Latest talk by Rick Hanson at his Wednesday night sitting group in San Rafael, CA. More information on the San Rafael Mediation group is available at http://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/meditation-group.
Give No One Cause to Fear You
May 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What puts people at ease? The Practice: Give no one cause to fear you. Why? We evolved to be afraid. The ancient ancestors that were casual and blithely hopeful, underestimating the risks around them – predators, loss of food, aggression from others of their kind – did not pass on their genes. But the ones [...]
Hug the Monkey
April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Longing for love? The Practice: Hug the monkey. Why? Your brain evolved in three stages (to simplify a complex process): Reptile – Brainstem, focused on avoiding harm Mammal – Limbic system, focused on approaching rewards Primate – Cortex, focused on attaching to “us” The first JOT in this series – pet the lizard – was [...]
Feed The Mouse
April 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Got cheese? The Practice: Feed the mouse. Why? As the nervous system evolved, your brain developed in three stages: Reptile – Brainstem, focused on avoiding harm Mammal – Limbic system, focused on approaching rewards Primate – Cortex, focused on attaching to “us” Since the brain is integrated, avoiding, approaching, and attaching are accomplished by its [...]
Empty The Cup
January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Are you full to the rim? The Practice: Empty the cup. Why? Once upon a time, a scholar came to visit a saint. After the scholar had been orating and propounding for a while, the saint proposed some tea. She slowly filled the scholar’s cup: gradually the tea rose to the very brim and began [...]
Remember The Big Things
January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What matters most to you? The Practice: Remember the big things. Why? In every life, reminders arrive about what’s really important. I’ve recently received one myself, in a form that’s already come to countless people and will come to countless more: news of a potentially serious health problem. My semi-annual dermatology mole check turned up [...]
Rest
January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Busy, busy? The Practice: Rest. Why? This practice is definitely a case of teaching what you need to learn: I’ve been working through a big bucket of tasks lately with little chance to rest. (I console myself with knowing that the bucket is emptying a lot faster than it’s filling with new tasks.) Sometimes you [...]
Have Compassion
November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Compassion is natural; you don’t have to force it – moments of compassion come in the flow of life. Try to open to compassion – including all beings, omitting none.
Speak from the Heart
August 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Just One Thing suggests a simple practice each week that will bring you more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind and heart. You can read more at http://bit.ly/RH-JOT.
Balancing Joining and Separating
May 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There is a natural balance within us all between the desire for joining and the desire for separation, between the desire for closeness and the desire for distance. These two great themes – joining and separation – are central to human life. Almost everyone wants both of them, to varying degrees.
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