Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. He’s the author of the bestselling Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (with Rick Mendius, M.D.; Foreword by Dan Siegel, M.D. and Preface by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D.), published in 21 languages, and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (New Harbinger, 2011). He is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he's taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The companion to his bestselling book, Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (New Harbinger, Nov 2011), presents over 50 quick yet profoundly powerful simple practices to change the neurocircuitry in our brains to lead to greater happiness, love and wisdom. As an expert in neuroscience and positive psychology, Dr. Hanson guides the reader through the contemplative practices and offers additional material for deeper understanding of the exercise.
- Take in the Good
- Notice You're Alright Right Now
- Don't take it personally
- See the Good in Yourself
- Enjoy Your Hands
- Fill the Hole in Your Heart
An authority on self-directed neuroplasticity, Dr. Hanson’s work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, and U.S. News and World Report. He edits the Wise Brain Bulletin, and his weekly e-newsletter - Just One Thing – has over 26,000 subscribers, and also appears on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and other major websites. He has several audio programs with Sounds True, and his first book was Mother Nurture: A Mother's Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships (Penguin, 2002).
A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, Dr. Hanson is a trustee of Saybrook University. He also served on the board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center for nine years, and was President of the Board of FamilyWorks, a community agency. He began meditating in 1974, trained in several traditions, and leads a weekly meditation gathering in San Rafael, CA. He enjoys rock-climbing and taking a break from emails. He and his wife have two adult children.
