We offer meditation practices, talks and other resources to help deal with anxiety and fear
‘The essential cause of our suffering and anxiety is ignorance of the nature of reality, and craving and clinging to something illusory. That is referred to as ego, and the gasoline in the vehicle of ego is fear. Ego thrives on fear, so unless we figure out the problem of fear, we will never understand or embody any sense of egolessness or selflessness.’
Judith Lief
Calming a Disturbed Mind – short yoga practice
In this short 8 minute video below, His Holiness demonstrates a yoga practice that is used for calming our mind of disturbing emotions.
Free Yourself From Fear
Venerable Robina Courtin has a worldwide reputation as a dynamic and incisive Buddhist teacher. As a nun over many decades she has been an editor of Buddhist texts and teachings and has taught across the world. She specialises in sharing her experience and knowledge of Buddhist psychology in Western terms, particularly to students new to Buddhism. In this teaching she deconstructs the mental components of fear, and how to deal with it.
Short Practice for Anxiety and Panic
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche takes us through an 8 minute meditation practice for Anxiety and Panic.
What is non-fear?
Thich Nhat Hanh is a dedicated Zen meditation master who negotiated for peace after the Vietnam war, and has devoted his life to helping others develop meditation habits as well as deal with emotions: all with an attitude of compassion for oneself and others. Here he gives a short talk on not having fear.
Overcoming Fear
In this uplifting 8 minute video below, His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that in our world if we have been taught to fear others, how can we develop trust and affection? He speaks on how loneliness afflicts our societies. The Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal’s poignant song ‘Himalaya’ is featured throughout the video. His Holiness demonstrates the reputation that he has for putting others at ease with his humour and humility, and recounts a story of when he had ‘gas’ during an aeroplane journey.
Overcoming Anger and Anxiety
His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave an insightful and tender talk on how to overcome anxiety and anger in 2019, to celebrate Root Institute for Wisdom’s 40th anniversary.
Conquering Anxiety and Depression workshop
Venerable Amy Miller explores the various triggers that darken the mind and lead to a depressed or anxious state. Through practiced exercises and meditations, she teaches us to transform unhealthy patterns into something more positive. These three sessions below comprise a weekend workshop called ‘Conquering Anxiety and Depression’ that was held at the Kurukulla Centre, Boston.
‘Taking a realistic view and cultivating a proper motivation can also shield you against feeling of fear and anxiety. This inevitably gives rise to the question – can we train the mind? There are many methods to do this. Among these, in the Buddhist tradition, is a special instruction called mind training, which focuses on cultivating concern for others and turning adversity to advantage.’
His Holiness the Dalai Lama