What World Will You Make?

How will our actions today plant the seeds for a better world tomorrow? 

Enjoy free video recordings from our week-long series of online events with lively conversation, well-being tips and insight from mental health experts and special guests, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Plasticity of Mind, Brain & Body

Cutting-edge science suggests that meditation can have profound and lasting effects on our brains and behavior. But how? Scientists at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have spent years understanding the impact of contemplative practices on the mind and body.

 Neuroscientist and Center for Healthy Minds Founder Richard J. Davidson and Center Faculty Melissa Rosenkranz explore a decade of scientific discoveries that set the foundation for healthier societies and how we can each take care of our own mind.

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The Developing Mind

COVID has put a large portion of the global population at risk of falling into poverty or multiplying the threats posed by poverty. We know it is most often the people who are struggling with poverty who also bear the trauma from other challenges like those posed by systemic racism. How can we best support our children and next generation in their well-being in these circumstances?

While scientists do not understand all of the mechanisms yet, there are some actions that parents can take to support their children and that we as a society can take to support parents, caregivers and children struggling with the challenges of poverty.

Learn more about ways to nurture the development of healthy minds and hearts in our children from child development experts and Center for Healthy Minds Faculty Members Sarah Short and Julie Poehlmann-Tynan.

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Well at Work: Strategies From Research to the Real-World

What does it mean to be well at work, especially in the age of COVID? Join scientists and experts at Healthy Minds Innovations, the nonprofit affiliated with the Center for Healthy Minds that turns science into action through accessible tools, for a fascinating discussion to gain real-world skills to manage your well-being in the workplace, wherever that might be.

In this recorded video you will get take-aways from working with companies and organizations across the country to boost well-being in their workplaces, a guided practice, and host a panel with representatives from one of our first pilot programs, teachers (and leaders) from local partner, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD).

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Resilient Minds, Resilient Planet

How does our inner resilience and well-being reflect that of our communities and of our physical environment and planet?

Large-scale injustices such as racism, gender inequity and lack of equal rights for marginalized people not only erode our individual and collective health and spirit, but are also destructive to the planet. 

In this recorded event, Dekila Chungyalpa, Director of the Loka Initiative at the Center for Healthy Minds, and speakers Gary Besaw, Heather McTeer Toney, and Katharine Hayhoe explore how vulnerability can transform into strength and how internal, community and environmental resilience are all necessary for each one of us to thrive. 

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Change Your Mind, Change the World
A Recorded Dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

How can something as simple as training your mind change the world? His Holiness the Dalai Lama, shares insight and some unexpected answers about these questions in a conversation recorded exclusively for this event. World-renowned neuroscientist and best-selling New York Times author Richard J. Davidson and Dekila Chungyalpa, an expert in intersections of faith and science at the Center for Healthy Minds' Loka Initiative, will further explore the dialogue and explain his insight. 

Davidson and the Dalai Lama met in Dharamsala, India in 1992 and their long-time friendship and collaborations on the effects of mental training have led to groundbreaking discoveries and insights to create a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world. 

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Bonus Video: Full Interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Event Transcript

His Holiness the Dalai Lama shared his wisdom and insights with Richard J. Davidson and the Center for Healthy Minds, UW–Madison in September of 2020. The virtual dialogue was part of the Center's "The World We Make" event series.

This event and others are supported by the generosity of individuals and organizations who share our vision of a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world.

A significant portion of our funding comes from supporters who give to the Center for Healthy Minds, enabling a variety of projects – whether it’s understanding how the brain works or bringing well-being skills out into the world. 

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Chris and Sara Fortune

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Jim and Judy Hirsch

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