Harvesting Happiness

For many women, rising above trauma can feel unattainable in public life and utterly impossible when under the restraints of incarceration. But, women, being who they are, build mutual support systems behind bars that foster resilience, and community, and underpin transformations not often correlated with stories of life in prison.

To discover ways of transcending incarceration, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with an internationally recognized clinician, author, organizational consultant, lecturer, and a pioneer in addiction, trauma, and recovery, Dr. Stephanie Covington.

Dr. Covington shares findings from her decades of experience working with institutions, and her latest book, Hidden Healers: The Unexpected Ways Women in Prison Help Each Other Survive. She talks about the healing journeys within our broken prison systems and describes the community that develops between incarcerated women.

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Anxiety is a natural response to the uncertainties and challenges we face in life. When we are anxious, relief can seem a world away. But, through cultivating self-awareness and practicing mindfulness, anxiety can be managed, transforming it from a source of suffering into an opportunity for growth and self-discovery.

To discover the philosophical approach to treating anxiety, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a philosophical counselor, author, and professor emeritus of philosophy at Brooklyn College, Samir Chopra PhD.

Samir shares the fears that are at the core of our anxieties and philosophical strategies for managing anxiety in his book, Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide. He asserts that the world is constructed in such a way that the choices we have to make, make us especially anxious.

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Ouai — Offers beauty-boosting head-to-toe self-care rituals. Visit theouai.com and use code HH to get 15% off of your entire purchase.

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If you could reimagine the time of your life, what would it look like? Would you continue to be trapped by your calendar? Or, would you dial into what is sacrosanct and transform your relationship with time so it played by your rules and worked itself into your schedule?

To get a template for living a regret-less life, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author and keynote speaker, Bonnie Wan about how to lead with clarity, creativity, and courage.

In Bonnie’s book, The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living, she offers the clarity she gleaned from her deep dive into what wasn’t working in her life, how she leaned into aggravation to reframe her relationship with time and transform her life.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Nutrafol— Offers a drug-free whole-body health approach to hair wellness and growth. Get $10 off your 1st month’s subscription and free shipping at nutrafol.com with promo code HH.

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In business, financial gain is often the basis for change, when in reality the lessons gleaned from the process are just as valuable as the change itself. For it is usually in hindsight we realize that the journey of any endeavor is more important than the end result. Taking a kindness plus math approach to business decisions means valuing empathy and human connections alongside financial metrics.

To discover how to use kindness to maximize change, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the inspirational teacher, author, and leader

James Rhee. In James Rhee’s book red helicopter — a parable for our times: lead change with kindness plus a little math, he shares a story of how his life was forever changed when he walked away from his former identity to embrace an ailing business. His journey led to financial success but, more importantly, connectedness, joy, and friendship.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Nutrafol — Offers a drug-free whole-body health approach to hair wellness and growth. Get $10 off your 1st month’s subscription and free shipping at nutrafol.com with promo code HH.

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Modern life is filled with many kinds of pollution. From the audible and visual pollution of our cities to the garbage we let leak into our natural world, humans are separating themselves from nature at a faster rate than ever before in our history. The flora and fauna so graciously given by our earth mother have been all but forgotten in many human environments. Observing, reconnecting, listening to ecopsychology, and exposing ourselves to the natural world can increase our health and well-being.

To unearth essential information about how we join the human rewilding project and get back in tune with nature, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the co-founder of the Sea Change Project, documentary filmmaker, and naturalist

Craig Foster. Craig shares his rewilding and tracking techniques that instinctively regulate our bodies’ natural rhythm and release health and well-being chemicals into our system. He also offers an Ecopsychology toolkit for being with nature from his newest project, the book Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World.

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Social pressures often influence an individual's decision-making process. The algorithms behind social media platforms can shape perceptions by showing content tailored to behavior, reinforcing or promoting specific ideas to further financial or political causes. It is proof that understanding human cognition can significantly influence our decisions, from the products we buy to the beliefs we hold.

To reveal how cognitive psychology affects everything we do, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with prolific author and Professor Emerita of Anthropology at New York University, Dr. Emily Martin. As part of an experimental cognitive psychology lab, Dr. Martin studies the psychology of thinking and how it affects everything. She offers a glimpse into how humans process information and how the data collected has the opportunity to be used for the greater good or commoditized and sold to the highest bidder.

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Nutrafol — Offers a drug-free whole-body health approach to hair wellness and growth. Get $10 off your 1st month’s subscription and free shipping at nutrafol.com with promo code HH.

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Remember when you flirted just enough with a person to let them know you were interested but not too much that you risked rejection? Then, you were surprised when the other person had no clue what had happened. If you are a man reading this, it's understandable — you likely had no idea this scenario even unfolded. If you are a woman, it wasn't his fault; he's simply emotionally, physiologically, and genetically inclined to miss subtle hints!

To reveal what we say without talking, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author and associate professor at Texas A&M, Dr. Stephen Furlich about the principles of non-verbal communication.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Ouai — Offers beauty-boosting head-to-toe self-care rituals. Visit theouai.com and use code HH to get 15% off of your entire purchase.

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WANT MORE SOUND IDEAS FOR DEEPER THINKING? Check out More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus content available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

The path to joy is often obstructed with obstacles, setbacks, and grief. From expectant mothers who are just one intense push away from delivering a new lifeforce to adult children caring for their aging parents, many times the pain we endure is the seed that blossoms into the flower of happiness.

To find out more about cultivating the labors of life into personal fulfillment, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author, doula, and co-founder of Moms in Color, Brandi Sellerz-Jackson about her toolkit for thriving.

Brandi reveals that sometimes the best times in life are when the shadows of darkness recede. In her book, On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life's Great Labors, she imparts the benefits of kindness, how to move beyond surviving and into thriving, and the nuances of co-regulation and codependency.

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Scientific understanding of the hormonal changes women undergo during menopause is limited. Historically, women were excluded from major health studies prior to 1996 due to the belief that their fluctuating hormone levels were too complex to study. Today, women are changing the game by conducting their own research.

To better understand how women can improve their quality of life during the aging process, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a menopause expert, Dr. Mary Claire Haver. Dr. Haver is a certified OB/GYN, author, and founder of The Galveston Diet and Mary Claire Wellness Clinic.

Dr. Haver offers guidance about how women can navigate menopause and aging. She shares the top complaints of women who experience menopausal symptoms, and the impact nutrition can have on managing those symptoms through her menopause toolkit and books, The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts and The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Nutrafol — Offers a drug-free whole-body health approach to hair wellness and growth. Get $10 off your 1st month's subscription and free shipping at www.nutrafol.com/quiz with promo code HARVESTING.

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From the blush of first loves to the seasoned affections of later years, intimacy adapts to our changing bodies, shifting priorities, and the various life stages we traverse. Whether it's rediscovering a partner in a long-term relationship or embracing new experiences, sexual expression should be free of judgment and have no expiration date.

To expose how to foster a fulfilling sexual life at any age, by oneself or with a partner, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the Executive Director of The Kinsey Institute and award-winning researcher and educator, Dr. Justin Garcia about the joys of sexual expression.

Justin delves into statistical insights from the Kinsey Institute concerning the impact of COVID on sexual behaviors, highlights pivotal discoveries from the 'Sex After Sixty' collaborative study by the Kinsey Institute and Cosmopolitan magazine, discusses emerging trends in sexuality, and explores the relationship between happiness and intimacy.

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Beducated— Offers online shame-free pleasure-based sex education for everyone. Spice up your sex life today and get 50% off the yearly pass. Visit beducate.me/happiness and use code HAPPINESS.

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