Take a moment to ground yourself with this meditation that helps bring awareness to the relationship between ourselves and the earth beneath us. También tenemos esta meditación en Español: está en nuestro podcast dondequiera que estés escuchando ahora mismo." Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p8vub46 (English) https://tinyurl.com/muc82hj3 (Spanish) How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable position to start the practice, ensuring that your feet feel grounded. Focus on your breath, and how the air moves from your chest out through your nose.  Notice how the bottoms of your feet are connected to the earth, and how your body is supported and sustained by the earth beneath you. If any distractions arise, refocus your attention on your breathing and the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you. Complete this practice by expressing a sense of gratitude for the earth and our ability to reground ourselves within it. Today’s Happiness Break host: Diana Parra is professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a registered mindfulness and yoga teacher who focuses on sharing these practices with the Latino immigrant community in St Louis. Learn more about Diana Parra’s work: https://tinyurl.com/4acc7nsv More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Five Ways Mindfulness Meditation Is Good for Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/3f79nsav Can Mindfulness Help When You’re Depressed? https://tinyurl.com/yc7heja3 Does Mindfulness Make You More Compassionate? https://tinyurl.com/4beawh8b How to Practice Mindfulness Throughout Your Work Day: https://tinyurl.com/y8ftbcrz How Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2tunpkjb We love hearing from you! Did this practice help you feel more grounded? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus 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.

Tómate un momento para conectarte con esta meditación que ayuda a tomar conciencia de la relación entre nosotros y la tierra. Enlace a la transcripción: https://tinyurl.com/umu6wx33 We also have this meditation in Spanish — It's on our podcast feed wherever you're listening right now.

Dr. Omar Guzman reflects on how a practice to cultivate more respect shaped the way he interacts with his patients.  Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2fwen962 Episode Summary: As an ER doctor in an overworked healthcare system, Omar Guzman isn’t always able to build the relationships with patients the way he’d like to. For our show, Omar tried a practice called the 7 Elements of Respect. By contemplating his own motivations and biases, practicing deep listening and prioritizing relationship-building, Omar was able to develop a meaningful connection with a patient and was reminded of why he decided to pursue medicine. Later, we hear from Diane Johnson, the creator of this practice, to learn more about the multifaceted aspects of respect, and how developing empathic relationships can shape and strengthen our sense of community. Practice: Acknowledge the conflict and affirm your commitment to understanding and moving forward. Ensure that you are staying honest and true to yourself. Hear new perspectives by practicing deep listening. Recognize the importance of emphatically interacting with others. Let go of any pretenses or sense of ego by practicing humility. Notice how these actions affect your internal motivations. Practice building relationships and connections with others. Today’s guests: Omar Guzman is an ER doctor in Visalia, California. Diane Johnson has a PhD in Organizational Behavior and is a consultant focused on leadership, change management and organizational development. She is the creator of the 7 Elements of Respect. Learn more about Diane and her work: https://www.mmapeu.com/ Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Four Ways to Help Your Coworkers Feel Respected: https://tinyurl.com/2p8uvhnb How Do We Ensure That Students of Color Feel Respected?: https://tinyurl.com/5n8534ek What Middle Schoolers Can Teach Us About Respect: https://tinyurl.com/4ua4va6s Five Ways to Have More Constructive Disagreements: https://tinyurl.com/tt26uy84 More Resources on Cultivating Respect: MIT - Creating a Culture of Respect: https://tinyurl.com/44kzr95s NYT - How to Be More Empathetic: https://tinyurl.com/nf675dkk BBC - Deep Listening: Finding common ground with opponents: https://tinyurl.com/yjby4zjx How do you cultivate respect in your life? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Rate us on Spotify and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/mszb2wfx This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, as part of our project on "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility." To learn more, go to https://tinyurl.com/2dj6hw29

Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4x2whvzb How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable place to do this practice and settle into a relaxed pattern of breath. Think of someone who’s character has moved and inspired you. Focus on a specific time when they did something that inspired you. Notice the feelings that arise in your body when you reflect on that person’s moral beauty. Reflect on why that aspect of moral beauty is so significant and meaningful to you. Think of how you can strive to incorporate it into your own life. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Check out Dacher’s most recent book, *Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: *<https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt\](https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt) More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How to Find Your Purpose in Life: https://tinyurl.com/28mjx65c Living with a Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/yeyv2xhu Seven Ways to Find Your Purpose in Life: https://tinyurl.com/4ekymbet Five Ways to Foster Purpose in Adolescents: https://tinyurl.com/25e5bvv3 How Purpose Changes Across Your Lifetime: https://tinyurl.com/yhek7ktr We love hearing from you! Who inspires you? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus 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.

Rapper Rexx Life Raj shared his deepest pain in his latest album, and discovered it was one big compassion practice for his fans dealing with their own grief. Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4xzncasd Episode summary: After losing both of his parents in the same year, Rapper Rexx Life Raj channeled his grief into his latest album. On tour, he found himself communing with fans who were struggling with grief of their own. For our show, Raj tried a meditation to cultivate more compassion, and discovered that his life was full of compassion practices – like connecting with his fans who were suffering. We also hear from researcher Hooria Jazaieri about the relationship between vulnerability and compassion, why compassion is so critical to our relationships, and the many ways we can cultivate more of it. Practice: Find a comfortable place and take a few moments to focus on your breath. Think of a loved one. Allow the feelings of warmth and love to fill your heart. Wish those individuals well. Think of a time when your loved one was suffering. Notice how your sensations shift. Sincerely wish that they may be free of suffering. You can try this practice with different types of people in your life, including loved ones, friends, and even those you don’t get along with. Learn more about the Compassion Meditation practice at Greater Good In Action: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/compassion_meditation Today’s guests: Rexx Life Raj is a rapper and musician from the Bay area. Listen to his latest album, The Blue Hour: https://tinyurl.com/3rpfv9r9 Listen to Raj Life Raj’s Music: https://www.rexxliferaj.com/ Follow Raj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RexxLifeRaj Follow Raj on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rexxliferaj/ Hooria Jazaieri is an Assistant Professor at Santa Clara University. Her research focuses on personal reputation and emotions like compassion and awe. Learn more about Hooria and her work: https://tinyurl.com/2ndpkke9 Follow Hooria on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HooriaJazaieri Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Can Compassion Change the World: https://tinyurl.com/3ac2meyc Does Mindfulness Make You More Compassionate? https://tinyurl.com/4beawh8b When Empathy Hurts, Compassion Can Heal: https://tinyurl.com/yc4pyjcv Compassionate Mind, Healthy Body: https://tinyurl.com/mruc6m95 Do Your Struggles Expand Your Compassion for Others? https://tinyurl.com/yc4pyjcv More Resources on Compassion: The Atlantic - What’s Missing From Empathy: https://tinyurl.com/4b6s2v3y TED - Compassion and the true meaning of empathy: https://tinyurl.com/2kkhf3p5 Washington Post - Compassion fatigue hits not only professional caregivers. Other people get it, too: https://tinyurl.com/5325ewjt Harvard - Connect with Empathy, But Lead with Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/5n8amcuh What has your experience been like practicing compassion for others? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Rate us on Spotify and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/4uyr2w35 Episode image based on photo by Marco Alexander