The Science of Happiness – Details, episodes & analysis

What if you had a magic wand and could better the world in any way? What would you do? We explore a practice shown to help you find your purpose and feel more motivated, resilient and fulfilled in life.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bp7wv7ft

Episode Summary

What’s your greater purpose in life? It’s a tough question, especially if you’re feeling uncertain about your future. In this episode, our guest explores that very question—and gets handed a magic wand with the power to make the world a better place.

How To Do The Magic Wand Practice

1. Set aside 15 minutes to reflect and write. 
2. Think about the world you live in – your home, your community, and the world at large.
3. Imagine you’ve been given a magic wand, and you can change anything you want to change in the world. What would you want to be different? Why? Describe your ideal world in writing.
4. Now, reflect on what it would take to change the world in this way. Is there anything you can do to help move the world closer to this ideal? If so, explain how; if not, explain why not.

Guest: Selina Bilal is a UC Berkeley undergraduate student who is studying psychology, and a Fellow at Greater Good Science Center, where we produce The Science of Happiness

Expert Guest: Kendall Cotton Bronk is a professor of psychology in the Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences at Claremont University. 

• Learn more about Bronk’s work: https://tinyurl.com/3s9sjp2d
• Connect with Bronk: https://tinyurl.com/3p5cepy3

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

• How to Find Your Spark in Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc8j9a4u
• What’s Your “Why” in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2vnaswpt

Happiness Break Related Episodes

•  A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/54uuvh7z
• Visualizing Your Purpose, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/3jvnv35y

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod.  E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Our happiness is interconnected with the well-being of others, both people and the natural world. Step outside of you can, or imagine the outdoors from wherever you are now, and join us for a meditation that’ll help us be better stewards of the natural world.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/y3yfjsxa

Episode Summary

A meditation on how we can give back to the earth, led by indigenous activist, artist, and scholar Dr. Lyla June Johnston.

How To Do This Practice

1. Sit and take four deep breaths to honor the four sacred directions.
2. Take a moment to stop, and step outside and see what  life flourishes from. 
3. Take notice of the little things – a bird bath that provides a safe place for the birds to drink and to bathe. 
4. Think about how you can give a small gift to life., Maybe you could plant fruit or nut-bearing trees that could feed you,your neighbors, and the wildlife around you.
5.  Following this meditation, think about ways that you can make this a reality. You could order a bird bath from your local feed store. 
6. Think of the metaphor of the bird bath. A bird bath is a human creation. And it's a gift to birds. It doesn't benefit us at all. It truly is just a gift to a species outside of our own. 
7. Reflect on how this is truly what human beings were born to do – born to be givers, stewards, and caretakers of the earth.

Guest Host: Dr. Lyla June Johnston is an indigenous activist, artist, and scholar from the Naaneesht'ezhi Taach'iinii clan of the Diné Nation. 

• For more on her work: https://www.lylajune.com/
• Watch her TED talk: https://tinyurl.com/frbe5ya9
• Follow her on instagram: https://tinyurl.com/bdfbf8yx
• Follow her on X: https://tinyurl.com/4jj57n25
• Follow her on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3cskuh7x

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

• How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/dmsr2wkm
• The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/murmd98b

Happiness Break Related Episodes

• How to Be in Harmony in Nature—Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/ynxeeb7a
• Contemplating Our Interdependence With Nature, With Dekila Chungyalpa: https://tinyurl.com/erz2f5de
• Feeling the Awe of Nature From Anywhere, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y4mm4wu9

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod.  E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

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/3r6ju2wh

The 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, and the mindfulness and mental processes involved in the practice. Then, we hear from Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk and author, about the practice of cleaning as a form of mindfulness.

Practice:
The next time you’re tending to your garden, picking up trash on your sidewalk, watering the plants, or doing other chores, spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness by slowing down and really being present with the activity and your own body's movements while you do it. 

Today’s guests:

Matt Heron is a Canadian who has been living and working in Japan for five years. 

Shoukei Matsumoto is a Buddhist monk and cleaning enthusiast in Kyoto, Japan. He is the author of “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind,” which has been translated into 18 languages, including English 

• Follow Shoukei on instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4e2jk7xt
• Follow Shoukei on Linkedin: https://tinyurl.com/48xkr9ew
• Learn more about Interbeing: https://www.interbeing.co.jp/en
• Read “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind” : https://tinyurl.com/7u3zhvcz

More episodes like this one:

How to Make Work More Satisfying: https://tinyurl.com/3fa925yf
Why We Should Seek Beauty in the Everyday Life: https://tinyurl.com/26dskv38

Related Happiness Breaks (a short, guided practice by The Science of Happiness) 

Contemplating Our Interdependence With Nature, With Dekila Chungyalpa: https://tinyurl.com/erz2f5de
Happiness Break: How to Be in Harmony in Nature—Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/ynxeeb7a

This episode is supported by Tianren Culture, whose vision is “One Wisdom, One Health.” Tianren Culture is a next-generation social platform that acts as a catalyst to foster positive global values and lifestyles.

