Buddhist Hacks for Anxiety and Overthinking | Joseph Goldstein
This episode features Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein, one of the foremost in the West, discussing "pithy phrases" to combat anxiety and overthinking. He shares techniques like "there is a body," "whatever works," "is this useful?" and "cowboy dharma" for meditation and daily life.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Introduction to Joseph Goldstein and the 'Phrases' Project
The Phrase 'There Is a Body' for Seated Meditation
Integrating Wide-Angle and Zoom Lenses in Practice
The Importance of Play and Exploration in Meditation
'Whatever Works' and Adapting Meditation Instructions
Leveraging Online Resources and AI for Dharma Questions
Walking Meditation: 'Walking Through Space'
Walking Meditation: 'Walking in a Dream' and 'Walking Through the Mind'
Practical Implications of Exploring Non-Self
'Sensations Moving Through Space' in Walking Meditation
'Practice Assessment Tapes' and Over-Evaluation
'Is This Useful?' as an Antidote to Rumination
'Cowboy Dharma' for Seductive Thought Patterns
'Dead End' for Unproductive Thoughts and Fantasies
The Importance of a 'Wise No' in Practice
6 Key Concepts
'There is a body' (meditation phrase)
A phrase from Buddhist discourse used to begin meditation by settling into full body awareness, creating a larger framework for attention rather than narrowing focus to a single point like the breath. It helps to be with the breath without over-efforting or manipulating it, and allows other sensations, sounds, thoughts, or emotions to arise within this broader frame of ease and relaxation.
Wide-angle vs. Zoom Lens (attention)
A metaphor for different modes of attention in meditation. A 'wide-angle lens' involves taking everything in, while a 'zoom lens' focuses on a particular object. Practitioners can learn to intuitively switch between these perspectives to find what is most helpful at a given time, balancing spaciousness with focused attention.
Practice Assessment Tapes
A common mental tendency where one continually evaluates their meditation practice ('How am I doing? Is this right?'). This over-frequent, neurotic self-judgment can interrupt the organic unfolding of practice, similar to pulling up a growing carrot to check its progress.
Cowboy Dharma
A humorous approach to dealing with highly seductive, unhelpful thought patterns that have a strong 'hook.' It involves actively abandoning or 'shooting down' such thoughts immediately, without giving them any airtime, to prevent them from leading to prolonged rumination or anguish. This is done with a sense of humor, not aversion.
'Dead End' (meditation phrase)
A phrase used to immediately recognize and disengage from unproductive thought patterns, fantasies, or ruminations that lead nowhere. By labeling them 'dead end' as soon as they arise, it serves as a reminder that following these thoughts will not yield any useful outcome, making it easier to let go and return to practice.
Wise No
The concept that while acceptance and openness ('wise yes') are central to meditation, it is equally important to have the ability to wisely say 'no' to unskillful or unwholesome mindsets. This 'loving no' is not born of anger or aversion, but from a clear understanding that certain patterns are not useful and should be abandoned for the sake of well-being.
7 Questions Answered
It's used to guide practitioners into a full body awareness at the start of meditation, creating a broad framework for attention that helps to be with the breath and other sensations without over-efforting or narrowing focus.
Starting with 'there is a body' can help by creating a larger framework of whole-body awareness, allowing the sensations of breathing to arise naturally within that easeful space, rather than forcing attention to a specific point.
It's common to run 'practice assessment tapes,' constantly evaluating progress, but this can interrupt the practice. While occasional assessment for balance (e.g., too tight, too loose) can be helpful, frequent, neurotic self-judgment is not useful and should be observed and let go of.
A useful question to ask is 'Is this useful?' If the worry is not leading to constructive action or insight, it's likely a 'dead end' and can be abandoned. Additionally, practicing mindfulness of worry thoughts as they arise can help recognize and let them go earlier.
