The Science Of Happiness

Loving-kindness meditation, or “metta,” has its roots in Buddhist traditions that date back thousands of years. Studies show it can help nourish your capacity to express love, feel more satisfied in life, and enhance brain areas involved in emotional processing and empathy. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5h3nfwjbEpisode SummaryDacher guides us in a meditation that has been practiced over thousands of years. Together, we will mentally extend goodwill, kindness, and warmth towards others and ourselves, in a series of mantras. How To Do This Practice Find a comfortable position, you may lie down or be seated. Bring your attention and awareness to the breath at the belly. Inhale and exhale, noticing sensations of breath.  Bring to mind someone who you really believe has your best interests in their heart. Choose just one person and bring them to mind as though they were next to you. Imagine them truly wishing for you to be happy and fulfilled. Imagine their smile. Feel their intention of goodness

Have you ever known you were dreaming while you were asleep? Our guests try practices to help induce lucid dreams, and we hear what they can teach us about consciousness.

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the sky. Dacher Keltner guides us through a practice of pausing to turn your gaze to the sky as a pathway to awe, creativity and wonder.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc5xfwp4Practice: Go someplace where you feel safe and also have a nice view of the sky. First, focus on your breathing. Take a few slow inhales and even slower exhales. As you breathe in and out, relax your shoulders, your hands, and your face. On the next breath in, look up at the sky. Notice how vast it is.   Breathing naturally, notice everything you can about the sky. What colors are present? Are there any clouds? Do you see any gradation of light? Expand your gaze to get the fullest view and sense of the sky that you can. Spend a few moments taking it in. On the final deep breaths in and out, reflect on how doing this practice has made you feel. Today’s Happiness Break host:Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Scien

Safe encounters with wildlife can deepen our appreciation for nature, and for other people. Craig Foster of “My Octopus Teacher” shares his transformational experiences with the animals of the ocean.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/murmd98bEpisode SummaryVenturing into nature and experiencing wildlife can be transformative. Safe interactions with wildlife encourage us to be more in relation with nature, and each other. In this episode, we hear from Craig Foster of “My Octopus Teacher” and how his interactions with sea creatures have changed his life. We also hear from environmental researcher Liz Lev about the effect on our well-being that being in wild spaces provides.How To Do This Practice:The next time you want to explore the outdoors, find the “wildest” space you can think of. Explore the “wild spaces” in your neighborhood or city, and reflect on your experiences with wildlife. Today’s guests: Craig Foster is the director of My Octopus Teacher, and the co-founder of Sea Change Project. Liz

Just a few moments of tuning into nature can make you feel more inspired, connected, and less lonely. Let us guide you through a five-minute noticing nature practice — you don't even have to leave your neighborhood.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/aj34s585How to Do This Practice: Find somewhere where you can focus on the natural environment, like your backyard. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Notice your belly and chest rise and fall as you breathe. Note the physical sensations of your breath. If you closed your eyes, open them. Let your breath fall into its natural rhythm. Look around you and let your eyes wander slowly through your surroundings: the plants, animals, and bugs.  Let yourself be curious about anything that catches your eye and moves you. Rest your awareness there. Pause to appreciate it, and let it hold your attention for a few moments. Turn your awareness to your emotions. How are you feeling? When something you see evokes an emotion, take a

Exploring novel places and having diverse experiences is important to our well-being and can make us feel happier. This week, Ike Sriskandarajah, a producer for This American Life, takes us with him as he explores new parts of New York City.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/seystc6cEpisode summary: Shaking yourself out of your normal routine can be hard–but studies show it’s worth it. Creating space for variety, novelty, and awe in our lives is essential for our well-being. Exploring new and diverse environments in our daily life can lead to better stress resilience and can make us feel better. In this episode, investigative journalist Ike Sriskandarajah, shares his experience exploring new places with his family in New York City. Then, we hear from Aaron Heller, a neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Miami's Department of Psychology, who studies how exposure to novel places can make us happier. Practice: Break out of your usual daily routine–take a route to work you have

Connect to yourself and the land you stand on in under 10 minutes with this grounding practice led by Indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3at8hrsuHow to Do This Practice:  If possible, go outside and find some natural ground, like grass or dirt. If you're wearing shoes or socks, take them off and place the soles of your feet directly on the ground.  Bring your attention to the earth beneath you. Allow it to hold you, paying attention to how it feels — soft, firm, reliable. Imagine you're starting to grow roots from the tip of your toes, digging deep into the earth. Visualize energy and wellness flowing through your roots to your toes, into the soles of your feet, your thighs and knees, then base of the spine and upwards into your chest, expanding the whole center of your chest. Take a full, deep breath and contemplate the  openness you feel in your chest. Look up towards the sky and open your eyes, allowing all of your senses to awaken to the sounds, smells, c

