Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

What can death teach us about living well? A pioneer in the field of end-of-life care joins us to explore the fear of death, anger, true courage, and acceptance in the face of it all.  About our Guest: Frank is an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and advocate for compassionate care-giving. In 1987, he co-founded the Zen Hospice Project, which helped establish a longstanding model for min...

What does it mean to "transcend the self?" Today Dr. Hanson, Forrest, and Dr. David Yaden explore self-transcendent, or “peak,” experiences, which the famous psychologist Abraham Maslow defined as “moments of highest happiness and fulfillment.” As a note, David is referred to as a "PhD student" during the episode. Since it was recorded, he's gone on to earn his doctorate! About our Guest: David is...

Dr. Laurie Santos joins the podcast to share what the science says about how we can maintain our well-being during this difficult time. About our Guest: Laurie is a Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Her course “Psychology and the Good Life” is the most popular class in the university’s history. It’s now available for free online as “The Science of Well-Being....

Can we work with, and release, obsessive fear during this particularly anxiety-provoking time? Dr. Dan Kalb, an expert on anxiety disorders and OCD, joins the show to help us learn how.  About our Guest:  Anxiety and worry are a part of life. But when they disrupt the normal flow of life, work and school are harder, family and social relationships suffer, and life is not as enjoyable. Dr. Kalb has...

What can we learn about ourselves from and through art? Sleeping At Last, an incredible musician, joins us to explore the Enneagram, the creative process, art and emotion, and how we can become ever more true to ourselves. About Our Guest: Sleeping at Last, also known as Ryan O’Neal,  is a well-known singer, songwriter, and composer who's written music for shows like Grey's Anatomy.  Over the last...

What is the "highest happiness," and what can we do to achieve it?  This is the second conversation with Dr. Hanson related to his new book Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness. Today we're focusing on the final four practices in the book: wholeness, nowness, allness, and timelessness.  Neurodharma is now available! Click here if you'd like to lear...

Throughout history people have sought the heights of human potential - to become as wise, strong, happy, and loving as any person can ever be. Call these peak experiences, sense of oneness, or enlightenment itself. And now, science is revealing how these remarkable ways of being seem to be based on equally remarkable changes in our own nervous system. What do those individuals have in common, how...

I want to express the profound gratitude I feel toward everyone who is serving others during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. In particular, healthcare providers, first responders, and the whole ecosystem of helpers who have come together to support us all. I've received a number of truly humbling requests to offer a guided practice aimed at supporting the inner strengths those providers nee...

How can we continue to support others when our own well has run dry? Today we're exploring practices for managing and overcoming both direct traumatic stress and compassion fatigue, or "secondary traumatic stress."  New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Key Topics: 3:00...

Over the last month many people have been stuck at home - occasionally with people they'd rather not be around. Maintaining a healthy relationship can be a struggle under the best of times, let alone during times of stress. On this episode we explore how individuals and families can deal with the interpersonal stress that comes from being stuck together, and the sadness and loss that comes from be...

It's often easier to be a good friend to others than to ourselves. Today we're exploring 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. New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingw...

How can we use mindfulness practically during our everyday lives, and how can "presence" be a particularly valuable tool for women? About Our Guest: Caroline Welch is the CEO and co-founder of the Mindsight Institute. Mindsight, a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel, is our human capacity to perceive the mind of the self and others. It’s essentially a kind of focused attention that help us observe the w...

We haven’t generally done episodes related to current events, but these events are challenging to ignore. The coronavirus pandemic has already placed a heavy toll on society – over a hundred thousand people have already been sick, thousands are dead, businesses, schools, and recreational events have closed, and there's been substantial economic turmoil. Today we’re exploring how to cope with the n...

Dr. Peter Levine, a legendary expert on the subject of healing trauma, joins Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest 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.  Dr. Levine has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years and is the creator of Somatic Experiencing. He is also the author of...

Dr. Bruce Perry joins Dr. Hanson and Forrest 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.  As with all of our episodes dealing with trauma and traumatic experiences, please approach this material with care for yourself in mind. There are specific descriptions during the episode of negl...

How can we better resource ourselves to face the challenging, even traumatic, experiences that lie in our past? New Sponsor: Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Key Topics: 03:45: The necessity of eventually contacting trauma material in order to heal. 06:50: Challenges, resources...

We all want to build good habits, but doing so is often easier said than done. Charles Duhigg joins the podcast to help us learn how to do just that. About Our Guest: Charles is the author of The Power of Habit, a classic bestseller about the science of habit formation in our lives, companies and societies, and Smarter Faster Better, which focuses on the science of productivity. He was a reporter...

In our important relationships at home and at work, we need to respect the needs of others while also sticking up for our own. Dr. Daniel Ellenberg joins us today to explore how we can grow the lasting inner resources that allow us to do just that, and ultimately become both “friendly” and “fearless.” About Our Guest: Daniel has been a practicing marriage and family therapist for over 30 years, an...

There are some emotions that are so deeply tied to the human experience that it’s impossible to avoid them. One of these is grief, which we have yet to discuss in detail on the podcast. On this episode we’re changing that, and have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Joanne Cacciatore to the podcast to explore how we can bear the unbearable, and heal the trauma associated with grief. As with all of our...

On this short episode, Dr. Shauna Shapiro shares the most important thing she does, each day, for her own well-being.   Shauna's newest book Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy is now available. If you'd like to continue to receive these Just One Thing episodes, you can now support the podcast on Patreon! Follow the li...

Dr. Shauna Shapiro, clinical psychologist, author and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion, joins Rick to discuss how we can grow and include compassion alongside mindfulness. About Our Guest: Dr. Shapiro is a professor at Santa Clara University and has published over 150 papers and three critically acclaimed books, translated into 16 languages. Her TEDx Talk, The P...

Sometimes it's nice to have just one thing to focus on: a simple theme each week to reflect on and be inspired by. On this short episode Dr. Kelly McGonigal shares the most important thing she does, each day, for her own well-being. From Dr. Hanson:  The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the...

We all know that exercise is good for us, but that doesn't always make it easy to do. Dr. Kelly McGonigal joins Dr. Hanson and Forrest to share some of the surprising benefits of activity, and how to find ease and joy in movement. About Our Guest: Dr. McGonigal is a health psychologist, lecturer at Stanford University, and award-winning science writer.  She is the author of several wonderful books...

Sometimes it's nice to have just one thing to focus on: a simple theme each week to reflect on and be inspired by. On this short episode Jack Kornfield shares the most important thing he does, each day, for his own well-being. Sign-up for Just One Thing from Dr. Rick Hanson here, and receive more simple practices for greater well-being. Connect with the show: Visit us on the web Follow us on Insta...

Jack Kornfield, one of the key teachers who introduced Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West, joins Rick and Forrest to discuss practice, mindful awareness, and how to view reality altogether. Jack is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a millio...