Mindful Happiness

Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

  • Home
  • Dr. Anthony Quintiliani
    • About
  • Mindful Happiness
  • Mindful Expressions Meditation CD
  • Contact

July 12, 2019 By Admin

Expanded Lectio Divina for Self-Development

Expanded Lectio Divina for Self-Development

In this post I will provide an expanded version of this process by combining information from Origen,  the Carthusian  Monk  Guigo II,   and  Augustine of Hippo.   The presented process of 12 steps may be used  to enhance internalization of sacred writing and/or to support internal healing of the participants.  You  have three choices here: read sacred scripture based on your personal spiritual and religious practices; make up your  own  deep  healing  mantra  and  write  it  down;  and/or  combine  both  practices  noted above.  The wording  of  this  post  will  be  based  on  the  second possibility above. Note that if this is done  in a  group format,  people  take  turns  reading  scripture/self-healing  mantras  aloud  and sharing from time to time their  emotional   responses  with   each   other.      Personal   deep   respect   and   values-driven  cognition,  emotion,  and  behavior  apply  here.      The process may work best if you practice it with cognition, affect, behavior, sensations, intuition, and with all your senses.

  1. Opening Invitation or Prayer: Invite  your higher self, the power  of  nature, or  your  personal  deity (God, Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, etc.)  into  your  soft, warm heart-soul.    Allow  the  feelings  you  notice.
  2. Lectio: This is the first reading of the sacred words or your self-healing mantra.  Pay close attention.
  3. Brief Silence:  Do your best to remain in deep silence in mind, brain, body, tongue,  heart, and  soul.
  4. Meditatio:  Complete  a  second  reading  of  the passage, this time a bit slower with more  attention.   You  may repeat  the  reading  if  it  is  helpful  to  deepen  your  personal  meanings   and   emotions. Ruminate on it as you connect meaning/insight with your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, memories.
  5. Brief Silence:
  6. Key Word, Phrase, Sentence:  Select the most meaningful word,  phrase,  or  sentence.   Repeat  this several, times as if you were trying to memorize it. Allow the words and meaning/emotions to enter the depths of your heart, soul, body.   Be  one  with  it!  Discern closely how you feel inside your body.
  7. Oratio:  Read the passage (word, phrase, sentence) again.  If  in  a  group this is the third read aloud experience.  If doing this process alone, you have already repeated the reading several times by now. Attune and pay even deeper, stronger attention. God/your deity, love or personal higher self love are at work. Consecrate this process and the words deeper and deeper into yourself. Allow your true self to experience this feeling of soft love, and especially allow yourself to re-visit the deep suffering  you have experienced. By integrating soft love with your suffering, you may notice the beginning of your personal healing at the most deep levels of personal, emotional experience. ALLOW IT ALL TO BE!
  8. Brief Silence:
  9. Collatio: On  voluntary basis you may decide to share some of what you have experienced thus far in your  inner  healing  and/or  deep  connection  with  the  divine.     Such  sharing  must  be  brief  but meaningful  for  it  to  have a profound effect on yourself and on others who may be with you at  this time.  Brevity  is  also  important so that deep emotional experience is not limited by consciousness.
  10. Contemplatio:  Now  go  into  even  more  depth  and  strengths  as  you delve deeper into the words and/or your personal connection to inner healing or  inter-connection  with  the  divine.   Very deep contemplation is required so you can move from spiritual DOING to simply BEING in your current state of self-healing connection and/or a connection on a different dimension and power with  your selected deity.       Go as deeply as possible into the feelings of your current existence in  integration.
  11. Closing Chant and/or prayer:       This could be in silence or if in a group as a  whole-group   activity.
  12. Action: Some forms of Lectio Divina promote your personal actions in the real world you  live  in  to live in the same way you experienced this sacred process. By kind, compassion, generous, non-violent, caring, supportive, and live a life based on your improved higher self or your selected  deity.

For more information refer to Guigo II (Re-published,  1978).  Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations. Coletti, J. (July, 2011). “Guigo II and the Development of Lectio Divina.”  Also  refer to various writing  of Augustine of Hippo and The Augustinian Way of Life. See also Dei Verbum  of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Benedict XVI in his support for lectio divina at the Papacy of the 21st century.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC  

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

Filed Under: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, Featured, Lectio Divina, Meditation, MIndfulness Tagged With: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, LECTIO DIVINA, MEDITATION, MINDFULNESS

July 20, 2018 By Admin

Using Lectio Divina to Improve Your Self Esteem

Using Lectio Divina to Improve Your Self-Esteem

LectioDivina is an ancient form of Christian (Benedictine) meditation. This meditative prayer is sometimes called “Sacred Seeing.” Lectio Divina follows specific steps as a process: lectio or reading a passage; Meditatio  or meditating on the passage or image; Oratio or praying (I add – in your own way); Contemplatio or contemplation on it; and, Actio or action based on your new insights. Modified below.

