Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris: Recent Episodes
Ten Percent Happier
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Dan Harris is a fidgety, skeptical journalist who had a panic attack on live national television, which led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. He went on to write the bestselling book, 10% Happier. On this show, Dan talks with eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the odd celebrity. Guests include everyone from His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Brené Brown to Karamo from Queer Eye. On some episodes, Dan ventures into the deep end of the pool, covering subjects such as enlightenment and psychedelics. On other episodes, it’s science-based techniques for issues such as anxiety, productivity, and relationships. Dan's approach is seemingly modest, but secretly radical: happiness is a skill you can train, just like working your bicep in the gym. Your progress may be incremental at first, but like any good investment, it compounds over time.
Ben Rein, PhD is a neuroscientist who studies the biology of social behavior and explains the brain to an audience of over 1.2 million people online. He serves as Chief Science Officer of the Mind Science Foundation, Head of Science Communication at ResearchHub Foundation, and teaches at Stanford University.
In this episode we talk about:
- Distinguishing between science and online "neurobullshit"
- Three research-backed ways to protect your brain health and boost social connection, even for introverts
- Why isolation shows up in the body like a low-grade injury
- The real difference between loneliness and isolation, and why we rarely recognize either in ourselves
- The power of pets in reducing stress and inflammation
- Whether sugar is really more addictive than cocaine (short answer: no, and here's why)
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Additional Resources:
- Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection
This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp: See the reviews, see what stands out, and see if BetterHelp is right for you. Visit betterhelp.com/HAPPIER.
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Dan doesn't usually sit in the interviewee's chair — but when journalist and author Allison Gilbert invited him to speak at the 92nd Street Y as part of their Connected Lives series, he said yes. What followed was one of the more wide-ranging conversations Dan has had about his own practice, his own anxieties, and why he's become convinced that inner work divorced from relationships is just selfishness dressed up as self-care. The evening also included a guided loving-kindness meditation — metta practice — that Dan led live with the audience.
They talked about:
- Why Dan thinks the meditation world's PR problem has shifted — it's no longer "this is weird hippie stuff," it's "I get it, but I personally can't do it"
- The upward spiral: how taking care of your mind improves your relationships, which improves your inner weather, which improves your relationships further — and the "toilet vortex" that runs in the opposite direction
- Free-range mindfulness: why brushing your teeth or standing in a grocery line can rewire your brain just like formal seated practice
- The self-compassion toolkit — Kristin Neff's three-step practice, distanced self-talk, and why putting your hand on your heart is "cheesy as f*ck" but actually works
- Joseph Goldstein's single best question for breaking an anxiety loop: "Is this useful?"
- Why micro-interactions — with your doorman, your barista, a stranger on the elevator — are one of the most underrated sources of happiness
Allison Gilbert is a journalist, author, and the creator of The Joy of Connections, a book and companion app designed to help people build more meaningful relationships. She writes and speaks about human connection, grief, and resilience. Learn more at allisongilbert.com.
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Additional Resources:
- Check out Allison's new app at beingmoreconnected.com
This episode is sponsored by: Notion: Learn more about how Notion can support your business, at notion.com/happier.
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How to calm down fast with an 'inventory' practice, how to build 'resources' you can call on anytime, and why 'healing' might be the wrong goal to chase. Plus, living with autoimmune disorder, writing as a practice of embodiment, and why white-knuckling isn't worth it.
Johanna Franzel is a teacher, somatic practitioner, educator, and author of the new book Write Yourself Home: A Creative Guide for Living Well in the Body You Have Through Embodied Writing and Movement Practice. She brings both professional expertise and the lived experience of navigating chronic illness for more than two decades. She also writes a Substack called Permission Slips.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why your nervous system stays on high alert for threats that aren't actually there
- The three-step "inventory" practice for finding calm in your body, right now
- Why calling to mind a "resource" can genuinely shift your physiology
- "Presence without scrutiny": the difference between being with someone (or yourself) and staring them down
- Why Johanna doesn't love the word "healing" and the word she prefers instead
- How to turn your most embarrassing memories into material, not shame
- Why the way you talk to yourself matters more than you think
- What over two decades with Crohn's disease taught Johanna about self-advocacy and knowing your own margins
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Plus: how to build a village, why your attachment style isn't your destiny, and a two-step method for asking for help that actually works.
Nedra Glover Tawwab is a licensed therapist and the author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, an instant New York Times best-seller translated into over 35 languages worldwide. In addition, she has authored seven other books, including Drama Free and, most recently, The Balancing Act. A sought-after relationship expert, she has practiced relationship therapy for almost 20 years.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between healthy dependency and full-blown enmeshment
- Why your attachment style is useful information, not a life sentence
- Wise compassion versus what Buddhists call "idiot compassion"
- Why you can't force someone else to change, but your own change might be contagious
- The "silent agreements" we make in relationships without ever saying them out loud — and how they quietly build resentment
- Why over-considering everyone else's needs backfires, and how to actually advocate for your own
- How to stop dragging old relationship trauma into brand-new relationships
- What to actually do if you feel lonely, or like you don't have enough friends
Related Episodes:
- How to Handle Family Drama | Nedra Glover Tawwab
- That Rut You're In – This One Word Could Pull You Out | Nedra Tawwab
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by: Tonal: Get $200 off your Tonal purchase with promo code HAPPIER at tonal.com. Warby Parker: Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/HAPPIER — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad
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Plus: The "hard yes" list, the intentional pursuit of being bad at things (and how that opens doors you didn't know were closed), being "on intimate terms with catastrophe," and optimism as a daily practice. From How To Be A Better Human. Today we're sharing an episode from another show we love: How to Be a Better Human, hosted by Chris Duffy. In this conversation, Chris talks with actor Yara Shahidi — known for Black-ish and Grown-ish, and now host of The Optimist Project podcast — about what she's learned from building a career and an identity at the same time. Yara explains why she thinks of optimism as a daily practice rather than a fixed personality trait, how a "year of no" eventually led her to build a "hard yes list" of things that reliably bring her joy, and why she's been deliberately pursuing things she's bad at — cartwheels, crochet, the glockenspiel — as a way of staying curious and connected.
It's a thoughtful conversation about purpose, identity, and how to keep growing once you've already achieved the thing you thought you wanted. If you like what you hear, check out How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts.
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The legendary dharma teacher on self-acceptance, the two-sentence trick she uses on her own anger, and what actually makes her happy after 90 years of living.
Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, LCSW is a co-founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre California and the author of five books on Buddhism, Mindfulness, and particularly That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why turning 90 makes the Buddha's teachings on impermanence feel real instead of theoretical
- The line Sylvia repeats to herself that's become the antidote to ill will and anger
- Why "there's always a hand to hold" might be the whole point of being alive
- The four (or three) noble truths, reworked in Sylvia's own words
- A grocery store treat that turned into an unexpected lesson about where happiness actually comes from
- What she says to people who are dying, and why it's not a lie
- And much more
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This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp:: Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. Start therapy with BetterHelp.
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Warby Parker: Our listeners can buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/HAPPIER — and using our link helps support the show. #WarbyParker #ad
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An MIT/Harvard negotiation expert on the two types of "no," the FBI hostage negotiator trick you can use with anyone, and the rhetorical move that improves outcomes for women.
John Richardson teaches negotiation at MIT's Sloan School of Management, and previously at Harvard Law, and was an associate at the Harvard Negotiation Project. He was coauthor with Roger Fisher and Alan Sharp of Getting It Done and Negotiation Analysis with Howard Raiffa and David Metcalfe. He is also a graduate of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. His latest book is Never Settle, co-written with Attia Qureshi.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why lying in a negotiation is tactically stupid, not just morally wrong
- The "give them a sandwich" trick FBI hostage negotiators use, and how to steal it for everyday life
- The difference between healthy manipulation and the harmful kind
- A simple word that can pull someone's brain out of fight-or-flight mode mid-argument
- Why knowing your alternative matters more than knowing your ask
- When saying no is actually the smartest move in the room
- And much more
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel This episode is sponsored by: Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/oh9jnxlq #CashAppPod.
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Move on from the inner critic and beat perfectionism without lowering your standards.
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist who helps people calm their anxiety and be their authentic self. She serves on the faculty at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) and is the author of HOW TO BE ENOUGH: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists and HOW TO BE YOURSELF: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety. You can find her on Substack at How to Be Good to Yourself When You're Hard on Yourself. This episode originally aired in 2025.
In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between perfectionism and anxiety
- The definition of perfectionism––and why the word is actually a misnomer
- Dr. Hendriksen's own struggles with perfectionism, and how they manifested physically
- The difference between healthy perfectionism and unhealthy perfectionism
- Changing your relationship with your inner critic
- Shifting from rigid rules to flexibility
- Keeping high standards while making room for mistakes
- Overcoming procrastination
- Navigating social comparison
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Strategies for Social Anxiety | Ellen Hendriksen
- The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross
- How To Move Into The Future With Optimism Instead Of Anxiety | Frederik Pferdt
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Plus: How your envy can be useful, why you're an unreliable narrator of your own life, and why you keep choosing partners who echo the unfinished business of your childhood.
Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over three million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The New York Times "Ask the Therapist" advice column and is co-host of the popular "Dear Therapists" podcast and the advice podcast Since You Asked.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why insight alone doesn't change anything, and what "idiot compassion" gets wrong
- Whether you actually need to like your therapist
- Why there's no such thing as a hierarchy of pain
- How to spot a help-rejecting complainer, including in yourself
- What envy is actually trying to tell you
- Why a real boundary is a bid for connection, not a cutoff
- Why we're all unreliable narrators, and how to edit the story you tell about yourself
- Why we keep choosing partners who echo our unfinished business
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Additional Resources:
- Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Workbook
- Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Journal
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by: Function Health: Join at functionhealth.com/happier or use the gift code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Why optimization is a joy blocker, how to find the 'yes' inside the 'no,' and why that restless ache you can't shake is actually your compass.
Kate Bowler, PhD is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we're capable of change. Her newest book is Joyful, Anyway.
In this episode we talk about:
- The dangerous difference between joy and happiness
- Why optimization and self-mastery are quietly killing your capacity for delight
- How to find the "yes" inside every "no" (even when things are genuinely terrible)
- The ache and restlessness you can't shake—and why it's actually your compass, not a problem to solve
- What grace actually looks like when control disappears
- How to stop trying to improve your way into joy
- The "assignment" that changes how you show up for other people
- Why survival isn't the point—living is
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Additional Resources:
- Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I've Loved)
- No Cure For Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear)
- Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp: Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at www.betterhelp.com/happier. Gusto: Try Gusto today at gusto.com/HAPPIER, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.
What a fake guru discovered about genuine connection, why ancient wisdom survives even the most rigorous skepticism, and the real reason humans crave spiritual authority.
Vikram Gandhi is an award-winning and boundary-pushing director of fiction and non-fiction film and television. Vikram most recently co-directed The Man Will Burn — a five-part HBO Original Documentary Series on the full arc of Burning Man, from its countercultural roots in San Francisco to the 80,000-person desert event it's become.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why an experiment built to reject capitalism ended up swimming in it
- What playing a fake guru taught him about how belief actually works
- Why people are often more comfortable opening up to a stranger than to those closest to them
- What religion, cryptocurrency, and Burning Man all have in common
- How to find meaning in ancient wisdom without needing to belong to anything
- And much more
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This episode is sponsored by: Jiyu Skin: Our listeners can now get an additional 20% off plus free shipping with our code HAPPIER at jiyuskin.com. Tonal: Right now, Tonal is offering our listeners $200 off your Tonal purchase with promo code HAPPIER. Rosetta Stone: Ten Percent Happier listeners can get 20% off their Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription when they sign up today. Visit rosettastone.com/happier to redeem your 20% off.
Simple practices for not believing everything you think, becoming less reactive, and handling whatever life throws at you.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why your thoughts have so much power over you — and how to take it back
- A surprisingly funny technique for dealing with self-judgment
- Why trying to get rid of an unwanted thought often makes it worse
- The difference between recognizing an emotion and actually being mindful of it
- Why sadness and unhappiness aren't the same thing
- And much more
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Plus: combatting loneliness, turning down the volume on social comparison, and why mattering to a few people beats outperforming everyone.
Gordon Flett is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University where he has served as the Director of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research. Dr. Flett is most known for his influential research on perfectionism in health and mental health and his more recent work on the psychology of mattering.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between perfectionism and healthy striving
- How perfectionism functions as a coping mechanism for unmet needs for love, belonging, and significance
- What "mattering" actually means
- Antimattering (and our fear of not mattering)
- Why feeling like you matter to others can loosen the grip of perfectionism
- Why people consistently underestimate how much they matter to others
- Practical ways to help others feel like they matter
- Why helping others feel like they matter boomerangs back and boosts your own sense of significance
- The fear of not mattering in the age of AI
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Additional Resources:
- Gordon's books: The Psychology of Mattering, Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents, and Perfectionism: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
This episode is sponsored by: Quo – Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com/happier.
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
Warby Parker — Prescription glasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional prescription pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier
IQBAR: To get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, including the ultimate sampler pack, plus free shipping, text DAN to 64000.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The time the Dalai Lama went bowling in their basement, the time a stranger showed up with exactly the $15,000 they were missing — and more behind-the-scenes stories from 50 years of IMS.
In 1975, a handful of young Americans fresh back from years of intensive practice in India and Burma pooled together $150,000 they didn't have and bought a former Catholic novitiate in rural Massachusetts. Fifty years later, the Insight Meditation Society has become one of the most consequential institutions in the history of Buddhism in the West — the place where Jon Kabat-Zinn had the idea that became Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and where, as one longtime yogi put it, the whole thing has run for half a century "without any adult supervision whatsoever."
For IMS's 50th anniversary, Dan sits down with four of its founding teachers — Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jacqueline Mandell — along with Steven Schwartz, who helped get the organization built in the first place. Together they trace the founding story, the early years of $25-a-month stipends and "window wars," the accidental birth of the mindfulness movement, and what they hope IMS looks like 1,000 years from now.
For more on the Insight Meditation Society, including how to support their new retreat center, you can visit dharma.org.
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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Plus: the four questions the Buddha said you should ask before you speak, the truth about gossip, and what to do when compassion and honesty pull in opposite directions.
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the Buddha actually said about how to talk to people, and why almost none of us were ever taught it
- The four questions to ask yourself before you open your mouth
- Whether white lies are ever okay
- The difference between being kind and being nice
- Is it ever okay to gossip?
- Why shame is the enemy of change, and what "right" in right speech actually means
- How to remember any of this when you're mid-conversation with a difficult person
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Why ruminating after hours is unpaid overtime — plus, how to handle bad bosses, beat the Sunday scaries, and actually recharge.
Dr. Guy Winch is an internationally renowned psychologist and bestselling author who advocates for integrating the science of emotional health into our daily lives. His 3 TED Talks have garnered over 35 million views and his science based self-help books have been translated into 30 languages. His newest book is: Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why work stress is at an all-time high — and what the pandemic permanently broke
- How to tell the difference between regular stress and full-blown burnout
- Why ruminating about a bad day at the office is unpaid overtime — and how to stop
- Techniques for coaching yourself through hard moments without lying to yourself
- How to actually recover after work — and why collapsing on the couch isn't the same as recharging
- How to set limits with a difficult boss without torching the relationship
- A practical tool for mapping the real stress in your job
- What to do with the Sunday scaries — and one scheduling trick that actually works
- How chronic work stress quietly erodes your ethics over time
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Additional Resources:
- Dear Therapists
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
This episode is sponsored by: BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier Northwest Registered Agent — LLC formation, registered agent service, and free business resources at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happierfree
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On nuclear fusion, solid-state batteries, driverless cars, and other innovations — and why, for one cynical disaster reporter, meeting the scientists building them changed everything.
Rob Marciano is the national weather correspondent for CBS News and a Cornell-trained scientist with more than 30 years in television news. A former co-host of Weekend Good Morning America at ABC News, he's also the co-author, alongside physicist James Trefil, of The Next Big Thing: Innovations for a Better, Smarter, Stronger Tomorrow.
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Plus: how trauma rewires the brain, why connection is the most powerful regulator, and small practices that actually work.
Dr. Bruce Perry is the Principal of the Neurosequential Network and a Professor at the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on development has informed clinical practice, programs and policy across the world. Dr. Perry's most recent book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, has been translated into 26 languages and has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for over 100 weeks after becoming #1 on the list in April of 2021.
In this episode we talk about:
- EMDR and the importance of moving your body
- The hardest type of trauma to deal with
- The perks of getting in touch with the fact that, to quote Dr. Perry, everyone is wandering around in a fucking fog...and how this perspective helps us become more generous in our lives.. Both toward ourselves and others.
- How it's never too late to heal trauma
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Additional Resources:
- The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog
- Born For Love: Why Empathy is Essential and Endangered
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Why talking to your boss, your doctor, or anyone with power puts your brain on high alert — and what a Stanford psychologist says to do about it.
Claude M. Steele is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the author of a new book, Churn: The Tension That Divides Us and How to Overcome It.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why talking across difference is so stressful, even when nobody's being bigoted
- What's actually happening in your brain during an awkward cross-cultural moment
- The surprisingly simple thing that makes critical feedback land or fall flat
- How to reduce tension when you're the one with power (and what to do when you're not)
- A three-part framework for building trust across any divide
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Say "no" more, audit your calendar, rewire your inner critic, and keep the promises you make to yourself.
Robin Arzón is Vice President of Fitness Programming and Head Instructor at Peloton, a 27x marathon and ultra-marathon runner, three-time New York Times bestselling author, the founder of Swagger Society and host of Project Swagger.
In this episode we talk about:
- Redefining hustle
- Intensity vs. volume
- Using jealousy as data
- Psychological distancing and self-talk
- Why motivation is a myth
- Lowering the barrier to entry
- Planning for the messy middle
- Breathwork as a cheat code
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This episode is sponsored by: BiOptimizers: Magnesium Breakthrough delivers seven forms of magnesium to support your nervous system, stress response, and daily recovery. Try it risk-free with their 365-day guarantee — head to bioptimizers.com/happier and use code HAPPIER for 15% off plus free gifts at checkout.
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Why your body is the fastest way to change your mental state — and how friction, protein, and resistance training make it work.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a physician and the founder of what she calls Muscle-Centric Medicine. She's the New York Times bestselling author of Forever Strong, and her new book is The Forever Strong Playbook.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why muscle is the organ of longevity
- The three stress responses and the courage response
- Why distraction is the biggest health crisis
- Protein and why most of us aren't eating enough of it
- How to think about intuitive eating
- Minimum effective dose for exercise
- Recovery as you age
- The case for adding more friction to your life
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This episode is sponsored by:
BiOptimizers: Magnesium Breakthrough delivers seven forms of magnesium to support your nervous system, stress response, and daily recovery. Try it risk-free with their 365-day guarantee — head to bioptimizers.com/happier and use code HAPPIER for 15% off plus free gifts at checkout. Eight Sleep: The Pod automatically heats and cools your bed, tracks your sleep without a wearable, and their testing shows users get up to 34% more deep sleep. Use code DanHarris at eightsleep.com/danharris for up to $350 off the Pod 5, with a 30-day trial if it's not for you.
No-nonsense advice on sleep, diet, exercise, social connection, keeping your brain sharp, and not being a schmuck.
Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD is a Vice Provost and Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. A bioethicist, health policy expert, and oncologist, he was one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act. He is a regular guest on CNN and MSNBC and frequently contributes to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. His new book is Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why longevity shouldn't be the goal — and what to aim for instead
- The single most powerful intervention for a long, healthy life (hint: it's not exercise)
- The neuroscience of friendship: how social connection literally changes your brain and body
- Six practical, science-backed rules for living well — from an oncologist with nothing to sell
- Why ultra-processed food and sugary drinks are doing more damage than almost anything else
- The case for eating ice cream (yes, really) — and why moderation is the new discipline
- What retirement does to your brain, and how to protect your cognitive function as you age
- ChatGPT as a diagnostic tool — and what a doctor actually thinks about that
- Why the wellness industrial complex is making you worse, not better
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This episode is sponsored by:
BiOptimizers: Magnesium Breakthrough delivers seven forms of magnesium to support your nervous system, stress response, and daily recovery. Try it risk-free with their 365-day guarantee — head to bioptimizers.com/happier and use code HAPPIER for 15% off plus free gifts at checkout. Eight Sleep: The Pod automatically heats and cools your bed, tracks your sleep without a wearable, and their testing shows users get up to 34% more deep sleep. Use code DanHarris at eightsleep.com/danharris for up to $350 off the Pod 5, with a 30-day trial if it's not for you.
Plus: Hyperbaric chambers, red-light therapy, mRNA, cancer research, and the surprising importance of boredom and friction.
Kara Swisher is a veteran tech journalist, host of the Pivot podcast with Scott Galloway, and one of the most influential voices covering the intersection of technology and power. Her new CNN documentary series, Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever, takes on the longevity industry — separating genuine medical breakthroughs from the pseudoscience being sold to anyone with a credit card and a fear of aging.
Kara Swisher has been covering Silicon Valley longer than most of its billionaires have been rich — and she's watched them turn a simple fear of death into a multi-billion dollar industry of expensive, largely unproven interventions. After her own stroke at 49, she decided to investigate: what actually works, what's a grift, and what does the science really say about living longer? The result is a new CNN documentary series that's part BS-detector, part genuinely hopeful look at the medical breakthroughs that could change everything. This conversation covers both.
We talked about:
- Why biohacking culture is basically a men's eating disorder dressed up as science
- Bryan Johnson, Peter Attia, and what Silicon Valley gets catastrophically wrong about longevity
- The supplements, therapies, and interventions that are mostly hype (peptides, hyperbaric chambers, red light therapy, full-body scans)
- What VO2 max actually measures — and why it's one of the few metrics worth tracking
- GLP-1 drugs: the real promise behind the Ozempic headlines
- The mRNA breakthroughs that could produce a pancreatic cancer vaccine
- Why your relationships are a more powerful longevity drug than anything you can buy
- The case for boredom, friction, and putting your phone down
- How thinking about death every day can make you happier and less afraid
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Lessons learned from 12 years of serious meditation.
Diego Perez is a meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author who is widely known by his pen name, Yung Pueblo. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to burn off your mind's conditioning
- The suffering that comes from clinging in a world characterized by relentless change
- What selfless listening is, and how to do it
- The liberation that comes from equanimity
- Some of the incredibly valuable lessons he's learned from 12 years of meditation
- How to make better decisions for your future self
- How to have boundless compassion without being a pushover
- Why being able to see perspectives outside of your own is a sign of intelligence and mental strength
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Jack Kornfield & Yung Pueblo On: How To Meditate When You're Freaking Out, the Limits of the Thinking Mind, & Balancing Self-Interest with Compassion
- The Dharma of Instagram
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Your health, relationships, and self-esteem all hinge on your attachment style. Here's how to know if you're anxious or avoidant — and how to get more secure.
Dr. Amir Levine is a Columbia-trained psychiatrist and neuroscientist and coauthor of the multi-million-copy bestseller Attached, which brought attachment theory into mainstream conversation and remains the #1 book on Amazon in Relationships more than a decade later. His new book Secure expands this work into emotional regulation and everyday well-being.
In this episode we talk about:
- What attachment theory is
- The four attachment styles — anxious, avoidant, secure, and fearful avoidant — and how to identify which one you are
- Why your attachment style is not fixed and how it can change
- What happens in your brain when you're ignored or excluded
- How being securely connected can extend your life
- The five pillars of a secure life
- How to right-size a relationship with someone unreliable
- Small, seemingly insignificant daily interactions as vehicles for change
- Two rules of secure engagement that can defuse almost any argument
- Why anxious and avoidant attachment styles each have genuine superpowers
- How to build your "attachment topography"
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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We're all hooked on something. Here's the way out, according to an MD who became a beloved nun.
Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, ("Sister D") was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman's Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- Sister D's Buddhist version of the 12 step program, which is a combination of two canonical buddhist lists: the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
- How willpower doesn't fit into the Buddhist path of understanding and working with addiction
- How to change addiction at its root
- Practical applications of mindfulness
- Self-compassion
- The importance of social support
- Her thoughts on our relationships to our phones
- And more
Related Episodes:
- This Episode Will Make You Stronger | Sister Dang Nghiem
- The Science Of Manifestation | James Doty
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/sister-d-899
Additional Resources:
- Plum Village
- Deer Park Monastery
- Deer Park Monastery YouTube channel
- For an exclusive offering related to this episode, go to www.DanHarris.com
Why seeing yourself cling is the beginning of freedom — and other Buddhist insights that will stick with you.
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, sitting retreats in Asia and America. He has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, who have both been previous guests on this show. Pascal is now a core teacher at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts. He is also a co-founder of True North Insight and one of its guiding teachers.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the Four Kinds of Clinging are — and why the Buddha thought this list mattered
- How clinging to pleasure actually makes pleasure harder to enjoy
- The "wrong views" that cause the most suffering — and how to hold your opinions less tightly
- Why clinging to rules and routines shows up in the most ordinary places (including who puts the onions in the pan first)
- What self-identification is, and why loosening it leads to less guilt, shame, and anxiety
- A simple bedside inquiry for getting underneath the concept of self
- Why catching yourself cling is a reason for joy, not self-criticism
Related Episodes:
- 5 Ways To Get Over Yourself | Pascal Auclair
- Seven Buddhist Ingredients for a Happy Mind | Pascal Auclair
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Leveling up, speaking your mind, and why the ability to hear no is the only superpower that matters.
Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU's Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Four, The Algebra of Happiness, Post Corona, Adrift: America in 100 Charts and The Algebra of Wealth. His most recent book Notes on Being a Man reached #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why "action absorbs anxiety" and other strategies for stress and overthinking
- Galloway's three-pillar framework for modern masculinity
- How to handle criticism
- Fighting tech algorithms to build real-world relationships
- Embracing the word "no" to build resilience and success
- Why young people should follow their talent rather than their passion
- Signaling value through humor and small, daily acts of kindness
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Additional Resources:
- Prof G Pod
- Pivot
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
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A hilarious chat about therapy, doomscrolling, being typecast in your own life, and finding yourself in middle age.
Actor, comedian, writer, and producer Billy Eichner burst onto the scene in 2011 with Billy on the Street, a satirical TV game show he created and starred in, where Billy walked the streets of New York City asking people to compete in pop culture trivia challenges. The show has not only become a dominant force on social media with hundreds of millions of views but remains one of the most beloved and respected comedy acts in the industry.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why Billy refuses to call his memoir a self-help book
- His complicated relationship with meditation
- Why he only started therapy in his early 40s
- Acting class as accidental therapy
- The real Billy vs. the Billy on the Street character
- How his parents shaped his confidence and career
- A bar mitzvah breakdown and his mom's advice
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Billy on Billy: An Audio Memoir
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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The world is insane. You don't have to be. These Buddhist practices can help you handle it without succumbing to fear, anxiety, hatred, and apathy.
Tara Brach is a legendary meditation teacher and psychologist. She is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and has been active in bringing meditation into schools, prisons and underserved populations. Her latest book is The Courageous Heart Workbook: Choosing to Love in Perilous Times.
In this episode we talk about:
- What "spiritual audacity" means — and where the term comes from
- Why shutting down emotionally feels like self-protection but isn't
- How caring is a more effective fuel than rage
- What lovingkindness meditation is — and how to do it
- The RAIN practice — and how to use it on difficult emotions
- Why small, local acts of service count as activism
- How to use your imagination to feel compassion for people you can't stand
Related Episodes:
- Tara Brach Has A Counterintuitive Strategy For Navigating Tumultuous Times
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Seed oils, sugars, food dyes, ultra-processed food, supplements, vaccines — a PhD nutritionist cuts through the noise on the biggest health fears online.
