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.

Guest: Arnaud Saint-Paul

Join host Deborah Rozman as she delves into a profound conversation with Arnaud Saint-Paul, a visionary on a mission to help people connect with their true selves and transform business. Arnaud candidly shares his journey from a 13-year-old seeker to a heart-centered leader, revealing how he discovered the power of heart intelligence.

In this episode, Arnaud unveils his transformative approach to business leadership, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond self-limiting beliefs and tapping into heart wisdom.

He explains how creating coherence at the individual and organizational levels can accelerate growth and create a positive impact across financial, social, and environmental sectors.

You’ll enjoy hearing Arnaud’s practical insights on becoming a heart-directed leader and learn about the coming paradigm shift from mind-oriented to heart-based leadership.

Arnaud and Deborah explore how integrating mind and heart unlocks intuitive guidance, paving the way for the next level of human consciousness in doing business. Arnaud also shares what business leaders, as well as each of us, can start doing right now to become more heart-directed leaders.

About our guest:

Arnaud Saint-Paul’s passion is to open billions of hearts and help them find harmony inside and out.

Living between New York and Paris, a philanthropist and award-winning serial software, finance, and social impact entrepreneur for more than 20 years, Arnaud started his quest at 13 to live through his heart. Throughout his career, he has directly helped hundreds of individuals and inspired more than 50 million people internationally to connect to their heart.

Founder of the Heartful Method™, Arnaud now helps entrepreneurs build a new heart-based economy with clients around the globe. Arnaud is the author of several books, including his upcoming book, The Heartful Method for Entrepreneurs.

In this episode of the Add Heart Podcast, host Deborah Rozman welcomes Gordy Bal, the visionary founder of Conscious Thought Revolution, for a transformative conversation about the untapped potential of money to elevate human consciousness. Driven by a bold mission to impact a billion lives by 2030, Gordy seeks to redefine wealth as a tool for purpose and collective awakening.

Together, Deborah and Gordy explore the striking contrast between today’s financial paradigm—shaped by oligarchs and billionaires—and the emerging consciousness that calls for a new approach, one rooted in love, heart coherence, and deeper self-connection.

Imagine a world where the projected $70 trillion of generational wealth is transferred with the intention of uplifting humanity. How might such a shift reshape humanity’s future? Gordy offers profound insights into this possibility, believing we are on the brink of a new era. He and Deborah discuss how we can seize the opportunities for positive change, even amidst the persistent challenges of greed, division, and financial stress.

You’ll discover how conscious capital can serve as a powerful force for global transformation and how each of us, in our own way, can contribute to this financial and spiritual revolution.

The episode concludes with a heart-centered meditation led by Deborah, empowering us to amplify an energetic field of love—individually and collectively—for the betterment of humanity.

About our guest:

Gordy Bal is a heart-centered entrepreneur, impact investor, and visionary leader. He is the best-selling author of the #1 Wall Street Journal book, The New Millionaire’s Playbook, and the founder of Conscious Thought Revolution (CTR.com), which consists of a venture capital fund and a world-class marketing agency that invests in entrepreneurs and organizations committed to bettering humanity. Through these organizations, Gordy has spearheaded the transformation of early startups into billion-dollar powerhouses.

Gordy is now a sought-after advisor, speaker, mentor, and coach to entrepreneurs and investors. He is passionate about supporting aligned leaders in generating true abundance by stepping into their purpose and making a meaningful impact. Harnessing this commitment, Gordy has dedicated himself to creating a world where business, finance, and human consciousness seamlessly co-exist.

Guest: Rollin McCraty, PhD

What if the key to global harmony lies in the unseen energetic connection between our own heart and mind and the hearts and minds of others? Could this connection, when understood, help to lift humanity and facilitate a more compassionate, caring, and unified field for all people and the planet? New research is indicating that love is the underlying energetic connection that can heal humanity’s separation.

In this episode, Rollin McCraty, HeartMath Institute director of research, and Deborah Rozman dive into the science of our interconnectivity and how this connection can lift humanity.

They discuss groundbreaking research on heart coherence, where groups of people in different parts of the world had measurably synchronized heart rhythms when energetically connected in shared emotions like compassion, care, and kindness.

McCraty and his research team have demonstrated that when individuals and groups of people radiate care and compassion, it not only enhances local and non-local energetic connection, it helps power up a broader spectrum of coherent love that can help uplift the world’s energetic field. This is how love can go viral.

This episode offers fascinating insights into how practicing heart coherence techniques can empower ourselves and each other to help elevate collective well-being, reduce separation, and contribute to humanity’s shift toward greater harmony. We are all important contributors to helping love go viral to transform our planet.

The episode closes with a heart meditation led by host Deborah Rozman to help us increase our love radiation and add it to the planetary field environment.

