How To Figure Out What You Actually Need Right Now | Meditation with Sebene Selassie

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• The episode features a guided meditation led by Sebene Selassie designed to help listeners tune into their inner knowing and body wisdom to determine what they actually need.  Copied to clipboard!
• The concept of 'listening to your gut' or intuition is made practical through mindfulness techniques focused on sensory experience rather than racing thoughts.  Copied to clipboard!
• The body possesses an innate wisdom that can communicate needs and future desires through subtle physical responses like expansion, contraction, or changes in breath.  Copied to clipboard!

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Introduction to Guided Meditation

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(00:00:18)

• Key Takeaway: Sebene Selassie guides listeners through a meditation on accessing intuition, addressing the common difficulty of truly listening to one’s gut.
• Summary: The episode centers on a guided meditation by Sebene Selassie to help listeners connect with their intuition, a frequently cited but often abstract goal in personal growth. This practice aims to move beyond clichés by offering a practical method for tuning into the body’s sensory experience. The meditation is offered as a free sample of the custom content Sebene Selassie creates for paying subscribers during October.

Upcoming Events and Subscriptions

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(00:00:42)

• Key Takeaway: Sebene Selassie is the October Teacher of the Month, offering exclusive content and live Q&A sessions every Tuesday at 4 PM Eastern.
• Summary: Listeners can access custom guided meditations from Sebene Selassie on Monday and Wednesday episodes by subscribing at danharris.com. Additionally, live guided meditation and Q&A sessions occur every Tuesday at 4 PM Eastern, with a joint session featuring Dan Harris and Sebene Selassie on October 14th. An in-person ‘Meditation Party’ retreat with Sebene Selassie and Dan Harris is scheduled for October 24th-26th at the Omega Institute.

Meditation Party Retreat Details

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(00:01:18)

• Key Takeaway: The Omega Institute retreat includes four meditation sessions, conversation, Q&A, small group discussions, and optional activities like hiking and a Saturday night dance party.
• Summary: The weekend retreat runs from October 24th through the 26th and features four structured sessions spread across Friday evening, Saturday morning/afternoon, and Sunday morning. Between sessions, attendees have free time for various recreational activities, including sports and additional meditation opportunities. The event structure blends formal teaching with informal interaction and personal time.

Airbnb Hosting Promotion

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(00:02:20)

• Key Takeaway: Hosting one’s home on Airbnb while traveling can offset trip costs or provide extra income for splurges or home improvements.
• Summary: Dan Harris shares a personal anecdote about enjoying staying in homes on vacation, prompting reflection on hosting one’s own home via Airbnb. Hosting is presented as a way to make travel costs more manageable or generate income. Potential hosts can find out their home’s value at airbnb.com/host.

BetterHelp Sponsor Segment

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(00:03:41)

• Key Takeaway: BetterHelp is celebrating therapists for World Mental Health Day by sharing listener thank-you notes, emphasizing the impact of professional guidance.
• Summary: The segment highlights the value of therapy through testimonials thanking specific therapists for patience, life transformation, guidance, and helping to organize internal struggles. BetterHelp assists listeners in finding the right therapist to start their mental health journey. Listeners receive 10% off their first month by visiting betterhelp.com/Happier.

Tuning into Inner Knowing Meditation

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(00:04:55)

• Key Takeaway: Meditation facilitates tuning into innate wisdom by quieting external concerns about others’ opinions and focusing on internal sensory experience.
• Summary: Many people struggle to tune into themselves due to worrying about external opinions or the chaos of the modern world. Meditation allows practitioners to turn inward, connect with sensory experience, and access an inner knowing rooted in innate wisdom. This wisdom provides clarity and kindness for meeting current circumstances, even if it doesn’t solve all global problems.

Body Awareness and Centering

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(00:06:07)

• Key Takeaway: The initial phase of the meditation involves grounding by sensing the body’s contact points with support and focusing on the natural rhythm of the breath.
• Summary: The practice begins by finding a comfortable position, ensuring the spine is naturally straight, and softening the gaze or closing the eyes. Participants are guided to arrive in the moment by noticing surrounding sounds and sensations. The focus then shifts to sensing the body, feeling its weight settling into support, and using deep breaths to sink deeper into the present moment.

Locating Inner Wisdom Space

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(00:08:05)

• Key Takeaway: Turning attention inward directs focus to a specific internal space—like the heart or belly—which serves as a point of connection to quieter, bodily wisdom.
• Summary: Listeners are invited to observe where their attention naturally goes when asked to turn inward, noting areas like the heart, belly, or behind the eyes. This internal space is identified as a potential pathway to deeper knowing, distinct from the racing thoughts of the mind. Resting awareness in this bodily space allows for a connection to quieter, innate wisdom.

Inquiry into Current Needs

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(00:09:47)

• Key Takeaway: The question, “What do I need right now?” should be dropped into the inner knowing space without mental searching, trusting the first arising response.
• Summary: The first inquiry question is posed to the inner knowing space, explicitly instructing the listener not to use their mind to search for an answer. The response might manifest as a word, image, or feeling, and the instruction is to trust this initial, unedited input. If no answer arises, acknowledging “I don’t know” is also a valid bodily response, which should be felt for its physical impact (expansion or contraction).

Inquiry into Future Emergence

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(00:11:41)

• Key Takeaway: A second question, “What wants to emerge in my life?”, is posed to the inner knowing, emphasizing receptive listening over forcing an answer.
• Summary: The second question invites contemplation on future possibilities, again asking the listener to let the question settle into their inner knowing without forcing a response. The physical landing of whatever arises—be it clear or confusing—is what matters, as this sensation is how inner wisdom communicates. This communication can manifest as a gentle knowing, firm conviction, or a subtle sense of yes or no.

Concluding Practice and Wisdom

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(00:13:01)

• Key Takeaway: The capacity for inner listening is always available, and consistent practice clarifies this innate wisdom, which is often obscured by external noise.
• Summary: The practice concludes by resting in the connection to inner knowing, appreciating that this capacity already exists within the listener. Returning to the breath allows one to access this listening place anytime, as the wisdom is inherent, not something to be earned. Regularly listening to and trusting subtle bodily cues makes this inner knowing clearer over time.

Credits and Final Announcements

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(00:15:07)

• Key Takeaway: The show credits production staff, including producers Tara Anderson and Eleanor Vasili, and mentions upcoming live events and sponsor messages.
• Summary: The episode thanks Sebene Selassie and reminds listeners about signing up at danharris.com for custom meditations and weekly Tuesday live Q&A sessions. Production credits list Tara Anderson and Eleanor Vasili as producers, with Nick Thorburn providing the theme music. The segment concludes with advertisements for Saks Fifth Avenue and the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction.