Are you happy, present, at peace with yourself and the world around you? Can you maintain that sense of happiness when life becomes difficult? Finding true happiness is something we all strive for, but so many of us struggle with. This week we’re talking to Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, who believes happiness can be a trainable skill, a skill that allows us to control our thoughts and therefore consistently choose the positive. In doing so we can make happiness an internal quality, rather than something that requires external validation or something we’ll receive in the future when we achieve or complete a goal. Thubten talks us through his pillars for happiness – discipline, mental freedom, compassion and forgiveness; as well as the science behind meditation and how it benefits us physically and mentally; how you can transform a negative experience and your own suffering into something positive; how to navigate the business of modern life, social media, emails 24/7 news and where to start on your journey with meditation and mindfulness. The episode closes with a short guided mediation by Thubten. His book, ‘A Monk’s Guide to Happiness: Meditation in the 21st Century’, really is one of the most powerful reads on the subject of happiness.

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