Buddhism and the Neurobiology of Joy: Countering the Negativity Bias (Livestreaming)

As humans, we’ve evolved to focus on threats to our wellbeing rather than opportunities. This is called the negativity bias, and while it’s helped our species flourish, these days it often becomes harmful to us individually, increasing our stress and gnawing away at our sense of well-being. But the good news is that we can counter this no-longer-productive tendency, and Buddhism offers several powerful practices to retrain our minds and brains. We’ll apply ancient teachings on gratitude, generosity, and other positive mental states to counter this neurobiological quirk. With guided meditations and journaling exercises you can take into daily life, this workshop will give you concrete next steps to wake up from the trance of negativity bias. Claire Villarreal received her PhD from Rice University’s Department of Religion and has taught academic courses at Rice and UH Clear Lake and led meditation sessions at Dawn Mountain, the Jung Center, Discovery Green, and various other settings in Houston and Fort Worth. She now adapts traditional Buddhist wisdom for online and in-person spiritual instruction. [Organizer's description]