  1. For a few minutes sit in calm, self-abiding meditation and just rest.
  2. Now ask yourself this question: “What strengths do I have?”
  3. Write a short paragraph noting the kinds of strengths you know you have.
  4. Now take five long, deep, slow breaths and close your eyes if you are ok with that. Think carefully about the strengths you listed. Contemplate them as you meditate again.
  5. Now in full conscious awareness, read that paragraph over and over slowly.  Read it five or six times, and go deeper into your awareness each time you read it.  Really concentrate.
  6. Answer the following questions about improving your self-esteem by using your strengths. Best to use a form of free association here; simply see what comes into awareness without great effort.
  7. What is the pattern of your strengths? If you come up with something, add it to your paragraph.
  8. Who are you when you have lived experience using your strengths. If something new comes up in your consciousness, add this information to your paragraph.
  9. When are you most likely to use your strengths? Follow the same procedure as above.
  10. Where are you most likely to live by your strengths? Follow the same procedure again.
  11. How does you using your strengths look? Make an image of it, or recall the last time you used your strengths. Notice anything significant, and add it to your paragraph.
  12. Now relax again, and read your longer paragraph over five more times. Read slowly, and add deeper concentration each time you read it. Go into it deeply!
  13. End with a short story about your future use of your signature strengths.
  14. Go back into light meditation with long, slow, deep breaths and just relax. Notice how you feel right now. Remember your strengths are always with you, but you need to use them.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

Filed Under: Activities, Featured, Lectio Divina, Practices, Self Esteem Tagged With: LECTIO DIVINA, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, PRACTICE, SELF ESTEEM

July 15, 2018 By Admin

Using Lectio Divina to Enhance Your Happiness

Using Lectio Divina to Enhance Your Happiness

Lectio Divina is an ancient Christian (Benedictine) meditation; it is a form of meditative prayer called “sacred  seeing.”   We  will use a modified version of the process here.  

Follow the steps noted below.

  1. Sit  quietly  in meditative form, calmly abiding yourself here now.   After a few minutes ask this question:  Do  I  want  to  be  a  happier  person?    Listen  to  what  arises  from  your  true  self.
  2. Remain in meditative relaxation. Now after a few minutes come to fully awake state, and write a brief paragraph on how you can become a happier person. Happiness it relative, so even if you are somewhat satisfied now, you could be happier in the future.  So please write that brief paragraph.
  3. Now relax your mind and body; take a few long, deep slow breaths.  Relax your jaw, neck,  and shoulders. Now simply slowly read your statement five times. See if more becomes clear to you.
  4. Now relax yourself a bit deeper, and use free association to establish more details about how you could become a happier person.  Add any significant new information to your earlier statement.
  5. Now with full conscious awareness and keen cognitive clarity, answer each of the following questions. Write a response for each question below. Read it after you write it.
  6. What is the WHAT of your happier state?
  7. WHO is the what of your happier state?
  8. What is the WHERE of your happier state?
  9. What is the HOW of your happier state?
  10. WHEN will you take initial steps to become happier?
  11. WHAT is your first step?
  12. Now relax again, yes once again. Slowly read everything you have written up to this point.  Read it five times, and go a little deeper in your concentration each time.
  13. Finally, write a brief story in a brief paragraph on how you will become a happier person. Read it.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

Filed Under: Activities, Featured, Happiness, Lectio Divina Tagged With: HAPPIER STATE, HAPPINESS, LECTIO DIVINA, MINDFUL HAPPINESS

Twitter

Mindful Happiness -Currently in Production

Mindful Happiness Posts

Concentration Vs Mindfulness? Many people new to meditation often confuse the differences between mindfulness or accepted bare attention to whatever arises in the moment and concentration or strong penetrating awareness on one thing without distraction.  Concentration is a more intensely focused and engaged form of mindful attention.  Concentration is sustained, powerfully focused, one-pointed attentional awareness. […]

In The Dhammapada the Buddha includes an important section on the topic of happiness.  How to be happy in a life of changing joy, suffering, and neutrality? How to be happy in a world of attachment/craving for desired pleasures and avoidance of all suffering?  Attachment, impermanence and unhelpful experiences – all cause suffering.  It is quite […]

Vipassana Meditation:  Impermanence Although standard vipassana meditation practice leading to insight about the true nature of reality does not recommend what I am about to do, I plan to do it anyway. This meditation center is all about innovation in practice and generalization regarding the benefits of meditation for both regular meditators and novices.  Below […]

What Consciousness Really Is Considering that we have been to the moon and back, and more recently surveyed important moons of Saturn, science is still a very long way from understanding how the human brain works – and even further away from having a clear, agreed-upon interpretation of human consciousness.  Consciousness is the “stuff” of […]

Spirit Wars and “Spiritual Warfare” This post will discuss the topic and personal strategies.  Most content will relate to both physical realities and metaphorical meanings and categories. Since a person viewing their self as fighting a spiritual war most likely holds onto certain parts of self in this endeavor, it is highly unlikely that the […]

Quintiliani’s Whole Person Recovery Planning To me the “whole person recovery planning” includes biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and self components and changes. To simplify – it is not simple or quick – I will simply list the core components of this comprehensive form of recovery process.  I may add more details to this process in […]

Meditation on the Feeling of Letting Go – Pacification! Pacifying the mind is a desired outcome of regular, stable meditation practice.  Pacification may be done via meditating on the breath, general mindfulness awareness, vipassana, and various other forms of  meditation.  However, the wise mind skill of “letting go” of unhelpful, negative, and harmful thoughts and […]

More Characteristics of Happiness – Happiness #4 Here I will continue my posts about the common characteristics of happiness.  Here is the list. Keep an Open Mind – Maintaining an open mind opens up doorways to interesting things in the world, some of which may help you to become happier. Also, open-mindedness reduces inner tension […]

Equanimity, Suffering, and Resilience It is said that equanimity (Pali – upekkha), the seventh factor of enlightenment and the tenth perfection, is an end-product of life-long personal practice in meditation and/or meditative yoga. It is about “walking the walk.” Some practitioners note that equanimity is the foundation for other helpful states of mind and body. […]

Mindfulness Practices to help Reduce Your Worry & Suffering My last post dealt with various mindfulness-based practices and skills that may help to reduce created suffering due to excessive worrying.  I will add a few more practices in this post.  First, let us go back to Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and his Meditations. In Book 2, page 14 […]

In-Depth Means to Discover and Be Your True Self Henry David Thoreau reminded us that it is not what you look at, but it is what you see that matters. How do you SEE yourself?  John Muir reminded us that the sun shines in us as well as in our souls. Do you find “the […]

From The Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation, Monkton, Vermont – Five Breathing and Meditation Practices – Attention and concentration on the breath are common practices to attune meditation capacity. We use the breath as an object of attention in our mind training.   The better your quality of attention and concentration, the better […]

Advanced Buddhist Practices Abiding in Emptiness The various impediments (enemies) to abiding in emptiness are noted below. We have strong attachment to objects of mind and our sense door pleasures. We experience strong desire and cravings as our norms. We over-attach to forms of affection. We may become stuck in grief related to our experienced […]

Mindful Observation  Through Mindful Breathing The following guided meditation is a combination meditation from Asanga’s Grounds of Hearers, Jam-Yang-Shay-Pa’s concentration meditation on the breath, and the Anapanasati Sutta. These guided meditation instructions have been simplified and combined for contemporary use by lay meditators. Observation of Observation – Mindfulness in Breathing Contemplate breathing in and out with complete […]

Happiness #3 – More Characteristics Here I will continue the discussion on common characteristics of personal happiness. As you read these posts, please do your best to experiment with these characteristics.  See if you can experience more happiness without a frantic search for it. Ultimately it is about a special form of human love. Here […]

Zen Buddhist Practices – Egolessness In our practice we often inquire, and sometimes experience, the no-self and/or egolessness. What is egolessness? Who and what do we think we are? Some say that when we die the essence but not the ego lives on into new experiences. Karma and re-birth are givens in this spiritual view. […]

Self-Help Journaling – Two Methods Generally there are two forms of self-help journaling: writing about worries and concerns OR writing about joy and happiness. In my more than 35 years of clinical experience I have not found the former to be very helpful. Most people stuck in negative mood states are not easily able to […]

How to Offer Personal Tribute to Those Who Have Died The Four Noble Truths tell us sobering news. There is suffering, and impermanence of all things including us and our loved ones. Below I have listed several thing you can do to HONOR a person you have lost.  Here is the list. Recall a special […]

Review:  Deepak Chopra’s Idea’s on ” The Future of God” Part 2 of 3 In part 2 of this 3-part series, I will discuss the role played by consciousness in various levels of spirituality.  In the beginning, there was the word.  The word is sometimes associated with pure consciousness, since without consciousness there cannot be […]

Mindfulness Defined… There are many definitions of mindfulness.  Here I have combined several popular views into one.  This definition and process may be helpful to readers who cannot quite grasp what it is, what it feels like, and what steps can make it happen.   Good luck in your regular practices!   Mindfulness is: Paying […]

Mindful Happiness Tags

DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI SELF ESTEEM MINDFULNESS TRAINING MBSR COMPASSION MINDFUL MINDFUL HAPPINESS CLINICAL SUPERVISION TRAUMA COVID-19 SELF COMPASSION SELF MEDICATION MEDITATION PRACTICE SELF CARE MEDITATION EXERCISES ELEANOR R LIEBMAN CENTER ACTIVITY ANTHONY QUINTILIANI WISE MIND MINDFUL MEDITATION SELF VERMONT PRACTICE ADDICTION SUFFERING ENLIGHTENMENT BUDDHISM MINDFULNESS VIPASSANA MEDITATION EMPTINESS BRAIN THICH NHAT HANH VIPASSANA THERAPY. JOURNALING PRACTICES MINDFUL TRAINING HAPPINESS ACTIVITIES BREATHING WALKING MEDITATION CONSCIOUSNESS PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING

Mindful Categories

Mindful Happiness Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Dr. Anthony Quintiliani
  • Mindful Expressions Meditation CD
  • Mindful Happiness
  • Site Map

Copyright © 2022 · Mindful Happiness