Advertise on podcast: Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

What should we do when we get triggered — especially by other people? In this talk, I discuss how mindfulness, focused attention, open awareness, and non-clinging help us manage reactivity, reduce rumination, and relate more wisely to ourselves and others. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When fear and anxiety feel woven into the fabric of everyday life — from global crises to personal health worries — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, or stuck in a loop of dread. So this week I explored how to meet anxiety with mindfulness and compassion, find real refuges that steady the heart, take meaningful action without burning out, and hold life with a wider wisdom perspective. When we relinquish what no longer serves — harsh self-judgment, false hopes, and unnecessary worry — we can live well, meanwhile, even in a world that can feel profoundly uncertain. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When you’ve been triggered enough times, it’s easy to start living smaller: avoiding certain conversations, second-guessing yourself, and staying inside an invisible cage that looks like caution but feels like contraction. In this talk, I explore what “trusting yourself” really means—not as bravado or blind confidence, but as an embodied sense that you can stay steady, return to center, and take the next step even in uncertainty. Along the way, we connect this to early conditioning (basic trust/mistrust), to good intentions, and to practical tools for staying grounded when someone tries to pull you into their script. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When you pause and look honestly at your life, it can be hard to know whether you’re living from what truly matters—or just reacting to the world around you.  So this week, I explored the nature of good intentions, choice, and values. When you clarify what you care about most, it’s easier to live with moral clarity without slipping into self-judgment or ill will, and translate intentions into daily action.  You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of modern life, and it’s hard to steady your mind when you’re distracted, stressed, rattled, or ruminating about the things you feel threatened about or resentful of. In this talk, I explored 3 practical ways to bring calm, clarity, and presence into your daily routine — even amidst the distractions and pressures of the world. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When we cling to what we “know,” we often suffer — because we narrow our perspective and can get trapped in a cycle of expectations and disappointments. This prevents us from seeing the true nature of our ever-changing reality, as well as the many opportunities around us. In this talk, I discussed how embracing “not knowing” can help dissolve suffering, releasing us from the shackles of our mind. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Grief can feel endless — looping, heavy, and hard to escape — especially when losses can’t be fixed. As we will all experience loss at some point, I thought I’d explore how to grieve without getting stuck. If we can pull ourselves out of rumination, we can carry our grief in a larger field of love, wisdom, and all that is still good in the world. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Aging, illness, loss, and mortality can quietly haunt us — especially when they touch the people we love or our own bodies. In this talk, I explore how to meet these realities with compassion and wisdom, and how to rest in something deeper than what inevitably changes. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When you feel alone with your worries, disconnected from others, or burdened by old patterns you can’t seem to shake, it’s easy to think you’re supposed to handle everything by yourself. But science — and deep wisdom traditions — show that feeling genuinely supported is not a luxury; it’s essential for resilience, healing, and well-being. In this talk, we explore how to recognize and receive the social support already around you, and how to strengthen it inside your own mind. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When life feels shaky, fast-moving, or overwhelming, it’s natural to look for something steady to rest in. And for most people, there actually is a lot that protects and nurtures you every day — it’s just easy to take it for granted. So this week, I encourage you to really take in the deep nourishment of refuge—the places, people, practices, and inner qualities that help you feel protected, grounded, and replenished. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Many of us live inside an “invisible cage” made from old fears, guardedness, and habits of staying small. Anxiety shows up not only in dread and worry, but in all the subtle ways we avoid risks, silence ourselves, or brace for what might go wrong. So in this talk, I explore how insight — from psychology, somatic work, and early Buddhism — can help you recognize where anxiety really comes from, loosen its grip, and grow a grounded, calm strength inside. Bit by bit, you can expand your inner cage, reclaim your freedom, and meet life with more confidence and ease. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

A lot of us feel overwhelmed these days — flooded by other people’s emotions, worn down by the suffering around us, or confused about how to stay open-hearted without burning out. In this week’s teaching, I talk about the real nature of empathy, the sweetness of compassion, and how to stay grounded while engaging with a world that’s hurting. We explore how to be with our own reactions, how to keep our hearts open without collapsing, and how to move from individual healing to collective action that really makes a difference. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Many of us carry old regrets — choices we made as children or adults that still weigh on the heart. We replay mistakes, wonder “what if,” and feel guilty long after we’ve done the hard work of learning. So this week, I explored how to hold responsibility without shame, and how self-forgiveness, compassion, and perspective can help us lay down our burdens and rest in peace and wholeness. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

So often we judge ourselves harshly — reacting quickly, closing off, or staying angry even when we “know better.” But beneath every reaction, even the messy or neurotic ones, is a good intention trying to protect or guide us. In this talk, I explore how to reconnect with our innate goodness, see the good intent beneath our reactivity, and find conviction in taking the higher road — with compassion for others and ourselves. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Sometimes we can get stuck in our habits or our personal struggles, and we trap ourselves in a cage of our own making. OR, we see others who are unable to move forward and feel inclined to help them, but find they resist efforts to untangle the strands of their situation. But we can move forward and grow if we face our challenges wisely and with patience. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks—for free—by signing up here. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it here. And if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.