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Sharon Salzberg

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program Paperback – December 29, 2010

by Sharon Salzberg (Author)

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Thousands of years prove it, and Western science backs it: Meditation sharpens focus. Meditation lowers blood pressure, relieves chronic pain, reduces stress. Meditation helps us experience greater calm. Meditation connects us to our inner-most feelings and challenges our habits of self-judgment. Meditation helps protect the brain against aging and improves our capacity for learning new things. Meditation opens the door to real and accessible happiness.

There is no better person to show a beginner how to harness the power of meditation than Sharon Salzberg, one of the world’s foremost meditation teachers and spiritual authors. Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, author of Lovingkindness, Faith, and other books, Ms. Salzberg distills 30 years of teaching meditation into a 28-day program that will change lives. It is not about Buddhism, it’s not esoteric―it is closer to an exercise, like running or riding a bike. From the basics of posture, breathing, and the daily schedule to the finer points of calming the mind, distraction, dealing with specific problem areas (pain in the legs? falling asleep?) to the larger issues of compassion and awareness, Real Happiness is a complete guide. It explains how meditation works; why a daily meditation practice results in more resiliency, creativity, peace, clarity, and balance; and gives twelve meditation practices, including mindfulness meditation and walking meditation. An extensive selection of her students’ FAQs cover the most frequent concerns of beginners who meditate―“Is meditation selfish?” “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” “Can I use meditation to manage weight?”

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Workman Publishing Company
Publication date

December 29, 2010
Dimensions

6 x 0.69 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0761159258
ISBN-13

978-0761159254
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Salzberg speaks from experience…an extraordinary teacher.”
- O, The Oprah Magazine

About the Author

Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She has played a pivotal role in bringing meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture since 1974. Sharon is cofounder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and has authored 10 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth and relatable teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. Her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. Sharon is also the host of her own podcast The Metta Hour, with 100+ episodes featuring interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement. Learn more at www.sharonsalzberg.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Ben started meditating when he was an army reservist on active duty in Iraq. I became his teacher via e-mail. He told me that he felt meditation would help him deal with the stress and trauma that he faced every day and stay true to his deepest values.

Sarah wanted to be a good stepmother. She thought learning to meditate would help her listen more patiently and better negotiate the complex relationships in her newly blended family.

Diane took a meditation class I taught at the large media company where she’s a division manager. She was seeking more balance between her work life and her home life, she said, and a way to communicate with colleagues clearly and calmly no matter how crazy things got at the office.

Jerry is a firefighter dealing with the aftermath of being a first responder at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Elena needed to concentrate on studying for her real estate licensing exam. Rosie hoped to cope better with chronic back pain. Lisa, the owner of a small catering company, told me that she wanted to stop feeling as if she were sleepwalking most of the time. “I’m on automatic pilot, disconnected from myself,” she said. “I’m so worried about the things on my to-do list, or about the future, that I’m totally missing my present. I feel as if I’m living my life behind my own back.”

I’ve changed the names of some of my students and some identifying details, but their motivations are real, and so are the many ways that the practice of meditation has improved their lives.

For thirty-six years, I’ve taught meditation to thousands of people, at the Insight Meditation Society retreat center in Barre, Massachusetts, which I cofounded in 1975, and at schools, corporations, government agencies, and community centers all over the world. I’ve introduced the techniques you’re about to encounter to groups of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, schoolteachers, police officers, athletes, teenagers, army chaplains and medics, doctors, nurses, burn patients, prisoners, frontline workers in domestic violence shelters, new moms and dads. My students come from every walk of life, ethnic background, and belief tradition.

And they’re part of a national trend: A 2007 survey (the most recent data available) by the National Center for Health Statistics showed that more than twenty million Americans had practiced meditation in the previous twelve months. They did so, they told researchers, to improve their overall wellness; for help with stress, anxiety, pain, depression, or insomnia; and to deal with the symptoms and emotional strain of chronic illness such as heart disease and cancer.

People also turn to meditation, I’ve found, because they want to make good decisions, break bad habits, and bounce back better from disappointments. They want to feel closer to their families and friends; more at home and at ease in their own bodies and minds; or part of something larger than themselves. They turn to meditation because human lives are full of real, potential, and imagined hazards, and they want to feel safer, more confident, calmer, wiser. Beneath these varied motivations lie the essential truths that we’re all alike in wanting to be happy and in our vulnerability to pain and unpredictable, continual change.

Again and again I’ve seen novice meditators begin to transform their lives—even if they were initially resistant or skeptical. As I’ve learned through my own experience, meditation helps us to find greater tranquility, connect to our feelings, find a sense of wholeness, strengthen our relationships, and face our fears. That’s what happened to me.

I started meditating in 1971, as an eighteen-year-old college student spending my junior year studying in India. I was looking for practical tools to ease the misery and confusion that I felt every day, the residue of a painful and chaotic childhood. My father left when I was four; my mother died when I was nine, and I went to live with my grandparents. When I was eleven, my grandfather died and my father briefly returned, until a suicide attempt spun him away into the mental health system, from which he never emerged.

By the time I left for college, I’d lived in five different household configurations, each change precipitated by loss. I felt abandoned over and over again. The people who raised me were caring, but they were unable to speak openly about the things that had happened to me. I came to feel that I didn’t deserve much in life. I held my immense grief, anger, and confusion inside, fortifying my deep conviction that I was unworthy of love. I wanted with all my heart to find a sense of belonging, a steady source of love and comfort.

At sixteen, I entered the State University of New York at Buffalo. During my second year I learned about Buddhism in a course on Asian philosophy. I was attracted to its unashamed, unafraid acknowledgment of the suffering in life. That eased my sense of isolation: I wasn’t the only one in pain! The Buddha, a prince turned spiritual teacher born in India about 563 b.c., wrote: “You could search the whole world over and never find anyone as deserving of your love as yourself.” Not only did the Buddha say that love for oneself is possible, but he also described this capacity as something we must nurture, since it’s the foundation for being able to love and care for others. This philosophy offered me a way to ease the suffering caused by my feelings of confusion and despair. Despite some doubts, the chance of a move from self-hatred to selflove drew me like a magnet. I wasn’t interested in acquiring a new religion; I just wanted relief from so much unhappiness.

And so I went to India for an independent study program. When I got there, I heard about a respected teacher who was leading a meditation retreat for beginners and others. I was a bit disappointed to discover that meditation wasn’t as exotic as I’d expected—there were no mystical instructions delivered in a darkened chamber with a supernatural aura. Instead that first instructor launched my practice with the words, “Sit comfortably, and feel your breath.” Feel my breath? I thought in protest. I could have stayed in Buffalo to feel my breath! But I soon found out just how life-changing it would be simply to focus my attention on inhaling and exhaling in order to connect fully with my experience in a whole new way, one that allowed me to be kinder to myself and more open to others.

Once I learned how to look deep within, I found the bright vein of goodness that exists in everyone, including me—the goodness that may be hidden and hard to trust but is never entirely destroyed. I came to believe wholeheartedly that I deserve to be happy, and so does everyone else. Now when I meet a stranger, I feel more connected, knowing how much we share. And when I meet myself in meditation, I no longer feel I’m encountering a stranger.

Because of meditation, I’ve undergone profound and subtle shifts in the way I think and how I see myself in the world. I’ve learned that I don’t have to be limited to who I thought I was when I was a child or what I thought I was capable of yesterday, or even an hour ago. My meditation practice has freed me from the old, conditioned definition of myself as someone unworthy of love. Despite my initial fantasies when I began meditating as a college student, I haven’t entered a steady state of glorious bliss. Meditation has made me happy, loving, and peaceful—but not every single moment of the day. I still have good times and bad, joy and sorrow. Now I can accept setbacks more easily, with less sense of disappointment and personal failure, because meditation has taught me how to cope with the profound truth that everything changes all the time.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Workman Publishing Company; Pap/Com edition (December 29, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0761159258
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0761159254
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.69 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #282,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,184 in Stress Management Self-Help
- #2,581 in Meditation (Books)
- #3,479 in Happiness Self-Help

Customer Reviews:
677 ratings

About the author

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Sharon Salzberg

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Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer and industry leader, a world-renowned teacher and New York Times bestselling author. As one of the first to bring meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, her relatable, demystifying approach has inspired generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of eleven books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, her seminal work, Lovingkindness and her newest book, Real Change: Mindfulness To Heal Ourselves and the World, coming in September of 2020 from Flatiron Books. Sharon’s secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings is sought after at schools, conferences and retreat centers around the world. Sharon is the host of her own podcast, The Metta Hour, featuring 100+ interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement, and her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. Learn more at www.sharonsalzberg.com

Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		16%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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brian

Most well-balanced introduction

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014

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I was looking for a book that I could without reservation recommend to friends, and I can say that Salzberg has written just such a book. I've read a fair bit on vipassana meditation, so I would like to share my opinion on how "Real Happiness" stacks up.

"Mindfulness in Plain English" is clear and concise, but the first half of the book contains many unsupported claims before actually discussing meditative practice. Once into the second half, it's a great mindfulness introduction: getting into the nuts and bolts with plain English. "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation" is perhaps my favourite introductory book, but in it's overview of Theravada teachings, it uses many Pali language terms and advanced concepts. Unless the reader is dedicated and open-minded, they are unlikely to trudge through the translated suttas and the sometimes dense writing.

The primary problems I see for introductory books on vipassana meditation is that many Western readers will be turned-off by traditional elements of Theravada teaching. Although meditative practice has become more mainstream, for many it retains a stigma of New Age and granola. Salzberg's "Real Happiness" however leads in the first ~20% with an overview of scientific studies and the problems meditation aims to solve. After whetting the reader's appetite with what they have to gain, Salzberg then discusses the nuts and bolts of mindfulness meditation over a four week program. The program part is important -- if you can observe progress, it will be easier to stick to a consistent practice.

