Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

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 dail...

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...

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....

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...

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 at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditation...

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 s...

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, ground...

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, loo...

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...

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 wel...

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...

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 f...

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: W...

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, in...

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 sig...

In this talk, I explore what it’s like for us when we get triggered—those moments when, all of a sudden, something takes over and we’re flooded with a strong, often old, emotional reaction. We’ll walk through how to recognize we’re triggered, pause to let the full story come into view, bring compassion and kindness to ourselves, and mobilize a kind of grounded strength on our own behalf before we...

So often we get caught in worry, strain, and the constant pressure to do more — to fix everything, to control what we simply can’t. In this talk, I explore how to let go of what’s beyond our power, how to do the “next right thing” even when life feels overwhelming, and how to find balance between striving and simply being. You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by si...

So often we struggle with life’s challenges—reacting with stress, craving, or grasping—only to find ourselves adding suffering on top of difficulty. In this talk, I explore the Buddha’s essential teachings on dukkha (suffering), sukha (well-being), and tanha (craving)—and how to navigate them skillfully so we can live with greater resilience, peace, and joy. We’ll look at how pain becomes sufferin...

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 st...

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...

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...

Life can feel like it’s coming at us from all sides—relationships change, plans fall through, our bodies age, and the world keeps shifting under our feet. It’s totally normal to feel uneasy or anxious in the face of all this unpredictability. But what if we could relate to change in a different way—not as something to fear, but as something we can move with, and even find peace within? This week,...

When life feels uncertain, chaotic, or painful, our minds scramble for answers. We try to make sense of things we may never fully understand. We cling to being right, to figuring it out, to knowing for sure… but what if real freedom comes from loosening that grip? There is a deep value in not knowing—not as a failure, but as a profound refuge. Certainty can become a trap, but if we can rest in ope...

So many of us are quick to dismiss our own pain—or the pain of others. We might tell ourselves to “move on” or wonder why someone else is still upset. But the truth is, suffering deserves respect. When we minimize pain, it often makes it worse—and avoidant patterns can keep us stuck. That’s why it’s important to face what hurts with compassion and strength – so we can release what no longer serves...

We all want to feel seen, respected, and appreciated—but so often, we’re overlooked. Feeling unappreciated can be quietly painful—and surprisingly common. Our efforts go unnoticed, our sincerity unacknowledged, and over time it can really wear us down and even cause resentment toward those we care about. So this week I explored the deep human need for appreciation—not as ego-stroking, but as a vit...