Tell us about your mindful gardening experiences! Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Cultivate more joy in your life with this practice led by meditation teacher and author Spring Washam.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yckujpr3

How to Do This Practice:

1. Think about an area of your life that brings you joy, it could be anything.

2. Imagine yourself experiencing that moment of happiness. Feel the smiles, the peace and laughter.

3. As you reflect on the moment, say to yourself, “may my joy and my happiness increase.”

4. Next, practice “sympathetic joy.” To do this, think about someone you know having a great experience.

5. As you think of them in their joy, say to them in your mind, “May your joy and happiness increase.” Or you can also say, “I'm happy for your happiness. May your happiness continue.”

6. Remember that happiness is infinite. Being joyful for others is a way to increase your joy.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Spring Washam, is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground.

Learn more about Spring and her new book: https://www.springwasham.com/

Follow Spring on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/

Follow Spring on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teacher.springwasham/

Follow Spring on Twitter: https://twitter.com/springwasham

Check out Spring’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

• How to Overcome Stress by Seeing Other People’s Joy: https://tinyurl.com/3cn22wcb

• How Your Life Is Shaped by the Emotions You Want to Feel: https://tinyurl.com/54ff3b4k

• Moments of Love and Connection May Help You Live Longer: https://tinyurl.com/328scfjj

• Can You Be Too Happy?: https://tinyurl.com/4jswnf94

• Why Other People’s Good News Could Be Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/4d8dxsw5

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of cultivating joy. Email us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

These days, it's hard to imagine befriending people with different politics than your own. But these two men did it using a tried and true practice.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yfuhemz2

Episode summary:

When a graphic work of art depicting two men having sex was hung up in a busy hallway on a community college campus, it stirred up a huge controversy. Some students wanted it taken down, while others opposed the idea of censoring art. Instead of retreating to their respective echo chambers, two students who disagreed had a public debate. It was so successful, they actually went on to create a discourse club on campus. We learn the tactics that helped them navigate a divisive topic with their civility and differing values intact. Later, we hear from psychologist Cynthia Wang on how taking someone else’s perspective can bring people of different backgrounds together and disrupt stereotyping.

Practice:

1. Think of someone whom you might be at odds with — perhaps they have different political beliefs, or they’re not part of your ethnic or religious group, or they have arguments with you.

2. Take a moment to imagine yourself as this person, seeing the world through their eyes. Recall a moment you shared with this person and think how you, as this person, experience that shared situation. What does the world look like from their point of view?

3. Try to imagine how it feels to be them as vividly as possible. Ask yourself questions such as, what emotions are they experiencing? How might that feel in their body? How might their feelings in the situation differ from yours?

4. If you’re in a debate with this person, try taking their side and formulate an argument on their behalf. You might understand more nuances about their views.

5. If you have the time, you can even try to imagine a day in your life as this person.

Find the bridging differences playbook in our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/major_initiatives/bridging_differences

Today’s guests:

Mark Urista is a professor of communication at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon.

Anthony Lusardi and Steven Olson are former students at Linn-Benton Community College.

Learn more about LBCC Civil Discourse Club: https://tinyurl.com/5becxpba

Follow the LBCC Civil Discourse Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LBCCCivilDiscourse/

Dr. Cynthia Wang is the clinical psychology professor at Northwestern University. She’s also the executive director of the Dispute Resolution Research Center at the Kellogg School of Management.

Learn more about Cynthia and her work: https://tinyurl.com/56kebcvw

Follow Cynthia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynthiascwang

Resources for bridging differences from The Greater Good Science Center:

Learn more about the Bridging Differences Initiative: https://tinyurl.com/5n6j5e3t

Eight Keys to Bridging Our Differences: https://tinyurl.com/ywaay6ux

How to Get Some Emotional Distance in an Argument: https://tinyurl.com/342r4sjz

More resources on bridging differences:

TED - Bridging Cultural Differences(playlist): https://tinyurl.com/racj5edf

NPR - Why We Fight: The Psychology Of Political Differences: https://tinyurl.com/52rxnxwj

Tell us about your experiences of bridging differences by emailing us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

This episode is supported by Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, as part of the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences initiative. To learn more about the Bridging Differences initiative, please visit: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/major_initiatives/bridging_differences

Dedicating a little time to tune into your body fortifies you to better handle the stresses of daily life.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/38tkd87r

How to Do This Practice:

1. Find a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable.You can be standing, sitting, or lying down. Make sure that you feel relaxed.

