Episode Details

A soldier steps off a plane. Her daughter runs across the tarmac. Everyone watching is smiling, and almost everyone is wiping their eyes. Nobody in that moment is sad, so why the tears?

In this episode, Eartha explores the science and the feeling behind happy tears, through a mindfulness lens. We look at what researchers have learned about why joy can spill over, and why a body might answer something wonderful with a face that looks like sadness.

Along the way, you’ll hear about the four kinds of happy tears researchers have identified: achievement, affection, beauty, and amusement. Eartha shares moments from her own life, from a hospital corps graduation to the delivery floor. We also look at what the body does when we cry, when crying seems to help, and why not crying doesn’t mean you feel any less.

In this episode:

• Why happy tears are common, and one leading explanation for them
• The four types of happy tears, and where your own moments fit
• What’s going on in the body, including what researchers still don’t know
• How happy tears change across a lifetime, with a note for teens
• A guided Savoring Breath practice you can use anytime

You’ll leave with a little more curiosity about your big feelings, and a gentler way to meet them: noticing, naming, and allowing. Whether tears come easily or hardly ever, your joy counts.

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