Whit Hornsberger - guest teacher
BEFRIENDING FEAR:
Reawakening Loving-Kindness (mettā)
Saturday June 27th 10am-12pm
Emotions have played a vital role in human evolution, shaping the mammalian nervous system through psychological and physical biofeedback that heightened survival and strengthened learning. At the root of all emotions lies fear, the fundamental force driving our instinct to seek safety, stability, and balance.
While fear helped our species survive, in today’s world it often becomes a source of personal and collective suffering. The mind’s attempts to control fear can instead reinforce it, feeding cycles of worry, rumination, overthinking, and anxiety that shape much of human experience.
In this offering, we will explore the Western and Buddhist science of fear (bhaya), including its evolutionary roots, neuroanatomy, and conditioned patterns within the mind. Through teachings drawn from Buddhist psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and contemplative practice, we will examine how fear operates and how loving-kindness (mettā) offers a path toward greater freedom, awareness, and inner security.
The workshop includes an in-depth talk followed by experiential mettā meditation (mettā-bhāvanā), inviting participants to gently befriend fear through the cultivation of loving-kindness. Participants will leave with both an intellectual and embodied understanding of the nervous system, mindfulness, and the transformative potential of mettā practice. All levels welcome.
Member 38$
Regular 48$
ABOUT WHIT
Whit Hornsberger is a teacher and longtime student of Theravada Buddhism and Classical Yoga whose work bridges contemplative practice, psychology, neuroscience, and yoga therapy. A former athlete, his path toward meditation and spiritual practice began after a career-ending knee injury and the deep personal transformation that followed.
Drawing from over 25 years of study in primatology, anthropology, psychology, and yoga therapy, alongside two decades of dedicated practice and 16 years of teaching, Whit offers a grounded and accessible approach to understanding the human experience. His teachings are rooted in the Buddhist meditation traditions of Mahāsi Sayadaw, Ajahn Chah, and Ajahn Buddhadasa, as well as the lineage of Vinyasa Krama and Yin Yoga.
Since 2013, Whit has led more than 80 retreats and trainings internationally, sharing traditional teachings in a way that is both relevant and accessible to modern practitioners. He currently teaches workshops, retreats, and trainings throughout Europe, Canada, and Mexico.