Dr. Robert Emmons presents a talk on How Gratitude Heals, Energizes and Transforms Lives, as part of the Wellbeing Lecture Series presented by the University of Minnesota's (UMN) Center for Spirituality & Healing (CSH). The event takes place at 4 p.m., on February 27, at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium.

According to the website for CSH, “Gratitude encircles much of what we do and who we are. Its power derives from a need that is deeply entrenched in the human condition—the need to give thanks. Across the lifespan, research has shown that gratitude generates a positive ripple effect through every area of our lives, potentially satisfying some of our deepest yearnings—our desire for happiness, our pursuit of better relationships and our ceaseless quest for inner peace, health, wholeness and wellness. Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, reduce cardiac inflammation, increase happiness and decrease depression. Mechanisms linking the practice of gratitude with key health outcomes will be explored. Evidence-based practices and techniques reveal that life is a continual invitation to gratitude that can be created at almost any opportunity.”

Emmons is a professor of psychology and lab director of the Emmons Lab at University of California, Davis. He is the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude and the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology. He is a prominent speaker and author of Gratitude Works! A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity and Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, among numerous other books and hundreds of articles.

Cost: $20. Free for UMN students and alumni but must register. Mayo Meditation Space, Mayo Memorial Bldg., 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis. For information and registration, visit csh.umn.edu.