Transcript available here: Transcript: Healing Trauma – The Light Shines Through the Broken Places

Most of us have encountered trauma either in our own direct experience or with someone in our immediate circle. This talk examines the shame and suffering that arise from trauma and how meditation practices can support a path to full spiritual healing. We focus on practices that help us access a sense of love and safety, and then increase our capacity to bring presence to the unprocessed, unlived life in the body. (Note: For many who suffer from PTSD, therapy is invaluable and these practices are not considered as a substitute.)

See also: Resources: Working with Fear and Trauma

See also: Mindfulness Strategies for Working with Trauma and Strong Fear

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In the midst of difficulty we need access to our deepest wisdom and love. This guided meditation calls forth this loving presence by opening to the heart and spirit of whatever being in our life we most experience as calm, wise and compassionate.

How do we find that inner place of calm in the midst of the storm?

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

The post Meditation: Calling on Your Awakened Heart (25:39 min.) appeared first on Tara Brach.

Fear is a universal human experience, but when it dominates our inner world, it can trap us in a sense of separation and suffering. In this profound talk, Tara Brach introduces how the transformative power of the RAIN meditation can help us face fear with courage and compassion. By bringing mindfulness and loving awareness to fear, we can move beyond its grip and reconnect with the boundless freedom of our true nature.

What You’ll Learn:

Highlights:

Why Watch? This talk is an invitation to step out of fear’s grip and into the freedom of open-hearted living. Whether you’re dealing with personal fears or navigating collective challenges, Tara’s guidance offers a powerful path toward inner peace and resilience.

Watch Part 1 here: https://www.tarabrach.com/awakening-your-fearless-heart-facing-fear-part1-2/

Subscribe to Tara’s podcast: https://tbrach.com/3WKHdfO

Photo: Jonathan Foust

The post Facing Fear (Part 2) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart appeared first on Tara Brach.

Fear is a universal human experience, but when it dominates our inner world, it can trap us in a sense of separation and suffering. In this profound talk, Tara Brach introduces how the transformative power of the RAIN meditation can help us face fear with courage and compassion. By bringing mindfulness and loving awareness to fear, we can move beyond its grip and reconnect with the boundless freedom of our true nature.

What You’ll Learn:

Highlights:

Why Watch? This talk is an invitation to step out of fear’s grip and into the freedom of open-hearted living. Whether you’re dealing with personal fears or navigating collective challenges, Tara’s guidance offers a powerful path toward inner peace and resilience.

Watch Part 2 here: https://www.tarabrach.com/awakening-your-fearless-heart-facing-fear-part1-2/

 Subscribe to Tara’s podcast: https://tbrach.com/3WKHdfO

The post Awakening Your Fearless Heart: Tara Brach on Facing Fear (Part 1) appeared first on Tara Brach.

This meditation guides us through a relaxing body scan and then explores how we can allow the breath to calm our body and bring peace to our heart.

Photo: Tara Brach

The post Meditation: Meeting Fear with a Healing Breath (22:59 min.) appeared first on Tara Brach.

Anxiety is spiking around the world and we need the radical medicine of awareness to unwind it. In this two-part conversation, Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer look at how anxiety is a habit that can be unlearned as we cultivate a curious and kind mindful presence. Jud offers the scientific grounds for this “unwinding”, drawing on his experience as a pioneer and leading researcher in the field of mindfulness and addiction.

Together they explore the power of particular mindfulness-based strategies, including noting what is happening, recognizing our habit loops, arousing curiosity and cultivating self-care. They shine a light on the genesis of worrying, how it perpetuates anxiety and ways we can become disenchanted with the habit. The podcast ends with a RAIN of Self Compassion meditation (starts at 26:10 min).

Judson Brewer’s new book is available here: Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.

If you’d like to join an online community that is dedicated to reducing stress and easing anxiety with the power of renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Judson Brewer’s 3-step methodology, check out Mindful Friends Groups at Cloud Sangha here.

Photo: Shannon Lavery – Winding Road in India

The post Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness: A conversation with Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer (Part 2) appeared first on Tara Brach.

Anxiety is spiking around the world and we need the radical medicine of awareness to unwind it. In this two-part conversation, Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer look at how anxiety is a habit that can be unlearned as we cultivate a curious and kind mindful presence. Jud offers the scientific grounds for this “unwinding”, drawing on his experience as a pioneer and leading researcher in the field of mindfulness and addiction. Together they explore the power of particular mindfulness-based strategies, including noting what is happening, recognizing our habit loops, arousing curiosity and cultivating self-care. They shine a light on the genesis of worrying, how it perpetuates anxiety and ways we can become disenchanted with the habit.

Judson Brewer’s new book is available here: Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.

If you’d like to join an online community that is dedicated to reducing stress and easing anxiety with the power of renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Judson Brewer’s 3-step methodology, check out Mindful Friends Groups at Cloud Sangha here.

Photo credit: Kelly Salasin – Sunset in Vermont

The post Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness: A conversation with Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer (Part 1) appeared first on Tara Brach.

Fear is a natural and universal part of our incarnation, and, when it goes on overdrive, we get imprisoned in the suffering of separation. These two talks explore how the RAIN meditation can help us face fear, and discover the boundless loving awareness that includes but is not contracted by currents of fear.

Life’s water flows from darkness.
Search the darkness don’t run from it.

Night travelers are full of light,
and you are, too; don’t leave this companionship. ~ Rumi

Listen and watch: Facing Fear (Part 1): Awakening Your Fearless Heart

Photo credit: Shannon Lavery – in Alaska

The post Facing Fear (Part 2) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart appeared first on Tara Brach.

Fear is a natural and universal part of our incarnation, and, when it goes on overdrive, we get imprisoned in the suffering of separation. These two talks explore how the RAIN meditation can help us face fear, and discover the boundless loving awareness that includes but is not contracted by currents of fear.

How did the rose ever open up its heart and give to this world all of its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being, otherwise we all remain too frightened. ~ Hafez (Daniel Ladinsky, translation)

Listen and watch: Facing Fear (Part 2 ): Awakening Your Fearless Heart

Image by Aravind kumar from Pixabay

The post Facing Fear (Part 1) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart appeared first on Tara Brach.

While we all need to customize meditation, this is particularly important for those living with PTSD or strong, potentially overwhelming emotions.

This talk explores how trauma cuts us off from wholeness, and is accompanied by a deep and painful experience of shame. We look at the ways meditation can be adapted to cultivate sufficient safety for the full transformational healing of mindfulness to unfold.

The gift of processing trauma is that the place of woundedness becomes a gateway into profound love, healing, and freedom.

More Resources: Working with Fear and Trauma

The post Trauma Sensitive Meditation – The Power of Self-Nurturing appeared first on Tara Brach.