2. Close your eyes, and take a few deep, long breaths.

3. Move your attention through your body slowly, part by part. Focus on your feet, then your calves, knees, and so on, until you get to the top of your head. Without judgment, notice what sensations you can identify in each part of the body.

4. When your mind wanders, gently and with self-kindness, guide your attention back to the part of the body you’re focusing on in the present moment.

Find the full Body Scan Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

• Listen to a Science of Happiness episode on the body scan meditation with Daniel Wu: https://tinyurl.com/hn6vhx4b

• How a Body Scan Can Help With Strong Emotions: https://tinyurl.com/57sdek76

• How Tuning In to Your Body Can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/328scfjj

• What Self-Compassion Feels Like in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/426hfnjj

• Compassionate Mind, Healthy Body: https://tinyurl.com/5n79ary9

• Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/4j9ynwr9

• Why Yoga Is Good for Your Body and Brain, According to Science: https://tinyurl.com/ynja9f22

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with the body scan meditation. Email us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How do you forgive someone while still holding them accountable? What if that person is yourself? This week, our guest tries a practice in forgiving herself and someone else.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3mbkrn9u

Episode summary:

Anoosha Syed appreciates her name now, but as a kid, she struggled with feeling different from everyone else. She had friends call her “Annie” and even dyed her hair blonde in an effort to look less Pakistani. Anoosha joins us after trying a practice in forgiveness. Anoosha explores the complexities of forgiving someone who’s in a position of power and privilege and should know better, like the teacher who always mispronounced her name. Then, Anoosha took the practice a step further and directed it inward. She shares what it was like to forgive her younger self for not being as proud of her culture as she is today.  Later, we hear from psychologist Dr. Lydia Woodyatt about the power of self-compassion and affirming our important values to release us from destructive self-blame while still holding ourselves accountable when we need to.

Practice:

1. Make sure you know how you feel about what is going on and be able to articulate it. Then, tell someone you can trust about your experience.

2. Tell yourself you will feel better because of this forgiveness. Forgiveness is for you, not for others.

3. Remember, forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciling with the person who upsets you or condoning the behavior.

4. Recognize that your primary pain comes from hurt feelings, thoughts, and physical discomfort you are experiencing now, not from the thing that offended or hurt in the past.

5. Practice stress management to soothe yourself when you're feeling overwhelmed. Try things like mindful breathing or going for a walk.

6. Remind yourself that you cannot expect others to act in the way you think they should, but it’s ok to hope that they do.

7. Find another way to achieve the positive outcome you had hoped for in the first place.

8. Instead of focusing on your hurt feelings, look for the bright side of things. Focus on what’s going well for you.

9. Change the way you look at your past so you remind yourself of your heroic choice to forgive..

Find the Nine Steps to Forgiveness Practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/nine_steps_to_forgiveness

Today’s guests:

Anoosha Syed is a Pakistani-Canadian freelance illustrator and author of the children's book, That is Not My Name.

Learn more about Anoosha and her works: http://www.anooshasyed.com/

Follow Anoosha on

Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxville_art

Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3pahbn7x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anooshasyed

Dr. Lydia Woodyatt is an associate professor in Psychology at Flinders University in Australia. She studies wellbeing, justice, emotions, and motivation.

Learn more about Lydia and her works: https://tinyurl.com/mrs974by

Follow Lydia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaWoodyatt

Resources for forgiveness from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to an episode of Happiness Break on Self-forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/3d7sevfs

Eight Keys to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/5n82yjkf

More resources on forgiveness:

TED - How (and why) to forgive: https://tinyurl.com/mu2zep4f

Harvard Health - The Power of Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2p9fden3

10% Happier - Writing a Forgiveness letter: https://tinyurl.com/mr5y624x

Tell us about your experiences letting go of a grudge by emailing us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Letting go of our regrets can motivate us to improve and help us grow. Alex Elle, a certified breathwork and writing coach, guides us through a meditation to forgive and accept ourselves.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/35tubarw

How to Do This Practice:

1. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, remember all you have done in the past that led you to come to be where you are today.

2. Remember that you are allowed to forgive yourself and let it go. Give yourself permission to release any shame that you’re carrying. Forgive yourself.

3. Think of the good things about yourself. Trust your worth and acknowledge that you are evolving. Remember, you are worthy of good things even when you think you are now.

