple of episodes, you might want to back up and start there first.
Episode #5: Stairway to Heaven
In this episode Zebediah Rice takes a bit of a pause on the journey of exploring the method for achieving lasting happiness and shares some of his personal journey. He then connects that with what modern life is like for many people and traces that sense of something missing back through history so that we can see how it all fits together with a universal human longing for something higher than our individual selves.
Episode #6: Leveling Up
In this episode we take a look at the first two principles of the Serena system: Know Ourselves and Take Responsibility. Using these principles each of us can take the first steps to claiming a better, happier and more fulfilling life for ourselves, right now. Just like in video games, we can level up in real life by practicing these principles and thereby access better health, more powers, and better "maps."
Episode #7: We Are The Watcher
In this episode we review the third principle of the Serena system: Be the Watcher. Even though if feels like we are our bodies and the thoughts, emotions and actions it produces, this is an illusion. The truth is that we don’t change and bodies and emotions and thoughts change, so we can’t be any of that. We know this because we can be aware of our bodies and emotions and thoughts; and we can MOVE our awareness at will. So we are the one doing the watching and a great trick for leveling up in consciousness, for living a happy and healthy life, is knowing this truth and taking charge of this power. Unfortunately, most of us just let our lower self control the show. We’ve given the keys of the candy shop to the kids and left them in charge so we should be surprised that thing aren’t working out for the best.
Episode #8: Trust, Train, & Test
In the last two episodes, we covered the first three principles in the Serena system: Knowing Ourselves, Taking Responsibility, and Moving our Awareness. In this episode, we cover the fourth principle: Trust, Train & Test. We have to have faith that an end to suffering is possible, we have to do the training to change the neuronal structure of our brain to support that state, and we have to check to verify that our faith and training are actually making a difference in our lives. These three are all inter-related and in tension with each other so we can cluster them together and as we work on one we can be mindful of the other two.
Episode #9: Why We Meditate (Part 1)
In this episode we look into the question of why we meditate. Thanks to the work of many scientists around the world over the last twenty years or so, we now know that meditation not only lowers stress and improves mental sharpness but it also strengthens our immune system, gives us more youthful and healthy brain tissue, and can be as good or better than prescription drugs for treating many forms of mental illness. But the wise masters from throughout the ages tell us that there is so much more to it than that. If we practice enough, we are told, we not only begin to see evidence of ever increasing health and happiness, but we can actually learn to switch the brain off and thereby realize the truth of our own freedom and the experience the inherent perfection of the universe.