The Wise Effort Show

Are you seeking more empathy, less fear, and stronger connections in a divided world? In this episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill discusses the power of the four immeasurables—loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Dr. Hill explains how these qualities can positively affect your brain, body, and relationships, and offers practical exercises and insights to cultivate them. Join us to learn inspiring techniques to bring more kindness into your life and to those around you.

1. The impact of loving kindness on mental and physical well-being
2. How simple acts of kindness can reduce anxiety and foster a sense of belonging
3. Practical exercises like Tadasana and alternate nostril breathing to practice loving kindness
4. The importance of invisible helpers in daily life.

You can also enjoy Diana’s related Bonus Meditation: Kind Love

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• Become a Wise Effort Community member
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.
• Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Join The Wise Effort Community.

The Wise Effort Community exists to help people keep doing the work — applying ACT and contemplative practice to a real life — long after the book is closed, the workshop is done, and the retreat is over. The thing they're buying is sustained, guided practice with me and with each other, so the insights don't evaporate.

Wise Effort Community

This breathwork and guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation walks you through breathwork techniques and mindful presence to foster kindness within yourself and extend it to others. Diana shares techniques to anchor yourself in the present moment and invites you to connect with your 'invisible helpers' for support and kindness. Join this guided meditation to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.

You can also enjoy Diana's related talk--Episode 182 Secret Sangha: Kind Love.

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• Become a Wise Effort Community member
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.
• Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

This breathwork and guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation walks you through breathwork techniques and a deep meditation to cultivate a spacious, free mind, heart, and self while understanding the many contexts that impact our lives. Listen as Diana guides you on this journey towards total and complete freedom. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from a moment of peace and freedom.

You can also enjoy Diana's related talk--Episode 181 Secret Sangha: Context.

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• Become a Wise Effort Community member
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.
• Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Are you aware of how your environment and context influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? In this Secret Sangha episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill delves into the role of context and how it affects our inner experiences, which is a major concept of contextual behavioral science. Dr. Hill explains how our biology, social-cultural context, and environment shape our daily lives, and she encourages us to adopt a contemplative approach centered on love to transform these influences and helps us develop our psychological flexibility.

Join us to understand the interdependence of context and individual experience and learn how love can serve as a healing context for all.

1. The interdependence of context and individual experience
2. How love can serve as a healing context for all.

You can also enjoy Diana's related meditation--Episode 181 Bonus Meditation: Context.

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• Become a Wise Effort Community member
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.
• Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Join The Wise Effort Community.

The Wise Effort Community exists to help people keep doing the work — applying ACT and contemplative practice to a real life — long after the book is closed, the workshop is done, and the retreat is over. The thing they're buying is sustained, guided practice with me and with each other, so the insights don't evaporate.

Wise Effort Community

How can we use our imagination to transform individually and our collective consciousness? Clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Hill explores this question with Dr. Cassandra Vieten on The Wise Effort Show. Dr. Vieten, a clinical professor and director of research at multiple institutions, shares her extensive research on the subject, emphasizing the profound impact transformative spiritual experiences can have on changing our worldview and behaviors. Listeners will learn about the conditions that support transformation, the importance of imagination in altering future outcomes, and practical approaches to fostering a shift in consciousness. Vieten's compelling personal anecdotes and scientific insights provide a roadmap for understanding and achieving deep, lasting change.

• Scientific Approach to Transformation
• The Power of Imagination in Transformation
• Imagination and Worldview Transformation
• Imagination in Practice and Therapy
• Imagining a Better Future

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• >>>Join Diana live October 1 for a free Sangha talk and meditation<<<
• Join the Wise Effort Community to access the live Sangha event and previous recordings.
• Get your ticket (in-person and streaming) to Diana’s Tell the Truth Salon Series, a live gathering in Santa Barbara, California.
• Sign up for Diana's newsletter
• Order Diana's book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on Psychology Today, Insight Timer, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.
• Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

Are you feeling stuck in a problem—believing every scary thought, trying to “fix” your feelings, or spiraling into overthinking instead of moving forward?

In this Secret Sangha episode (a new series from Diana’s live community that she hosts weekly in Santa Barbara), Diana shows you how to build psychological flexibility so you can stay open, aware, and engaged—even when things are hard—and take small actions toward what matters most.

1. The 6 core skills of psychological flexibility and how they show up in real-life stress
2. How to relate to thoughts with more freedom: “thank you, mind”—without automatically following it
3. A clear way to work with emotions when you’re stuck in fixing or flooding
4. How small, values-based actions (even minuscule ones) expand the “world you’re free to inhabit”

You can also enjoy Diana's related meditation on by listening to Episode 180 Bonus Meditation: Flexibility.