Online resources like Dharma Seed (.org) offer thousands of free Dharma talks from various teachers, searchable by topic, providing specific suggestions for working with common mind states. AI platforms like ChatGPT can also offer accurate and comprehensive answers to Dharma questions, though verification is advised.
Employ 'Cowboy Dharma' by actively abandoning such thoughts immediately, without giving them any 'airtime.' This involves a 'wise no' to prevent them from carrying you away, done with a sense of humor rather than aversion.
By playing with different perspectives in practice, such as 'walking through space,' 'walking in a dream,' or 'walking through the mind,' one can experience the same activity in varied ways, revealing that perceptions are conditioned by the framework brought to the experience and helping to dissolve the notion of a stable, substantial self.
21 Actionable Insights
1. Practice ‘Cowboy Dharma’
For highly seductive and unhelpful thought patterns, practice ‘Cowboy Dharma’ by giving them ’no airtime at all,’ metaphorically shooting them out of the sky the moment they arise. This technique, done with a sense of humor rather than aversion, helps abandon thoughts that would otherwise lead to rumination and anguish.
2. Practice a Wise No
While acceptance and saying ‘yes’ to experience are central, it’s equally important to have a ‘wise no’ in your toolbox for unskillful or unwholesome mindsets that are not useful. This ’loving no’ allows you to abandon unhelpful patterns without anger or aversion, just as effectively as a ‘wise yes’.
3. Ask ‘Is This Useful?’
When caught in endless thought loops, worry, or rumination, ask yourself ‘Is this useful?’ to determine if the thinking is productive or merely a repetitive, unhelpful pattern. This question acts as an antidote to overthinking and neurotic self-assessment.
4. Use ‘Dead End’ Phrase
When unskillful thoughts, images, or fantasies arise that lead nowhere productive, use the phrase ‘dead end’ at the front end to remind yourself that the thought pattern is futile. This makes it much easier to let go and return to your practice or present moment.
5. Practice ‘There Is A Body’
Begin sitting meditation by using the phrase ’there is a body’ to settle into a full-body awareness, creating a larger, relaxed framework for attention instead of narrowing focus to a specific point. This helps in being with the breath and other sensations without over-efforting, fostering ease and relaxation.
6. Whole Body Walking Awareness
During walking meditation, use the phrase ’there is a body’ to cultivate a whole-body awareness moving through space, rather than narrowing attention to specific sensations in the feet or legs. This can lead to a different experience of walking, dissolving the sense of a solid, fixed body.
7. Note ‘Sensations Moving Through Space’
In walking meditation, observe ‘sensations moving through space’ as a shorthand for the experience of whole-body awareness. This practice can help dissolve the sense of a solid, fixed self and reduce identification with the body.
8. Practice ‘Walking Through Space’
In walking meditation, intentionally frame your experience as ‘walking through space,’ making the visual space the holding framework for your awareness. This practice helps reduce identification with the body and offers a different perspective of movement.
9. Practice ‘Walking in a Dream’
During walking meditation, experiment with the perspective of ‘walking in a dream’ to shift your frame of awareness to the mind or the dream state itself. This can loosen attachment to a fixed perception of the body and self.
10. Practice ‘Walking Through Mind’
In walking meditation, try the phrase ‘walking through the mind’ to experience a different perspective where the mind becomes the framework for your movement. This practice helps to loosen identification with a fixed self and highlights how perceptions are conditioned by the framework we bring to experience.
11. Recognize Practice Assessment Tapes
Become cognizant of ‘practice assessment tapes’—the tendency to constantly evaluate your meditation practice (‘How am I doing?’). When these thoughts arise frequently, practice mindfulness by noting them as thoughts and letting them go, rather than getting caught up in neurotic self-judgment.
12. Name Worry Thoughts Early
To prevent getting lost in worry, practice becoming mindful of worry thoughts as they arise and name them (‘worry, worry’) much earlier on. This helps you recognize the pattern and avoid being carried away by it.
