COURSE

Learn To Respond Without Reactivity

This course is designed to help you to reduce the ways that you respond reactively, whether it be with anxiety, anger, sadness, frustration, stress. These emotions can distract you from how you really want to be as a person – in relationships, at work, at play. Together, we will learn to install the “pause button,” allowing us to cutivate greater presence and respond with intention instead of reactivity. Over the next 10 days you will develop a conceptual and practical understanding of the life-changing impact of the ability to pause and will learn how to apply this to the ways you habitually react. This course offers a combination of engaging meditative exercises, conceptual lessons, and insights from Charles' experience as a long-time meditator and practitioner of psychotherapy.

Sciences Stress Stressanxiety Psychology Parentscience Mindfulness Anger Mindfulnessmeditation Anxiety Emotionalhealing Recoveryhealing Relationships

Meet your Teacher

Charles Freligh

Minneapolis, MN, USA

Charles Freligh is a psychotherapist and psychology instructor, in the final year of his doctoral training, as well as a long-time meditation practitioner. Charles has experience leading in-person and online mindfulness and meditation courses for a variety of audiences including college students, military personnel, athletes, and the general community. Charles has published original research in the peer-reviewed journal Mindfulness and writes the Mindful Lens column for Nature’s Best Photography Magazine. His goal is to combine his knowledge and experiences from the worlds of psychology and mindfulness – two worlds that he believes coalesce quite nicely - to provide you with a unique training. Charles is a lover of philosophy and believes that nothing is out of bounds in the realm of well-being. In this course he draws on a variety of sources and traditions without espousing any particular ideology. Each year Charles travels to a Zen Buddhist monastery for a few weeks. He explains that this isn't because he considers himself “Buddhist” but sees it as an essential yearly tradition of galvanizing his meditation practice, with one-pointed focus and no distraction, with the aim of making him a better instructor and a wiser, more compassionate person.

10 Days

47.4k students

4.8 stars

20 min / day

Stress

English

Lesson 1

Pressing Play On Life

In today's lesson Charles will explain the concept of the pause and play metaphor and show us two key reasons why pausing is essentially a superpower. Together, we will also explore the concept of “Internal Friction” and undergo an exercise experimenting with empty space.

Lesson 2

Curiosity Vs. Interpretation

In today's lesson you will be introduced to a meditation entitled 'Noticing the Train' and we will discuss how words and concepts limit our experience. We will also discuss the difference between curiosity and interpretation and come to understand how pausing can help us to stop dwelling on the past and come back to what’s happening now..the only time we actually ever have.

Lesson 3

Allowing The Mind To Settle

In today's lesson Charles will offer a personal example of how this practice has impacted his experience of anxiety. He explains that sometimes you need to press Pause first in order to be able to just press Play. We will also explore the concept of concentration and practice a mental noting exercise.

Lesson 4

Doing & Being

In today's lesson we discuss the experiential modes of Doing and Being. We live in a society of constant Doing, making it increasingly easy to forget the Being mode. We will explore how the Being mode creates space between what happens in life and your reaction to it and how we can use this in our favour.

Lesson 5

Just Practice - The Power Of Conditioning

Today, we uncover the importance of practice and of your experiential understanding, drawing on Aristotle's words “we are what we repeatedly do.” By installing new programming to replace your old programming you are planting the seeds of intention for positive and lasting change.

Lesson 6

Identifying A Pause Anchor

In today's lesson we will practice an exercise designed to help us 'find our feet'. We will look at how to identify a pause anchor, discuss an array of examples, and learn how to use them to extend your practice when you feel most stressed, anxious, or angry, etc. (i.e., reactive).

Lesson 7

Pockets Of Experience

Today we will explore the Second Arrow metaphor (a conceptual anchor) and undertake a practical exercise using your identified anchor. We will come to understand the importance of allowing ourselves to fully experience the newness and novelty of what is always around us. This will allow us to open up to more meaningful relationships, enhance our performance at work, and reduce procrastination.

Lesson 8

Communication – Matching Meaning

Today we will learn how to apply the pause button to interpersonal relationships and practice a meditation exercise titled Feeling the Connection to Others. We will discuss how to interact with others in a meaningful and productive way and let go of self-consciousness in communication.

Lesson 9

Mindfulness Is No-Thing

In today's lesson we will discuss the concept of 'mindfulness', exploring how it has somewhat become a buzzword and how many of us try to be “good at” mindfulness. Charles will offer us a short story from the Zen tradition: Empty Your Cup and we will learn how to use mindfulness practice to gain greater perspective and clarity on our lives.

Lesson 10

Letting Go of the Meditator & Maintaining Everyday Practice

In today's lesson we will undergo an intense breathing exercise to ground us into the present moment. Charles will then explore the importance of creating a daily environment and routine that enhances your practice rather than hinders it and how your practice can help you to live more fully. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde

Ask your teacher

This course includes 857 community questions and 91 audio replies from Charles Freligh. The community classroom and teacher audio replies are only available via the app.

857

4.8 (3457)

Recent Reviews

Pixie

June 16, 2026

I thought the ideas were great, and I am truly trying to implement them into my life, but wish the sessions had been a bit shorter and more simple, to the point. 10-20minute sessions is a BIG commitment for someone just starting to add daily meditation to their life. They might not make it to the end.

Luneleanor

June 15, 2026

I have finished this course with hands held at my 3rd-eye, weeping with gratitude. "Thank you, Charles!!" is not expressive enough a phrase for the sensation of both awe & peace that your gentle support has afforded me. Boundless love, light, joy, & connection are all here now, at my heart & mind fingertips; just waiting to be held with reverence! In each breath - every moment. What a gift.🙏💝🙏

Ashley

June 15, 2026

Fantastic course, has given me tools to honestly get better and reduce my anxiety about everything in my life.

Ara

June 13, 2026

And another great course!!!

Latoria

June 13, 2026

Thank you 🙏🏽

Lizette

June 11, 2026

Great course if yo are starting or wanting to deepen your meditation practice🧘‍♀️

Stephen

June 11, 2026

Three out of ten sessions were useful. The rest was someone pontificating

Barbara

June 7, 2026

Worthwhile and wonderful

Beth

May 21, 2026

Love this course. Charles is an amazing teacher and guide on the path. Thank you.

Brenda

May 15, 2026

Loved it. Thank you

Mucki

May 14, 2026

Great variety of techniques to find your own comfortable way to be successful

May 9, 2026

He repeated a lot and the sessions could have been shorter

Laura

May 8, 2026

Great course! Love the idea of the train and platform. I’ve used it already for when I notice my my thoughts taking me away. Also, the metaphor of the glass of water. I appreciate visuals that help me engage and understand a concept. Thank you!

Rudolph

April 29, 2026

Practical magic

Sarah

April 29, 2026

Loved it! Thank you

Carolyn

April 20, 2026

Thank you for this course. There is so much good in the Pause and Press Play. The feeling is much greater than the words to express. For me, that is a good thing. Thank you, Charles.

Marg’s

April 19, 2026

I often struggle with meditation but I felt this course kept me interested, thank you.

Teri

April 12, 2026

I loved this course! Such a practical way to work on a pretty common issue in society today. This has already helped me to press ⏸️

Elizabeth

April 10, 2026

Another terrific course from Charles. Highly recommend! I've enjoyed starting my day this way.

Nicolas

March 25, 2026

Always such quality from Charles!

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