Dr. Jessica Knurick is a Registered Dietitian with a PhD in nutrition science, specializing in chronic disease prevention. She educates on nutrition science, food and nutrition policy, and how these factors shape public health.
In this episode we talk about:
- The root of wellness misinformation
- Vaccines and fluoride controversies
- Toxins vs. ultra-processed foods
- Decoding ingredients & food dyes
- The truth about sugar, bread, and dairy
- Fats, seed oils, and infant formula
- The science behind saturated fats
- The wild west of supplements
- The "boring" pillars of health
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by: IQBAR: To get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, including the ultimate sampler pack, plus free shipping, text DAN to 64000.
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Plus: how to handle discomfort, be more present, and remember to be aware throughout your day.
Most of us spend our days somewhere between the past and the future — technically conscious, but not really there. Meditation teacher Susa Talan takes live questions from practitioners on what it actually means to show up for your own life, and how to do it even when you can't sit still, even when you're crying, even when anxiety has narrowed your whole world down to a single racing heartbeat.
Susa Talan is a meditation teacher trained in the insight tradition. She works one-on-one with students around their meditation practice, and she was the Teacher of the Month for April 2026 for DanHarris.com. You can get more guided meditations from Susa in the 10% with Dan Harris app.
In this live Q&A, Susa Talan shares:
- Why awareness isn't hard — what's actually hard is remembering to be aware
- The "what else is here?" technique for working with anxiety and heart palpitations
- Why you don't need to understand why you cry in meditation — and what to do instead
- How to cultivate awareness all day long, not just on the cushion
- Why meditation has nothing to do with sitting still — and everything to do with the whole car ride
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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On regulating emotions, ending the war with reality, and feeling more alive.
Sebene Selassie is an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter remind me to love and her first book is called, You Belong.
Jeff Warren is an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with Dan, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
In this episode we talk about:
- The 5 hindrances (a classic Buddhist list of everything that goes wrong when you sit down to meditate)
- Why your brain keeps wandering, numbing out, or picking fights with reality
- The difference between being tired… and just not wanting to deal
- How to catch yourself before you go full autopilot
- The "five recollections" of aging, sickness and death, and why they're actually grounding
- The comparing mind
- How to step back and watch your thoughts instead of immediately buying into them
- Why the people in your life might be confused by the new, slightly calmer you
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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This episode is sponsored by:
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The neuroscience of human connection: your nervous system is picking up other people's signals all day without your knowledge. Here's how to use that.
Journalist Kate Murphy's eclectic essays and articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Agence France-Presse, and Texas Monthly have been shared and commented on by millions. She is known for her fresh and accessible style and ability to distill complex subjects, particularly the science behind human interactions. Her first book, You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters, was published in thirty-two languages and has become required reading in interpersonal communication courses at high schools, colleges, and universities worldwide.
In this episode we talk about:
- What "interpersonal synchrony" is and the science behind it
- Why some people just click — and others don't
- How individualism and technology are working against our need to connect
- What "affective presence" is –– and how much you can actually change your vibe
- Interoception – and why you need to understand your own body before you can read others
- The dark side of synchrony: emotional fusion and borrowed emotions
- Why audio-only calls are better than Zoom for real connection
- How physical distance controls your ability to sync
- "Emotional aperture" — how to read a room like a trial lawyer
- The secret to bonding with other people
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Additional Resources:
- Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
This episode is sponsored by:
Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinkspark.com.
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On short-circuiting anxiety, breaking thought loops, and learning how to talk to yourself.
In this live Q&A, Dan covers:
- Why action is the best antidote to AI anxiety — and what's actually in your control
- How to use your meditation practice inside an MRI (and when it's okay to just get sedated)
- Joseph Goldstein's "dead end" technique for breaking out of repetitive thought loops
- Why certainty is not an indicator of truth — and how open-mindedness works in a polarized world
- The Buddhist take on alcohol, and Dan's surprisingly candid answer about his own relationship with substances
- How to stop feeding the need for external approval — without toxic positivity
- Why mindfulness in Pali literally means "remembering" — and why you'll always need to hear this stuff again
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Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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Why you'll never find happiness where you're looking for it–and where to look instead.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why desire and wanting can keep us stuck in cycles of dissatisfaction
- The difference between momentary pleasure and deeper happiness
- A practical way to watch cravings arise and pass without reacting
- Why "not wanting" can feel surprisingly relieving
- The Buddhist framework of gratification, danger, and escape
- How to think about contentment and the question: how much is enough?
- The difference between guilt and wise remorse
- How desire, lust, and craving can distort judgment
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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Additional Resources:
- Dharma Seed - freely offered talks from Western Buddhist Vipassana teachers
This episode is sponsored by Function Health — 160+ lab tests a year for $365, with the ability to dive deeper into your results through Function's connections to platforms like ChatGPT and Claude. Join at https://www.functionhealth.com/happier or use code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
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Manage anxiety, rewire your inner critic, and never worry alone.
Emma Seppälä, PhD is a psychologist and research scientist from Yale, and the author of two books, The Happiness Track and Sovereign.
Ethan Kross, PhD is a professor at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Institute for Mental Fitness. He is the author of two books, Chatter and Shift.
In this episode we talk about:
- What emotions actually are, and why even anxiety and anger serve a purpose
- Why self-criticism backfires, and what the research shows about self-compassion instead
- How chronic suppression makes your emotions stronger, not weaker
- Regulation tools you can use in the moment to shift emotional states
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Additional Resources:
- Support Christina Feldman's Healing Journey
- Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
ButcherBox — Premium, responsibly sourced meat delivered to your door. New listeners get free sirloin tips, ground beef, or chicken wings in every box for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier
Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinkspark.com
The simple practice and surprising benefits of yoga nidra, a guided lying-down meditation. Plus: parts work, core beliefs, and the blind spot effect. This episode originally aired in December 2022.
Kelly Boys is a mindfulness trainer and coach. She has helped design and deliver mindfulness and resilience programs for the UN, Google, and San Quentin State Prison. She is also the author of The Blind Spot Effect: How to Stop Missing What's Right in Front of You.
Today we're going to talk specifically about a type of meditation that Kelly teaches called Yoga Nidra, which has been shown to help you sleep, improve your working memory, and decrease cravings.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between Yoga Nidra and mindfulness meditation, and how Kelly seeks to combine them
- The value of being able to both observe and high-five your demons
- Working with our "core beliefs" about ourselves and the world
- The calming power of drawing your attention to the back side of your body throughout the day
- Working with "opposites" as a way to get unstuck in difficult moments
- What Kelly means by the blind spot effect
- Setting intentions
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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Sara Mednick is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long "Mental Health Reboot" series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.
This episode is from our archives.
In this episode we talk about:
- The nuances of napping
- Dr. Mednick's definition of the "downstate"
- Whether there are practices that can compensate for poor sleep
- Why heart rate variability is an important measurement of health
- Why sex is so helpful for sleep
- And when to take melatonin to best effect
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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This episode is sponsored by:
Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Ten Percent Happier listeners get 20% off a Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier
Quo — The business communication system built so you never miss a call. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier
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Creatine, melatonin, peptides, protein powders, green powders, probiotics, multivitamins, and much more: A pharmaceutical scientist breaks down the evidence and busts the myths.
Dr. Mahtab Jafari is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine, and the Founding Director of the UC Irvine Center for Healthspan Sciences. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Truth About Dietary Supplements: An Evidence- Based Guide to a Safer Medicine Cabinet.
In this episode we talk about:
- Product quality, safety, and regulation
- The most important thing to do before starting dietary supplements
- Vitamins B, C, and D (and the multivitamin debate)
- The research on amino acids and peptides
- The truth behind sleep supplements
- The efficacy of herbs, botanicals, and green powders
- Heavy metal risk factors
- Supplements for brain health and muscle growth
- Probiotics and gut health
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp: Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/happier.
Fast Growing Trees: Get 20% off your first purchase when using the code HAPPIER at checkout, fastgrowingtrees.com. Warby Parker: Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off any additional prescription pairs at warbyparker.com/happier.
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Escaping the productivity trap, silencing the inner nihilist, and finding awe in the most ordinary places.
Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and theater actor. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why humans are hardwired to connect with nature
- What it means to "pay attention"
- The role of listening and investigation
- Antidotes to hopelessness
- How to overcome obstacles in your meditation practice
- Practical nature tips for city dwellers
- The liberating concept of "autotelic" activities
Related Episodes:
- This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is?
- The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System
- The Science Of Walking
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Additional Resources:
- Turning to Birds
- Turning to Birds on Substack
- A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by:
Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/HAPPIER.
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Manoush Zomorodi is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and host of NPR's "TED Radio Hour," where she explores fascinating ideas with the world's greatest thinkers. She is the author of a new book called BODY ELECTRIC: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being. You can also subscribe to her newsletter, Manoush Minutes.
In this episode we talk about:
- What constant screen time is doing to your brain and body
- Why feeling tired all the time might not be what you think
- A simple shift that could boost your energy and focus
- The hidden ways tech is messing with your physical health
- What you're missing when you ignore your body's signals
- Why more productivity hacks might actually backfire
- Small changes that could make a big difference in how you feel
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp: Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/happier.
Wix: Ready to create your website? Go to Wix.com/Harmony.
Fatty15: You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com/happier and using the code HAPPIER at checkout.
A Harvard professor on the nine evidence-based tools for acting decisively when fear and uncertainty are telling you to do nothing.
Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His pioneering work focuses on unlocking organizational and individual potential—embracing courage, nurturing purpose-driven leaders, driving growth, and transforming businesses. He is the author of Deep Purpose and How to be Bold.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between courage and recklessness
- How to accept your fears without being controlled by them
- Tools for remaining calm in the face of a disaster
- How to find your moral anchors
- The importance of having a support squad
- How to inculcate courage into your family, workplace, and friend group
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
This episode is sponsored by:
LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to LinkedIn.com/happier.
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Practical advice for handling anxiety, envy, and that feeling that you're a bad person. What happens when a deck of cards controls the conversation? On Wild Card, hosted by Rachel Martin, that's the whole idea — and when Dan sat down as a guest, the cards led somewhere genuinely interesting.
In this episode: why Dan keeps going on silent meditation retreats even though loneliness is the hardest part; what finally made him delete Instagram; the "good-ish" concept that unlocked a new relationship with self-criticism; and a deep dive into the Buddhist take on the soul — which turns out to be a lot more useful than it sounds.
Wild Card is produced by NPR.
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Most people hesitate before answering. This episode is about what to do with that hesitation.
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and has written more than 200 novels since 1976.
Patrick Leddin, PhD, is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The 5‑Week Leadership Challenge: 35 Action Steps to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why we're living in an "age of disruption"
- The five-step positive disruptor loop
- The one question to ask yourself when trying to identify your purpose
- And how disruption can improve your work, your relationships, and your family
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Additional Resources:
- Disrupt Everything—and Win: Take Control of Your Future
- Judge Stone: A Novel (with Viola Davis)
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
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Plus: How to increase vagal tone, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation.
Kevin J. Tracey, MD, is president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, a pioneer of vagus nerve research and author of the recent book, The Great Nerve: The New Science of the VagusNerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes.
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinksparkcom
Why forcing the breath backfires and how to use the four elements to get out of your head. Breath meditation sounds simple in theory. In practice, many meditators find that the moment they pay attention to their breathing, it starts to feel forced, shallow, or just plain weird. In this live session, Dan and Sebene Selassie dig into why that happens — and what to do about it.
They also answer subscriber questions on shame and how to work with it skillfully, the RAIN technique, breaking the cycle of rumination, and Sebene's beloved elements practice as a tool for embodiment. Plus: an unexpectedly lively digression on colonoscopy prep and the nature of being with discomfort.
If you want to go deeper with Dan and Sebene, check out their Audible Original, Even You Can Meditate, available now.
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Plus: Navigating the "dark night of the soul," the power of saying "no," and how to be more present.
Rosa Lewis is a mystic, awakening guide, artist and writer. She is the author of many books, most recently Unlocking the Depths of Being: Wholehearted Presence for a Mystical Reality. The last two meditations on this playlist are related to her book.
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:
Function Health — 160+ lab tests a year for $365. Check your health the way Dan does at https://www.functionhealth.com/happier — use code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit
Quo — The modern business phone system. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier
Samsara — AI-powered fleet safety and operations platform. Request a free demo at https://www.samsara.com/happier
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Using your senses to reduce overthinking, turn down the voice in your head, and get out of what these scientists call "the house of habit."
Dr. Zindel Segal is Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a cofounder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Professor Norman Farb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory. Together, they are the co-authors of Better In Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- How the brain's default mode network is essential to our survival but also can keep us stuck in rumination and overthinking
- Segal and Farb's simple practice of "sense foraging" and why they say it can help break patterns and thoughts that aren't serving us
- The differences and the similarities between sense foraging and mindfulness
Related Episodes:
- Depression and Anxiety: Your Old Enemies, Your Best Friends | Zindel Segal — Ten Percent Happier
- Gretchen Rubin on: How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships
- Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari — Ten Percent Happier
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How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes.
Maria Semple is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle.
In this episode we talk about:
- Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset
- Maria's daily Stoic routine
- The limits of Stoicism
- What to do when mediating gives you anxiety
- The danger of "baited bounties"
- How to "get shit done" with non-attachment
- Using fantasy as a coping mechanism
Related Episodes:
- Stoic Practices for Getting Rid of Mental Junk, Your Morning Routine, and Talking to the Dead | Ryan Holiday
- Stoic Advice for Handling Setbacks, Insults, and Death | William Irvine
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Additional Resources:
- William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by: Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier
ButcherBox — 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught seafood delivered to your door. New listeners get chicken breasts or top sirloin for a year, or ground beef for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier
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Plus: maximizing the benefits of sleep, exercise, and meditation.
