Welcome to Feeling Secure in an Unstable World

Has anxiety become a habitual part of your life, impacting your ability to function day-to-day? In the United States, currently over 40 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder, and countless others experience periods of worrying that negatively affect their concentration, quality of life, and ability to relax and sleep.

The good news is that there are straightforward steps one can take to develop an overall sense of security in life. In our new course, Feeling Secure in an Unstable World, Buddhist teacher Josh Korda presents a variety of insights and practices—drawn from both early Buddhism and contemporary therapeutic techniques—that can help us build resilience to life's setbacks. 

In order to feel an overall sense of safety as well as confident in relationships and empowered to explore new opportunities in life, we need to operate from a secure base, meaning that our experiences are recognized, understood, cared about, and appreciated. Over six units, Josh will map out how we can cultivate these resources externally (through a supportive network of friends and communities) as well as internally (by training in core Buddhist practices). 

In each unit, Josh will introduce a new guided meditation that will enable us to create safe containers in which we can recognize and respond to the breadth of our emotions, and in the process, begin to relate to others more authentically. We’ll also train in relating to our internal experiences with acceptance and kindness rather than judgment and repression.

Join us for a unique exploration of psychological insight and Buddhist practice.

Course Syllabus

You are invited to study at your own pace. Each unit will offer roughly one hour of material to work with, including weekly video teachings, prompts for reflection, optional quizzes, and a communal discussion board. There will also be suggested take-home practices, including guided meditations, for you to explore in your own time.

Unit 1 | The Foundations of a Secure Base

We explore the importance of establishing a secure psychological base and how it provides the foundation for embracing life's rich opportunities. We will use mindfulness meditation to connect with our emotions and feel them fully.

Unit 2 | How We Bond with Others

Early Buddhist ideas about personality are cohesive with our contemporary psychological understanding of human attachment. We will see how Buddhist meditation on lovingkindness, compassion, joy for others, and equanimity can help address attachment issues.

Unit 3 | Working with Social Anxiety

Anxiety can be triggered by a wide range of stimuli. Josh discusses therapeutic as well as Buddhist tools that increase our ability to tolerate distress and then gradually relax the body to restore equilibrium.

Unit 4 | Primary Relationships

As the Buddha noted, we are deeply influenced by those we associate with, which can be to our benefit or detriment. The security of a wise companion can nurture greater feelings of safety and confidence, creating stability in our relationships. This talk blends early Buddhist teachings on locating wise friends with contemporary insights on identifying secure attachment in other individuals.

Unit 5 | Understanding Irrational Behaviors

How are irrational behaviors triggered? What are their origins, and what can we do about them? Josh pairs early Buddhist teachings with lessons from contemporary neuroscience to deal with obsessive worrying, procrastination, conflict avoidance, binging behaviors, and other self-sabotaging habits.

Unit 6 | Finding Purpose

Josh reviews the dominant themes and practices of this course. We reflect on how establishing reliable connections with other people not only allows us to experience security and reduce anxiety but also can move us toward finding purpose in life.

Disclaimer: Feeling Secure in an Unstable World is based on a series of talks Josh presented to the Dharma Punx community. Josh is a leading voice in the intersection between Buddhism and psychology, but he is not a licensed psychologist. If you are experiencing mental or emotional distress, please seek help from a trained professional.

Feeling Secure in an Unstable World was filmed with Dharmapunx at Maha Rose Center for Healing in Brooklyn, New York, where Josh is a presiding teacher.