Article:       “17 Ways to get back to being happy”

Videos:        “Is there a Science of Happiness?,” Richard Davidson & Jon Kabat-Zinn, 4:58 min. 

                    “Committing to Joy,”  Tara Brach, Video 31 min.

Class 2

5 Languages Quiz:  https://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/publications/emagazine/issue133/love%20language2.pdf

Article:     “Love is Compassion in Action,” Thich Nhat Hanh.  See Reading in Manual.

Videos:

Class 3

Article                 Stephen Covey #5 — Seek First to Understand, then to be understood,” posted by Judith Martens       

Video:                  RAIN: Cultivating a Mindful Awareness  Video 30 min. Tara Brach

Class 4

Class 5

Article:       “Heart to Heart: The Importance of Freedom and Commitment in Intimate Relationships” Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, See Reading in Manual

Videos:        Relationship Advice: Commitment vs Freedom, Sonika Tinker and Christian Pedersen 2:23 min.  

How to Build Trust, John Gottman 4:42 min.

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Research Resources

Julianne McGill, Francesca Adler-Baeder, and Priscilla Rodriguez: “Mindfully in Love: A Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Mindfulness and Relationship Satisfaction.” Journal of Human Sciences and Extension Volume 4, Number 1, 2016.

http://www.wilsonlab.com/publications/2016_JHSE_McGill_et_al.pdf

“This meta-analysis provides empirical evidence that the current literature on mindfulness and relationship satisfaction indicates more mindful individuals have higher relationship quality,” p. 98.

Laurie Hollis-Walker and Kenneth Colosimo. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and happiness in non-meditators: A theoretical and empirical examination. Personality and Individual Differences. Volume 50, Issue 2, January 2011, 222–227
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886910004769

From the Abstract:  “Results show that mindfulness is related to psychologically adaptive variables and that self-compassion is a crucial attitudinal factor in the mindfulness–happiness relationship.”

James W. Carson, Kimberly M. Carson, Karen M. Gil, and Donald H. Baucom. “Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement.” Behavior Therapy. 35, 471–494, 2004. 

http://216.92.233.154/mbrelenhanc.pdf

From the Abstract: “Results suggested the intervention was efficacious in (a) favorably impacting couples’ levels of relationship satisfaction, autonomy, relatedness, closeness, acceptance of one another, and relationship distress; (b) beneficially affecting individuals’ optimism, spirituality, relaxation, and psychological distress; and (c) maintaining benefits at 3-month follow-up.”

Class 1 Happiness & Joy

Rick Hanson on the Neuroscience of Happiness, Podcast 24:52 min.

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/gg_live/gg_podcast/podcast/rick_hanson/

Dr. Hanson discusses research on happiness and the brain and provides suggestions on how to increase happiness, given the “negativity bias of the brain.”

Class 2 Love & Compassion

Jeremy Adam Smith: How Love Grows in Your Body | Greater Good

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_love_grows_in_your_body

“Love is, first and foremost, an emotion—but one that is, more than most emotions, rooted in our bodies and in the ways our bodies age together.”

Dacher Keltner: “Hands On Research: The Science of Touch.”

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/hands_on_research

Like all mammals, we humans need touch, and the research on touch demonstrates the positive effects of touch for us. And most of us are severely touch-deprived.

Kristin Neff: “The Three Components of Self-Compassion.”  Video 6:18 min.

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/gg_live/science_meaningful_life_videos/speaker/kristin_neff/the_three_components_of_self_compassion/

Kristin Neff, the world’s leading researcher of self-compassion and founder of the Mindful Self-Compassion program, explains the core features of self-compassion: a sense of kindness for oneself, an awareness of one’s common humanity with others, and mindfulness. 

 

Class 3 Understanding

John Gottman is founder of essential research on couples. These videos are from his talk in Seattle in 2009 which gives the origins and primary results of his research. He focuses on the origins in Part 1 and some of Part 2. He shares the results, the basis of the workshops which he offers with his wife Julie Gottman, in the rest of Part 2 and Part 3. Part 4 is a Q&A.

Making Relationships Work | Part 1 | Dr. John Gottman 10:09 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXX8wzvT7c

Making Relationships Work | Part 2 | Dr. John Gottman 9:59 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gFldZtVIqQ

Making Relationships Work | Part 3 | Dr. John Gottman 10.01 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ7RHLBdqGM

Making Relationships Work | Part 4 | Dr. John Gottman 9:26 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aSpl_ZjmcY&t=21s

Class 4 Gratitude

The Science of Gratitude Radio Special, Audio 56 min. 2016. Narrated by Susan Sarandon.

https://soundcloud.com/ben-manilla-productions/the-science-of-gratitude-full-episode

“The Science of Gratitude combines scientific research with personal stories illustrating the benefits and obstacles to feeling truly grateful. Throughout the hour, you’ll gain practical insights into how to cultivate more gratitude in yourself, your kids, your workplace, and beyond.”

Class 5 Freedom & Commitment

John Gottman, The Importance of Trust Video 5:39 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edZLvUTojA

John Gottman explains that most conflicts, especially for young couples, have to do with trust and betrayal.