The Problem with Words: Guilt, Regret, and the Mind

(HYBRID) We all do things we wish we hadn’t. We often relive the moment, judge ourselves harshly and talk about feeling regret and guilt as if they’re the same thing.

But they’re not.

Guilt can trap us in spirals of negativity, while regret can help us recognise what we would do differently. It’s actually an important part of Buddhist practice.

This day-long workshop combines guided meditation with discussion, exploring how mindfulness, compassion and insight can help us work with what has happened rather than simply relive it. It will include both Buddhist perspectives on topics such as karma and tools from psychology.

The aim isn’t to let ourselves off the hook. It’s to learn from regret without turning it into self-condemnation, and to respond more skilfully to ourselves, to other people, and to the consequences of what we do.

Guilt & Regret is the first in The Power of Words, a series exploring the mind through Buddhist and psychological perspectives. Upcoming sessions will explore Empathy & Compassion, and Consciousness & Cognition.

The series draws on Corey’s background in Tibetan-English interpretation, Sanskrit and PhD into mindfulness and mental health. This will bring Buddhist thought and contemporary psychology together to explore not just what the mind does, but how we can learn to work with it.