Join yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Relucio for a trauma-informed practice combining mindful movement and breathing to reduce tension and build resilience to stress.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Get comfortable: Sit or lie down and notice the support beneath your body, keeping your eyes open or closed—whichever feels comfortable.
2. Connect with your body: Bring your attention inward and notice how your body, mind, and heart feel in the present moment.
3. Release tension: Inhale as you gently shrug your shoulders toward your ears, then exhale as you relax and release them.
4. Move with your breath: Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, then exhale as you gently bend from side to side, noticing the sensations in your body.
5. Breathe into your belly: Place one hand on your belly and notice it expand as you inhale and relax as you exhale, following the natural rhythm of your breath.
6. Pause and notice: Return to your natural breathing and take a moment to notice how your body and mind feel before continuing with your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

JONATHAN RELUCIO is a trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher with 20 years of experience in community organizing, social services, training, and leadership development.

Learn more about Jonathan here: https://www.jonathanrelucio.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/3d2ma8tw

Visualizing Your Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/mwze59jx

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3v9rapra

How can we feel more moments of joy? Explore how joy is rooted in connection, gratitude, and paying attention to the people and moments that bring meaning to our lives.

Summary: Did you know that joy isn’t just something we feel, but something we practice? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, poet Ross Gay shares how connection and attention can help us cultivate more joy, while psychologist Philip Watkins explains how gratitude can amplify that feeling. Learn how hanging out, noticing moments of connection, and reflecting on joyful experiences can help bring more joy into your life.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Notice connection: Pay attention to the people, places, animals, and natural world that make you feel connected.
2. Make time to be together: Look for opportunities to hang out, share experiences, and spend time with others without an agenda.
3. Pay attention to the small moments: Notice everyday interactions and moments of goodness that you might otherwise overlook.
4. Share your joy: Tell someone about something that delights you, celebrate good moments together, or help someone else carry their joy.
5. Savor what feels good: When you experience joy, pause and let yourself fully appreciate and celebrate the moment.
6. Reflect with gratitude: Think or write about a joyful experience and what it meant to you or how it made you feel connected.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today’s Guests:

ROSS GAY is an award-winning American poet and author. His latest book explores the complexities of joy and its connection to feelings like gratitude and sorrow.

Learn more about Ross: https://www.rossgay.net/about

PHILIP WATKINS is a psychology professor at Eastern Washington University. He conducts research on different aspects of well-being including gratitude, happiness, and joy.

Learn more about Philip and his work: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/phil_watkins

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Joy Helps Save the Planet: https://tinyurl.com/2d5hjz9s

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Tap Into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/ykuz28za

How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6

The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2aext75x

Meditation teacher Spring Washam guides us in a practice of embodied awareness, helping us use the body as an anchor during stressful or overwhelming moments.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a comfortable position: Sit upright in a relaxed position where you can comfortably notice the flow of your breath.
2. Begin at the top of your body: Close your eyes and bring your attention to your head, neck, face, and jaw. Notice any tightness and allow those areas to soften.
3. Move your awareness downward: Slowly scan through your shoulders, arms, hands, chest, and belly, noticing any sensations, emotions, or areas where you may be holding tension.
4. Breathe into your belly: Place a hand below your belly button if it feels comfortable. Let your belly expand with each in-breath, and imagine releasing tension with every out-breath.
5. Feel your connection to the ground: Bring your attention to your sitting bones, legs, knees, and feet. Notice where your body makes contact with the chair, floor, or other surface, using those sensations to anchor yourself in the present moment.
6. Take in your whole body: Become aware of your body as a whole, returning to the breath whenever your mind wanders. To close, place a hand on your heart and offer yourself a wish for peace, happiness, and ease.

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Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

SPRING WASHAM is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. 

Learn more about Spring Washam here: https://www.springwasham.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation to Find Grounding in the New Year, With Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/3tpasst9

How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2223k9b7

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Nigel says no matter where you are, everyone has a story to tell about a hug: good, bad, or awkward. Earlonne isn’t buying it. 

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

You can download the episode here and find the transcript here. 

Can anyone truly succeed alone? We explore how role models, mentors, and strong social support make upward mobility far more possible than grit alone.

Summary: What role do the people around us play in shaping our success? Brothers Danny and Gilbert Murillo share how education, mentorship, and their evolving relationship helped them overcome incarceration and systemic barriers to build lives of purpose. Then, Social Mobility Lab founder Bob McKinnon explains why success is never a solo journey and how recognizing our own "dream team" can expand what's possible for ourselves and others.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Reflect on your journey: Think about where you are today and the moments that shaped your path. Consider both the opportunities you had and the challenges you overcame.
2. Identify your dream team: Write down the people who have encouraged, protected, guided, or inspired you throughout your life. They might be family members, teachers, friends, mentors, coaches, or colleagues.
3. Recognize their impact: For each person, note one way they helped you grow or see new possibilities. Notice how your achievements are connected not only to your own efforts, but also to the support you received.
4. Look ahead with intention: Ask yourself what kind of support you need right now. Is there someone you could learn from, ask for advice, or build a stronger relationship with as you work toward your next goal?
5. Move forward with self-compassion: As you pursue your goals, remember that success and setbacks are never yours alone. Focus on what you can control, ask for help when you need it, and offer yourself the same grace you'd extend to someone you care about.

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DANNY MURILLO is the co-founder of Underground Scholars, a program that creates pathways to higher education for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and system-impacted people. 

Learn more about Danny here: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/members

GILBERT MURILLO is a policy advocate and researcher who draws on his own  experience with incarceration to reform California's criminal justice system.

Learn more about Gilbert here: https://capolicylab.org/staff/gilbert-murillo/

BOB MCKINNON is an author, teacher, and Director of the Social Mobility Lab at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York

Learn more about Bob here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/bob_mckinnon

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Science-Backed Path to Self-Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2js59anm

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3j352txy

Take a moment to connect with your body and make space for difficult emotions with compassion and care. This embodiment practice is guided by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné musician, scholar of Indigenous land management, and community organizer.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Ground yourself in the present: Find a comfortable seated position and take four slow, deep breaths. Notice the feeling of your body supported by the chair or the floor, bringing your attention fully into the present moment.
2. Reflect on a difficult truth: Gently bring to mind a challenging truth—such as the lasting impacts of colonization or another painful reality. Approach it with curiosity rather than judgment, allowing yourself to stay present instead of becoming overwhelmed.
3. Notice where your emotions live in your body: As you reflect, pay attention to your physical sensations. You might notice tightness in your chest, heaviness in your stomach, warmth in your heart, or another sensation. Simply observe where your emotions show up.
4. Hold your feelings with compassion: Rather than pushing difficult emotions away or getting lost in them, imagine holding them with the same care you would offer a crying child. Let each feeling be seen, heard, and acknowledged without trying to fix it.
5. Replace shame with love and solidarity: If guilt or shame arises, gently set it down. Instead, invite feelings of compassion, hope, and connection. Consider one way you can move toward repair, understanding, or solidarity—even if it's simply bearing witness with an open heart.
6. Return to the present with intention: Bring your awareness back to your breath, your body, and your surroundings. Relax your shoulders, soften your muscles, and take four more deep breaths. As you finish, carry forward an intention to meet difficult truths with courage, love, and compassionate action.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON is the founder and Dean of Instruction at The Rehuman School.

Learn about Lyla June Johnston's work: https://www.lylajune.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tbchd

When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/mr32nwtv

An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility: https://tinyurl.com/mr3arrbc

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Meditation on the Uniqueness of Your Own Voice: https://tinyurl.com/36x3fbk7

A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness:https://tinyurl.com/mu2uzs2c

Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/y2epxyxn

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3v76jcs8

Neuroscience reveals revenge can become a powerful habit—and that forgiveness may be one of the most effective ways to break the cycle.

