Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

What goes into making "a self," and how can we bring together the many aspects of who we are? Today Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with meditation teacher, bestselling author, and podcaster (and their good friend) Michael Taft about moving from the spiritual to the secular and back again, ego dissolution, and how we can deconstruct ourselves.About Our Guest: Michael is a meditation teacher, bestselling author and neuroscience junkie. He’s been practicing meditation for over 35 years, and is the author of several books, including The Mindful Geek.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction1:30: Michael’s journey from the spiritual to the secular to back again.5:00: LSD, yoga, and Shinzen Young8:30: Reconciling the spiritual and the secular.15:45: What is “deconstructing yourself?”20:45: Ego dissolution and panic. 25:00: “Spiritual emergencies” and cautions around mindfulness. 29:20: Psychedelics and seeing the ego as an object. 31:00: Practices that help people see the empty nature of the self.34:00: Key teachings for life’s long road. 45:00: A message to your younger self.47:00: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors: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 code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have limiting beliefs: patterns of think about ourselves and the world that tend to hold us back. On this episode Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore how we can push back on these problematic beliefs and build more supportive ones.Change Your Mind Workshop: Learn how to step out of old assumptions and attitudes, free yourself from limiting beliefs, and cultivate more useful, hopeful thoughts about yourself and others during this new workshop from Dr. Rick Hanson. Attend this online event live on August 28-29, or watch the recordings after. Enter code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for 25% off the purchase price.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction3:25: The PASS Process8:35: Limiting beliefs about our nature.14:10: Limiting beliefs about our ability to learn.19:00: Limiting beliefs about our worthiness.21:45: Limiting beliefs about vulnerability.25:50: Limiting beliefs related to gender socialization.31:10: Perfectionism: Limiting beliefs that “keep us safe.”35:30: Social Scripts: Limiting beliefs about relationships41:45: The beliefs that un-limit us. 50:55: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors: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 code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Subscribe on iTunes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have times in life where it feels like we’re stagnating. We’re unfulfilled, bored, or trapped in cycles of behavior that don’t serve us. We’re stuck in a rut. Today Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore how we can break old patterns, and get un-stuck.Change Your Mind Workshop: Learn how to step out of old assumptions and attitudes, free yourself from limiting beliefs, and cultivate more useful, hopeful thoughts about yourself and others during this new workshop from Dr. Rick Hanson. Attend this online event live on August 28-29, or watch the recordings after. Enter code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for 25% off the purchase price.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You  can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics0:00: Introduction2:00: What tends to keep us stuck in a rut?5:15: Limiting beliefs.7:45: Appraisals and attributions.9:30: The invisible cage.11:15: Challenging our assumptions.15:20: A 3-step process for challenging assumptions. 18:30: Rick applies the process to his own material.22:15: Core skills that support the creation of new beliefs.25:45: Social scripts. 31:30: Key skills for building new beliefs. 34:00: Avoiding “must.” 38:00: Groups don’t like to change. 41:30: Finding those who grow alongside you.43:20: Have the courage to change.48:10: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors: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 code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pursuit of fulfillment is explored through the lens of personal experiences and societal expectations. Emphasizing that fulfillment should be seen as a climate rather than a passing mood, the conversation dives into the challenges posed by curated social media narratives. Topics include authentic self-expression, the pitfalls of low expectations, and the crucial balance of accepting both joy and pain. There’s a rich discussion on recognizing low moments, personal growth, and the importance of finding meaning amidst life’s uncertainties.

Dr. Katy Milkman, a Professor at The Wharton School and author of "How to Change," joins the conversation to unravel the complexities of lasting behavior change. They discuss why shifting habits is challenging, emphasizing the roles of procrastination and present bias. Katy shares her insights on motivation strategies like temptation bundling and the impact of social accountability. She also highlights the importance of timing and fresh start moments, as well as tackling psychological barriers to facilitate sustainable change.

Explore the often-overlooked emotion of resentment, a mix of hurt, anger, and fear that can damage relationships and personal well-being. Discover its roots in perceived injustices and how repressed emotions can lead to negativity. Delve into the social dynamics of resentment and the transformative power of compassionate practices like Metta. Learn about disentangled forgiveness, which helps break the cycle of suffering. Ultimately, embrace strategies for personal healing and emotional growth.

Tara Brach, the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., dives into the concept of 'trusting the gold' within us. She discusses how societal norms can obscure our recognition of inherent goodness, and she shares the transformative power of embracing our worth. The conversation highlights love as a stronger motivator than fear and introduces mindfulness techniques like RAIN to navigate emotions. Tara emphasizes the importance of kindness, healing from trauma, and fostering genuine connections with ourselves and others.

Explore the challenge of recognizing when it's time to let go in life, dealing with disappointment, understanding sunk cost fallacy, redefining success, and finding courage in embracing change. The podcast delves into coping strategies, self-reflection, and the importance of preparing for transitions with virtue and optimism.

Dr. Katherine Kinzler, a pioneering psychologist and author from the University of Chicago, discusses how our speech profoundly shapes our social identity. She delves into how we categorize people based on accents and dialects, revealing deep-rooted biases that influence our perceptions of 'like me' versus 'not like me.' The conversation explores language acquisition, linguistic prejudice, and the consequences faced by marginalized dialects. Kinzler advocates for addressing these biases early, fostering an inclusive dialogue around language, identity, and community.

Explore the emotional landscape of life's major transitions and the challenge of facing what comes next. Delve into the significance of endings, embracing change with mindfulness and self-compassion. Learn about the cycles of growth and stagnation, and reflect on aging and personal achievements. The discussion highlights the importance of mentorship and gratitude in later life. Ultimately, it encourages listeners to celebrate transitions while navigating new beginnings with reflection and courage.