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• Become a Wise Effort Community member
• Sign up for my newsletter
• Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.
• Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Join The Wise Effort Community.

The Wise Effort Community exists to help people keep doing the work — applying ACT and contemplative practice to a real life — long after the book is closed, the workshop is done, and the retreat is over. The thing they're buying is sustained, guided practice with me and with each other, so the insights don't evaporate.

Wise Effort Community

This guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation uses the bell to bring your' attention to the present moment, encouraging flexibility in focusing on various aspects of your external and internal worlds. It emphasizes your ability to shift attention to sensory experiences, feelings, thoughts, perspectives, purpose, and actions. The meditation advocates for self-acceptance and openness, referencing Pema Chödrön's teachings on befriending oneself as the foundation of meditation practice. The session closes with three bows to acknowledge true nature, teachers, and the community.

You can also enjoy Diana's related talk on by listening to Episode 179 Secret Sangha: Flexibility.

How can we practice the power of the pause? In this week's episode of the Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill sits down with meditation and yoga teacher Jillian Pransky to explore this profound concept. They dive into the bardo, a transitional state perfect for reflection, and share practical steps from Jillian's LAR LAR method (Land, Arrive, Relax, Listen, Attend, Respond, Repeat) designed to help you cultivate a calmer and more intentional life. Jillian also highlights ways to infuse these practices into your daily routine for a smoother transition into the new year. You'll also get a preview of Diana's new weekly saga Dharma talks and meditations. Join them in learning to pause, reflect, and enter 2026 with wise effort.

• An in-depth look at Jillian Pransky's LAR LAR method and how it can transform your life
• The importance of grounding and breath in calming the nervous system
• How to create space for your emotions and respond more wisely

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• >>>Join Diana live October 1 for a free Sangha talk and meditation<<<
• Join the Wise Effort Community to access the live Sangha event and previous recordings.
• Get your ticket (in-person and streaming) to Diana’s Tell the Truth Salon Series, a live gathering in Santa Barbara, California.
• Sign up for Diana's newsletter
• Order Diana's book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on Psychology Today, Insight Timer, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.
• Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

How can you live a compassion-focused life while navigating high-performance environments? In this episode of the Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill hosts Dr. Dennis Tirch, founder of the Center for Compassion Focused Therapy. They discuss integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for actionable wisdom and flourishing. Dr. Tirch shares insights from his experience working with high-level clients in finance and leadership roles, accentuating the importance of compassion and mindfulness.

• Compassion in Leadership
• Embodied Wisdom and Compassion
• The Power of Concentration Practices
• Effortless Action and Flow

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• >>>Join Diana live October 1 for a free Sangha talk and meditation<<<
• Join the Wise Effort Community to access the live Sangha event and previous recordings.
• Get your ticket (in-person and streaming) to Diana’s Tell the Truth Salon Series, a live gathering in Santa Barbara, California.
• Sign up for Diana's newsletter
• Order Diana's book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on Psychology Today, Insight Timer, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.
• Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

This episode will help you find inner peace through the practice of generosity. Dr. Diana Hill explores the concept of generosity, from personal stories to Buddhist teachings to modern science, revealing how giving freely can transform your mental and physical health. Diana highlights methods to cultivate generosity, empathy, gratitude, and awe, which can enhance your relationships and overall well-being. Tune in to learn practical tips on how to integrate these practices into your daily life and experience the flow of giving and receiving.

Listen and learn:

• The three levels of generosity in Buddhism and their health benefits
• Scientific insights on how generosity influences attractiveness and social dynamics
• Personal experiences on the power of giving
• Practical tips to cultivate gratitude, empathy, and awe in daily life

Episode 98: Savoring The Good: A Short Meditation With Dr. Diana Hill

Get enhanced show notes for this episode

• >>>Join Diana live October 1 for a free Sangha talk and meditation<<<
• Join the Wise Effort Community to access the live Sangha event and previous recordings.
• Get your ticket (in-person and streaming) to Diana’s Tell the Truth Salon Series, a live gathering in Santa Barbara, California.
• Sign up for Diana's newsletter
• Order Diana's book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.

• See Diana at an upcoming event

• Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.
• Follow Diana on Psychology Today, Insight Timer, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.
• Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.

Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Mentioned in this episode:

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series

Come to the Tell the Truth Salon on October 1

See Diana Hill and Rosemerry Trommer during this special live event. Join in-person and live stream.

Tell the Truth Salon Series