Resources: Working with Fear and Trauma
Most of us, in some way, struggle with fear—instinctually tensing against it or becoming overwhelmed by it. Shifting our relationship with fear is central to the evolution of consciousness. While fear is a natural, intelligent emotion, when it goes into overdrive, we are in a trance that contracts our body, heart and mind. Our resistance to fear sustains this trance and perpetuates our suffering. As we learn to attend to fear with mindfulness and care, its grip loosens, and we reconnect with our full aliveness, wisdom and love.
Free PDF: Meditation Practice Guidelines: Working with Trauma & PTSD
Every body and mind is unique, and we each need to experiment and customize our daily meditation practice in a way that most serves our awakening and freedom. This is especially important for those with PTSD, as the classic mindfulness instructions can potentially lead to a sense of emotional overwhelm.
Modifying your meditation practice in ways that bring a sense of safety and stability is key to making meditation accessible and healing.
NOTE: This site is not intended to diagnose or treat any physical or mental health condition. If you are in crisis, or in need of immediate assistance, find help here:
https://yourlifecounts.org/find-help/#
Below are some resources to help you explore your relationship with fear:
Talks on Working with Fear and Trauma
Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness: A conversation with Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer (Part 2)
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...
Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness: A conversation with Tara and Dr. Judson Brewer (Part 1)
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...
Facing Fear (Part 2) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart
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...
Facing Fear (Part 1) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart
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...
Trauma Sensitive Meditation – The Power of Self-Nurturing
Download the free PDF While we all need to customize meditation, this is particularly important for those living with PTSD or strong, potentially overwhelming emotions. This talk...
Nourishing Our Spirit in Times of Collective Fear
Nourishing Our Spirit in Times of Collective Fear - We are living with the threat of increasing, dramatic suffering around the globe. This talk looks at the direct ways our...
Fear and Love
Only when we face our fears can we discover the freedom to love without holding back. This talk looks at how unprocessed fear contracts our body, heart and mind, and on a...
Facing Fear in a Traumatized World
Unprocessed fear cuts us off from our full aliveness and spirit, and it separates us from others. This talk looks at how we bring healing to the trauma and deep fears that cause...
Fear of Aging: Finding Freedom in this Impermanent World – Part 2
While it’s natural to have fears of what’s ahead, when we learn to face the inevitability of change and loss without resistance, we discover true peace and freedom in the midst....
Transforming Two Fears: FOF and FOMO
There are two common fears that can block us from our full potential - fear of failure (FOF), and fear of missing out (FOMO). This talk explores how to meet these fears with...
Meditations on Working with Fear and Trauma
Meditation: Calling on Your Awakened Heart (23:33 min.)
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...
Meditation: Collecting and Quieting the Mind (16:48 min.)
Our conditioned mind is filled with distractions, including worry-thoughts that continually create anxiety in the body. This meditation guides us in relaxing the body, and then...
Meditation: Meeting Fear with a Healing Breath (22:59 min.)
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.
Short Talk and Guided Meditation: Bringing RAIN to Fear (13:32 min.)
In this practice we explore how the mindfulness and compassion of RAIN can free us from the grip of fear. This is an excerpt from the full talk: Facing Pandemic Fears with an...
Meditation: Reducing Anxiety and Getting to Sleep (18:00 min.)
Many of us struggle with anxiety, and spend hours in bed wishing we could turn off our mind and get to sleep. This podcasted series of 3 guided meditations - 6, 12, and 18...
Meditation: Reducing Anxiety and Getting to Sleep (12:00 min.)
Many of us struggle with anxiety, and spend hours in bed wishing we could turn off our mind and get to sleep. This podcasted series of 3 guided meditations - 6, 12, and 18...
Meditation: Reducing Anxiety and Getting to Sleep (6:52 min.)
Many of us struggle with anxiety, and spend hours in bed wishing we could turn off our mind and get to sleep. This podcasted series of 3 guided meditations - 6, 12, and 18...
Meditation: Transforming Fear (11:19 min.)
This guided practice invites us to identify a situation where we habitually become anxious or fearful, and then to explore bringing mindfulness and self-compassion to where we...
Other Resources on Working with Fear and Trauma
Blog: Turning Toward Fear with RAIN
Turning Toward Fear with RAIN Adapted from Tara's new book: Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of R.A.I.N. In a far-off land, word...
Blog: Soul Recovery: Healing the Shame of Trauma
In Shamanistic cultures, it is believed that when a person is traumatized, their soul leaves their body as a way to protect itself from intolerable pain. In a process known as...
Transcript: Fear as a Pathway to Loving Presence – Night Travelers (retreat talk)
~ a talk by Tara Brach presented on May 8, 2016 Listen and watch: tarabrach.com/fear-pathway-loving-presence/ Even if you feel like your mind has been wondering all over the...
Blog: Lessons from Kayaking: Finding a way to be with fear
Most of us spend a lot of our lives tensed up in fear, or pushing against fear. The fear might be fear of: Something going wrong Not being good enough Not being loved Losing...
Blog: Can You Medicate Meditation?
The use of anti-depressants by those involved in meditation practice is a very hot topic. Students often ask me things like, “If I take Prozac, isn’t that as good as giving up?...
Blog: The Trance of Fear
All of us live with fear. Whenever fear takes over, we’re caught in what I call the trance of fear. As we tense in anticipation of what may go wrong, our heart and mind contract....
Blog: The Space Between the Logs
This is from a poem that I love. It’s called, “Fire” by Judy Brown. What makes a fire burn is the space between the logs, a breathing space. Too much of a good thing, too many...
Mindfulness Strategies for Working with Trauma and Strong Fear
View or download a print-friendly PDF version. For More Resources on Fear, See Working with Fear There are a number of mindfulness-based strategies that can temporarily calm us...
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