To celebrate the show's 10th anniversary, we're producing episodes that share top 10 lists of practices, strategies and more from our favorite experts. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years. None of this would be possible without you.
Amishi Jha, PhD is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She is also the author of the bestselling book Peak Mind and the creator of the app Pushups for the Mind.
Wendy Suzuki, PhD is the Dean of New York University College of Arts & Science and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University. She is the author of the books Healthy Brain, Happy Life and Good Anxiety. In this episode:
- What neuroplasticity is, and why your brain is not fixed
- How exercise changes your brain, including mood, memory, and attention
- Reframing the burden of optimization
- The minimum effective dose for meditation to improve attention
- Why sleep is essential for memory, brain cleanup, and long-term brain health
- The myth of multitasking
- How anxiety can be used as a tool instead of just something to avoid
- How your daily habits are shaping the brain you'll have tomorrow
Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by: Gainbridge — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com Warby Parker — Prescription glasses, contacts, and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
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The way you talk to other people (and yourself) can reduce dysregulation and distraction--and lead to better decisions.
Maryellen MacDonald is the Donald P. Hayes Professor (emerit) of Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Wisconsin−Madison. She is a cognitive scientist with a focus on psycholinguistics, the study of how we comprehend, produce, and learn languages. Her latest book is More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World.
In this episode we talk about:
- The hidden benefits of talking, including self-talk and writing
- How talking helps focus attention and clarify your thinking
- Why talking can help regulate emotions and improve decision-making
- Why talking is actually harder than listening
- Why we shouldn't rush to finish other people's sentences
- How deliberate talking can help protect against dementia
- Why understanding something doesn't necessarily mean you've learned it
- How talking about new information helps your brain remember it
- Why explaining things to other people deepens your own learning
- Why kids need chances to talk and not just watch screens
- Why you shouldn't judge people by how they talk
Related Episodes:
- The Science Of Journaling: How Writing Reduces Overthinking, Rumination, And Anxiety | Dr. James Pennebaker (Co-Interviewed By Dr. Bianca Harris)
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
What does it actually mean to "trust life" — especially when life is handing you something genuinely hard? In this Meditation Party episode (originally aired in 2024), Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren dig into that question from multiple angles: as a personal mantra, a philosophical stance, and a daily practice. Plus: listener questions on rumination, work-life balance, and the eternal napping-vs.-meditating debate.
- "Trust Life" vs. "This Is the Curriculum" — Sebene shares the origin of her tattoo and what the mantra has meant through years of health challenges.
- The three timescales of practice — Jeff breaks down how meditation works in the moment, over months and years, and across the arc of a whole life. The third one is where things get interesting.
- Obsessive thinking / rumination — Practical tools from all three, including one from Sebene involving a trampoline, and one from a clinical psychologist that will make you feel ridiculous in the best way.
Sebene Selassie describes herself as a "writer, teacher, and immigrant-weirdo." She teaches meditation on the ten percent happier app and is the author of a great book called You Belong. She's based in Brooklyn.
Jeff Warren is also a writer and a meditation teacher. He and Dan co-wrote the book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. He also hosts the Consciousness Explorers podcast. He's based in Toronto.
Related episodes: How to Stay Calm No Matter What's Happening | Sebene Selassie and Jeff WarrenScience-Based Tools for When You're Stressed, Obsessed, or Overthinking | Dr. Jenny Taitz
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Strategies for getting out of your head and thriving in a chaotic world.
Prentis Hemphill is a writer, political organizer, therapist and somatic facilitator. They are the author of the national bestseller What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World, and host of the acclaimed podcasts Finding Our Way and Becoming the People. Prentis is also the Co-founder of The Embodiment Institute (TEI), a training and research organization that applies somatic practices to individual, organizational and collective care through a healing justice framework.
In this episode we talk about:
- What embodiment really means
- How our bodies may be communicating more information to our brains than we realize
- Practices to feel more at home in your body and regulate your nervous system
- The "head, heart, gut" way of listening to different kinds of intelligence
- Why so many of us are pulled out of our center in modern life
- Micro-interdependence
- Simple, everyday ways to humanize one another in an era of mass vilification
- How cultural pressures contribute to anxiety and burnout
- How to set boundaries
- Identifying what you truly care about
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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This episode is sponsored by:
Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier
Fatty 15 — The first essential fatty acid discovered in over 90 years, designed to support healthy aging at the cellular level. Get 15% off a 90-day starter kit at https://www.fatty15.com/happier with code HAPPIER
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Practical tools to break "automatic habits" and take back your agency.
Gabor Maté is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver's Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of five books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness.
In this episode we talk about:
- Practical strategies for dealing with both our addictive tendencies and scattered minds
- The real question to ask yourself when it comes to addiction
- Maté's relationship with ADHD
- The relationship between ADHD and addiction
- Tools for conscious harm reduction
- The practice of "Compassionate Curiosity"
- "Re-parenting" practices for your nervous system
- And more
Related Episodes:
- Modern Life Is Making You Sick, but It Doesn't Have To
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Additional Resources:
- Rethinking ADHD
- The Myth of Normal
- Scattered Minds
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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Buddhist tools for forgiveness, boredom, worry, and getting out of your head.
Meditation teacher Bart van Melik leads a live community Q&A — and the questions that come in are ones most meditators have quietly wrestled with for years.
Bart is the guiding teacher at Community Meditation Center in New York, where he leads weekly sessions grounded in Buddhist tradition. In this episode, he takes on four of the most common sticking points in practice: forgiveness, boredom, disconnection from the body, and the spiral of anxious "what if" thinking.
His approach throughout is warm, precise, and grounded — less about achieving a particular state and more about learning to hold whatever arises with curiosity and kindness.
Topics covered:
- Forgiveness — why forcing it can backfire, what it means to "bypass" difficult emotions, and the reframe that changes everything: forgiveness as giving up all hope for a better past
- Boredom — how to get genuinely curious about it instead of fighting it, and what it can teach you about why you reach for your phone
- Getting into your body — why embodiment looks different for everyone, and how to find the activities (yes, even mindful salsa dancing or vacuuming) that make it easier
- Worry and "what if" thoughts — the Buddhist framing of worry as an obstacle to clear seeing, and a simple breathwork technique from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche — exhale heavy, exhale calm — that works even in the hardest moments
- Community as practice — the Buddha's teaching that friendship and community isn't half the path. It's the whole thing.
About Bart van Melik: Bart van Melik is a meditation teacher and guiding teacher at Community Meditation Center, a global and local community that meets weekly via Zoom. Monthly sessions are donation-based and open to all. Learn more at https://www.cmc-ny.org/.
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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Six steps to reclaim your brain, find purpose, and escape the doom loop.
Arthur Brooks is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. Brooks is the author of 15 books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers, Build the Life You Want, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, and From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. His latest book is The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The three essential components of a meaningful life
- Getting comfortable with boredom
- Why we need to be asking questions that google can't answer
- The neuroscience behind "authentic love"
- Strategies for finding meaning in your work
- What Arthur means when he says "don't waste your suffering"
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Additional Resources:
- Office Hours with Arthur Brooks
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:
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Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson — A podcast exploring ADHD, neurodivergence, and mental health through conversations with scientists, doctors, and researchers. Search for Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Dalai Lama's longtime collaborator on achieving fundamental okayness, transforming daily annoyances, and rewiring your brain.
Richard J. Davidson, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also the Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds and Founder of the non-profit Humin.
Cortland Dahl, PhD, is a scientist, author, translator, and meditation teacher for the Tergar community.
Davidson and Dahl's latest book is Born to Flourish. They also author the Substack newsletter, Dharma Lab.
In this episode we talk about:
- What it really means to flourish
- How difficult emotions like anxiety, fear, or grief can coexist with well-being
- Why flourishing is a trainable skill set, not a personality trait or a self-improvement project
- An introduction to the Healthy Minds Framework and its four pillars: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose
- Why short, informal "micro-practices" can be just as effective as formal meditation
- How to cultivate purpose
Related Episodes:
- How a Buddhist Monk Deals With Anxiety | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
- The View of American Turmoil from the Other Side of the World | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:
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What if the most meaningful thing you did for your mental health wasn't something new — but a return to what already brings you joy?
Dan recently sat down with journalist and broadcaster Sam Sanders on the Sam Sanders Show to explore exactly that idea. Sam has a concept he calls "modern scriptures": the movies, albums, and TV shows you return to again and again because they ground you, center you, and remind you what matters. Dan shares the pop culture that never fails to lift his spirits — and along the way, the two get into why beauty and art are actually central to human flourishing, why Ferris Bueller is more Buddhist than you might think, and what the research says about making resolutions stick — including the one upstream habit that makes everything else easier.
The Sam Sanders Show is a co-production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions. Sign up for Sam's newsletter for behind-the-scenes extras from every episode.
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
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Plus, how the bestselling author writes his way out of despair.
John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of books including Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. With his brother, Hank, John has co-created many online video projects, including Vlogbrothers and the educational channel Crash Course. His most recent book is Everything Is Tuberculosis.
In this episode we talk about:
- John's toolkit for managing thought spirals and dispair
- Why he wrote a whole book about the thing that terrifies him
- How he maintains hope in a chaotic and unfair world
- Finding the "self"
- Shame reduction through naming
- What John learned from his time as a chaplain in a pediatric hospital
- His current view of God
- And the question of how much––or how little––we should be sharing about ourselves with other people
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:
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Practical strategies for navigating difficult relationships and building new connections.
Shankar Vedantam is host of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show, where he explores the hidden patterns that drive human behavior. He is the author of the books, The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Wage Wars, Control Markets and Save Our Lives, and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self- Deceiving Brain.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to stop trying to change your partner
- Useful tools for overcoming conflict
- The challenging practice of "eating the blame"
- The concept of "useful delusions"
- How to manage a breakup (of any kind)
- The real secret to finding closure
- The value of micro interactions with strangers
- And more
Related Episodes:
- The Surprising Upsides of Self-Deception
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Additional Resources:
- Shankar's TED Talks
- Hidden Brain Live Tour
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Let go of your thoughts, stop getting caught in your stories, and try the ancient practice of walking meditation. Walking meditation is one of the most practical and underrated tools in mindfulness — and in this episode, Dan shares a guided practice from his new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate (co-authored with Sebene Selassie), out now on Audible.
The practice is led by Sebene herself. The premise is simple: walk slowly and deliberately, pay attention to the sensations of each step, and when your mind wanders — just start again. It bridges the gap between formal sitting practice and everyday life, and it's a genuine game-changer for fidgeters, restless types, and anyone who finds stillness unbearable.
In this guided practice, Sebene leads you through:
- Grounding yourself before you take your first step
- Tuning into the physical sensations of lifting, moving, and placing each foot
- Expanding awareness to include your whole body and your surroundings
- Letting thoughts come and go — without getting caught in them
- Closing with a moment of gratitude for your body and this moment of awareness
The Even You Can Meditate (audiobook) by Dan Harris and Sebene Selassie is available now at audible.com/danharris. And mark your calendar for the Even You Can Meditate 5-Day Challenge — running March 23–27 on the 10% with Dan Harris app. Each day features a different guided practice, plus two live online events with Dan and Sebene. Download the app at danharris.com
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Plus, staying sane in a crazy world, giving tough feedback, and how to orient to the dumpster fire of the news.
Ajahn Kovilo Bhikkhu and Ajahn Nisabho are North American-born, Theravada monks who founded Clear Mountain Monastery in Seattle, Washington.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to get stuff off your chest
- How to live with less shame and regret
- How to give feedback without pissing people off too much
- How to accept feedback without getting pissed off or getting defensive
- How to stay sane in a crazy news cycle
- Why being miserable about the state of the world doesn't actually help anything
- How to cultivate the opposite of depression
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Yale emotional intelligence expert on how to deal with other people's emotions (and your own).
Marc Brackett, Ph.D. is the author of Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want and the bestselling Permission to Feel. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. You can watch Marc's podcast interviews here.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to deal with stress, anxiety and anger
- How to use gratitude in moments of compare and despair, like when you're on Instagram comparing yourself to other people's lives
- How to talk to yourself in moments of high stress
- How to talk to other people when they're experiencing powerful emotions themselves
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What Anderson learned from losing everyone he loved, what we owe our parents, and how grief shapes all of us--a conversation from the podcast "IMO."
On IMO, siblings Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson aim to bring you candid perspectives on the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they're joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering practical advice, personal storytelling, and plenty of laughs. In this episode, Anderson Cooper shares what he's learned about holding space for grief. The three talk about how they managed (or avoided) the grieving process and how their moms prepared their kids to live without them. Plus Anderson shares his thoughts on the Vanderbilts inspiring an episode of "The Gilded Age."
You can hear more episodes of IMO at https://lnk.to/imomichellecraigTH
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Practical Buddhist strategies to focus the mind.
Shaila Catherine is a dharma teacher and author of the book titled "Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind." She authored two additional books on the concentration practices called jhana and approaches to insight meditation. She has practiced for more than 45 years, including nine years, cumulatively, of silent retreat. Shaila has been leading meditation retreats for 30 years, and has developed an array of in-depth online courses offered through BodhiCourses.org.
In this episode we talk about:
- The Buddha's struggles with distraction
- Shaila's attempts to make the teachings of the Buddha accessible to contemporary minds
- The importance of getting to know your own thought patterns
- the counterintuitive strategy of "avoid it, ignore it, forget it,"
- Replacing seduction with mindfulness
- Developing a flexibility of mind
- And why we're vulnerable to our own tendencies when we're not mindful
This episode originally aired June 29th, 2022.
Related Episodes:
- How to Focus | Shaila Catherine
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Additional Resources:
- Shaila's upcoming course: Beyond Distraction
- Shaila's books
- Insight Meditation South Bay
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Plus: How to "turn down the volume" on suffering, how to reframe your problems, and the clinical evidence for "stopping and smelling the roses."
Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW is Endowed Professor in Health Sciences at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Addiction Science and Treatment at University of California San Diego (UCSD), and Director of UCSD ONEMIND (Optimized Neuroscience-Enhanced Mindfulness Intervention Design). Dr. Garland researches treatments for addiction and chronic pain, and is the developer of an innovative, mind-body therapy founded on insights derived from cognitive, affective, and neurobiological science, called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE).
In this episode we talk about:
- The three parts of his MORE protocol
- Simple practices for dealing with everyday addictions
- Mindfulness techniques for dealing with pain
- What pain actually is
- How to reframe negative thought patterns
- Practical tools for regaining a sense of joy in your life
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- moretherapy.com
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: An Evidence-Based Treatment for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Addiction, Stress, and Pain
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Plus: How to find practices that work for you, what "mindfulness" actually means, and a new audiobook out now.
Sebene Selassie has been meditating for decades, survived cancer three times, and still says the practice isn't a magic bullet. That honesty is kind of the point.
Today we're sharing a sneak preview of Dan's new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate, co-authored with Sebene. Think of it as a practical rescue plan for anyone who feels too distracted, overwhelmed, or skeptical to start (or restart) a meditation practice.
In this preview, Dan and Seb cover:
- Why "mindfulness" is actually a bit of a misnomer — and what the practice is really about
- What meditation can and can't do for you (it won't solve everything, but the benefits tend to kick in faster than you'd expect)
- How to find the style that works for your specific brain, body, and life — including if sitting still feels impossible
- The role of intention, and why getting clear on your "why" can become a surprisingly powerful engine for keeping a practice going
- The five hindrances — the predictable challenges that come up for almost every meditator — and how to work with them instead of against them
Even You Can Meditate is out now on Audible. Listen now at audible.com/danharris.
And mark your calendar: Dan and Seb are running a free five-day meditation challenge March 23–27 on Dan's app, 10% with Dan Harris. Download the app at app.danharris.com.
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The comedian on: connecting instead of separating, feeling whole, and the upside of being an affirmation addict.
Pete Holmes is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. He created and starred in HBO's Crashing and hosted The Pete Holmes Show on TBS. He has released stand-up specials on HBO, Netflix, and Comedy Central, hosts the popular You Made It Weird podcast, and is the author of Comedy Sex God.
This episode is a live conversation recorded in NYC as part of a benefit for the amazing organization New York Insight Meditation Center.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Pete Holmes's evangelical upbringing shaped his early ideas about fear, morality, and God
- Psychedelics, awareness, identity and consciousness
- Mysticism and metaphor versus literal belief
- Meditation and different paths of practice
- What meditation reveals about awareness, forgetting, and remembering
- Being an affirmation addict
- Service and helping others
- Happiness versus peace of mind
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The brain benefits of self-disclosure, the costs of staying silent, and how to know what to reveal and when.
Leslie John is the James E. Burke Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. Her new book is called Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why self-disclosure can feel risky but is often socially rewarding
- The psychological and physiological costs of keeping secrets
- How putting feelings into words can reduce rumination and anxiety
- Why validation is often more helpful than advice
- Why undersharing leads to missed opportunities in relationships, work, and life
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If you struggle with the terrifying reality that everything changes, this conversation is for you.
Bart van Melik is a meditation teacher, psychotherapist, and our Teacher of the Month for January. In this live session recorded on Zoom with subscribers to the 10% with Dan Harris app, Bart and Dan explore one of Bart's favorite teachings: "Keep calmly knowing change"—four words that supposedly distill all 84,000 of the Buddha's teachings.
We talk about:
- Why attuning to the flow of things brings peace (even though change is terrifying)—and what the Buddha said on his deathbed about impermanence
- How to introduce meditation to kids without making it seem difficult or boring
- The three dimensions of mindfulness: internal (your own mind), external (noticing other people's breath on the subway), and relational (the field we're all co-creating together)
- Whether connecting through venting and complaining is harmless or something to examine more closely
- "Useless speech" (sampappalāpa)—the Pali term for saying stuff that doesn't really matter, and why the urge is often just "look at me"
- Why Bart is still on this path after all these years: community
Bart closes with a beautiful dedication about coming home to the body and appreciating that we show up in community.
These live sessions happen every week in the app 10% with Dan Harris, where you can meditate with Dan and guest teachers and ask questions in real time. Get the app at danharris.com—there's a free 14-day trial.
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Plus, making the mundane sacred, meditating in a cave, and lowering the ego walls.
Michael Pollan is the author of ten books, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. His latest book is A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to get over yourself
- How to reduce rumination
- How to lower the ego's walls
- How to elevate mundane tasks
- The value of what Zen practitioners call "don't know mind"
- How to reclaim your attention from Big Tech (what Michael calls the "colonizers of consciousness")
- The value of MDMA-assisted therapy
- Michael's experiences meditating in a cave
Related Episodes:
- Don't Let This Crisis Go To Waste | Roshi Joan Halifax
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A financial psychology expert on the science of contentment.
Morgan Housel is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same As Ever. He's a partner at The Collaborative Fund, serves on the board of directors at Markel and is host of The Morgan Housel Podcast. His new book is The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- What "irrational" spending habits really tell us
- How to manage money ambition with sanity
- How to use scarcity to your advantage
- A useful equation for finding contentment
- The key defense against envy
- How to minimize future regret
- Why young people should check their bank accounts more often
- How to talk to your kids about money
- How to disconnect self-worth from financial worth
- And more
Related Episodes:
- The Psychology of Money | Morgan Housel
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How do you stay engaged without getting consumed? That's one of the central questions in this conversation between Dan and high-performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais.
Together they explore:
- working at your edge in meditation, panic disorder, and professional life
- why love might be the most important skill we can develop
- navigating rage in difficult political times
- and the Ideal Competitive Mindset — a concept Dan found surprisingly useful.
Originally recorded for Dr. Gervais' podcast, Finding Mastery, this one turned into a real back-and-forth.
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In this episode, Dan takes live questions from subscribers to the 10% with Dan Harris app. Topics include: meditating through grief and serious emotional pain, the hidden addiction to feeling calm during meditation, how to find focus and concentration without straining so hard you get a headache, whether guided meditations are just "training wheels," and how to practice when ADHD or restlessness makes sitting still feel impossible.
Throughout, Dan returns to a central theme: the point of meditation isn't to feel any particular way — it's to relate differently to whatever is already there. To join the live Tuesday sessions, sign up for a free 14-day trial at danharris.com.
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The two practices that helped turn this self described scowling, sarcastic skeptic into an expert meditator.
Devin Berry is a Core Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society and a residential retreat teacher at IMS and Spirit Rock. A meditator since 1999, his practice is rooted in long-term retreat practice and the mettā and vipassanā teachings of the Insight Meditation tradition.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why mindfulness alone is not enough
- How mettā is part of four related mental skills called the Brahma Viharas
- The story of how and why the Buddha (according to the legend) invented mettā practice
- The role and practice of generosity
- A year long experiment that Devin ran in mettā and danā
- And lastly, how these practices can help us both on and off the cushion
This episode originally aired on July 31st, 2024.
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What it really means to feel loved, and why many people who are loved don't feel it.
Sonja Lyubomirsky is a preeminent happiness expert and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California. Harry Reis is one of the world's leading experts on relationships and Dean's Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester. They are the authors of: HOW TO FEEL LOVED: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most.
In this episode we talk about:
- What it really means to feel loved, and why many people who are loved don't feel it
- An antidote to loneliness
- A broader definition of love beyond romance
- Why feeling loved may be the true key to happiness
- How feeling loved is more in your control than you think
- The "relationship seesaw": lifting others up to feel loved yourself
- The power of curiosity, listening, and reciprocity
- Why dropping emotional armor is necessary for real connection
- Practical tools for feeling more loved
- Tips on asking better questions and showing real enthusiasm
- Why genuine curiosity, reciprocity, and emotional pacing deepen connection more than performative listening
Related Episodes:
- Happiness Takes Work | Sonja Lyubomirsky
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A conversation with meditation teacher Jay Michaelson about what to do when you're constantly tired, fried, and running on empty.
If you feel exhausted seemingly all the time—whether it's a low hum or something louder—you're not alone. In this conversation, Jay Michaelson, our Teacher of the Month for February, talks with executive producer DJ Cashmere about the relentless fatigue so many of us are experiencing, and what actually helps.
We talk about:
- Why your first move should be self-compassion (not self-blame)—especially in a culture obsessed with sleep optimization
- The important oscillation between being with difficulty versus reaching for an antidote
- HALT: the acronym that can save you (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)
- How to investigate exhaustion without trying to fix it right away
- Practical antidotes: screen hygiene, micro-naps, and yes, brain machines
- How our Stone Age brains are being hijacked by tech companies
- Why nap shame is "pure garbage" and you should kiss it goodbye
- The social conditions causing exhaustion that are beyond individual control
The through-line: this isn't about becoming superhuman or gritting your teeth through exhaustion. It's about relating to it differently, being kinder to yourself, and using whatever tools actually work—even if they feel unconventional.
Jay's guided meditations and live AMA sessions are available throughout February in the 10% with Dan Harris app. Find more from Jay at jaymichaelson.substack.com.
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A live Q&A session with meditation teacher Jeff Warren, where Dan and Jeff tackle some of the hardest questions in meditation and life.
Jeff Warren is a meditation teacher, author, and co-founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club. In this live session recorded on Zoom with subscribers to the 10% with Dan Harris app, Jeff and Dan take questions about insomnia, chronic pain, caring for aging parents, existential fears for loved ones, and what to do when your meditation practice feels stuck.
We talk about:
- How to get equanimity around existential fears for your kids (which Jeff calls "the single hardest thing in human life")
- Why acceptance is a terrible word and equanimity is better
- The difference between doomsday spirals and what's actually happening right now
- Practical strategies for insomnia and chronic pain (including why your goal shouldn't be eight hours of unconscious sleep)
- What to do when you feel stuck in your meditation practice (hint: the plateau is normal)
- Three strategies for turning down the volume on your constant mental narrator
Jeff also introduces the practice of asking your meditation a question—literally seeding a question in your mind during practice and seeing what bubbles up. It's surprisingly effective for creative blocks and getting unstuck.
These live sessions happen every week in the 10% with Dan Harris app, where you can meditate with Dan and guest teachers and ask questions in real time. Get the app at danharris.com — there's a free 14-day trial.
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How to become the wisest version of yourself.
Ryan Holiday is one of the world's bestselling living philosophers. His books, including The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key and his #1 New York Times bestselling series on the Stoic Virtues, appear in more than forty languages and have sold over 10 million copies.
In this episode we talk about:
- The value of asking pertinent questions
- How to create a second brain
- Finding a teacher for yourself
- How not to be a know it all
- Achieving focus through a morning routine
- How to seek out criticism
- Learning how to die
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Ancient Strategies For Managing Stress And Anxiety
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Additional Resources:
- Wisdom Takes Work
- The Stoic Virtue Series
- The Daily Stoic
- Dailystoic.com
- Glorious Exploits
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Our bodies are brilliant at healing. An integrative doctor on how to tap that resource.
Victoria Maizes, MD, is the founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Her new book is Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body's Rapid Recovery Reflex to Feel Better—Quicker.
In this episode we talk about:
- What integrative medicine is (and isn't)
- How lifestyle, stress, sleep, and relationships factor into healing
- Why "a pill for every ill" often falls short
- What the Rapid Recovery Reflex is and why the body wants to heal
- The biggest things that block recovery in modern life
- Practical ways to improve our health, ranging from sleep to stress
- Why patients have more power than they think
- How AI can help people ask better questions and work smarter with doctors
- Why what and when you eat matters
- How environmental toxins and social connection quietly shape our health more than we realize
- Tips for handling colds and flu more effectively
- Smarter ways to recover from pain and injuries
- Practical tools for reducing stress and anxiety without immediately turning to medication
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A guided loving-kindness meditation from Jay Michaelson that ditches the phrases and uses visualization instead.
If you've done traditional metta (loving-kindness) practice before, you know it involves bringing people to mind and repeating phrases like "May you be happy, may you be healthy." It's a great practice. But sometimes the words can get you stuck in your head—thinking about what would actually make this person happy, or getting into stories about their suffering.
This version takes away the verbal element. Instead, you work with a visualization: imagining a warm, golden light in your heart center that you can extend outward.
Fair warning: this involves imagination. If that makes you roll your eyes, that's fine. But as the Beatles said, "The love you take is equal to the love you make." It's worth a try.
Jay Michaelson is our Teacher of the Month for February. Find more guided meditations and live sessions with Jay throughout the month in the 10% with Dan Harris app.
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Life hacks life from one of the busiest journalists of our time.
Andrew Ross Sorkin is an award-winning journalist for The New York Times, a co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box, and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, an online daily financial report published by The New York Times. His latest book is 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation.
In this episode we talk about:
- The motivation behind his new book
- Human nature –– and why FOMO might be a good thing
- Personal finance hygiene
- The true antidote to irrational financial decisions
- How to cope with financial stress
- Practical tools to stop mental spiraling
- The "Would It Help?" mantra
- The role of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in Andrew's life
- Productivity hacks and life routines
- Calendar blocking vs. to-do lists
- How much you should ––or shouldn't–– share or disclose about yourself with other people
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Too Big to Fail
- DealBook Summit
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Practical advice from a straight-talking former criminal and occasionally profane Dharma teacher.
Vinny Ferarro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He's the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades.
As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher through Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at various centers and currently leads Spirit Rock's Year to Live course.
This episode originally dropped in May of 2024, but we're re-posting it because it was one of our most successful episodes.
In this episode we talk about:
- Alignment
- Vinny's concept of "flashing your basic goodness"
- Noting practice
- The deep satisfaction in not seeking satisfaction
- Redirecting awareness
- Being an "empathetic witness" for yourself
- When to opt for distraction
- Not taking what's not yours
- Vinny's ancestor practice
- What is the connection between seeing our family patterns and not taking what is not ours?
- How loyal have we been to our suffering?
Related Episodes:
- How To Be Okay No Matter What | Kamala Masters
- Vitamin E: How To Cultivate Equanimity Amidst Political Chaos | Roshi Joan Halifax
- Non-Preachy Ethics | Jozen Tamori Gibson
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A smarter way to think about disease prevention.
Dr. Tara Narula is a board-certified cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and Chief Medical Correspondent for ABC News. Her new book is The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being.
In this episode we talk about:
- What resilience really is, why most of us already have it, and how it can be strengthened
- The overlooked link between mental health, physical health, and recovery from illness
- Why mindset and acceptance matter as much as medical treatment when facing health challenges
- How resilience applies to major life changes, trauma, and chronic disease.
- Practical psychological tools for working with anxiety, fear, and repetitive thought patterns
- Why flexible thinking matters
- How to adapt when life doesn't go according to plan
- How beliefs, mindset, and the mind–body connection shape stress, healing, and resilience
- Why movement, sleep, and facing fear are essential ingredients in building real resilience
- How reframing identity can help people move forward after illness, trauma, or loss
- Why connection, love, and small acts of kindness are powerful and underused medicine
- How hope, faith, and purpose shape resilience, healing, and long-term health
Related Episodes:
- Dan's top 10 takeaways from the science of behavior change: How To Actually Keep Your New Year's Resolutions | Dan Solo Episode
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A conversation with Jay Michaelson, our Teacher of the Month for February, about his path to meditation, navigating multiple identities, and why he calls himself a "cynical, sarcastic bitch."
Jay Michaelson is a meditation teacher, journalist, rabbi, and author. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, Jay gets candid about his unconventional path into meditation—driven initially by greed for mystical experiences rather than a desire to reduce suffering—and how his practice has evolved over 25 years.
We talk about:
- Why Jay identifies as a "greed type" in Buddhist psychology (and what that means)
- How to balance worldly activism with contemplative practice without getting "hollowed out"
- The concept of creating a "permission structure" to live the life you actually want
- That moment of spaciousness between stimulus and response (and how it saved Jay when he got heckled during LGBTQ activism)
- Whether meditation can help save humanity—and why Jay is both cynical and hopeful about this
- How neurotic Jay still is after 25 years of practice (spoiler: he's less reactive, but still neurotic)
- "Micro-moments" of awareness—five-second practices for people who can't go on long retreats
Jay's guided meditations and live sangha sessions are available throughout February in the 10% Happier app. You can also find him at jaymichaelson.substack.com, where he writes Both/And, a newsletter about the intersection of spirituality, meditation, and politics.
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A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality.
George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial.
In this conversation, Dan and George talk about:
- Why George keeps writing about ghosts and the afterlife (hint: it's not just about mortality dread)
- The lavish empathy at the heart of Vigil—and whether we should extend that empathy even to people doing civilizational damage
- What George calls "warm metacognition"—the practice of dropping back out of your thought loops to examine what kind of goggles you're wearing
- How fiction can turn your mind into a "reconsideration machine" (and why that matters in real life)
- The difference between kindness and niceness
- George's relationship with death anxiety, which he's had since childhood and which has only intensified with age
- What George has learned about listening from teaching and hosting his Substack, Story Club
- Why the older he gets, the more important it is to stretch himself creatively
- His advice for dealing with stuckness (in writing and in life): curiosity over self-accusation
George's new novel Vigil is out January 27th from Random House. Check out his Substack, Story Club, where he discusses classic short stories with an incredibly thoughtful community.
Related Episodes:
- George Saunders on "Holy Befuddlement" and How to Be Less of a "Turd"
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Practical techniques for dealing with all of life's curveballs.
Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, previously named "Best Show of the Year" by Apple. She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House and was also appointed as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. She is the author of The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans.
In this episode we talk about:
- The two major life events that caused her to study the topic of change
- How to build a more expansive sense of self
- Practical tools for navigating change
- Cognitive biases such as "the end of history illusion"
- The utility of distraction and denial
- Tools for getting unstuck from rumination
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- The Science of Handling Uncertainty | Maya Shankar
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How to have fewer regrets (and utilize the ones you already have).
Daniel Pink is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timing to a graphic novel career guide. His books include the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind, and When—as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human.
In this episode we talk about:
- The myth of the "no regrets" philosophy
- What a regret actually is
- The very real benefits of regret
- The four core regrets people tend to have
- Tools for dealing with regrets
- The importance of talking or writing about your regrets
- How to create a "failure resume"
- The Regret Optimization Framework
- The crucial role of self-compassion and self-distancing
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- 'When' Can Make a Big Difference
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Additional Resources:
- Daniel's books
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A conversation with self-described "worry warrior" Bart van Melik about working skillfully with everyday anxiety.
Bart is a guiding teacher at the Community Meditation Center in New York and our Teacher of the Month for January. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, he gets refreshingly honest about his own tendency to worry — and shares a bunch of practical tools for when your mind won't stop spinning through worst-case scenarios.
We talk about:
- Why mindful breathing sometimes doesn't work (and what to do instead)
- The practice phrase "this wants to be seen right now"
- How to work with your aversion to worrying (which can be worse than the worry itself)
- Why talking about your fears with other people is so crucial
- The question "what is this?" as a low-barrier entry point to awareness
- How the Buddha's teaching on clinging shows up in anxious thinking
- Why community and sangha aren't optional extras
If you want more from Bart, check out the 10% with Dan Harris app where he's got meditations and live sessions throughout January.
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Secrets to self-preservation in an age of burnout.
Tim Ferris is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans. He's also the host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast. Most recently, he has collaborated with Exploding Kittens to create COYOTE, a fast and hilarious card game.
In this episode we talk about:
- Tim's Antidotes to isolation
- Past-year reviews
- The perils of self-optimization
- His meditation practice
- Escaping rumitive loops
- The role of Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- The ketogenic diet
- Talking to chatbots about your health
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- The New Frontiers of Mental Health — Brain Stimulation, Rapid-Acting Tools for Depression, and More
- All Things Ketones, How to Boost Cognition, Sardine Fasting, Diet Rules, & More — Dr. Dom D'Agostino
- TED: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals
- Tim Ferriss, Host of 'The Tim Ferriss Show,' Author
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A road map for taking the pressure off.
Claudia Hammond is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. She is Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex and is the presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind. Her latest book is Overwhelmed: Ways to Take the Pressure Off.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to define "overwhelm" – and modern causes for its existence
- Why the search for perfection is futile
- Claudia's three-part recipe for handling overwhelm
- Antidotes for the comparing mind
- What we should all know about procrastination
- How to not let the news overwhelm you
- What we learn from regret – and how to stop beating up on your past self
- A key technique for worrying less
- The case for nostalgia
- How to get into a "flow state"
Related Episodes:
- If You Want To Be More Productive, You Need More Rest. Here's How To Get It. | Claudia Hammond
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Additional Resources:
- The Art of Rest: How to Find Respite in the Modern Age
- The Keys to Kindness
- Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception
- Mind over Money: The Psychology of Money and How to Use It Better
- Emotional Rollercoaster: A Journey Through the Science of Feelings
- Claudia's BBC Podcasts
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What does success look like? A neuroscientist wants you to question your cognitive scripts.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff conducts research into the neuroscience of learning and curiosity at King's College London, and also runs Ness Labs. She is the author of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.
In this episode we talk about:
- Her critique on our cultural obsession with "finding your purpose"
- The value of knowing your "cognitive scripts"
- Practical tools to live a more purposeful, curious, and fulfilled life
- Her mini-protocol for experimentation (based on the scientific method)
- Mindful productivity — and how it builds on moving us into an experimental mindset
- Whether procrastination is actually the enemy? And tools to work with it.
- The upside of making space for your imperfections
- Tips for navigating uncertainty
- Why you want to avoid having too many experiments at the same time
- The main difference between a habit and an experiment
- How to learn alongside with other people — and why this matters
- Collective "flow" states
- Tips for community building
- And this question: is legacy important?
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A short, gentle body scan meditation from Bart van Melik, our Teacher of the Month for January.
This isn't about fixing anything or achieving some special state. It's about finding one small place in your body that feels okay—not great, just okay—and seeing what happens when you meet that experience with a little bit of kindness.
Bart is a meditation teacher and psychotherapist who has trained in Insight Meditation and Buddhist psychology. He's worked extensively in clinical settings with people dealing with stress, anxiety, and harsh self-talk. He's the guiding teacher for the Community Meditation Center in New York City.
Check out more meditations from Bart throughout January in the 10% with Dan Harris app.
Related episodes: Buddhist Strategies for Protecting Yourself from Everyday Chaos | Bart van Melik
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Plus, much more from the famed late-night TV show host.
Seth Meyers is the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Before that, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for 13 seasons. In recent years he has released two standup specials: Lobby Baby, on Netflix and Dad Man Walking, on HBO. He wrote a children's book called, I'm Not Scared, You're Scared. And he co-hosts two podcasts, Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers and The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Seth maintains sanity while hosting a late-night show amid the firehose of news
- Joy and humor as resilience
- His early struggles with self-doubt
- How raising children is potentially harder than hosting a late night TV show
- The upside of anxiety
- The art of listening
- Friendship, loyalty, and the emotional sustenance of creative partnerships.
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A deep dive on Ayurveda, a sophisticated system for health that's been refined over millennia.
Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya is a renowned NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Doctor, the bestselling author of Your Body Already Knows (2025), and international speaker/educator known for her modern approach to women's health and longevity.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Ayurveda actually is beyond TikTok trends
- How ancient Ayurvedic principles align with (and differ from) modern medicine
- How to brace yourself in the face of an imbalanced ecosystem
- The human tragedy of overoptimization
- The value of awe, fascination, and pattern-seeing as more effective than discipline or force
- The three codes of life
- The framework to come back into our own intelligence in the kindest way
- How modern life (especially electricity) disrupted our biological rhythm and created chronic imbalance
- The concept of balance and the Buddhist middle path as echoed in Ayurvedic texts
- The "inner climate" framework
- Practical tools for sleep, including concrete daily practices to offset "imbalances"
- The concept of agni (digestive fire) and how to support it
- A three tiered toolkit for self-regulation
- The perils of jumping into change
- Why cold drinks and excessive water can disrupt digestion
- Radical acceptance and gratitude
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A toolkit for bringing more movement into your life.
Katy Bowman is a biomechanist who runs a movement education company, called Nutritious Movement. She's the author of 11 books, and her most recent is I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them.
In this episode we talk about:
- What a biomechanist does
- What Katy means by "movement as nutrition"
- How to determine your "movement diet"
- The distinction between movement and exercise
- Why people don't exercise
- Strategies for consistency
- The role of values and attention
- How to move if you don't like sweating
- How to find time to move
- The technique of "stacking your life"
- Overcoming embarrassment and shame related to movement
- Strengthening your "so what" muscle
- Getting comfortable with discomfort
- What to do when you're addicted to your screen
- And much more
Additional Resources:
- Katy's Substack
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Ever lie awake at night replaying all the moments you lost it with your kids, your partner, or your co-workers? You're not alone.
Bart van Melik is back on the show (his first appearance was four years ago) as our Teacher of the Month for January. Bart has one of the more interesting origin stories in the meditation world: from a small town in the Netherlands to Kenya on an exchange program (where he met his wife of 30 years), to studying in Thailand, to teaching meditation to teenagers in juvenile detention in the South Bronx.
In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, we talk about:
- The difference between being mindful and knowing you're mindful (and why this matters when your 11-year-old is pushing every button)
- Why awareness feels like protection
- How to stop the cycle of: snap, regret, repeat
- What Bart learned teaching meditation to kids in juvie who told him his meditation was "lit"
- Why your kids might be your fiercest Zen teachers
- The surprising power of saying "no" without aversion
- How everything actually goes faster when you stop rushing
- His favorite teaching from a modern-day monk: "Keep calmly knowing change"
Related Resources:
- Bart's previous episode on insight dialogue and relational meditation practice
- New guided meditations from Bart available throughout January
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Practical ways to upgrade your narrative.
Melissa Febos is the national bestselling author of five books, including Girlhood, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative, and a new memoir, The Dry Season. She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and others. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New Yorker, The Best American Essays and others. She is a professor at the University of Iowa.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to "audit" your personal narrative with simple questions
- Melissa's five-step method for rewriting unhelpful stories
- Why community, and vulnerability are required for real change; in other words, why it's harder to do this work alone
- Melissa's own experiences running this playbook with regard to her relationships and her addictions.
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How psychology and spirituality can work together.
Amita Schmidt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Hawaii. She has taught Vipassana meditation for over thirty years, and was the Resident Teacher at Insight Meditation Society for six years. She is the author of the book Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master. Amita currently teaches and practices non-dual meditation and is a certified IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapist.
In this episode we talk about:
- How psychology and spirituality can work together
- The basics of Internal Family Systems (or IFS)
- Amita's personal path through trauma, depression, and a pivotal insight that changed everything
- Why states like depression aren't as solid as they feel
- How to work with the inner critic
- Simple ways to access the sanest, wisest version of yourself
- The shift from psychological healing to spiritual insight
- The value of acceptance and surrender
- Simple pointers for sensing "aware presence" beneath all the mental noise
Related Episodes:
- How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
- How To Handle Your Demons | Richard Schwartz
Additional resources:
- Amita on InsightTimer
- Amita on DharmaSeed
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The legendary psychotherapist unpacks the concept of "hostile dependency" and explains why cutting people off doesn't always work.
Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is a leading voice on modern relationships, known for her widely viewed TED Talks, bestselling books and the hit podcast. She runs a New York–based therapy practice and advises global organizations and platforms on the complexities of contemporary relationships.
