We’re halfway through a very strange year, and it’s a good time to take stock, check in with ourselves, and establish some new commitments – even if they’re as simple as being kind to ourselves. When things happen *to* us, as they have in many ways this year, it’s easy to feel helpless. One way we can reclaim our experience of agency is by finding where we *do* still have influence over our outcomes. And that’s what Forrest and I explore in this episode: how to start anew under the circumstances we find ourselves in.
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 eight books have been published in 33 languages and include Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Resilient, Neurodharma, Just One Thing, Making Great Relationships, A Happy, Healthy Mom, 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 30 million times. He offers free newsletters, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. 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
Talk: The Refuge of Calm
In this talk from his weekly Wednesday Night Meditation, Dr. Rick Hanson speaks about the Refuge of Calm.
Being Well Podcast: Can We Do No Harm?
Is it possible to “do no harm,” and should we even try? In today’s episode, Forrest and I explore what it means to do no harm, and the resources that can allow us to do as little as possible.
Meditation + Talk: Finding Refuge – Why and How, in Turbulent Times
In this Wednesday Night Meditation, Dr. Rick Hanson offers a guided meditation and talk on Finding Refuge – Why and How, in Turbulent Times, which includes a Q&A and discussion.
Being Well Podcast: Unlearning Racist Conditioning with Erin Trent Johnson
What can we do to combat, unlearn, and ultimately unburden ourselves from the influence of systemic structures of racism? This week, Erin Trent Johnson joins us to explore this powerful question.
Meditation + Talk: Lived by Everything
In this Wednesday Night Meditation, Dr. Rick Hanson offers a guided meditation and talk on Lived by Everything, which includes a Q&A and discussion.
Being Well Podcast: Healing Our History with Dr. Sherri Taylor
Today we’re exploring how the traumatic past, including that handed down through the generations, can influence our lives today
Self-Compassion in Hard Times
In this video, Rick shares three steps to effectively practice self-compassion which, in turn, will help you develop compassion for others.
Meditation + Talk: The Power of Love
In this Wednesday Night Meditation, Dr. Rick Hanson offers a guided meditation and talk on The Power of Love, which includes a Q&A and discussion.
Being Well Podcast: Institutional Racism and Traumatic Stress with Dr. Alfiee
Racism and racist structures place an enormous mental health burden on the people they persecute. Dr. Alfiee, a wonderful psychologist, researcher, and expert in the mental health needs of racially diverse adolescents, young adults and families, joins Forrest for this week’s episode of Being Well.
Meditation + Talk: Openhearted Peacefulness
In this Wednesday Night Meditation, Dr. Rick Hanson offers a guided meditation and talk on Openhearted Peacefulness, which includes a Q&A and discussion.
Being Well Podcast: Living and Dying Well with Frank Ostaseski
What can death teach us about living well? A pioneer in the field of end-of-life care, Frank Ostaseski, joins Forrest and me to explore the fear of death, anger, true courage, and acceptance in the face of it all.










