Making Music With Your Body, With Keith Terry | Happiness Break

Making Music With Your Body, With Keith Terry | Happiness Break

Author: PRX and Greater Good Science Center March 6, 2025 Duration: 7:29
How to Do This Practice: Find a Comfortable Space: Choose a place where you feel comfortable moving and making noise. You can do this practice standing or seated, whatever feels best for you. Start with a Basic Clap: Clap your hands together lightly, palm to palm. Keep the pressure soft so it doesn’t hurt. Try a few claps, following a steady rhythm. Add Chest Percussion: After each clap, tap your sternum lightly with your right hand, then with your left hand. Repeat this rhythm several times. Incorporate Leg Taps: Extend the pattern by adding taps on your thighs. Repeat the Full Pattern: Put it all together in a continuous loop— clap, chest (right, left), legs (right, left). Maintain the rhythm and repeat without pauses. Focus on the sensation of movement and sound as a mindful practice. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Today’s Happiness Break host: KEITH TERRY is a percussionist and body musician who uses a variety of surfaces to create interesting rhythms. Learn more about Keith Terry: https://tinyurl.com/5av66v5f Watch Keith Terry in action: https://tinyurl.com/299vuw4a Related Happiness Break episodes: A Humming Technique to Calm Your Nerves: https://tinyurl.com/mr42rzad The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8 How to Relax Your Body Through a Standing Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2fv4c9h8 Related Science of Happiness episodes: Why Dancing Is The Best Medicine: https://tinyurl.com/y66hxxy9 The Science of Humming: https://tinyurl.com/4esyy6nd How Music Can Bridge Cultures: https://tinyurl.com/5ar3c8yy Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/275tna6h 

What if the things that make life feel worthwhile aren't just abstract ideas, but observable, measurable phenomena? That's the territory explored in The Science of Happiness. Each episode moves beyond simple self-help platitudes, grounding itself in the concrete research from psychology and neuroscience. Hosted by the insightful Dacher Keltner, a psychologist whose work often centers on these very emotions, the conversations feel both authoritative and deeply human. You'll hear from people who are actively testing out specific, research-backed practices-from cultivating compassion to finding moments of genuine awe-and then discussing the real, sometimes messy results. This isn't about a constant state of cheer; it's about understanding the building blocks of a resilient and meaningful existence. The podcast, a co-production of PRX and the Greater Good Science Center, translates academic findings into accessible stories and actionable insights. Tuning in feels less like receiving a lecture and more like sitting in on a fascinating experiment about our shared human condition, one where the data points are moments of connection, gratitude, and personal discovery.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Science of Happiness
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 7:40
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Duration: 24:22
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