00:07 Expertise in Emotion and Compassion

2:59 Career Path to Facial Expression

5:24 Blending Science with Mindfulness

7:23 Defining Mindfulness

8:32 Personal Impact of Emotional Study

17:03 Navigating Emotional Reactivity

20:43 The Importance of Common Humanity

25:49 The Role of Community in Connection

25:57 Understanding Feelings vs. Emotions

35:04 The Value of Emotional Intelligence

41:07 Parenting Through Disturbing Emotions

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erica Rosenberg about the interplay between facial expressions, emotions, and compassionate communication. Drawing on insights from my poker background, we explore how emotional awareness enhances interpersonal connections. Dr. Rosenberg shares her journey in health psychology and neuroscience, emphasizing common humanity and the importance of mindfulness in today's polarized society. We discuss the impact of social media on emotional intelligence, particularly among younger generations, and she offers practical guidance for navigating difficult emotions with kindness and compassion.

Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, and educator who seeks to help people understand themselves and one another better, connect with one another, find peace and joy in life, and suffer less. Erika is a co-creator of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program at Stanford University, with lead author Thupten Jinpa, Founding Faculty at The Compassion Institute, and faculty at The Nyingma

Institute, Berkeley. Erika has taught at places as diverse as Google, Inc., Lerab Ling

Monastery, LucasFilm, Upaya Zen Center, Esalen Institute, and Burning Man. Erika

is also experienced in psychedelic harm reduction and psychedelic integration

through such programs as the Zendo Project and the Psychedelic Sangha, NYC.

Dr. Rosenberg’s academic work focuses on the study of emotion, emotion

expression and contemplative science. At the Center for Mind and Brain at UC Davis, Erika Rosenberg is a member of the Saron Lab, which conducts multi-

disciplinary, pathbreaking research in contemplative science. Erika is an expert in human facial expressions and the Facial Action Coding System, with clients in academia, industry, and the arts, worldwide. Her books include What the Face

Reveals (with Paul Ekman, now in its 3rd edition) and the widely used Introductory

Psychology text, Psychology: Perspectives & Connections, now in its 6th edition). Dr.

Rosenberg’s published scientific work on facial expression span basic affective

science on research on emotional processes, social psychological research on

facial expression recognition, studies of the effects of meditation on emotional

behavior, and health psychological risk factors for heart disease.