by Rick Hanson | Jan 22, 2014 | Blog
Your mind and brain are deeply connected—your experiences shape your brain, and your brain shapes your life. Learn how to rewire your mind for lasting well-being.
by Rick Hanson | Jan 20, 2014 | Blog
Set clear, wise intentions to shape your life. See the big picture, act with purpose, and stay committed to what truly matters. Small steps create lasting change.
by Rick Hanson | Jan 17, 2014 | Blog
“How does being-awareness relate to our underlying animal nature?” “Is remorse a good thing?” “Is the “Self” real? What’s the nature of the sense of being that remains when parts of the psyche fall away?” These questions about...
by Rick Hanson | Jan 14, 2014 | Blog
This collection of scientific papers was created by the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom.
by Rick Hanson | Jan 3, 2014 | Blog
We can outwit our brain’s negative circuitry and tilt ourselves toward the good in life. The inner strengths we all need to cope with life and enjoy it – strengths like resilience, positive emotions, confidence, and feeling loved – are based on underlying neural...
by Rick Hanson | Dec 27, 2013 | Blog
The old-fashioned saying that “practice makes perfect” is true for one’s well-being and relationships. Picking just one thing to think about or do in your mind each day helps make the practice easier. Keep it simple. But stick with it. For example, drawing on a few...
by Rick Hanson | Dec 24, 2013 | Blog, Just One Thing
Keeping with tradition, each year I offer a list of Twelve Good Things. I’ve paired each good thing with a fundamental inner strength: Learning, Mindfulness, Love, Resilience, Contentment, Integrity, Self-Worth, Courage, Social Intelligence, Motivation, Wisdom,...
by Rick Hanson | Dec 18, 2013 | Blog
I was a speaker at the Meditative Praxis conference at the University of Hong Kong in August 2013, where I interviewed on “Neurodharma: A New Way of Healing”. Here’s the video:
by Rick Hanson | Dec 16, 2013 | Blog
A “buddha brain” is one that knows how to be deeply happy, loving, and wise. We develop ourselves in this way by cultivating wholesome qualities and uprooting unwholesome ones. In a sense, we plant flowers and pull weeds in the garden of the mind –...
by Rick Hanson | Dec 11, 2013 | Blog
The holidays are a time of year when our stress-levels tend to rise, despite our desire to enjoy the season and the people in our lives. So I’d like to offer you a few simple tips for taking care of your body, emotions, thoughts and actions, to minimize holiday stress...
by Rick Hanson | Dec 9, 2013 | Blog
The Mindfulness Movie is a powerful and fascinating exploration of the essence and modern applications of mindfulness practices.
by Rick Hanson | Nov 25, 2013 | Blog
“Love is a deep, powerful, often intense feeling of affection, caring, sweetness, and commitment. It is usually applied to others, though it is possible to feel love for the natural world, humanity as a whole, God (in whatever way you experience or imagine this), and oneself. Whether you feel loved or feel loving, love is love, whether it’s coming in or going out. When you’re resting in love, any knots of longing or clinging can loosen and fall away.”
*Excerpted from, Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence
by Rick Hanson | Nov 22, 2013 | Blog
What does it mean to have a simple holiday? For me it means having realistic expectations about what you can actually get done, and not over-committing. Alongside, keeping a sense of perspective and humor about the madness of parking lot traffic jams, weird in-law...