Radio Headspace

Part 3 of Kessonga’s “mindful moments” segment. Today, he talks about how his work at Headspace has brought him contentment, and invites listeners to create joy in their everyday lives. Kessonga holds a Masters degree in Social Work, and is a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. He also serves as an adjunct Mindfulness instructor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Prior to joining Headspace he had his own private practice as a licensed acupuncturist and an outpatient psychotherapist. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 of Kessonga’s “mindful moments” segment. Today he shares how reflecting on the good times can give us a sense of gratitude and peace. Kessonga holds a Masters degree in Social Work, and is a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. He also serves as an adjunct Mindfulness instructor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Prior to joining Headspace he had his own private practice as a licensed acupuncturist and an outpatient psychotherapist. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1 of Kessonga’s “mindful moments” segment. Today he explains the value of noticing what time of day or night brings you a sense of peace and creativity. Kessonga holds a Masters degree in Social Work, and is a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. He also serves as an adjunct Mindfulness instructor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Prior to joining Headspace he had his own private practice as a licensed acupuncturist and an outpatient psychotherapist. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kessonga explains how mindfulness can help us create better habits, and stop putting off those important tasks. Kessonga holds a Masters degree in Social Work, and is a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. He also serves as an adjunct Mindfulness instructor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Prior to joining Headspace he had his own private practice as a licensed acupuncturist and an outpatient psychotherapist. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindfulness teaches us to create space between our perceptions and our reactions. This can help us think before acting on potentially harmful impulses. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kessonga breaks down what mindfulness has taught him about Karma and consequences, and even shares a family story about having “good Karma.” Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loving-Kindness is a practice of sending unconditional love to others – even the people we’re in conflict with. Today, Kessonga breaks down how to have loving kindness for ourselves and others, even when it isn’t easy. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes we bend to others’ expectations instead of considering our needs. Mindfulness can help us see when we’re trying to live up to potentially harmful expectations. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindfulness can help us be more introspective and see if certain relationships are doing more harm than good. Send Kessonga any general questions at [email protected], or you can reach out on Instagram @kgiscombe. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam explores the feelings that can bring on shame, and shares some insights into how to deal with shame in everyday life. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feeling the truth of impermanence can push us to confront uncomfortable truths that have been with us for a while. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam breaks down the meaning of “emotion culture” and talks about how our upbringing has a huge influence on our lives and how we can regulate our own emotions as we mature. If you’d like to find words to identify your feelings or have a tool to communicate with others, peruse The Center for Nonviolent Communication Needs Words List here. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Illness can be incredibly difficult. But when we acknowledge the fleeting nature of life, we can have that conversation with a loved one, travel to that place we’ve always dreamed of, or take another leap that we keep putting off out of fear of the unknown. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Sam unpacks what it means to be grounded and explores how we can return to groundedness when we feel off-kilter. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we begin to talk to ourselves in a more loving way, we may realize that we can know ourselves more intimately than anyone else, and provide ourselves with the soothing presence we need. If you’d like to find words to identify your feelings or have a tool to communicate with others, peruse The Center for Nonviolent Communication Needs Words List here. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Becoming aware of your habits helps you to identify, with curiosity, what emotions are at play and what triggers are compelling you to act in a certain way. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feeling joy for others can be challenging. If we’re unsatisfied in certain areas of our lives, we may feel resentment or jealousy bubble up when we see others feeling happy. And that’s okay. In those moments, we can bring compassion to how we feel and send loving-kindness to that part of us that wishes to be joyful and at ease too. If you’d like to connect with Sam, follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often see the pings of the day, the things we or others have said or that didn’t resonate with our values. With meditation, we can reconnect with our emotions, ask ourselves questions without pressure, and just see what feelings emerge. If you’d like to share how mindfulness has impacted your life, you can reach out to Sam on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In many ways, mindfulness meditation inspires discipline and restraint. It helps us to be less reactive and impulsive and more thoughtful, slowing down to consider the potential impact of our impulses on others. If you’d like to share how mindfulness has impacted your life, you can reach out to Sam on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! We’re often so hard on ourselves for what we view as our “negative qualities.” Today, Dr. Shankar explores how to see the silver linings in our faults and learn to embrace those aspects. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today, Dr. Shankar is shedding light on the science of human behavior and habits. She’ll explore how to make it easier to build new habits so you can achieve your long-term goals. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today, she discusses how we can forge a new (and maybe even better) path when obstacles get in our way. Dr. Shankar also shares her personal story of how she found a new passion after a sudden injury ended her career as a violinist, and how she later went on to become a senior advisor in the Obama White House. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today is all about the impact that big changes can have on our self-identity. We’ll explore why we’re so attached to the labels we give ourselves and that other people give us. And how seeing our identities as more malleable can help us weather the storms that life inevitably sends our way. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Dr. Shankar hosts “A Slight Change of Plans,” a podcast all about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Over the next several episodes, she’ll talk about how to work with change, instead of against it. Today is all about the illusion of control. When life gets in the way of our best laid plans, we don’t have to see it as a defeat. Instead, we can tap into our resilience and pivot gracefully. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam explains how sensory awareness can affect our perception. For example, a cup of hot tea can evoke feelings of warmth and kindness, and help us feel more at ease. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Studies show that greeting our shortcomings with self-compassion has proven to be more effective than being critical. When we speak to ourselves as a supportive friend, we greet our mistakes with a deep sense of safety and acceptance, feeling empowered to learn and grow instead of giving up. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard sometimes to relate to each other, especially when there’s a big age and experience gap. But finding words to express how we feel can open the doors to understanding ourselves and the people around us. If you’d like to find words to identify your feelings or have a tool to communicate with others, peruse The Center for Nonviolent Communication Needs Words List here. And if you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam talks about how her relationship to music has changed over the years, and how mindfulness can help us step back from the emotional reactivity that music can spark. This means we can still enjoy our favorite songs without overwhelming feelings of longing or nostalgia. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s important to recognize the little things in life that bring us joy as it gives us the vital energy we need to do good in the world. We can find pleasure when we see a beautiful flower, drink a cup of tea, or practice a short mindfulness meditation. If you’d like to share how mindfulness has impacted your life, you can reach out to Sam on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uncertainty can make us uncomfortable, so we often try to predict the future. But there can be beauty and even relief when we don’t know what’s going to happen. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empathy and compassion are words that are closely linked, but often misunderstood. Sam breaks down these terms today, and shares some insight on how to draw boundaries while extending empathy and compassion to others. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rocking your body rhythmically and syncing the movement to your breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, putting us into “rest and digest” mode. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you approach life with a growth mindset, you believe that your abilities can improve with practice. You see failure as a chance to learn and pivot. So how can we develop a growth mindset? For more information on the "four questions about a thought" mentioned in the episode, please refer to the book "Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life" by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell, and the website www.thework.com. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we think about cynicism’s true meaning, or what may be better captured by the term “skepticism” today, we realize that it encourages us to look deeply at our world, what we have accepted as the norm, and what needs to be changed and reimagined. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything is interconnected and our lives are an opportunity to practice the skills and qualities that we learn in meditation. Join Eve’s weekly live meditation on Instagram @meditatewitheve Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we experience something that we enjoy, we want to hold onto it tightly and this can actually take us away from experiencing the joy of it. When we learn to let go of thoughts or feelings about things ending, we can be more present with the experience as it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Letting go of resentment is a journey. By learning to accept the pain we feel, we can begin to cultivate friendship towards ourselves and start to let go of the tight grip that resentment can have over us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we see suffering, our natural response is to want to do something about it. If we can apply that same logic to share in the joy of others, we can dramatically increase our ability to feel a sense of happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we practice mindfulness, we are cultivating more perspective. This extends outwards into our environment and can help us make more informed choices about the planet. Read Headspace’s article on climate anxiety here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist and art teacher Jessica Martin is back as our guest host today. She’s here to share some thoughts on why we should approach creativity with a beginner’s mind, and by doing so, how we can avoid feelings of self-doubt. Jessica is the co-creator of Peptoc, which has a hotline where kids give life advice to callers. Call the Peptoc hotline at 707-8PEPTOC or 707-873-7862. Donate here to keep the Peptoc program going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist and art teacher Asherah Weiss is back with some thoughts on how creativity can help us let go, and give ourselves space to try something we’ve never tried before. Asherah is the co-creator of Peptoc, which has a hotline where kids give life advice to callers. Call the Peptoc hotline at 707-8PEPTOC or 707-873-7862. Donate here to keep the Peptoc program going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist Jessica Martin is back today to share her personal stories of loss. Jessica talks about how she processed her grief through art and why creativity is such a powerful tool for resilience. Jessica is the co-creator of Peptoc, which has a hotline where kids give life advice to callers. Call the Peptoc hotline at 707-8PEPTOC or 707-873-7862. Donate here to keep the Peptoc program going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist and art teacher Asherah Weiss talks about the small things we can do to put some creativity in our self-care, and how that can change the way we rest and recharge. Asherah is the co-creator of Peptoc, which has a hotline where kids give life advice to callers. Call the Peptoc hotline at 707-8PEPTOC or 707-873-7862. Donate here to keep the Peptoc program going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Radio Headspace is all about the power of art and creativity. In that spirit, we’ve invited artists and art teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss to be our special guest hosts all week! Jessica and Asherah created “Peptoc,” an art project all about getting pep talks from students at West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California. It even has a “Peptoc” hotline, where people can call if they want to hear words of encouragement from kids. There have been more than 5 million calls to the hotline and today, Jessica and Asherah talk about how the project went viral, the power of a child’s voice and the importance of art in tough times. Call the Peptoc hotline at 707-8PEPTOC or 707-873-7862 Donate here to keep the Peptoc program going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There really are so many moments in life that can go differently from what we expect. When we feel stuck in a difficult situation, mindfulness can help us cope with the way we react to the hardships in our lives. If you feel like talking to someone would help, consider reaching out or talking to a healthcare professional. If you are in a relationship that you feel you can’t get out of, a resource to also consider is thehotline.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the people around us seem difficult — especially those we don’t know — it can be easy to make judgments about them. But there is so much more than meets the eye. Remembering that we don’t know everyone’s story frees us from assumptions, and opens the door to accepting others as they are. If you feel like you are struggling, many people benefit from and find it healing to accept counseling or other formal support. If you think such support might be helpful for you, please reach out to a healthcare professional. There is no shame in seeking help. And of course, look to friends and family where you can, knowing there might be many others around you who are also struggling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not knowing can feel deeply uncomfortable. But it can also open us up to new possibilities and discoveries. Thinking we know all the answers can really limit our perspectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever heard of the saying “don’t cry over spilt milk?” Well today, Eve talks about how spilt chicken soup in her handbag could have derailed an important day, and how mindfulness helped her with a positive outlook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our thoughts are not always the truth, and sometimes, we can even distort what’s really happening. And if we are anxious about a situation, it can be easy to catastrophize. Meditation can help us to approach our thoughts in a more skillful way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many times have you been in a situation where you had to try something new and thought, “I can’t do that”? The truth is, we don't actually know what we’re capable of until we are sometimes forced to try it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices