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What To Do When You’re Angry | Matthew Brensilver, Vinny Ferraro, Kaira Jewel Lingo

Oct 2, 2024

Matthew Brensilver, a Dharma teacher with a focus on mindfulness, Vinny Ferraro, known for his meditation expertise, and Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former nun with unique spiritual insights, discuss the complexities of anger. They explore how to embrace rather than suppress anger, viewing it as a potential catalyst for personal growth. The trio offers practical strategies for managing this intense emotion, emphasizing self-compassion and mindful reflection. Listeners learn how to navigate anger through love and deeper self-understanding.

01:12:25

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Episode guests

Kaira Jewel Lingo

Vinny Ferraro

Matthew Brensilver

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Anger is a complex emotion that requires mindfulness to recognize, embrace, and understand its underlying causes for personal growth.

Viewing anger through a lens of curiosity encourages self-exploration and reduces the shame often associated with this powerful emotion.

Meditation serves as a vital tool for observing emotions like anger, enabling individuals to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

Deep dives

Understanding Anger

Anger is explored as a complicated and often destructive emotion that varies widely in its manifestation among individuals. Some people experience anger frequently and find it leads to unwise actions, while others suppress it, leading to unresolved issues. The discussion includes personal anecdotes, illustrating how everyday situations can trigger anger, even when a person doesn't perceive themselves as an angry individual. The recognition of anger as both a common struggle and a deeply personal experience encourages listeners to reflect on their relationship with this emotion.

Intro

4min

Embracing Authenticity in Relationships

4min

Embracing Anger: A Mindful Exploration

26min

Embracing Anger: A Compassionate Approach

7min

Embracing Anger: A Path to Self-Understanding

10min

Navigating Anger and Nostalgia

7min

Navigating Anger Through Love

21min

Transforming Anger: Mindfulness and Community Engagement

4min

A deep dive on one of the thorniest and most destructive states of mind.

For this episode, Executive Producer DJ Cashmere interviewed a trio of brilliant Dharma teachers to get their advice about how to handle anger. This is the first in a series of 'correspondent' episodes, in which DJ identifies a pain point in his life and meditation practice, then goes out into the world to report on the best ways to address it.

Kaira Jewel Lingo is a former nun in the Plum Village tradition started by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Vinny Ferraro teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, and also in prisons. Matthew Brensilver teaches at many of the same retreat centers, and spent many years working in the field of addiction pharmacotherapy.

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Want to study and practice with today's guests? Please check out these Spirit Rock offerings:

Matthew Brensilver, Buddhist Psychology Training (Begins in January)

Vinny Ferraro: A Year to Live; Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully (Begins in January)

Kaira Jewel Lingo: Healing Our Way Home (Oct. 20); Insight Meditation Retreat (April 9-16; opens Dec. 11)

All 10% Happier listeners receive a discount code for our December Insight Retreat (Dec. 8-18) with the code TENPERCENT

& if you'd like to study with these guests on the East Coast, check out these retreats at the Insight Meditation Society:

Kaira Jewel Lingo, Strength to Love: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King: Jr. (Jan 17 - Jan 20), and Return to Wholeness: Opening to Wisdom & Love (Mar 23 - Mar 29)

Vinny Ferraro, Peace in Presence: A Four-Night Retreat for All (Jan 31 - Feb 4)

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