When life pulls you in many directions, it’s easy to stay tense or distracted, never quite at ease in your own being. This meditation invites you to settle where you are, release what’s not needed, and rest your attention on something steady—like the breath, a kind feeling, or simple presence itself. As you soften and widen awareness, the sense of separateness begins to dissolve, revealing a peaceful wholeness where all parts of you—and the world around you—move together in harmony.

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 followed this meditation, you can listen to it here: https://rickhanson.com/meditation-talk-you-are-whole-and-complete-and-there-is-nothing-to-add/

This meditation is a journey from the "trance of knowing"—that tight, anxious habit of trying to figure everything out—into the liberating space of presence.

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 followed this meditation, you can listen to it here: https://rickhanson.com/meditation-talk-what-matters-and-what-doesnt-2/

When you’ve been bracing against stress, holding tension in your body, or feeling like you always have to stay on guard, it can be hard to truly relax or feel safe inside yourself. This meditation helps you gently lower your defenses by recognizing that you’re okay in this moment, softening the body, and allowing the mind to settle into a sense of openness and ease. As you rest in spacious awareness, you may discover a quiet peacefulness—and even a natural sense of warmth and lovingness—that was there all along.

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 followed this meditation, you can listen to it here: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-accepting-your-vulnerabilities-including-from-early-childhood/