Episode description

Pilina is an indigenous Hawaiian word, or concept, that describes our deep interconnectedness. Harvard Clinical Psychology Fellow Jo Qina'au guides us through a contemplation of our profound interrelationships.

Link to Episode Transcript: https://shorturl.at/npAM9

How to Do This Practice:

Pilina comes from the indigenous Hawaiian language and culture. Pilina means connection, or interconnectedness.

1. Settle into a comfortable position and observe your breath.

2. Visualize someone to whom you feel meaningfully connected and acknowledge the feeling of Pilina, or deep interconnectedness, between you two.

3. Reflect on what it is that connects you, what impact that connection has had on your life, and what it may have had on theirs.

4. Notice how it feels to acknowledge these things.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 with as many people as you wish.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Jo Qina’au is an indigenous Hawaiian meditation teacher and a Clinical Psychology Fellow at Harvard Medical School.

• Learn more about Jo’s work: https://tinyurl.com/2wfcma5f

• Follow Jo on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3v8ubn6a

If you enjoyed this Happiness Break, you may also like these Happiness Breaks:

• 5 Minutes of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, With Jo Qina’au - https://tinyurl.com/4f3fd97f

• Visualizing Your Best Self in Relationships, With Dacher Keltner - https://tinyurl.com/4dzpatx7

Check out these episodes of The Science of Happiness about connection:

• How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected - https://tinyurl.com/36t6urte

• When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious - https://tinyurl.com/3778r4h9

We love hearing from you! Tell us who you feel Pilina with, and what it means to you to reflect on it. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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We all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.