Mindful Meditations with Dr. Rick Hanson

A gentle, spacious meditation for those moments when striving gets exhausting. Together we explore who you are when you’re not going anywhere or trying to fix anything—resting in open-hearted presence, a sense of vastness, and the simple relief of coming home to being, with plenty of quiet to let the experience deepen. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for every...

It's normal to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of modern life, and it's hard to have a steady mind when we're distracted, stressed, rattled, or ruminating about the things we feel threatened about or resentful of. This meditation invites you to settle the body, quiet the mind, and rest in a peaceful, contented awareness—stable like a mountain and open like the sky. You’re welcome to j...

This meditation invites you to settle into a comfortable, kind presence with your body and breath, easing around tension and quieting inner speech so you can rest in simple, open awareness.  You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation...

This meditation is an invitation to come home — to step out of busyness, worry, and striving, and rest in the present moment. Through open awareness, you’ll soften around thoughts and sensations, widen attention, and settle into a deep sense of ease, spaciousness, and simply being, with nothing to fix or manage. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — b...

When your mind feels busy, self-critical, or weighed down by worry, pain, or unrealistic expectations, it can help to settle the nervous system and come home to your body – which this meditation is designed to do. Through gentle awareness and self-compassion, you’re invited to lay down inner pressure and reconnect with a felt sense of steadiness, kindness, and your own innate goodness. You’re welc...

When life feels unsteady — when anxiety pulls you into the future, when you feel unsupported, or when you’re carrying everything on your own shoulders — it becomes hard to recognize the real stability that’s already here for you. This meditation gently helps you shift out of worry and into the lived, felt experience of being supported: by your breath, your body, the objects around you, and the wid...

If you’ve been feeling tense, fearful, or disconnected from yourself, this practice guides you back into a grounded, calm, openhearted state, so you can rest in your own being with less anxiety and more peace. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with...

If you often feel tense, unsettled, or caught in old patterns of fear, this practice helps you come home to your body, soften anxiety at its roots, and reconnect with your natural steadiness and kindness. We’ll move gently through grounding, releasing fear, and opening the heart so you can rest more fully in calm presence. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for e...

In this heart-centered meditation, I gently guide you to settle into your body, find your place, and rest in the simple rhythm of your breath. As attention gathers in the chest, you explore a steady concentration on breathing in the heart area—then gradually infuse it with warm-heartedness, kindness, and loving presence. The practice invites you to soften, receive the breath rather than chase it,...

When the mind won’t settle — when thoughts spin, tension lingers, or self-criticism keeps you restless — it’s hard to find any real peace. This meditation invites you to gently let go of everything that isn’t calm, open, and present , and to rest more and more fully in the simplicity of peaceful awareness itself. Over time, the noise quiets, and what remains is a steady, grounded presence you can...

When life feels busy or your mind won’t settle, it’s easy to lose touch with the simple goodness already inside you. This guided meditation helps you release tension, rest in calm awareness, and open your heart with kindness and compassion. Over time, it’s a gentle way to come home to yourself — peaceful, present, and already enough. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations —...

A lot of life - and meditation - involves being patient. In this guided meditation, we focus on allowing thoughts and events to come and go without grasping or clinging... but just being, patiently. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided me...

To help ease and release anxiety, we can focus on feeling undisturbed, undefended, and uncontracted in the moment — which is what this guided meditation will help you to do. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone...

In this meditation, we rest in the simple miracle of breathing — feeling supported by the body, the air, and the many forces that sustain life. As awareness moves through the belly, diaphragm, and heart, we open to steadiness, peace, and compassion. Gradually, this presence expands into the whole body — and into a felt sense of our own basic goodness and higher purpose. A gentle practice for retur...

In today’s world, our minds race ahead while our bodies strain under stress, anxiety, and worry. This meditation is about coming home—finding relief from rumination, softening defendedness in the body, and resting in the deep reassurance that, right now, you are basically all right. Even with pain, sadness, or uncertainty, you can return to a simple, peaceful sense of being—your true home in the p...

In this meditation, I guide you to settle into awareness of the body and breath, nurturing spaciousness and warm-hearted presence as a foundation for later exploring what to do when feeling triggered. I also encourage you to let go of tension and striving, so you can rest in the present moment and develop qualities that will support you when challenges arise. You’re welcome to join me live each we...

This meditation will help you steady the mind like a candle in a windless place—calm, present, and undisturbed. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to explore the talk that follow...

Find a calm center within. In this guided meditation, explore peace, vastness, and stillness—not as ideas, but as living qualities you can rest in. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d...

So often we meditate to “get” somewhere — to reach a better state of mind. But in this guided meditation, you’ll simply rest in what’s already here: your natural, undisturbed well-being. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to...

When life feels scattered or tense, it’s powerful to return to simple grounding and heartfelt presence. In this meditation, you’ll settle into your body, release unnecessary anxiety, and open to calm strength and a sense of being safe in the here and now. From this steady foundation, you’ll soften into feelings of warmth, caring, and being cared for—allowing them to ripple through you and sink in...

When your mind is racing or your body feels tense, it’s a sign your nervous system needs a reset. In this meditation, we’ll explore how simple awareness and gentle letting go can ease stress, calm your body, and help you return to a more balanced, peaceful state. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-m...

When life feels uncertain and your body is holding onto tension, it’s easy to get swept up in worry and lose touch with any real sense of calm. In this meditation, I’ll guide you toward settling into your body, easing out of unnecessary anxiety, and finding a deep, reassuring sense that—at least in this moment—you’re basically all right. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditatio...

When your mind is scattered, your heart feels heavy, or you’re just worn down by it all—this meditation offers a way to come back to yourself. Through the breath and body, we’ll gently settle into presence, soften the inner pressure, and rest in the deep refuge of your own loving heart. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://ri...

When life feels overwhelming or you’re caught in tension, this meditation helps you come back to a sense of safety and ease in your body. We’ll gently explore how to settle your mind, soften around pain or anxiety, and open the heart—without forcing anything or needing to fix it. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanso...

In this guided meditation, we explore the practice of appreciating what’s enjoyable, meaningful, or simply good in the moment. Let yourself settle, open, and receive. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these meditations — free for everyone — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the...