So, if you need an excellent introduction to vipassana meditation, here it is. And if you read it over four weeks, it's actually a very small amount of reading.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jennifer

Are you sporadic with your meditation practice because you just don’t have the time to do it?

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

Have you ever tried meditating and thought you weren’t good at it? Are you sporadic with your meditation practice because you just don’t have the time to do it? Have you ever wondered what is physically happening to your brain, your body while you meditate? Sharon Salzberg addresses these questions in her book “Real Happiness.”

Salzberg starts by explaining what meditation is and what it isn’t. She then goes into the benefits and the science of meditation, which for me was probably my favorite chapter. Learning that the brain physically changes when you participate in mindful meditation was fascinating to me.

From here the book is broken down into a four-week program with each week focusing on a different type of meditation. Each week is beautifully laid out; starting with an introduction and then going into the practice preview. I loved this because it’s nice to know ahead of time what the meditation session will be like. You don’t want to be thinking about the HOW when you should be focused on the meditation itself. Once you get a look at what’s to come, Salzberg introduces you to several different types of mediations for that week’s area of focus. She highlights or italicizes important concepts to remember, and provides tips and gentle reminders along the way. She ends each section with FAQs, reflections, and takeaways.

I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this book. I loved Salzberg’s writing style and her organization. This book was just so well done. . .highly recommend!

51 people found this helpful

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N. Shiyandja

Maybe a 3+/4. Love Sharon and the practice but this product could use some improvement

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2016

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I've been mediating for about 4 months and with encouraging results. I had had Salzberg and LovingKindness specifically recommended to me to help with some existential issues I've been dealing with and can honestly say in such a short time that I have a new and healthier perspective on a number of things. Sharon has a good non-religiousness about this stuff that allows agnostic/anesthetists like myself to try it and see the benefits. She writes well and I am enjoying the greater overview of the subject matter. I like what she has to say and how she puts it.

I was very excited to being this, am enjoying but find some areas for improvement. I think the vocal tone on Sharon's narration is not as nice as the many talks of her's that I have listened to on Dharma Seed. It feels a little rushed like she is just getting through the page. Maybe there was no one in the room when she read this and she didn't achieve the same empathic, human connection that she seems to strike in her lectures

Also, as a beginner, I really like the 'guided medications with pauses'. These are narrated meditation, where you listen and follow direction/advice for the duration of your session. I find that this audio version is kind of jangly and has distracting additions - it actually interrupts my focus to follow some of the stuff she adds (which is counter to the intent of the breathing meditation). Instead I rely on ones I downloaded (for free) from UCLA medication center. These are so soothing my kids listen to them to get to sleep.

23 people found this helpful

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treest

progress over perfection!

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

I found this book very reassuring. I have been meditating on and off for over 25 years, and always felt inadequate about how it was going. I have chronic anxiety, and this seemed to get in the way of what I felt a successful meditator did. Thanks to this book, I feel encouraged about the path my meditation takes. I previously felt that I should be meditating at least an hour a day to be good at it. Sharon's book has helped me to appreciate what I am able to do daily - 25 minutes. I am experiencing increasing awareness and improvement in managing my anxiety.

One person found this helpful

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MHM

Excellent Book on Common Sense Meditation...

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

If you find a need for bringing calm and peace to your hectic day and nervous system, this is the best book I have seen on meditation. The author emphasizes that there is no association with religion, but meditation is a healthy activity for bring back control to your life. It has allowed my wife and I, as senior citizens, to sleep much better, calming the nervous system for our healthy benefit. My suggestion is to buy the electronic version if you have more than one person in your household to make it easier to read on your kindle, android device or phone, together. And included are audio tracks describing the main types of meditations outlined in the book. If you buy the paperback, you will get these same audio tracks on a CD.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Sam

This book is very informative and although I don't like all the meditation suggestions it's very interesting how the ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

This book is very informative and although I don't like all the meditation suggestions it's very interesting how the author considers all styles and ways to meditate. The recordings don't come with the ebook and you need these if you want to practice some of the meditations otherwise you will have to read and record them yourself. You can't meditate and read at the same time

3 people found this helpful

Cevenol Kate

A way into meditation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2012

Verified Purchase

I bought this course book and CD to supplement the mediatation practice I started quite a while ago. I've worked with the first part of the CD and found that Ms Salzberg is a supportive and helpful teacher. She facilitates sessions well with down to earth and simply structured steps. She also has a good voice tone. Her whole message is to be kind to yourself and not to meditatate in a self critical way. I've also staring reading what appears to be a succinct introduction to meditation so I'm looking forward to using it and gaining from it.

8 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

worth reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

for any practitioner who wants to add further information and research to their knowledge and skills, give more in depth outlines to practice.

One person found this helpful

MRS JC GRAHAM

Book described as very good condition however in reality it had quite a large ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2018

Verified Purchase

Book described as very good condition however in reality it had quite a large amount of orange highlight throughout which given the genre of the text detracts from making it personal to the reader. A bit disappointing.

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very good introduction.

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