We hope you’ll join us for this inspiring conversation and learn how your heart’s power could be a catalyst for connection, healing, and a more unified world.

About our guest:

Rollin McCraty, PhD, is a globally recognized scientist and a leading researcher on the heart-mind connection. He serves as director of research at the HeartMath Institute (HMI) and is a pivotal figure in the Global Coherence Initiative. Since the Institute’s inception in 1991, McCraty and his talented team have spearheaded groundbreaking research with extensive studies, exceeding dozens in number, exploring how to harness communication between the heart and brain to manage stress, cultivate coherence (a state of optimal physiological balance), and strengthen our connection to ourselves and others.

McCraty’s Google Scholar profile boasts hundreds of publications, presentations, and patents spanning 25 years, with over 17,000 citations and a highly respected h-index score of 56.

His esteemed body of work appears in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and has captured the attention of major media outlets like CNN, ABC’s Good Morning America, and PBS. He actively contributes to various scientific societies, furthering our understanding of the heart’s profound influence on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Guest: Jack Canfield

In a world desperate for people to learn to get along together, leaders and companies have a key role to play to bring more heart into the workplace. Our guest, Jack Canfield, the visionary co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series and bestselling author of The Success Principles™, The Power of Focus, and The Key to Living the Law of Attraction, talks with our host, Deborah Rozman, about why it’s critical for leaders to become a positive force for heart. The “us versus them” mentality of traditional corporate culture is no longer viable. Leaders must do more than just give lip service to heart and care. Jack emphasizes it’s time for leaders to embrace and demonstrate important heart qualities that create success: kindness, courage, respect, dignity, compassion, gratitude, and creativity. Jack and Deborah agree this definition of success is how love can go viral and help transform the world.

Jack shares his “Evening Review” practice as a powerful self-check for upping his personal effort to cultivate more love and compassion every day. Tune in and hear how Jack presents this valuable practice.

The episode culminates in a heart meditation led by Deborah, guiding you to align your heart, brain, body, and spirit in harmony and coherence. Don’t miss this urgent and timely discussion on how love can be our most potent antidote against the challenges of our era.

Tune in to help awaken your role in a crucial mission to Help Love Go Viral™ and harmonize our world.

About our guest:

Jack Canfield, known as America’s #1 Success Coach, is a bestselling author, professional speaker, trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of the Canfield Training Group, which trains entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders, and motivated individuals on how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals.

He has conducted live training for more than a million people in more than 50 countries around the world. He holds two Guinness World Record titles and is a member of the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame.

Jack is the coauthor of more than two hundred books, including The Success Principles™: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, The Success Principles Workbook, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers and has sold more than 500 million copies in 47 languages around the world. Jack is a featured teacher in the movie The Secret and has appeared on more than a thousand radio and television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, the Today Show, Fox & Friends, and Larry King Live.

Guest: Dr. Jorina Elbers

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant barrage of distressing news? You’re not alone. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Jorina Elbers, Director of the Trauma Recovery Project at the HeartMath Institute, sheds light on the hidden impact of secondary trauma — a crucial issue affecting many of us.

Secondary trauma occurs when we overload from exposure to traumatic events through graphic news, social media, and other people’s personal stories. Many of us are deeply impacted by trauma inputs every time we open our smartphones. The stress can take a toll, creating brain fog, emotional numbness, sleeplessness, and more — and we may not know we are struggling with secondary trauma.

Like a circuit breaker pushed beyond its limits, Dr. Elbers explains how your mind and body can become overloaded from traumatic news. Join host Deborah Rozman and Dr. Elbers as they unpack how today’s constant influx of stress news is pushing people’s nervous system to the brink, leading to a range of physical and emotional symptoms.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize signs of secondary trauma and gain invaluable insights on how to rebalance your nervous system and release cumulative stress. Discover how to read your body’s stress signals and ready yourself with techniques that go beyond surface-level symptom management.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, as well as those supporting loved ones through difficult times. Dr. Elbers helps you see how you have more control over your well-being than you may have thought possible.

Tune in for an episode that offers hope and direction to help you move from nervous system dysregulation to regulation, empowerment, and healing.

As a special bonus, the episode concludes with a guided heart meditation, led by Deborah, that you can use anytime you start to feel overwhelmed and to help you regulate your nervous system.

About our guest:

Dr. Jorina Elbers is a pediatric neurologist with clinical expertise in treating chronic stress and trauma. She is currently the Director of the Trauma Recovery Project at the HeartMath Institute and is the creator of HeartMath’s newest program, “HeartMath for Parents.” She was previously an assistant professor at Stanford University and has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers, with her most recent publications discussing nervous system dysregulation and how the body adapts to chronic stress or trauma.