Rick Hanson's Blog, page 21
July 6, 2022
Being Well Podcast: How to Make Learning STICK
On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson dive into Rick’s recently published study on our capacity for deliberate growth. We talk a bit about the neurological components of learning, how the study worked, and what the practical takeaways are to help us make learning stick.
LISTEN
One of the most important skills a person can de...
July 5, 2022
See the Good in Others
What do you notice in people?
The Practice:
See the good in others.
Why?
Many interactions these days have a kind of bumper-car quality to them. At work, at home, on the telephone, via email: we sort of bounce off of each other while we exchange information, smile or frown, and move on. How often do we actually take the extra few seconds to get a sense of what’s inside other people – especially their good qualities?
In fact, because of what scientists call the brain’s “negativity bias,”...
July 4, 2022
Being Well Podcast: Rediscovering Your True Self: Parentification and the “Gifted Child”
When a child is particularly emotionally intelligent, and a parent is particularly emotionally vulnerable, an inversion of the typical relationship can occur where the child devotes themselves to meeting the parent’s needs rather than the other way around.
LISTEN
This can lead the child to lose touch with their own wants and needs – with their ...
July 1, 2022
Meditation + Talk: Opening to Deep Peace and Unconditioned Love
This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 31-minute meditation and a 44-minute talk and discussion, with guest teacher Stephen Snyder.
Stephen Snyder began daily meditation and retreat practice in 1976. He was authorized to teach in 2007, and he is the author of Demystifying Awakening, Buddha’s Heart, and co-author of Practicing the Jhanas. His teaching schedule can be located at AwakeningDharma.org.
I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednes...
June 28, 2022
Tune Into Others
What Are They Feeling?
The Practice:
Tune into others.
Why?
Imagine a world in which people interacted with each other like ants or fish. Imagine a day at work like this, or in your family, aware of the surface behavior of the people around you but oblivious to their inner life while they remain unmoved by your own.
That’s a world without empathy.
Empathic breakdowns shake the foundation of a relationship; just recall a time you felt misunderstood – or even worse, a time when the oth...
June 23, 2022
Meditation + Talk: Is Life Suffering?
This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 34-minute meditation and a 49-minute talk and discussion about Is Life Suffering?
I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations – open to everyone!
Meditation: Is Life Suffering?Download the Audio of this Meditation
Talk: Is Life Suffering?June 21, 2022
See the Person Behind the Eyes
Who is behind the mask?
The Practice:
See the person behind the eyes.
Why?
Most of us wear a kind of mask, a persona that hides our deepest thoughts and feelings, and presents a polished, controlled face to the world.
To be sure, a persona is a good thing to have. For example, meetings at work, holidays with the in-laws, or a first date are usually not the best time to spill your guts. Just because you’re selective about what you reveal to the world does not mean you’re insincere; phon...
June 17, 2022
Meditation + Talk: The Simple Power of Widening Your View
This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 34-minute meditation and a 48-minute talk and discussion about The Simple Power of Widening Your Awareness and View.
I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations – open to everyone!
Meditation: The Simple Power of Widening Your ViewTalk: The Simple Power of Widening Your View ...
June 14, 2022
Try a Softer Tone
How do you talk to people?
The Practice:
Try a softer tone.
Why?
Linguists like Deborah Tannen have pointed out that most communications have three elements:
Explicit content – “There is no milk in the refrigerator.”Emotional subtext – Could be irritation, blame, accusationAn implicit statement about the nature of the relationship – Could be one person gets to criticize and boss around someone elseMany studies have found that the second and third elements – which I define in genera...
June 10, 2022
Meditation + Talk: The Essence of Mindfulness, the Foundation of All Inner Practice
This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 33-minute meditation and a 45-minute talk and discussion about The Essence of Mindfulness, the Foundation of All Inner Practice.
I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations – open to everyone!
Meditation: The Essence of Mindfulness, the Foundation of All Inner Practice Talk: The Essen...
