Rick Hanson's Blog, page 104

Thou All Others

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titled Thou All Others. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

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Mindfulness of Object Relations

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titled Mindfulness of Object Relations. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

The post Mindfulness of Object Relations appeared first on Dr. Rick Hanson.

Object Relations

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titled Object Relations. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

The post Object Relations appeared first on Dr. Rick Hanson.

Realizing You Don’t Need to Feel Frightened, Frustrated, or Hurt

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titled Realizing You Don’t Need to Feel Frightened, Frustrated, or Hurt. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

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Let It Go

When is it “time to fold ‘em?”

The Practice

Let it go.

Why?

Most people, me included, are holding onto at least one thing way past its expiration date.

It could be a belief, perhaps that your hair is falling out and you are ugly and unlovable as a result, that you can’t say what you really feel in an intimate relationship, or that you must lose ten pounds to be attractive. It could be a desire, such as wishing someone would treat you better, pushing to make a project be successful, yearning for a...

Being at Peace with the Pain of Others

Can you stay open to the pain of others?

The Practice:

Being at peace with the pain of others.

Why?

Humans are an empathic, compassionate, and loving species, so it is natural to feel sad, worried, or fiery about the troubles and pain of other people. (And about those of cats and dogs and other animals, but I’ll focus on human beings here.)

Long ago, the Buddha spoke of the “first dart” of unavoidable physical pain. Given our hardwired nature as social beings, when those we care about are threaten...

An Openhearted Peace with the Pain of Others

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titled Openhearted Peace with the Pain of Others. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

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Emotional Hijacking

In light of the machinery of survival-based, emotional reactivity, let’s look more narrowly at what Daniel Goleman has called “emotional hijacking.”

The emotional circuits of your brain – which are relatively primitive from an evolutionary standpoint, originally developed when dinosaurs ruled the earth – exert great influence over the more modern layers of the brain in the cerebral cortex. They do this in large part by continually “packaging” incoming sensory information in two hugely influent...

Loving, Learning, and Letting Go – When You Feel Hurt

Here is the latest talk from the San Rafael Meditation group with Rick Hanson. It’s titledLoving, Learning, and Letting Go – When You Feel Hurt. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group can be found at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.

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How Firmly Should You Pursue Your Intentions?

How firmly do you pursue your intentions? Neither too tight nor too loose a rein.

As with the balance of the capital city and the provinces, it’s worth considering what your tendencies are and if there is an imbalance. For example, some of us hold onto our goals to a fault (myself, ahem) going down with the ship – pull up! It’s a trap!! – while others give up way too soon or don’t take their own needs and wants seriously enough.

From the Buddhist perspective, the path that leads to the greatest...