COURSE

An Undefended Heart

Many of us wait for conditions to bring about enjoyable emotions such as love or peace. But wisdom traditions teach that we can in fact practice cultivating these states, as they are at the core of our true nature but often get obscured by fear and confusion. This course invites you on a profound exploration of daily 'heart practices', drawn from different Buddhist traditions, to comprehensively promote positive emotional states. These pro-social attitudes- called the 'abode of the gods'- include loving-kindness (founded on forgiveness), compassion, joy and equanimity. Although you may want to complete this course in 30 days, it is recommended to repeat a given heart practice until it takes root in your heart and mind.

Forgiveness Of Self Practice Forgiveness Practice Loving Kindness Metta Metta For Neutral Person Heartfulness Practice Buddhism Emotional Well Being Compassion Joy Equanimity Heart Emotional Exploration

Meet your Teacher

Karen Anderson

Vail, Colorado, USA

Karen has been teaching yoga in Vail since 1999. She joined a 30-day silent meditation retreat in India on a whim in 2007, and has been in love with the practice ever since. Karen's training in meditation is primarily in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is empowered and certified to teach meditation in the Southeast Asian Buddhist Tradition. Karen has attended eleven 30-day silent meditation retreats in Asia and the US.

30 Days

9.5k students

4.8 stars

15 min / day

Compassion

English

Lesson 1

Forgiving Ourself, Part 1

We begin by learning to forgive ourselves for anything we may regret. Treat this lesson as an internal act of generosity, kindness and compassion. This is a beautiful way to approach ourselves, and sets the foundation for our approach to others.

Lesson 2

Forgiving Ourself, Part 2

In this lesson, we will forgive ourself for all that we have done to others, to begin to put down the burden of guilt. This is a critical practice, because lack of forgiveness for ourself frequently blocks our ability to forgive others.

Lesson 3

Forgiving Others

In today's heart-centered practice we will learn to forgive others, not to condone or forget injustice and suffering, but rather to release resentment. It's helpful to understand that this is about improving our own internal experience.

Lesson 4

Wishing Ourself Well

Today's lesson is an important step towards cultivating a stronger sense of self-worth. In our practice we will turn the attitude of friendliness, which looks on a person as worthy and valuable, around toward ourself.

Lesson 5

Wishing Loved Ones Well

In today's practice we wish health and happiness to those who have been kind to us. This helps us to feel the fullness of the loving-kindness experience, so that we can apply the feeling to folks for whom it may be harder to access.

Lesson 6

Wishing A Neutral Person Well

Today's lesson involves generating an attitude of caring toward those who have neither harmed nor helped us. When we don't have strong feelings toward someone it's all too easy to discount their experience, and so this is a potent opportunity for our own well-being.

Lesson 7

Wishing A Difficult Person Well

You may find today's lesson challenging or unfamiliar. In today's heart-centered practice we will cultivate tenderness toward people of difficulty. While this may not be intuitive, it is a profound opportunity for wholeness and healing.

Lesson 8

Caring About Sickness, Old Age And Death

In today's lesson we will practice wish well-being to those who are experiencing the challenges of illness, old age and dying. It can be challenging to hold the difficulty of others, but it is an important source of deep compassion, and highly worth discovering.

Lesson 9

Wishing All Beings Well

Today's lesson is a blissful practice of gratitude, compassion and kindness. We will radiate loving-kindness to all beings everywhere. Allow this practice to unfold for you over time, as a rich source of well-being.

Lesson 10

Releasing Anger

Today's lesson should leave you feeling lighter and equipped with the skills to approach challenging situations with composure. Together, we will imagine being in situations that would normally arouse anger, defensiveness, or resentment, and instead, remain serene, calm and peaceful.

Lesson 11

Releasing Craving

Today, we will imagine being in situations that would normally arouse craving or attachment, and imagine remaining independent, undisturbed in your own peace. Practicing with craving is a source of deep freedom.

Lesson 12

Compassion For Loved Ones

In today's daily heart centred practice we will focus on our loved ones and feel how our heart naturally opens to wish them well, to extend comfort, to share in their pain, and all the while, meet each of these scenarios with compassion.

Lesson 13

Compassion For Our Self

Today, practice slowly opening to, and holding gently in your awareness, your own troubles and sorrows. Training to approach our own difficulty is both deeply nourishing and the foundation for compassion to others.

Lesson 14

Compassion For A Neutral Person

In today's practice we will bear witness to the suffering of those you don’t know well enough to feel strongly for or against. This source of tenderness and openness is often overlooked, and deeply valuable.

Lesson 15

Compassion For A Difficult Person

Learn to hold in your heart the struggles of someone you find challenging. While possibly counterintuitive, this practice can lead to transformative opening for ourselves and the potential for skillful action in life.

Lesson 16

Compassion For All Beings

Today's lesson requires strength as we open ourselves up to meeting the pain of the world with a compassionate heart. This is a capacity we develop over time, by reaching underneath the sadness to the possibility of profound connection.

Lesson 17

Appreciating Kindness

Today's practice involves training to fully open to and accept the kindness of others. While this may sound easy, often we hold back partially or fully from the true experience, so this is a profound source of happiness.

Lesson 18

Delighting In Kindness

In this lesson you will take a trip down memory lane as you scan through your life appreciating the kindness that has been offered. Prepare to be moved and deeply touched by your own experiences of abundance.

Lesson 19

Delighting In Inspiration

Today, you will scan through your life to reflect on those who led you to live a more meaningful life, to inspire to higher ideals. This is a profoundly insightful practice and can help you to consolidate your purpose at present.

