Unit 4: Connection & Compassion

The Science of Connection

If you’ve ever felt your mood change because of someone else’s presence, you’ve experienced the power of mirror neurons.

Cultivating Our Human Capacity for Compassion

Compassion is innate, but like other “muscles,” it atrophies without exercise. You can strengthen it by focusing attention on ways you are alike with others, and the feelings you have when you spend a moment to actively send them well wishes. Recent advances in neuroscience show that compassion can be enhanced through simple practices such as this.

Kindness as a Strategy

Research shows that the giver of kindness benefits just as much as, if not more than, the receiver, making it an important element in both mental and physical wellness.