The pressure activates motivational circuits but has inherent collateral damage. Pressure activates ancient motivational circuits that were very effective in keeping our ancestors alive but even at best, there is an inherent collateral damage.
Rick Hanson
Author / Psychologist
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Biography
Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages, and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well Podcast – which has been downloaded over 15 million times. His free newsletters have over 260,000 subscribers and his online programs have scholarships available for those in need. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide. He and his wife live in Northern California and have two adult children. He loves the wilderness and taking a break from emails.
Articles
Being Well Podcast: Being a Better Friend to Yourself
Explore how to balance constructive and harmful self-criticism, move away from our “act,” embrace change, manage feelings of worthlessness, and ultimately be a good friend to ourselves.
Meditation + Talk: Love and Anger in the Time of Corona
Learn how to deal with anger during challenging times and rest at peace in a radiant heart. This is a talk and meditation from Dr. Rick Hanson’s Wednesday Meditation series.
Being Well Podcast: The Gift of Presence
Caroline Welch joins the podcast to help us explore the role of mindfulness in our everyday lives, and how presence can be a particularly valuable tool for women.
Meditation + Talk: 3 Ways to Deal With Hard Times
In this meditation, talk and discussion we start with a 45-minute meditation in Grounding in Openhearted Peacefulness. Then, with many concerned about the current Coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty, stress, and anxiety surrounding it, I share three ways for dealing with hard times.
Being Resilient During Coronavirus
During times like this – with a pandemic such as the Coronavirus – it’s natural to feel afraid, anxious, or threatened. But being consumed by fear causes wear and tear on the body, which actually undermines your safety. Here you’ll find suggestions and resources for how to stay calm and be effective during this challenging time.
Being Well Podcast: Fear in the Time of Coronavirus
On today’s episode we explore how we can cope with the natural fears that arise during challenging times, the difference between useful and harmful anxiety, and how to grow the inner strengths we need to thrive when things get tough.
A Meditation for Feeling As Safe As You Reasonably Can
During times like this, it’s natural to feel afraid, stressed, threatened, or anxious – but being consumed by fear causes wear and tear on the body, which actually undermines your safety. That’s why it’s very important to be able to find a place inside that feels calm and strong. And one of the best ways to do this is to notice that you’re alright, right now – which we’ll explore in this 5-minute meditation.
Being Well Podcast: Healing Trauma with Peter Levine
Dr. Peter Levine, a legendary expert on the subject of healing trauma, joins Forrest and I to discuss the power trauma holds over the body, how we can truly connect with others, and simple practices for calming fear and unwinding from trauma.
The Impacts of Childhood Trauma
Stress or microtraumas can disrupt the construction of the brain in infancy and childhood… and those effects can live on in us today.
Being Well Podcast: Childhood Trauma with Dr. Bruce Perry
Dr. Bruce Perry joins Forrest and me to discuss the incredible impact of childhood experiences, the fuzzy distinction between trauma and stress, and what we can do to heal from those experiences.
See Your Part
Acknowledging one’s own part in a difficult situation is one of the hardest – and I think most honorable – things a person can do.