the key point I’m taking away from this session, which featured a psychologist, a neuroscientist, two guided meditations, a discussion of musical grammar, and reminders to sleep more, practice yoga, and stop trying so damn hard to be happy, is this: Versämungsangst will be the death of us.

Some brief lessons about our bodies:

Put your feet on a desk. Be a vegan. Sharpen your pikes. Smile. Adapt. Exercise your right to your health information. Track individual emotions for better design. Share your health experiences. Use your body as an instrument.

Thoughts on the world we share.

And wisdom that can take us beyond:

Nate Ball, beatboxer: “I want to know what moves you and what you have to let go of to keep moving.”

“Speakers gave advice our mothers told us all along: smile, stand up straight & eat more veggies.”

Conflict mediator Priya Parker talks about the meaning of swasth–to be seated inside yourself–during a talk about mindfulness. (Photo by Justin Ide)

By Lindsey Hoshaw

Sitting in a room of economists, computer scientists and roboticists, I didn’t expect to be told that money can buy happiness or that I should eat more kale.

But such is life when you attend a TEDx event, a locally organized conference that draws inspiration from the annual TED(technology, entertainment, design) events, which aim to present ideas worth spreading.

Past TED speakers include Bill Clinton, Malcolm Gladwell and Jane Goodallamong many other thought leaders, environmentalists, idealists, authors, designers and technologists.

TEDxCambridge is in its second year and multiple TEDx events are held across the world every week. The theme for Saturday’s TEDxCambridge conference was “thrive” and the event had a very touchy feely vibe. There were several instances when I was asked to meet the person sitting next to me, dance or meditate.

Continue reading on the Forbes blog.

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Poet and Recording Artist, a 2010 TED Global Fellow, the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, and a spokesperson for the Amenawon Foundation.

Iyeoka is a powerful songstress whose lyrical prowess and vocal talents invoke the spirit of soul-shakers Nina Simone, Sade, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse. A story teller to the core, Iyeoka’s hope-filled words pour out from within and build momentum based on truth. As the words transform into songs, they reemerge as unique, emotionally complex gifts to her audience, touching on a wide range of issues–love, women, culture, struggle, and relationships, among many others.

Before launching her career as a poet, singer, activist and educator, Iyeoka was as a practicing pharmacist.

Want to learn more about this extraordinary TEDxCambridge Speaker ? Check out her website.

Using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques, Psyche Loui’s research aims to find out how the human brain enables music. Psyche’s ongoing studies address questions on the neural substrates of tone-deafness, the source of musical talent and creativity, and the mechanisms through which the human brain perceives, produces, and appreciates patterns of musical pitch.

Want to find out more on Psyche’s TEDx Cambridge tune? Check out her website.

Nadeem has led education teams in innovative research, directed award-winning music videos, created commercial animations, programmed software, generated digital and interactive media for Discovery, Showtime, and CNN. and much, much more.

We can promise you one thing, if you miss this talk, your happiness levels will decrease. You can even track your happiness to be sure.

Learn more about this advocate and TEDxCambridge speaker here.

Want to learn more about Amy’s TEDx presentation? Watch this teaser video from PopTech 2011.