Lesson 20

Delighting In Our Own Goodness

Today, you are encouraged to scan through your life appreciating the goodness you have brought to the world. Even the smallest acts of kindness can remind us of our own inherent generous heart, and remembering fosters self-respect.

Lesson 21

Delighting In The Joy Of Friends

We are innately social beings. In today's lesson share in your loved ones' experience of skill and success. This is a simple and direct path to happiness, and models the possibility of having this feeling more broadly.

Lesson 22

Delighting In The Joy Of Neutral People

Today, engage with the joy of someone you don’t know well enough to feel strongly for or against. This is an overlooked and untapped source of delight for most of us, and its discovery is a priceless benefit.

Lesson 23

Delighting In The Joy Of Difficult People

Empathetically experience the success and enjoyment of those you find challenging. This practice is the antidote to jealousy and may surprise you in its impact. Give this one time, it's worth engaging with the unfolding.

Lesson 24

Delighting In The Joy Of All Beings

Access and delight in the good fortune of all beings! This is the key to living from the heart. It's so easy to focus on the negative in the world, but there are beautiful things happening for beings all of the time.

Lesson 25

Seeing A Neutral Person

Acknowledge and connect to the experience of someone you might usually overlook. This practice may encourage you to be more mindful of your surroundings, and to discover opportunities for wider resourcing.

Lesson 26

Seeing Through Attraction

In today's heart-centered practice, humanize the experience of someone you expect to fulfill your happiness. It's infinitely valuable to realize that we may have unwittingly been objectifying our favorite people, and that we can correct this attitude.

Lesson 27

Seeing Through Aversion

In today's heart-centered practice, acknowledge and connect to those you judge or disapprove of. This is a deep source of alienation internally, and tends to drive negative behaviors in the world, and so is an opportunity for nourishment.

Lesson 28

Seeing Ourselves

In this lesson we will take the time to stop and truly see ourselves. We release objectification of ourselves to experience kindness and compassion. This is the ultimate act of self-generosity and self-respect.

Lesson 29

Finding Balance

Today's practice teaches us an important lesson; how to maintain equanimity when we are unable to alleviate the suffering of others. If we give others space to have their own experience, we can offer effective support.

Lesson 30

Finding Peace

In our final session you will practice cultivating a spacious calm that allows you to be fully present to the changing world. Since everything is changing all of the time, this attitude is crucial to experiencing peace.

Ask your teacher

This course includes 170 community questions and 57 audio replies from Karen Anderson. The community classroom and teacher audio replies are only available via the app.

170

4.8 (307)

Recent Reviews

Barbara

May 3, 2026

Excellent course. Explanations are like white light hitting a prism and blossoming into brilliant colors. Will definitely be repeating these wise and compassionate lessons. 🙏🏻☯️💚🌸

Paula

April 13, 2026

Thank you for this guidance, Karen. I will continue to grow it and deepen it in myself and pay it forward.

Maggie

January 2, 2026

I cannot believe how much guidance and wisdom Karen and squeeze into just 15 minutes a day. This is a phenomenal course that I will do again. It’s incredibly supportive in helping to cultivate the Four Heavenly Abodes. Thank you so much!

Arne

December 29, 2025

A beautiful course showcasing the depth of the sometimes forgotten heart practices. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to appreciate these practices and they’ve done wonders for my daily quality of life!

Jack

November 18, 2025

Very good 30 practice. I would have liked a bit more of contextualizing within the Buddhist tradition.

Tina

December 11, 2024

This course really gave me an introduction to this type of practice. Everydays practice is so relevant to life. Everyday felt like I was doing the exact practice at exact right time. Thank you. I will go back again and again and continue to deepen my understanding.

Eric

November 27, 2024

Awesome as all Karen’s courses I’ve listened to

October 9, 2024

Amazing 🩷 something i will keep coming back to again and again. Thank you for the course 🙏

Evelyn

June 12, 2024

This is a wonderful course for helping me to cultivate an undefended heart. I realize that I don’t outgrow heart practices. I am grateful for this heartwarming 30 day course, and I plan to return to the days of practicing joy tomorrow. 🌺🌸

Lydia

April 10, 2024

Magnificent teachings.

Ana

December 22, 2023

Awesome course. I will revisit. Thank you

Therese

September 30, 2023

Second time I take this course. I am very happy I found it. This is a true antidote to depression.

Michelle

March 1, 2023

I can't thank you enough for this beautiful course. I will be revisiting it regularly. I love the length and consistency of the sessions. The pace and calm delivery made it very effective for me.

christopher

November 6, 2022

All though it took me a year, I finished the 30 days.😅 But it helped my heart at the most crucial moments in my life when I first started it. And as time went on, I left it and came back to it understanding just how much I grew in the timespan of just a few months. And when picking it back up, I felt much more empowered and my understanding was solid. 🙏🏾

Sudarshan

June 10, 2022

Very interesting, calming, easy to practice course. Thsnk you so much 🙏🏻

Deqa

January 28, 2022

Such a life changing 30 days! I am so grateful to the teacher for sharing this wisdom. Though I’ve finished the course, I feel these practises will be an essential part of my lifelong wellness toolkit. My heart feels full and open. Thank you 🙏🏾

Sonia

November 28, 2021

I listened twice to this profoundly helpful course. Thank you!

Jennifer

November 26, 2021

Bob

September 9, 2021

This was a wonderful foundation from which to expand understanding of many facets of meditation and of connection with ourselves and the world. I will certainly return to this course periodically as different situations and needs arise. Thank you...

Julian

August 30, 2021

Excellent course Karen!

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