Follow Esther Perel's podcast Where Should We Begin? on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and subscribe to Entre Nous with Esther Perel on Substack for exclusive bonus content.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Esther Perel really means by eros
- How modern life quietly depletes our sense of feeling alive
- Why aliveness can coexist with grief, pain, and difficulty
- The danger of numbness
- Introverts, extroverts, and the many non-social ways we experience vitality
- Vital sources of connection and meaning
- Co-regulation, touch, presence, and why words alone aren't enough
- "Hostile dependency" and the paradoxes of long-term relationships
- Why loneliness has become normalized, and why it shouldn't be
- How to rebuild community through small, practical acts
- Rituals as a way to mark time, create meaning, and feel grounded
- The tension between individualism, belonging, and responsibility to others
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Today we're gonna talk about some Buddhist hacks for two deeply related and all too common ailments: anxiety and overthinking. Most of us have struggled with one or both of these, and one of the people who has helped Dan the most is Joseph Goldstein.
Regular listeners to this podcast will be familiar with Joseph and his very direct, very down-to-earth style, but if you don't know – let us introduce you. He's one of the foremost Buddhist teachers in the west, he's been Dan's teacher for about 15 years, and Dan's recently convinced him to write a book together, using a collection of these little phrases that he's cooked up over the years. Dan's been keeping a list of around a hundred or so tiny, useful phrases – bite-sized wisdom for meditation practice and for daily life. The book won't be out for a few years, but we're conducting a series of interviews with him, each one covering a few phrases, and we'll be releasing those here on the podcast.
The first installment of these interviews about Joseph's phrases just came out on Thursday, Jan. 1, and you don't have to listen to that episode for this episode to make sense, but they are useful together.
Today, we'll be covering:
- The practice assessment tapes
- Whatever works
- Cowboy Dharma
- Dead end
- Is this useful
- And a quartet about walking meditation: sensations moving through space, walking through space, walking in a dream, walking through the mind
Don't worry if those don't make sense right now – stick with us and you'll get a thorough explanation of where those phrases all come from and how they can help.
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You may have noticed that your mind is out of control. It's filled with racing thoughts, ancient neuroses and grudges, revenge fantasies… So why are we like this and what can be done about it?
Today, we're talking to one of our favorite people and also one of the most prominent meditation teachers in the West, Joseph Goldstein, about how "ridiculous" our minds are – that's a word he uses a lot to describe the mind – and some really compelling ways to train the mind. Spoiler: having a sense of humor is crucial here.
Just by way of context: this is the first in a series of episodes with Joseph, focusing on the phrases he uses while he's teaching Buddhism and meditation. Dan and Joseph are collaborating on a book that will be a compilation of these phrases and how to use them. This book won't be out for several years, but as Dan conducts a series of interviews with Joseph, we'll release them here on the podcast. There's another part coming out this Sunday, January 4th.
Just to give you a little taste, here are the phrases we'll be covering in today's episode:
- Just begin again
- Sit and know you're sitting
- Relaxed, not casual
- More or less mindful
- Thieves of meditation
- Mara, I see you.
- Ridiculous
- The mind has no pride
- Soundtrack
- The mind is the forerunner of all things.
These might not make any sense right now, but you'll hear Joseph explain each of these, where they came from, and how to use them in your meditation practice AND in your daily life. Incredibly practical, bite-sized wisdom.
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Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head.
Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area, brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor's degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers.
Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more. As an accomplished hip hop artist under the name "Born I," Ofosu released the mindfulness-themed album "In This Moment" in 2021. Born I's most recent album, "Komorebi" (2025), has been hailed by listeners as "a missing piece in hip-hop," praised for its meditative flow and spiritual depth. The companion book, "Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness" (Parallax Press), arrives with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, further cementing Born I as a unique voice at the intersection of art and contemplative practice. Beyond music, Ofosu is an author, releasing his self-published children's book "You Are Enough" in 2020 and "Love Your Amazing Self" via Storey Publishing in 2022. He lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and four children.
In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between self-compassion and a successful meditation practice
- All the reasons people resist self-compassion, and his rebuttals
- Whether self-compassion is selfish
- How to do self-compassion off the cushion, including practices like journaling, written reminders, establishing accountability partners, and simple questions you can drop into your mind when all else fails
- How to do self-compassion on the cushion, including practices like body scans, metta, and a check-in practice you can use at the very start of your sits
- And how to teach self-compassion to children
This episode was first aired in April 2024.
Related Episodes:
- Think You Suck at Meditation? This Conversation Could Help. | Ofosu Jones-Quartey
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Radical advice on rethinking success, individualism, and the American dream.
Mia Birdsong is a pathfinder, culture change visionary, and futurist. She is the founding Executive Director of Next River, a think tank and culture change lab for interconnected freedom. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, Mia maps swaths of community life, and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to build community
- What it looks like in her own life
- Mutuality vs reciprocity
- How to work with resentment and rejection
- The etymological connection between friendship and freedom
- The transformative power of asking for help
- And why she thinks the idea of bootstrapping—or going it alone—is a kind of self-hatred
This episode originally aired on May 22nd, 2024.
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What if the problem isn't you—but the idea that there's only one "right" way to meditate?
In this episode, DJ Cashmere talks with meditation teacher Jeff Warren about how to build a mindfulness practice that actually fits your brain, nervous system, and life. Drawing from Jeff's experience with ADHD and bipolar disorder—and DJ's reflections on OCD and neurodiversity in his family—they explore why there's no such thing as a truly neurotypical mind, and why one-size-fits-all meditation advice often falls short.
Rather than prescribing a single approach, Jeff emphasizes experimentation: noticing what settles you, what feels intolerable, and what helps you come back to presence. That might mean focusing on the breath, opening awareness, moving the body, journaling, or simply taking a walk.
They return repeatedly to a simple litmus test for any practice: Is this helping me be here? And they frame that question through three core skills of mindfulness—clarity, concentration, and equanimity—which can be cultivated in many different ways.
This episode is especially helpful if you've ever felt restless, frustrated, or "bad" at meditation—and are looking for a more flexible, compassionate way to practice.
You can get more meditations from Jeff, our Teacher of the Month for DanHarris.com, by checking out our new app, 10% with Dan Harris.
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Worry has a way of sneaking into everything—even gratitude, loving-kindness, and joy.
In this episode, Dan Harris sits down with meditation teacher and psychologist Christiane Wolf to explore how to work skillfully with worry without suppressing it, indulging it, or turning meditation into yet another way to beat yourself up.
Together, they unpack some of the most common pain points meditators face:
- Why trying to force certain feelings (gratitude, calm, compassion) often backfires
- Whether worry is ever actually helpful—and how to tell when it's not
- How to work with fear while waiting for a health diagnosis
- What to do when gratitude or loving-kindness practice triggers sadness or anxiety
- How consumerism (hello, holiday season) fuels craving and unease
- When mindfulness is enough—and when psychological work is needed to avoid spiritual bypassing
Christiane offers practical tools for meeting worry with kindness, curiosity, and clarity—including how to "name it to tame it," how to gently redirect attention without suppression, and how to relate to anxious or critical thoughts as parts rather than as who you are.
This conversation is honest, grounded, and deeply humane—especially for anyone who worries that they're "doing meditation wrong" or feels guilty for not feeling better fast enough.
Recorded live during a subscriber Q&A session – join us at DanHarris.com to be part of these sessions as they happen!
Related Episodes:
How to Outsmart Your Pain | Christiane WolfIs Your Ambition Rooted in Trauma? | Christiane Wolf
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How to find your voice when you need to be heard, learn when it's smart to choose silence, and communicate better with the people who matter most.
Elaine Lin Hering is a former Lecturer of Law at Harvard Law School. She works with organizations and individuals to build skills in communication, collaboration, and conflict management. She is the author of the book Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully.
In this episode we talk about:
- How we learn silence and self-editing
- How we often miscalculate the cost-benefit when it comes to speaking up or staying silent
- Elaine's four steps to learn how to speak up and find your voice
- How we can unintentionally silence others, especially those closest to us, and what to do about it
This episode originally aired on May 15th, 2024.
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Your blindspots and biases block your success and happiness. Here's how to navigate that.
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM is an award-winning leadership expert, author and columnist, ranked among the top 50 management thinkers in the world. Her career began in the Royal Australian Air Force and includes roles as CEO of a global consultancy and Acting Chair of the ABC. She holds a PhD in leadership and culture, writes the popular 'Got a Minute?' column in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and is a Member of the Order of Australia.
In this episode we talk about:
- The concept of blindspotting – what it is and how to do it
- The power of intellectual humility and how to practice it
- The difference between seekers and knowers – and when each mindset is useful
- The three major thinking traps
- How to disentangle ego from identity, manage defensiveness, and turn feedback into growth
- The role of curiosity in finding truth, building psychological safety, and leading more effectively
- How to "read the room" in workplaces, relationships, and global contexts
- The key to good leadership
- The importance of modeling uncertainty as a leader
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In this episode, our Teacher of the Month Jeff Warren guides you through a meditation practice inspired by Zen and the Diamond Sutra: "Don't Know Mind."
Sometimes the need to know—certainty about what's true, what's coming next, or how things "should" be—can create tension, anxiety, and overthinking. The antidote? Letting go of that need, resting in curiosity and openness, and cultivating a mind that dwells nowhere.
To get more meditations from Jeff and our other teachers — plus join our weekly live sessions (every Tuesday at 4pm ET) — you can sign up at DanHarris.com.
Related episodes: Working With a Brain That Doesn't Behave | Jeff Warren
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In this short solo episode, Dan shares a major update: after hearing from listeners and subscribers, he and the team have built a brand-new meditation app — 10% with Dan Harris. He explains why he returned to the app world, what makes this offering different, and how it's designed to help you build (and keep) a practice through community, live sessions, guided meditations, and more. Dan also announces a 30-day free trial and a special upcoming New Year's challenge with Joseph Goldstein.
Important links:
- Download the new app: iPhone/iPad: App Store / Android: Google Play Store
- Step-by-step guide for existing subscribers
- Contact support: support@danharris.com (hi, Roy!)
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It is okay—and even beautiful—to be the idiot you are.
Jiryu Rutschman-Byler is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, with dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman. Jiryu has trained residentially in Zen temples since 1996, and currently serves as a co-Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center through his role as Abiding Abbot of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. Jiryu is the final editor of legendary Zen master Shunryu Suzuki's Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- The legacy and teachings of legendary Zen master Shunryo Suzuki.
- What is Zen
- How to work with your day to day problems — and also life and death problems
- How to soften the mind
- Whether to meditate with your eyes open or closed
- What does it really mean to become "one" with everything
- Why life isn't something to be "figured out"
- The connection between the oft-misunderstood concept of "allowing" and being more effective in your life
- The concept and practice of faith
- The magic of the universe
Related Episodes:
- The Fundamental Mystery of the Mind, Annaka Harris
- A Radical Question To Put Your Problems Into Perspective | Annaka Harris
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A Darden School of Business professor explains how to use doubt to your advantage.
Bidhan (Bobby) Parmar, PhD, MBA, is the Shannon G. Smith Bicentennial Professor of Business Administration and Associate Dean for Faculty Development at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He teaches courses on business ethics, collaboration, and creative and critical thinking.
In this episode we talk about:
- The common human allergy to discomfort and uncertainty
- The benefits of doubt
- The difference between choice fatigue and 'analysis paralysis'
- The nine subtle signs of analysis paralysis
- Why we need to be paying more attention to process vs. outcome
- How to have confidence in the face of doubt
- The role of rupture and repair in relationships
- The crucial final steps in the decision-making process – specifically one Bobby calls "After Action Reviews"
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- 9 Subtle Signs of 'Analysis Paralysis'
- radicaldoubt.com
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Meditation can be gorgeous… and it can be absolutely bewildering. If you've ever wondered, "Am I doing this right?" or "Why does this feel so intense?", this conversation is for you.
In this vintage conversation from 2016, Dan sits down with legendary dharma teacher Steve Armstrong for a clear, compassionate walkthrough of the progress of insight—including why meditation sometimes gets harder before it gets easier, how to navigate the so-called "dark night" phases, and how to keep going without getting lost in the weeds of self-doubt.
Steve Armstrong, our dear friend, teacher, and the founder of Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary, passed away peacefully at home on December 23, 2025. His wife and teaching partner, Kamala, was by his side. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser we shared, and held Steve and Kamala in their hearts. Your generosity made it possible for Steve to receive the 24-hour care he needed in his final months, allowing him to remain at home with comfort and dignity. Your support also helped ease the many practical and emotional burdens Kamala carried during this time. Steve devoted more than 40 years to teaching the Dhamma and to building Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary as a place for deep and sustained practice. His wisdom, kindness, and unwavering commitment to the path touched countless lives and will continue to live on through this work. Any future donations to this fundraiser will go toward supporting Kamala as she moves through this period of grief and transition, and as she continues the work at Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary that she and Steve began together. If you feel moved, you can find the GoFundMe at this link. Our company has also made a significant contribution to support Steve and Kamala.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why meditation can sometimes trigger emotional turbulence
- How to understand the "stages" of insight (without clinging to them)
- Practical ways to stay steady when your practice feels chaotic or confusing
- How to distinguish between a genuine opening and plain old overwhelm
- Why equanimity isn't passive—it's powerful
Steve has spent decades helping people wake up. This episode is a chance to receive that wisdom—and, if you're able, to reflect it back with your support.
Related Episodes:
- Get Happier Without Losing Your Edge | Kamala Masters
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An NBC Nightly News anchor shares insider tips from the belly of the beast.
Tom Llamas is anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas and anchor of Top Story with Tom Llamas, a daily streaming primetime newscast on NBC News NOW. He has been in broadcast journalism for over 25 years.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to be a better listener
- Practices for continued growth and curiosity as you get older
- The role of both faith and meditation in Tom's life
- The role of exercise
- The role of friendship
- His family's dramatic history and the impacts of becoming the first Latino anchor of a weekday evening news broadcast
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life
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The case for love and compassion in a world that's filled with hatred and division.
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago. She has written many books, including her latest, a kids book called Kind Karl.
