Episode Description

For episode 263 of the Metta Hour, we are continuing our Anxiety Series with a re-release of a conversation with Dr. Richie J. Davidson, PhD that originally aired in 2023. In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the fourth episode in the series. Richie Davidson is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds. He is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. A friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, he is a highly sought after expert and speaker, leading conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he serves on the Global Council on Mental Health.

In this conversation Sharon and Richie discuss:

• How Richie came to this path

• Meeting Daniel Goleman and Ram Dass

• How Danny Goleman brought Sharon to her first retreat

• The term “Mental Health”

• Innate Goodness

• Believing in Growth Mindset

• A vision of possibility for ourselves

• The role of systemic oppression in mental well-being

• Intergenerational Resilience

• Richie’s four pillars of well-being

• Personal mental hygiene

• “The road to Lhasa goes up and down” - Mingyur Rinpoche

• The value of community and teachers in mental health

• Richie driving Mingyur Rinpoche

• Contemplative Neuroscience

• The Science of Flourishing Course

• Richie’s new book project

Additional Resources

The conversation closes with a guided meditation led by Richie. To learn more about Richie’s work or his different books, you can visit his website and check out the Center for Healthy Minds.

Join Richie’s course The Science of Flourishing: Well-Being Skills for Daily Life. Save 20% off the course using the coupon code METTA20.

Check out the first episode in the Anxiety Podcast Series with Dr. Jud Brewer right here.

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