Embracing the Inner Critic
Stop fighting your mind. Embrace Your Inner Critic is a 6-week live online course blending Buddhist psychology & mindfulness to transform harsh self-judgment into radical self-compassion. Perfect for beginners and advanced meditators alike. Discover the freedom of an awakened heart.
Time & Location
13 Oct 2027, 7:00 pm AEDT
6 sessions on line with Alan Bassal
About the course
From the second arrow of self-criticism to the spacious freedom of an awakened heart
For most of us, our loudest critic lives inside our own head. It is the voice that tells you that you are not doing enough, working hard enough, or even meditating well enough. When you make a minor mistake, it immediately fires a "second arrow" of harsh judgment, turning an ordinary life challenge into a wave of shame, anxiety, and unworthiness.
Standard self-help advice tells you to fight this voice, drown it out with positive thinking, or defeat it. But in Buddhist psychology, true freedom comes when we stop fighting ourselves. Fighting our inner critic just adds more aversion to an already hurting mind.
Embracing the Inner Critic is a live, 6-week online course designed to completely transform your relationship with self-judgment. Rather than treating this voice as an enemy to be destroyed, we will learn how to pull back the layers of hostility, understand its evolutionary roots, and hold it with deep mindfulness (Sati) and radical compassion (Karuna).
Blending foundational Buddhist teachings with modern somatic mindfulness, this interactive online course will show you how to:
Drop the "second arrow" of self-punishment when life gets difficult.
Decode the hidden fear driving your perfectionism and anxiety.
Rest in the spacious awareness of your true nature, where critical thoughts naturally dissolve.
Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced meditator wanting to dissolve a subtle "spiritual" critic, this course offers a safe, live community to explore, inquire and learn.
Who is this course for?
Anyone looking for relief from a noisy mind, and willing to inquire and understand
Experienced meditators ready to apply their mindfulness to work with unhelpful thoughts
Course details & cost
Schedule: 6 consecutive weekly sessions | 7-8.30 PM AEST
Dates: TBA
Format: Live Online Sessions
Cost: Admin fee $55 +Dana What is 'Dana' This course follows the traditional spirit of the Buddha’s teachings - offered on the basis of dāna (generosity). At the end of the program, you will be invited to offer a donation that feels right for you, in alignment with your capacity and appreciation.
Course overview
Week 1:
Detail still to come
Focus: Project Showcase, Peer Collaboration & Stewardship
What We’ll Explore: Present your grassroots project outline in a supportive peer forum to gather constructive feedback and collaboration. Establish a personal integration plan to support yourself and others, avoid burnout, and ongoing connection.
Alan Bassal
Insight Meditation Dharma teacher
Alan has been studying and practicing Buddha’s teachings for over 35 years beginning in the Vipassana meditation tradition and then developing in Eastern and Western Insight. He is a certified Hakomi practitioner, a mindfulness based psychotherapy modality.
Alan is the chairman of Sydney Insight Meditators and chairman and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Institute. As an Insight Meditation teacher he is eclectic and practical, encouraging people to awaken to each moment and find the fulfilment they seek.