Everyday activities, such as cleaning and gardening, can be sources of joy and opportunities for mindfulness. This week, our guest shares his experience practicing mindful sweeping on the temple stairs in Kyoto, Japan with Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3r6ju2whThe Science of Happiness is now Instagram, and we'd love for you to follow us! You can find us at @ScienceofHappinessPod. We're going to go behind the scenes of our episodes, and share how to do the practices we talk about on the show. The first 100 followers will be included in a raffle to win a signed copy of host Dacher Keltner's newest book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.Episode summary:Many of us see yard work as a chore. But what if we shift our perspective and instead see it  as an opportunity to practice mindfulness? This week on The Science of Happiness, our guest  shares his experience of sweeping the steps of a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, an

Last week on The Science of Happiness, we discussed the scientifically proven health benefits of the ancient Chinese practice of qigong with Harvard psychologist Peter Wayne. This week, we practice a standing meditation, with qigong master Sherry Zhang. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3t5wdexeHow to Do This Practice: Take a moment to stand upright with your feet together and take a few deep breaths. Have your eyes looking forward. Soften your knee. Gently shift your weight onto your left leg and step your right foot aside. Face your palms inward, with your fingers relaxed and pointing down.  With your chin slightly in, relax both shoulders, and tuck in your tailbone. Ground your feet and relax your knees, armpits, and fingers. Take a deep breath and exhale.  Spend a few moments focused on your natural breathing and relaxed body. Now, bring your right foot back, so both feet are together. Lengthen your spine.  Take a moment to observe how your body feels, until your breathing slows.  Next, brin

Studies show qigong can strengthen your body and mind, and reduce cortisol levels. We explore this Chinese meditative movement practice that dates back over 4,000 years.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2ywsck4eEpisode summary: Finding calm in your day to day life can be stressful, especially in a world that seems to be moving at such a rapid pace. Your life can change in an instant– and it can be really difficult to get yourself on your feet again. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, Ace Boral, an Oakland-based chef, joins us to try Qigong. Ace talks about his health struggles over the past four years, and how incorporating Qigong into his life over the past few weeks has helped him find mental clarity, emotional balance, and confidence in himself. Then we hear from Harvard psychologist Peter Wayne who has practiced and studied the benefits of Xigong. Today’s guests: Ace Boral is an Oakland-based chef.Peter Wayne is an Associate Professor of Medicine, and serves as the Director for the

Here's a favorite of ours: visualize your best possible self and tap into your inherent enough-ness with this guided meditation by Justin Michael Williams.Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ytakaaepHow to Do This Practice: Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and visualize your ideal future self, the person of your dreams you’ve always wanted to be. Try noticing as many details as you can: What color are you wearing, how do you feel, what are you doing, is anyone with you? Answer this question in your mind with 1-3 words: As you look at this future version of you, what energy do you need to cultivate more of in your life now, today, to become closer to being that person you see in your vision?  Breathe in deeply, and as you do imagine yourself breathing in that energy. As you exhale, imagine that energy spreading throughout your body and energy field. Open your eyes. ​​Remember, you have what you need to become that which you want to become. We are enough to start stepping into the life of o

She's the world's leading animal behaviorist and an autism advocacy leader. Guest Temple Grandin shares what kind of support systems led her to success, and we hear about how community, and lack thereof, affects our health and ability to succeed. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/y82vw4dv Episode summary:Having strong relationships is vital to our well-being. We tend to be happier and healthier when we’re involved with community. Today’s guest is the world-famous scientist Temple Grandin. She was born with autism, which led her to be socially isolated from her peers. Join us on this episode of The Science of Happiness to hear about how Grandin credits her support networks for her success and making her into the person she is today. We’ll also look at the science behind the health repercussions of not having strong social networks. Feeling socially disconnected can lead to a higher risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer and more. Today’s guests:Temple Grandin is a leading scientist, pro

Experiencing awe can help us slow down and connect to the world around us. So how can we harness the power of this feeling? Host Dacher Keltner leads us in a colorful meditation to bring about awe. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3e9cyky5Practice: Please find a space, either inside or outside, where you can take a moment and pause and look slowly at a scene in front of you.  Settle into a pattern of deep breathing and ease. Really focusing on how that pattern of inhalation and exhalation relaxes your body and slows your heart rate down. Now cast your gaze over the space around you. Take in what you see in the scene in front of you. You may shift your attention to colors present in the things around you or step back and get a sense of the scene in a more holistic way. Notice the variations and differences in the various colors in your visual field.  What feelings do the colors evoke in you?  Now, gently close and then open your eyes and notice how you feel.  Today’s guests:Dacher Keltner is the

Hearing birdsong can help us feel less anxious, recover from stress faster, and even reduce muscle tension ... but can it help us fall asleep? Drew Ackerman of Sleep With Me podcast listens to recordings of birdsongs to see if it'll help with insomnia. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n7sxjtb Episode summary: Drew Ackerman, aka Scooter of Sleep With Me Podcast, has always struggled to get to sleep. Even as an anxious kid, worries would keep his mind churning as the night wore on. For our show, he tried a science-backed practice for easing stress: listening to the twitter of birds. He discovered the recordings reminded him of easeful summer afternoons, transporting him to another time and place. The research bears this out: different sounds affect us in different ways. For many, birdsong lowers our body’s stress responses. And for Drew, that helped him get a little sleepier. Practice: Listen to a recording of birdsong that appeals to you. Today’s guests: Drew Ackerman You might know

