Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

When fear and anxiety feel woven into the fabric of everyday life — from global crises to personal health worries — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, or stuck in a loop of dread.
So this week I explored how to meet anxiety with mindfulness and compassion, find real refuges that steady the heart, take meaningful action without burning out, and hold life with a wider wisdom perspective.
When we relinquish what no longer serves — harsh self-judgment, false hopes, and unnecessary worry — we can live well, meanwhile, even in a world that can feel profoundly uncertain.
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 if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

When you’ve been triggered enough times, it’s easy to start living smaller: avoiding certain conversations, second-guessing yourself, and staying inside an invisible cage that looks like caution but feels like contraction. In this talk, I explore what “trusting yourself” really means—not as bravado or blind confidence, but as an embodied sense that you can stay steady, return to center, and take the next step even in uncertainty. Along the way, we connect this to early conditioning (basic trust/mistrust), to good intentions, and to practical tools for staying grounded when someone tries to pull you into their script.
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 if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

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 daily action. 
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 if 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 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 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 if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.

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.
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 if you'd like to check out any of my online programs, you can receive 20% off by using coupon code PW20 during checkout.