Summary: After years of bullying led him to almost committing an act of violence, James Kimmel Jr., an assistant clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine, set out to understand why revenge can be so compelling—and how forgiveness can interrupt that cycle, easing emotional pain and strengthening self-control. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore what science can teach us about healing ourselves and creating a less violent world.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Think of a Grievance: Bring to mind a person or situation that still causes you hurt or resentment.
2. Notice How It Feels: Take a moment to observe any tension, anger, or pain that arises without judging it.
3. Imagine Forgiveness: Without forcing yourself to forgive, simply imagine what it would feel like to let go of the hurt.
4. Notice the Shift: Pay attention to any sense of relief, ease, or softening—even if it's subtle.
5. Return to the Feeling: When the grievance comes back, revisit that imagined sense of forgiveness as a way of caring for yourself.
6. Practice Often: Repeat this exercise whenever resentment resurfaces, allowing forgiveness to become a habit that supports your own healing.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

JAMES KIMMEL JR. is a lawyer, lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, and co-founder and co-director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies.

Learn more about James Kimmel Jr. here: https://www.jameskimmeljr.com/

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/5xwztnsx

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/ykc2uex4

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Science-Backed Path to Self-Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2js59anm

A Note to Self on Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/ycymxh3h

A Breathing Technique To Help You Relax: https://tinyurl.com/59y4sf5y

This episode was supported by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation as part of a Greater Good Science Center project on "Putting the Science of Forgiveness into Practice."

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4ubmrwyr

Try a practice in accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation to help keep your cool, feel better overall, and find calm with contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman. 

How To Do This Practice:

1. Settle with your breath: Take a few slow, deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale and relaxing your face and body as you exhale.
2. Notice your body: Scan your body with curiosity and observe any sensations without trying to change them.
3. Recall a mild frustration: Bring to mind a recent situation that made you feel slightly irritated or frustrated.
4. Release the story: Let go of the memory and focus only on where you feel the emotion in your body.
5. Give the emotion space: Allow the sensations to exist without judging or resisting them, noticing how they naturally shift over time.
6. Close with kindness: Take one final breath and remind yourself to meet future moments of anger with curiosity, acceptance, and compassion.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

EVE EKMAN is a contemplative social scientist and meditation teacher from San Francisco, California.

Learn more about Eve’s work: https://tinyurl.com/2vhuarh8

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/ye24rz4k

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

A Breathing Technique To Help You Relax: https://tinyurl.com/59y4sf5y

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2zh8uewh

Choosing joy over guilt and shame can make climate-friendly habits easier to sustain while improving your own well-being along the way.

Summary: Fear may grab our attention, but research suggests joy is what helps us make meaningful, sustainable climate choices. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, discover how small shifts can have a big impact. Scientists Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao share how reframing climate action around happiness instead of guilt can help us build healthier habits, strengthen our communities, and care for the Earth.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Choose one everyday habit: Pick a part of your routine like eating, commuting, shopping, or reducing food waste where you'd like to make a climate-friendly change.
2. Focus on what you can add: Instead of thinking about what to give up, ask yourself what you can enjoy more, such as eating more seasonal produce, walking outdoors, or spending time tending a garden.
3. Notice how it feels: As you try your new habit, pay attention to moments of enjoyment, connection, pride, or calm. Positive emotions help make new behaviors stick.
4. Make it easy: Remove small barriers that get in your way. For example, keep fresh fruits and vegetables where you’ll see them first so they don’t go bad, and pack light when you fly to avoid the extra carbon emissions from checked bags.
5. Share it with someone else: Invite a friend or family member to join you or tell them about a climate-friendly habit you've enjoyed. Positive experiences are more likely to spread than guilt.
6. Reflect on the impact: Consider how your small change affected both your well-being and the planet, and choose one joyful habit you'd like to continue.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

DR. ELIZABETH DUNN is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, who studies the ways that time, money and technology affect our wellbeing.

