Given the frenetic pace of life we deal with today, it's useful to mine the wisdom traditions for ways to slow down and embody feelings like contentment and inner peace. Dr. Rick Hanson is dedicated to connecting western psychology, the contemplative traditions of the world, and the latest brain science to craft accessible ways for everyone to cultivate lasting qualities of mind and heart to carry with us. In this conversation, he discusses some of his findings as well as 7 ways of being that he's identified that can help us to make durable, positive changes in our brain. On Today’s Episode of A Healthy Curiosity: How the brain and mind shape each other Why he wrote his latest book as a pragmatic approach to enlightenment An example of a practice Rick recommends for helping to drop self-criticism The power of brief practices that are developed over time Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author with a keen interest in the brain and meditation. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. His work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, and NPR, and 150,000 subscribers receive his free Just One Thing newsletter every week. But perhaps most importantly, he’s been meditating since 1974. His latest book, Neurodharma shares seven practices for embodying them ourselves in daily life to handle stress, heal old pain, feel at ease with others, and rest in the sense of our natural goodness. Links: Neurodharma by Dr. Rick Hanson Free gift!  3 Meditations and Chapter 1 of Neurodharma Connect With Dr. Rick Hanson: Website Blog Books Instagram Facebook -- Find out how to enroll in the Level Up course Learn more about the Basics of Chinese Medicine