Buddhist Hacks for Anxiety and Overthinking | Joseph Goldstein
When meditating, use the phrase 'there is a body' to anchor awareness in whole-body sensations rather than narrowly focusing on breath alone. This wider frame prevents over-efforting and creates a relaxed awareness where breath, emotions, and thoughts can arise naturally. Start each session with thi
1h 18mKey Takeaway
When meditating, use the phrase 'there is a body' to anchor awareness in whole-body sensations rather than narrowly focusing on breath alone. This wider frame prevents over-efforting and creates a relaxed awareness where breath, emotions, and thoughts can arise naturally. Start each session with this phrase, then let mindfulness expand to whatever emerges—transforming meditation from a tense exercise into an easeful exploration of present-moment experience.
Episode Overview
Dan Harris interviews his meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein about Buddhist phrases and techniques for working with anxiety and overthinking. They explore the phrase 'there is a body' and its applications in both seated and walking meditation, discuss various perspectives on walking meditation (including walking through space, walking in a dream, and walking through the mind), and address common meditation challenges like striving and self-assessment.
Key Insights
Whole-Body Awareness Prevents Meditation Strain
Using 'there is a body' as a meditation anchor creates a larger framework than focusing narrowly on breath at one point. This prevents the common problem of over-efforting or manipulating the breath, allowing for a more relaxed and natural meditation practice where sensations, thoughts, and emotions can be observed without interference.
Walking Meditation Can Dissolve Body Identification
Goldstein describes using 'there is a body' during walking meditation, which paradoxically revealed 'there is no body'—just sensations moving through space. This experience demonstrates how our usual perception of having a solid, fixed body is actually a conditioned framework rather than an absolute reality.
Multiple Perspectives Loosen Self-Attachment
Experimenting with different frames during walking meditation (walking through space, walking in a dream, walking through the mind) reveals that our experience changes dramatically based on the perspective we bring. This practice helps loosen identification with a fixed self and shows that thoughts and emotions aren't as personally monogrammed as they feel.
Meditation Instructions Should Be Exploratory, Not Rigid
Goldstein emphasizes the 'whatever works' principle—instructions should be explored playfully rather than followed dogmatically. What helps at one stage of practice may not help later, and different practitioners need different approaches. The Buddha tailored teachings to specific individuals, not one-size-fits-all.
Practice Assessment Creates Its Own Problem
Constantly evaluating meditation practice ('Am I doing this right? How am I doing?') is itself a hindrance. These 'practice assessment tapes' take you out of direct experience and into conceptual thinking about experience, creating the very distraction meditation aims to address.
Notable Quotes
"There is a body"
"It's just these it's just sensations in space happening and this the form or solidity of the body disappears."
"We personally monogram each one."
"Whatever works has become one of my favorite mantras because we sometimes don't know exactly what will work, you know, but in the course of our practice, we oh yeah, this seems to address what's happening right now."
"I was planting my first and what turned out to be my last garden."
Action Items
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1
Start Meditation with 'There is a Body'
Begin your next meditation session by silently noting 'there is a body' to establish whole-body awareness. Feel the entire body as a unified field of sensations rather than zeroing in on one specific point. Within this spacious frame, notice breath sensations naturally arising without forcing or manipulating them.
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2
Experiment with Walking Meditation Perspectives
During walking meditation, try different frames: First, simply note 'there is a body' while walking. Then experiment with 'walking through space' (emphasizing the visual space around you), 'sensations moving through space' (noting there's no solid walker, just sensations), or 'walking through the mind' (experiencing the walk as a mental event). Notice how each perspective creates a different felt experience.
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3
Apply 'Whatever Works' to Your Practice
When a meditation instruction isn't working for you, don't force it. Either explore why it's not working (which itself becomes an interesting investigation) or adjust the instruction until it becomes effective for your mind right now. Remember that different approaches work at different times and for different people.
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4
Notice the Practice Assessment Tapes
When you catch yourself evaluating your meditation ('Am I doing this right? Is this working?'), simply note that as thinking and return to direct experience. These assessment thoughts are normal but take you away from present-moment awareness. The practice is in the noticing and returning, not in getting a good grade.