Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

Feeling stuck in your habits? Discover how to break free by facing challenges with patience. Explore the delicate balance of helping others while respecting their choices, and learn the importance of mental training for lasting happiness. Rick shares insights on making deliberate choices, reclaiming your inner goodness, and embracing both personal agency and the flow of the universe. Gain practical tips for taking responsibility for your life and letting go of fruitless efforts to truly empower both yourself and others.

Anxiety is a normal human experience — we all feel anxious or afraid sometimes — but excessive or chronic anxiety can wear us down and be detrimental to our long-term happiness and health. Plus, many of us are anxious about things that we don’t actually need to be anxious about.In this talk, I shared some ideas on how to prevent and release needless anxiety.Some key points that I covered are:We can feel undisturbed, undefended, and uncontracted in the moment — which is what we meditated on.In order to receive the present moment without fear, we have to recognize that the brain is a prediction machine and can be stuck in predictions, especially regarding fear.The scientific understanding of how the brain generalizes fear, including the biological and neurological mechanisms involved.Strategies for preventing and managing overgeneralized fear, including mindfulness, self-compassion, and self-awareness practices.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 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 easy to feel hurt, frustrated, or reactive when others let us down — or when we’re caught in old patterns of resentment and blame. But we actually have the power to influence how we see, feel about, and respond to other people. So this week I explored how to “love at will,” make positive deposits in our emotional memory bank, and draw on timeless Buddhist wisdom to live with more kindness, integrity, and peace — even when others are difficult.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 you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

In these turbulent times, it’s natural to feel shaken. Together, we can return to what is truly reliable—our present moment, our good intentions, our capacity to love, the steadiness of awareness, and the enduring ground of nature and the universe. These refuges give us strength, clarity, and peace, even amid uncertainty.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 you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Explore the intense experience of being triggered and how it impacts our emotions. Learn the importance of naming triggers to calm your mind and access deeper feelings hidden beneath anger. Discover the power of pause before reacting, allowing for clearer judgment and self-compassion. Dive into strategies for mobilizing inner strength and making thoughtful plans post-trigger. Reflect on how personal triggers connect to broader societal issues, ultimately guiding us toward compassion and resilience.

Explore the art of letting go and find balance amidst the chaos of life. Discover how to do the 'next right thing' while embracing both effort and acceptance. Learn the importance of resting when necessary and cultivating small, persistent actions even in tough times. Delve into the wisdom of the Buddha on right effort and recognize your true nature to shift your experience. Reflect on the balance between striving and inherent completeness to enhance your journey through life's challenges.

Life's challenges often lead us to unnecessary suffering. The podcast dives into the Buddhist concepts of dukkha (suffering), sukha (well-being), and tanha (craving). Discover how to navigate pain and pleasure without adding distress. Learn methods to reduce craving and foster genuine happiness that doesn’t rely on attachment. It emphasizes balance and presence, guiding listeners to cultivate resilience and inner peace amidst life's ups and downs.

We can’t stop life from bringing pain—loss, disappointment, aging—but we can stop piling extra suffering on top of it. In this talk, I explore timeless Buddhist wisdom and practical psychology for meeting life’s “golden winds” without being blown away by them. Learn how to recognize the difference between pain and the suffering we create, work with craving and clinging, and rest in the natural state of peaceful, openhearted happiness that’s already within you.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 you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

Feeling isolated, burdened, or unseen? In a world that often feels fragmented and exhausting—with anxiety, stress, and a subtle sense that you’re not quite enough—you may long to feel more supported, connected, and grounded.So this week I invite you to shift from striving to be loved to being carried by love—not imaginary, but foundational. This kind of living transforms ordinary experiences: the events of your day might stay the same, but how you feel through them—and how they affect you—can change dramatically. In this talk, I share:How to identify the felt sense of being carried, not left to push forward alonePractices that encourage love to open through youHow to shift from a top‑down, “must act on it” stance to a more receptive, grounded belongingHow life’s persistent gifts—evolutionary forces, the natural world, kindness from others, and consciousness itself—are ever-present supportsWhen enough individuals begin to be lived by love, personal lives transform—and collective change becomes possible. In a world teetering between justice and strife, being lived by love isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.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 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 feel torn between striving for change and surrendering to what is. We can get stuck trying too hard, or give up entirely. So this week, I explore how to find a wise balance between deliberate intention and choiceless awareness, and how to grow lasting inner strengths like compassion, kindness, joy, and equanimity. These are qualities we can practice—not just admire.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 you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.