Guest: Brooke Jones

Kindness isn’t just a feeling—it’s a practice, a gentle rhythm we can return to again and again with great benefit to ourselves and others. It asks so little from us yet gives so much, requiring only our intention and shaped by our thoughts, words, and actions. In this episode, we’re focusing on the power of kindness to transform lives. Did you know that one simple act of kindness can inspire five more acts of kindness? Imagine the ripple you can create just by making kindness a choice each day.

Our host, Deborah Rozman, interviews Brooke Jones, Vice President of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, which was born in the 1990s with the purpose of making kindness a norm. It was during a summer of violence when a reporter noted that people should stop reporting on “random acts of violence” and start practicing “random acts of kindness.” That started a movement to explore how small acts of kindness can lead to profound changes in individuals, communities, and even the world.

Brooke shares her personal journey—from overcoming a challenging childhood and postpartum depression to dedicating her life to spreading kindness and inspiring others to do the same. She reveals how moments of kindness and compassion from others shaped her path and inspired her to make kindness the cornerstone of her values. They discuss some of the science behind kindness, its measurable benefits for mental health, and how it can reduce stress hormones, foster connection, and even improve longevity.

This episode also highlights the growth of the kindness movement, including its impact on schools worldwide through structured programs that teach respect, inclusion, and care. Brooke offers practical ways we each can notice and nurture kindness in everyday life, reminding us that even the smallest gesture can inspire a chain reaction of goodwill by others.

Tune in for an uplifting conversation that will leave you feeling hopeful, inspired, and ready to make kindness a norm in your own life.

About our guest:

Brooke Jones has studied in Paris and holds a degree in art history. She also holds certifications in Applied Positive Psychology and Brene Brown’s work, The Daring Way. She delivered a TEDx talk in 2017, where she shared her personal journey with mental illness. Outside of her time creating written content for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, she enjoys fiber crafting, creative writing, and helping spread kindness in her local community with her teenage daughter. Brooke is in the process of writing a book for parents to help support them in creating and maintaining healthy and fulfilling relationships with their children.

Guest: Sharon Salzberg

Discover how the transformative power of loving-kindness can help bridge divides in our polarized world. In this heart-opening episode of the Add Heart Podcast, HeartMath CEO Deborah Rozman interviews Sharon Salzberg, who is perhaps best known for helping to make mindfulness and loving-kindness meditations accessible to mainstream America. Sharon is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, author of the bestselling Lovingkindness, and host of the Metta Hour podcast.

Join Deborah and Sharon in this intriguing dialogue on how practicing loving-kindness can quickly improve our own lives and help society. They discuss how loving-kindness is an energetic antidote to fear that enhances intuition and our connection with others.

Deborah shares HeartMath’s scientific discovery on how loving-kindness practices increase coherence in the heart’s rhythmic beating pattern. This helps to regulate and balance the nervous system while synchronizing the heart and brain to expand perception.

Sharon shares that heart and mind are actually the same word in many Asian languages, challenging the Western concept of separation between the two. Both agree on the crucial need for humanity to unite, heart and mind, for people to be able to get along with each other — and that letting the mind lead without the heart has led to a growing divisiveness in society.

Together, Sharon and Deborah explore what is meant by “a heart as wide as the world,” emphasizing that opening our hearts to others is the foundation for our own happiness and for addressing life’s challenges with wisdom and compassion. This engaging conversation between these two experts in their fields offers hope and practical wisdom for navigating a complex world with more heart and effectiveness, leading to transformative outcomes.

About our guest:

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She was among the first to bring mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation to mainstream American culture 50 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers.

A co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, Sharon is the author of 13 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness.

In 2023, Sharon released two new books: Real Life, available from Flatiron Books, and Finding Your Way, a small gift book available from Workman. Sharon’s popular podcast, Metta Hour, has amassed seven million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.

Guest: Kristin Neff, PhD, AHP

If you or someone you care about struggles with self-compassion, seeing it as indulgent or self-centered, this episode is for you. Our guest, Dr. Kristin Neff, a world-renowned researcher on self-compassion, says that couldn’t be further from the truth. In this episode, Dr. Neff unpacks the real power of self-compassion, dispels common myths, and reveals why it’s not a weakness to have compassion for ourselves but a key to our resilience.

Join host Deborah Rozman, PhD, for a transformative conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff, co-author of the recent book Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout. Dr. Neff reveals why self-compassion may be your greatest ally in navigating today’s overwhelming stress—especially when we don’t see solutions or feel we can’t handle it all.

Together, Dr. Rozman and Dr. Neff explore the science and practice of self-compassion. Discover how embracing your struggles—without self-pity or self-judgment—cultivates resilience and empowers you to take effective action.

This important discussion also highlights the intriguing connection between self-compassion and heart rhythm coherence—a powerful combination for aligning mind and body that enhances emotional balance, kindness, and acceptance—realizing everyone is going through stress these days and giving ourselves compassionate latitude, a heart practice that nurtures and soothes. Together, these two practices provide us with fresh perspectives and renewed energy to hold a deeper feeling of ease through life’s challenges.

As a special conclusion, you’ll be guided through a heart-focused meditation on self-compassion designed to help you breathe in love and compassion, create heart alignment, and build a reservoir of supportive energy for stressful moments. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your approach to self-care!

About our guest:

Dr. Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than 20 years ago. She has been recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide. Kristin runs the Self-Compassion Community, an online learning platform where people can learn the skill of self-compassion with the help of others. She is the author of the bestselling books Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion. Along with her colleague Chris Germer, she developed the empirically supported Mindful Self-Compassion program and co-founded the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. They co-wrote the bestselling book The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and their latest book is Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout. For more information, go to self-compassion.org.