13. Address Issues Without Worry
When facing a situation that needs addressing, focus on assessing it clearly and planning actions or contingencies without the added layer of worry or anxiety. Worry is an extra mental quality that can be separated from practical problem-solving.
14. Integrate Wide & Zoom Attention
Practice using both a wide-angle lens (taking everything in, like ’there is a body’) and a zoom lens (focusing on a particular object, like the breath) in meditation. Trust your intuition to switch between them: use zoom if the mind wanders, and wide-angle if feeling tight.
15. Approach Practice with Play
Adopt a mindset of ‘play,’ ’explore,’ or ‘investigate’ in your meditation practice, rather than being uptight or rigid. This encourages learning the many nuances of practice and discovering what works for you at different times.
16. Embrace ‘Whatever Works’
If a specific instruction isn’t working for you, explore why or adjust it until it becomes effective for your mind at that particular time. This emphasizes flexibility and personal adaptation in practice, rather than rigid adherence to a single method.
17. Choose Intuitive Meditation Approach
Experiment with different meditation approaches, such as wide-angle body awareness or zoomed-in breath focus, and intuitively choose which is most helpful at any given time. This allows for flexibility in practice based on current needs and avoids dogmatism.
18. Assess Practice with Interest
Occasionally step back to assess the quality of your mind during practice, but do so out of interest rather than judgment. Be mindful of the frequency and quality of these assessments to avoid falling into neurotic self-evaluation.
19. Utilize Dharma Seed Resources
If you lack a one-on-one meditation teacher, use Dharma Seed (DharmaSeed.org) to access thousands of free Dharma talks by topic or teacher. This resource offers specific suggestions for working with common mind states like anger or sleepiness, providing guidance similar to a personal teacher.
20. Consult AI for Dharma Questions
Use AI platforms like ChatGPT to get answers to Dharma questions, from basic to esoteric, noting that responses are often accurate, clear, and comprehensive. Always cross-reference AI answers with other resources like Dharma talks or readings, as AI can sometimes be incorrect.
21. Sign Up for Meditation Challenge
Sign up for the free seven-day New Year’s meditation challenge led by Joseph Goldstein by downloading the ‘10% with Dan Harris’ app, which includes a 30-day free trial covering the challenge. This challenge offers a masterclass and on-ramp to Buddhist meditation, suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators.
5 Key Quotes
If you're in a situation that needs addressing and there's something you can do about it, why worry? And if there's nothing you can do about it, why worry?
Joseph Goldstein
Monolithic and personally monogrammed.
Dan Harris
Organic vegetables, organic metta is a good thing. Let's go organic.
Joseph Goldstein
The worry gene, I think we all inherited it, and so it's in there and common.
Joseph Goldstein
It's a firm, but gentle, and even a little loving and humorous hand in the air as if you're stopping a car that's going to hit a kid or something like that. You're like, no, halt.
Dan Harris
2 Protocols
Beginning a Sitting Meditation with 'There is a body'
Joseph Goldstein- Begin a sitting meditation.
- Use the phrase 'There is a body' to settle into a full body awareness, creating a large, wide-angle framework for attention.
- Within this easeful awareness of the whole body, become aware of the sensations of the body breathing without manipulating or over-efforting.
- Allow other sensations, sounds, thoughts, or emotions to arise within this bigger sense of framework, fostering ease and relaxation.
Walking Meditation with 'There is a body' and its offshoots
Joseph Goldstein- Begin walking meditation.
- Use the phrase 'There is a body' to cultivate a whole-body awareness moving through space, rather than narrowing attention to specific body parts.
- (Optional progression) Shift the frame to 'walking through space,' becoming aware of the visual space as the holding framework.
- (Optional progression) Experiment with 'walking in a dream,' shifting the frame to the mind or dream state.
- (Optional progression) Experiment with 'walking through the mind,' experiencing walking within the mind's framework.
- (Optional shorthand) Directly note 'sensations moving through space' to dissolve the sense of a fixed self.