Pilina is an indigenous Hawaiian word, or concept, that describes our deep interconnectedness. Harvard Clinical Psychology Fellow Jo Qina'au guides us through a contemplation of our profound interrelationships. Link to Episode Transcript: https://shorturl.at/npAM9 How to Do This Practice: Pilina comes from the indigenous Hawaiian language and culture. Pilina means connection, or interconnectedness. Settle into a comfortable position and observe your breath. Visualize someone to whom you feel meaningfully connected and acknowledge the feeling of Pilina, or deep interconnectedness, between you two. Reflect on what it is that connects you, what impact that connection has had on your life, and what it may have had on theirs. Notice how it feels to acknowledge these things. Repeat steps 2-4 with as many people as you wish. Today’s Happiness Break host: Jo Qina’au is an indigenous Hawaiian meditation teacher and a Clinical Psychology Fellow at Harvard Medical School. Learn more about Jo’s work: https://ti

Thinking about happy memories activates reward centers in our brains, and can help us feel more connected and accepted. Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye discovers the joy-bringing power of recalling her good childhood memories. Link to Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2r63e6tn Episode summary: Whether it’s news notifications or work emails, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the stresses of our time every moment of every day. But what if there was something we could do to rekindle the greatest joys of our pasts? How might that shift how we feel in the present moment? Simply reflecting on happy memories has been shown in a lab to reduce stress, activate the reward center in our brain, and uplift our mood. This week, Palestinian-American poet and author Naomi Shihab Nye reminisces on happy memories from her youth and finds the practice soothes her and sparks joyfulness. We also hear from neuroscientist Mauricio Delgado about how the practice changes the way we think and feel, and which types of happy

A walking meditation led by 10% Happier Host Dan HarrisHow to Do This Practice: Begin walking. Bring your awareness to the present moment, noticing sights and sounds around you. When your mind wanders to worries or other thoughts, gently bring yourself back to what you notice around you. See if you can notice the sensations in your leg as you take each step. Continue walking this way as long as you wish. Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc2kpzmyToday’s Happiness Break host:Dan Harris the host of 10% Happier, a podcast about mindfulness and other practices and thoughts that can support our well-being. Check out Dan’s podcast, 10% Happier:  https://tinyurl.com/48cxcbjm\ Order his most recent book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book: https://tinyurl.com/44cmjuvdFollow Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/danbharrisFollow Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/If you enjoyed this Happiness Break, you may also like:Moving Through Space, With Dacher Keltner - https://tinyurl.

Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life — no matter your job. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4ky325rs Episode summary: When the poet and former professor Susan Glass first retired, she stacked her days with so many volunteer gigs and passion projects, she felt like she was working harder than ever before. Now, she wants to prioritize living a life of meaning and enjoyment. Susan tried a lab-tested practice called Job Crafting, where you take stock of the tasks that fill your day, how much time and energy they require, what really lights you up, and what changes you can make to better align your efforts at work (or in your free time) with your genuine strengths and passions. Then we hear from researcher Maria Tims about how Job Crafting doesn’t just benefit your own well-being and help to guard against burnout, it can also boost your whole team’s productivity and morale. Practice: Create a “b

Accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation can help us keep our cool, feel better overall, and find calm on the other side. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/n6hm5yhz How to Do This Practice: Begin the practice by settling your mind and body. Notice your breath and any sensations that arise in your body, Shift your attention away from your body, recalling an instance where you felt mildly irritated or frustrated. Give yourself a few moments to fully feel this emotion.  Notice any physical sensations that arise. Then, release that memory, refocusing your attention on the body.  Allow these sensations to shift and move, giving them the space to change and observing them with a sense of curiosity and kindness. Consider shaking hands with the emotion the next time it arises in your daily life. Today’s Happiness Break host: Eve Ekman is a contemplative social scientist and meditation teacher from San Francisco, California. Learn more about Eve’s work: https://tinyurl.com/2vhuarh8

We learn techniques for working across the aisle without compromising our values from a Democratic politician in one of the most conservative states, Oklahoma. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/w2a9a42p Episode summary: Trying to have a conversation with someone who has an opposing view can be exhausting. This week, we explore what it means to have productive discussions when we disagree. Democratic Oklahoma State Senator Jo Anna Dossett recounts her experience bridging political divides with Republican senators in her state with  active listening and self-compassion. Later, we hear from political science professor Lilliana Mason about the blurred line between personal and political identities, and how connecting with individuals on an emotional and social level can lead to more fruitful discussions than just focusing on facts. Today’s guests: Jo Anna Dossett is an Oklahoma State Senator. Learn about Jo Anna Dossett: https://tinyurl.com/muxw7yvz Follow Jo Anna Dossett on Twitter: http