4. When you're ready, you can bring your attention back to the present moment. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the nose. Drop your shoulder and unclench your jaw.

5. If you'd like to take this practice a step further, you can write your own letter of self forgiveness, it can start with “Dear self, I forgive you for …”

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Alex Elle is a certified breathwork coach, author and restorative writing teacher. Her new book, How We Heal, will come out soon.

Learn more about Alex and her new book: https://www.alexelle.com/about

Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex/

Follow Alex on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easewithalexl

Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex__elle

Follow Alex on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexElleFB

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

• Listen to a Science of Happiness episode on self-compassion: https://tinyurl.com/2hundtmc

• How to Grow from Your Regrets: https://tinyurl.com/ys8239k2

• Just One Thing: Forgive Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/5ybny4xx

• Forgive Yourself, Save Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/49by7ma6

• The Healthy Way to Forgive Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/4p3e9eha

• How to Let Go of an Old Regret: https://tinyurl.com/4mryyyfy

We love hearing from you! Tell us how letting go of your regret makes you feel. Email us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

When's the last time you made a good memory — intentionally? Our guest tries a practice in cultivating positive experiences and taking time to savor them.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2kwpfu7a

Episode summary:

Life doesn't always hand us good times, but we can benefit as much or more when we create our own happy memories and take time to appreciate them. This week on The Science of Happiness, our guest tries a practice to intentionally create good experiences and reflect on them. Deandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a re-entry home where formerly incarcerated people can find community and connections. Deandrea  brings us into his experience with this practice, and shares what it’s like to find strength through the hardest times as well as  positive events, like the ones he created for our show. Psychologist Meg Speer explains how ruminating on good times can actually change the way we respond to stress. .

Practice: Creating and Recalling Positive Events

1. Do an activity that you enjoy doing alone.

2. With a friend, do something that you enjoy doing with others.

3. Do something that you consider personally important and meaningful.

4. Then take a step back and really think about these three events. Write about how they make you feel. Talk about it with a friend, or just really think about it.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/creating_and_recalling_positive_events

Today’s guests:

Deandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a home by and for formerly incarcerated people, which provides resources and support for their re-entry.

To learn more about Bay Area Freedom House: https://www.collectivefreedom.org/

or: https://www.facebook.com/bayareafreedom/

To financially support the Bay Area Freedom Collective: https://givedirect.org/freedomcollective/

Meg Speer is a postdoctoral researcher in the SCAN lab at Columbia University. She studies how autobiographical memories and positive thoughts affect our brain function.

Learn more about Meg and her work: https://tinyurl.com/yf39acwk

Follow Meg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mspeer3

Follow Meg on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/9cn3tmbh

Resources for Recalling Positive Event:

TED —There’s an art to happy memories — you can make more by experiencing more “first”s: https://tinyurl.com/2p8sdsy7

Hidden Brain (NPR) — Nostalgia Isn't Just A Fixation On The Past - It Can Be About The Future, Too: https://tinyurl.com/5d8dej3a

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Five Ways Nostalgia Can Improve Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/veeraw6u

Listen to our episode, “How to Make Time for Happiness” https://tinyurl.com/yhf39awt

Listen to our last episode featuring the Bay Area Freedom Collective, “How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected” https://tinyurl.com/4d6dm9zp

We’d love for you to try out this practice and share how it went for you. Email us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

When was the last time you thought about your ancestors? This guided meditation by indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen will help you connect to your heritage and reap the potent benefits of remembering your roots.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3mrd6247

How to Do This Practice:

1. Bring your attention to the center of your chest, allow the chest to open, and relax.

2. Notice an open space in your chest when you breathe in. Pause before exhaling, resting your awareness in the space between breaths, then breathe out. Contemplate the pause that connects the constant flow between openings and returning.

3. In that pause, contemplate your  lineage. Think about the origin stories of your elders, their own elders, and their own elders, moving back in time.

4. Think about those elders and the lands that touched their feet. Imagine bringing that land into the center of your chest, into the pause between breaths.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar of Nahua and Maya descent. She also works at the United Nations to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about Dr. Celidwen: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

• Listen to Dr. Yuria Celidwen on The Science of Happiness episode about listening to your elders: https://tinyurl.com/ykn8euhc

• Try the grounding practice led by Dr. Yuria Celidwen from Happiness Break: https://tinyurl.com/24kdurc4

• Why Telling Our Own Story Is So Powerful for Black Americans: https://tinyurl.com/2nvcxpam

We love hearing from you! Tell us how connecting to your ancestors made you feel. Email us at [email protected] or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.