by Kalika Yap

Last week, our community gathered for a conversation many of us have been quietly needing.

In a time when the news feels heavy, when local tragedies hit close to home, and when global suffering can feel overwhelming, mindfulness teacher and psychotherapist Brian Shiers invited us to pause and ask a simple but brave question:

How do we keep our hearts open when fear, anger, and chaos feel so close?

Watch the full session here.

Brian began not with theory, but with practice. He guided us into the body and breath, reminding us that before we try to make sense of the world, we first need to arrive in ourselves.

“It’s helpful to come out of concepts and ideas and into direct experience. Let the felt experience of your posture come into awareness.”

As the room settled, Brian named a truth that many of us felt immediately.

“To be a caring, loving person means I’m going to be sometimes afraid or angry or upset, worried, fearful.”

Rather than seeing stress or fear as something to fix or push away, he reframed them as evidence of our humanity.

“If you have any stressful thoughts… that’s evidence of your caring, evidence of your innate decency and goodness.” 

Parents shared what has been weighing on their hearts: accidents involving young people, violence that feels random, and ongoing injustice that can feel impossible to hold without shutting down. Brian did not minimize any of it. Instead, he invited us to stay present with what these stories stir inside us.

“Give yourself space to experience it… and bring a compassionate lens.” 

A central theme of the evening was the pull toward outrage and fear, and the quieter strength required to choose another way.

“Hatred and fear will always be louder. Wisdom and compassion will always be more subtle, but wisdom and compassion are more powerful.” 

He also made an important distinction: keeping the heart open does not mean being passive or permissive.

“That doesn’t mean accepting injustice. It doesn’t mean being passive.”

Later, Brian spoke about despair, and how it often comes from being unable to imagine a future that feels hopeful.

“Some of the despair comes from being unable to have a vision of the future that’s hopeful.” 

We closed with a short practice, imagining ourselves and the people closest to us safe, connected, and at ease.

“Recognize that you want yourself and everyone you care about to be healthy… free from the burdens of chronic fear and worry.” 

Brian left us with a simple, practical invitation we can return to when things feel overwhelming.

“Can you pause just for three breaths? Can you feel the activation in your body without immediately acting on it?” 

Next event

Our next Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club gathering is:

Friday, March 6 at 9:00 AM
Join on Zoom: Https://kalikazoom.com
Please register on the Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club website.

Let’s practice together!