Sharon Salzberg & Emma Seppälä – Metta Hour Podcast Ep. 242

For episode 242, Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. returns to the Metta Hour to speak about her new book, “Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos.” Emma is a best-selling author, Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker. She teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. A psychologist and research scientist by training, Emma’s expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. In this episode, Sharon and Emma discuss: Emma’s definition of the word “Sovereign” Self-loathing hiding out as self-criticism The toxic relationship with ourselves The myths of high-achievers Sharon’s story of facing self-imposed beliefs How Emma has worked with self-loathing Emma’s first meditation experience You have to name it to tame it Internalizing the stories told about us Awareness + courage Emma’s definition of the term “self-compassion” The disempowerment of shame The research around lovingkindness How intuition supports sovereignty What research reveals about meditation The science of happiness Emma’s study of breath-work for veterans Emma closes the conversation with a guided meditation.