Learn more about Dr. Elizabeth Dunn here: https://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/

DR. JIAYING ZHAO is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability, and UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar.

Learn more about Dr. Jiaying Zhao here: https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/jiaying-zhao/

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Climate, Hope, & Science Series: https://tinyurl.com/pb27rep

The Case for Hope, with Rebecca Solnit: https://tinyurl.com/4cj3umbz

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

How to Be in Harmony in Nature—Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/5n6pfsn2

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ft9fc

Indigenous artist Dr. Lyla June Johnston leads a 5-minute freewriting exercise about our personal journeys. Autobiographical writing has been shown to help do better in relationships and feel more satisfied in life.

How to Do This Practice:

1. Ground yourself: Sit in a comfortable position and take a few slow breaths. Notice the inhale and exhale without trying to change anything. Let your attention settle into your body and the present moment.
2. Set a simple intention: Bring to mind the idea of observing your story with curiosity rather than judgment. You’re not trying to write something “good,” just something honest.
3. Write the sentence: “I come from a place where…” and pause briefly before continuing. Let the words that follow come from memory, feeling, or imagery—whatever shows up first.
4. Free-write without stopping: Keep your pen moving for several minutes (around 3–5 minutes, or longer if you like). Don’t edit, filter, or worry about grammar or meaning. If you get stuck, repeat the prompt and continue.
5. Notice what emerged: When time is up, read what you wrote slowly. Notice any themes, emotions, memories, or insights that stand out—without trying to fix or interpret them immediately.
6. Reflect and return: Take a moment to acknowledge your experience of the exercise. You might ask: What surprised me? What feels important? Revisit this practice every few weeks or months to notice how your sense of origin and story evolves

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

DR. LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON is an Indigenous artist and scholar from the Diné Nation.

Learn about Dr. Lyla June Johnston's work: https://www.lylajune.com/

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Compassionate Letter to Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3j6vtwh3

Finding Yourself in Silence: https://tinyurl.com/3w76t94a

An Affirmation Practice for the New Year: https://tinyurl.com/4f9epzbw

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Tap Your Way to Calm and Clarity: https://tinyurl.com/vtfrt8b7

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/34u2fu48

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/88y5r4vr

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/36m7wn3m

What can a singing bird, a neighborhood walk, and a pair of puppet adventurers teach us about awe? Sit down with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford to discuss helping kids—and grownups—find wonder wherever they are.

Summary: Kids may be natural wonder-seekers, but how do we help them hold onto that sense of awe as they grow up? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we talk with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford about creating a PBS Kids special inspired by awe, the science behind wonder, and why small moments—a bird singing at dawn, a blooming jasmine vine, or a walk around the block—can help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us. Together, they explore how cultivating awe can foster curiosity, resilience, creativity, and belonging for children and adults alike.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Slow down and set an intention: Pause your usual routine and decide to look for something that inspires wonder.
2. Notice what you feel: Tune into physical sensations, like the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze, or your feet touching the ground.
3. Look closely at your surroundings: Pay attention to colors, shapes, textures, or movement that you might normally overlook.
4. Listen with curiosity: Notice the sounds around you—the birds, the wind, distant voices, or the hum of your neighborhood.
5. Follow what captures your attention: If something sparks your interest or amazement, spend a moment with it instead of rushing on.
6. Reflect on your experience: At the end of your walk, consider what surprised you and how it made you feel more connected to the world around you.

Try the full practice here: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/awe_walk

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

HALLE STANFORD is the creator and writer of Wowsabout!, founder of 7 Crow Stories, Emmy® Award-winning, and twelve-time Emmy®-nominated executive producer of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

DORIEN DAVIES is an Executive Producer, Co-Creator, Co-Writer and Principal Puppeteer on Wowsabout!, Word Party, and Julie’s Greenroom. 

Watch Wowsabout! here: https://pbskids.org/videos/wowsabout

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

How to Find Calm Through Walking: https://tinyurl.com/43dr26re

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/bdsn3n9e