Rick Hanson's Blog, page 28

Choose To Love

What does your heart say?

The Practice:
Choose to Love

Why?

Many years ago, I was in a significant relationship in which the other person started doing things that surprised and hurt me. I’ll preserve the privacy here so I won’t be concrete, but it was pretty intense. After going through the first wave of reactions – What?! How could you? Are you kidding me?! – I settled down a bit. I had a choice.

This relationship was important to me, and I could see that a lot of what was going thro...

Being Well Podcast: Finding Your Passion and Purpose

On this episode of Being Well, Forrest and I discuss how we can identify and pursue our purpose, and why it’s so valuable to have one in the first place. We explore what questions and strategies can help us develop clarity on what we find meaningful, what our core values are, and how we’d like to spend a big chunk of our time.

While many of us set new goals and resolutions at the beginning of a new year, according to research, roughly half of...

Not Harming by Not Externalizing CostsWith Special Reference to the COVID Pandemic

Note: This is the third article in a 4-part series on Virtuous Conduct as the Foundation of All Happiness that also includes:

Part 1: Do’s and Don’ts of Virtuous ConductPart 2: Not Harming by Not Externalizing Costs With Special Reference to the Climate CrisisPart 4: The Three Foundations of Healthy Groups From Families to Nations

You can also watch the video of this teaching, and do the guided meditation that accompanies it.

As we begin a new year, at least in some ...

Not Harming by Not Externalizing CostsWith Special Reference to the Climate Crisis

Note: This is the second article in a 4-part series on Virtuous Conduct as the Foundation of All Happiness that also includes:

Part 1: Do’s and Don’ts of Virtuous ConductPart 3: Not Harming by Not Externalizing Costs With Special Reference to the COVID PandemicPart 4: The Three Foundations of Healthy Groups From Families to Nations

You can also watch the video of this teaching, and do the guided meditation that accompanies it.

Non-Harming

Now I’d like to step back fr...

Meditation + Talk: Not Harming Oneself and Others – with Reference to the Climate Crisis

This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 34-minute meditation and 54-minute talk and discussion about Not Harming Oneself and Others – with Reference to the Climate Crisis.

I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations – open to everyone!

Meditation: Not Harming Oneself and Others – with Reference to the Climate Crisis

Download the Audio of this Meditation

Talk: ...

Being Well Podcast: Joy in Difficult Times with James Baraz

On today’s episode of Being Well, Forrest and I are joined by James Baraz. We explore step four of James’ 10 steps to awakening joy: how to find joy in difficult times. We discuss how to balance a sense of equanimity with compassion for the suffering of the world, and how cultivating joy at an individual level can support healing at the collective level. 

About our Guest: James has been a meditation teacher for over 40 years, and is the cofou...

PNT Teacher Standards

PNT Teacher StandardsTo ensure the highest quality of teaching of the Positive Neuroplasticity Training, its Teachers are expected to meet these standards:

Personal

Have taken the PNT and related Professional Course (or the equivalent, such as my recent four day training through Arbor Seminaire), and read  Hardwiring Happiness Significant practice of mindfulness, compassion, and cultivationHigh integrity, conscientiousness, and resourcefulnessRespect for diversity, equity, and incl...

Do’s and Don’ts of Virtuous Conduct

Note: This is the second article in a 4-part series on Virtuous Conduct as the Foundation of All Happiness that also includes:

Part 2: Not Harming by Not Externalizing Costs With Special Reference to the Climate CrisisPart 3: Not Harming by Not Externalizing Costs With Special Reference to the COVID PandemicPart 4: The Three Foundations of Healthy Groups From Families to Nations

You can also watch the video of this teaching, and do the guided meditation that accompanies it.

...

Meditation + Talk: The Foundation of all Happiness – Virtuous Conduct

This Wednesday Night Meditation included a 34-minute meditation and 48-minute talk and discussion about The Foundation of all Happiness: Virtuous Conduct.

I hope you find it helpful, and you are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations – open to everyone!

Meditation: The Foundation of all Happiness – Virtuous Conduct

Download the Audio of this Meditation

Talk: The Foundation of all Happiness – Virt...

Being Well Podcast: Mindfulness for Depression with Dr. Zindel Segal

On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Zindel Segal joins Forrest and I to talk about Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an eight-week group therapy program designed to help those who suffer with chronic unhappiness and prevent relapse after episodes of severe clinical depression.

About our Guest: Dr. Segal is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, and one of the creators of MBCT. He specializes in mood...