In this episode we talk about:
- How the quality of metta, or loving kindness, can be an antidote to fear
- The wisdom of having a loving mindset in the face present dangers
- Love
- Can love be a strength?
- The different flavors of "loving kindness"
- The four types of enemies, which include the outer enemy, the inner enemy, the secret enemy and the super secret enemy
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Additional Resources:
- Dan's son teaching Loving Kindness Meditation
- Metta Hour Podcast
- Donate to the Insight Meditation Society's Fundraiser
- Sharon's books
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Everything you want to know about cannabis, but were afraid to ask.
Dr. Riley Kirk is a cannabis research scientist and educator with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences, specializing in natural product chemistry. Her new book is Reefer Wellness: Understanding Cannabis Science, Culture, and Medicines.
In this episode we talk about:
- The endocannabinoid system – and how it works in the body
- The science-backed health benefits of cannabis
- The risks of cannabis use – including questions about psychosis, schizophrenia, and specific risks for adolescents
- The fascinating history of the cannabis plant
- The criminalization, racism and propaganda machine within that history
- The legality of cannabis now in the US
- Different modes of use
- Where to source your products
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Bioactive podcast
- @cannabichem
- The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP)
Thanks to our sponsors:
AT&T: Happy Holidays from AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. Function Health: Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier25 for a $25 credit towards your membership.
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If you've ever found yourself immediately abandoning your adult composure the second someone around you gets upset, we've got your back.
In today's episode, the inimitable Jeff Warren returns with a practice to help you stop absorbing everyone else's stress and start holding healthy boundaries without turning into a jerk. Jeff — who is both a dear friend of Dan's and one of the funniest meditation teachers alive — walks you through how to stay grounded in your own body even when the people around you are melting down.
This meditation is especially helpful if you tend to:
- Fix other people's problems without being asked
- Rush to make everything okay the instant someone frowns
- Get overwhelmed by other people's moods
- Lose your boundaries around demanding or sensitive humans (including the tiny ones)
To get more meditations from Jeff and our other teachers — plus join our weekly live sessions (every Tuesday at 4pm ET) — you can sign up at DanHarris.com.
Related episodes: Working With a Brain That Doesn't Behave | Jeff Warren
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Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Happy Holidays from AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
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Today we're talking about how to calm your mind in a chaotic world. What you're about to hear is an interview with Dan, conducted by his new friend Hoda Kotb, another morning news veteran. Hoda was, for many years, the co-anchor of the Today Show on NBC. Now, among other things, she hosts a podcast called Making Space.
You'll hear Dan and Hoda talk about:
- A practical framework for staying sane when the news, your inbox, or your personal life goes sideways
- Why joy is a skill (and not a personality trait you either have or don't)
- How to set boundaries without feeling like a jerk
- How to let go of the self-improvement fantasy you've been carrying around for years
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Plus: Saying thank you to your anxiety and the opportunity in the dumpster fire.
Jack Kornfield, who trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma, then returned to the US, where he became one of the leading voices in Buddhism in the West. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, then he went on to start the Spirit Rock Medication Center in Woodacre, California. He's written many books, including his latest, All In This Together, which is the focus of the conversation you're about to hear, along with a new online course he just posted, called Stand Up for Compassion – which is about staying steady in difficult times.
In this episode we talk about:
- The causes of happiness
- The opportunities (And this is a counterintuitive notion, but…) The opportunities in the suffering we're experiencing today
- How to stand up for what you care about while staying calm and steady
- Ways to zoom out and see the bigger picture
- How to cultivate both courage and Joy
- How Jack gets consistent hits of Joy in his own life
- Why intention is important — and how to cultivate healthy intentions
- And other survival strategies for these times
This holiday season, 10% Happier is teaming up with dozens of podcasts for an ambitious goal: to lift three entire villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Join us by visiting GiveDirectly.org/Dan and supporting the #PodsFightPoverty campaign.
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Practical tools to turn down the volume on fawning.
Dr. Ingrid Clayton is a licensed clinical psychologist with a master's in transpersonal psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Her book is FAWNING: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves—and How to Find our Way Back.
In this episode we talk about:
- What is fawning, actually
- Chronic vs situational fawning
- The physiological ramifications of fawning
- How power plays into all of this
- Ways to get clarity around unseen bruises and wounds that drive your behavior
- Owning your anger – and how to express it in healthy ways
- How to know if you're a fawner
- Practical steps to unfawn
- Accessible approaches to regulating your nervous system
- How to set boundaries
- Fawning and un-fawning in a work context, specifically
- And her observation, which I've been thinking about a lot, that wounding happens in relationships… but so does healing
This holiday season, 10% Happier is teaming up with dozens of podcasts for an ambitious goal: to lift three entire villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Join us by visiting GiveDirectly.org/Dan and supporting the #PodsFightPoverty campaign.
Related Episodes:
- How To Regulate Your Nervous System For Stress, Anxiety, And Trauma | Peter Levine
- How To Handle Your Demons | Richard Schwartz
- How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
- This Neurobiologist Wants You To Ask One Question To Reframe Anxiety, Depression, And Trauma | Dr. Bruce Perry (Co-Interviewed by Dan's Wife, Bianca!)
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Ever feel like your mind is constantly bouncing around? You're not alone. In this episode, DJ Cashmere sits down with meditation teacher Jeff Warren, who has spent decades exploring consciousness, neurodivergence, and the practical side of meditation. Jeff shares his own experience with ADHD, bipolarity, and the ups and downs of life, offering tools and insights that listeners can use immediately.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- How to create a "home base" in meditation—an anchor to return to when your mind or emotions are scattered.
- Practical ways to use meditation to regulate emotions and respond skillfully in stressful situations.
- How to cultivate creativity and focus, even if your brain works differently from others.
- The difference between accepting the present moment and passively giving in to circumstances.
- Tips for parents and neurodivergent listeners on integrating mindfulness into daily life.
Jeff also shares his journey from journalist to meditation teacher, and how a serious head injury changed his relationship to his own mind. Whether you're new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner, this episode is full of practical insights for staying grounded, centered, and creative in a chaotic world.
About Jeff Warren: Jeff Warren is a meditation teacher, author, and consciousness researcher who has written extensively on the science and practice of mindfulness. Known for his humor, curiosity, and practical approach, Jeff guides listeners to discover their own "home base" and explore the mind as a creative medium.
Related Episodes:
There's No Part of Your Life You Can't Make More Awesome | Jeff Warren
Meditation Party: The "Sh*t Is Fertilizer" Edition | Sebene Selassie & Jeff Warren
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Thanks to today's sponsors: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
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If you've ever felt like your inner life is a clenched fist — tight belly, buzzing chest, racing mind — this conversation is for you. In this live session from our DanHarris.com sangha, the great Vinny Ferraro takes us on a kind of "return to the body" safari: soft-belly practice, heart-work, nervous system regulation, forgiving the seemingly unforgivable, and what it actually means to stop becoming and just be here.
We also get into the weirdness and power of meditating together online, the comparing mind (yes, the Dalai Lama has one too), why walking meditation is a secret weapon for restless brains, and how both Dan and Vinny were dragged, kicking and screaming, into practices they once thought were total BS.
Vinny brings his trademark mix of streetwise honesty, humor, and deep tenderness. This one is about learning to meet yourself — and the world — with a little less armor and a lot more care.
Join Dan live every Tuesday at 4pm ET for these weekly meditations and Q&As — plus access to all our guided meditations — by signing up at DanHarris.com.
Related Episodes:
You Can't Hate Yourself Into Becoming a Better Person | Vinny Ferraro
How to Make Time for the Things You Actually Care About | Vinny Ferraro
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Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. Bombas: Head over to bombas.com/Happier and use the code Happier for 20% off your first purchase.
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Learning how to thrive with enough.
Michael Easter is the New York Times bestselling author of Scarcity Brain and The Comfort Crisis. He also shares his ideas on his popular newsletter, 2% with Michael Easter.
In this episode we talk about:
- The evolutionary roots of overconsumption
- The challenges of having an ancient brains in a modern world
- The Scarcity mindset vs. the abundance mindset
- Understanding what Michael calls the "scarcity loop" – and how to apply it to daily life
- Tactical ways to work with habits and cravings
- Understanding the scarcity loop, how it hooks us, and then how you can unhook using that same loop
- And How's Michael's life changed after researching this book
- Toward the end, we talk about Michael's previous book, the comfort crisis—and some Practical steps for embracing discomfort
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Combining modern science and ancient Buddhism to treat anxiety, anger, and impatience.
John Makransky is a professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, AND ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist lama. Paul Condon is an associate professor of psychology at Southern Oregon University and a research fellow at the Mind & Life Institute. Both are the authors of How Compassion Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Well-Being, Love, and Wisdom.
In this episode we talk about:
- The sales pitch for compassion—even at a time when what most of us really want is for other people to be nicer
- The connection between attachment theory and compassion
- Why compassion is our natural state
- How Sustainable Compassion Training helps you access warmth without forcing it
- How to apply compassion practice to burnout, conflict, and difficult emotions
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We're bringing you an episode of one of our favorite podcasts, The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos, on which Dan was a guest. We can spend a lot of time working – and it gives us fulfillment, social interaction and fun – but still one in five of us say our workplaces are "toxic". And even the best jobs can sometimes be stressful and draining. So how do we set ourselves up to thrive at work?
Dan joins Dr Laurie Santos to explore strategies to be a happier employee and a better employer.
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Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
Anxiety. Depression. Perfectionism. Dan and meditation teacher Leslie Booker get real about how these challenges show up in their own lives — and how mindfulness, community, and sometimes medication can actually help. Recorded live at New York Insight, this conversation is honest, funny, and surprisingly hopeful.
Related Episodes:
Buddhist Lessons on Anxiety | Leslie Booker Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
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Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Which is the best path to freedom?
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind.
Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcaster and the proprietor of the Waking Up app.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the term "non-duality" means — and why it matters to ordinary meditators.
- The multiple meanings of non-duality across Buddhist traditions (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna).
- How different traditions (and even different teachers within them) define samsara and nirvana.
- The non-duality of the observer and observed — and how that insight can alleviate suffering.
- Whether understanding non-duality is practically relevant for reducing stress and emotional reactivity.
- The evolution of Buddhist teachings over time and how interpretations differ across countries.
- Sam's argument that the non-dual view can be directly experienced in everyday consciousness — and that realizing it ends unnecessary suffering.
- Joseph's emphasis on non-duality as one path among many toward the ultimate goal: the end of suffering.
- How metaphysics and direct experience intersect, and whether doctrinal differences are "self-confirming."
- The concept of "non-clinging" as the real heart of Buddhist practice — and how it relates to non-dual awareness.
Related Episodes:
- How To Suffer Less: Joseph Goldstein, Sam Harris, and Dan Harris on the Buddha's Eightfold Path
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- For a 30-day free trial to the Waking Up app, go to wakingup.com/tenpercent
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Fabletics: Treat yourself to gear that looks good, feels good, and doesn't break the bank. Go to fabletics.com/Happier, sign up as a VIP and get 80% off everything.
An expert in Gerontology shares the four core habits for aging well.
Dr. Kerry Burnight is a gerontologist, caregiver advocate, and founder of the Gerontology Institute at UC Irvine. Her new book, Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half, offers a practical framework for aging not just longer, but better.
In this episode we talk about:
- Misconceptions about the aging process
- The anti-aging industry and what it gets wrong
- Four core habits for aging well
- How to diversify your "social portfolio"
- Coping strategies for adapting in the face of change
- The key question to ask yourself if you want to live a longer and happier life
- The strengths that come with age
- Tools for navigating inevitable psychological dips
- And much more
Join Dan's online community here
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Additional Resources:
- Dr. Burnight's social: @the_gerontologist
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Northwest Registered Agent: Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/happierfree and start building something amazing. HomeServe: Help protect your home systems and your wallet with HomeServe against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to homeserve.com to find a plan that's right for you.
If you feel like you spend most of your day on edge — not totally panicked, but not exactly calm either — you're not alone. Most of us live in what meditation teacher Dr. Christiane Wolf calls "yellow mode": a state of low-level vigilance that keeps us productive, but also keeps us anxious, reactive, and exhausted.
In this conversation with DJ Cashmere, Christiane unpacks why our nervous systems get stuck in that yellow zone and what we can actually do to shift back into "green mode" — the state of calm alertness where we feel grounded, flexible, and capable of joy.
They explore:
- Why our modern lives constantly trigger fight-or-flight
- The difference between "being chill" and being appropriately responsive
- Simple, science-backed ways to calm your nervous system in seconds
- How trauma and early conditioning make relaxation feel unsafe
- The role of community (sangha), right livelihood, and mindfulness in long-term regulation
Christiane is our Teacher of the Month at DanHarris.com, where she's creating guided meditations to go along with many of our podcast episodes. Join us at DanHarris.com to learn more.
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Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
How do you stay calm when the stakes are sky-high — like your kid's health, your partner's wellbeing, or the future of the planet? How do you face chronic pain without falling into self-pity? And how do you actually turn meditation from a good intention into a real habit?
In this bonus episode, Dan sits down with the brilliant meditation teacher and author Sebene Selassie for one of our weekly live sessions — a combo of guided meditation and audience Q&A that usually happens for subscribers over at DanHarris.com. We're sharing this one for free so you can get a taste.
Together, Dan and Sebene dig into:
- Practicing non-attachment when life feels anything but abstract
- Meeting chronic pain and illness with compassion (without spiritual bypassing)
- The real psychology of habit formation — and why it's not your fault if you struggle to "just meditate"
- What the Buddhist teachings actually say about impermanence, rebirth, and the self
You'll also hear a grounding 10-minute guided meditation, some laughter (including a cameo from Sebene's dog, Chacha), and a reminder that you don't have to do this practice alone.
Join Dan live every Tuesday at 4pm ET for these weekly meditations and Q&As — plus access to all our guided meditations — by signing up at DanHarris.com.
Related Episodes:
Sebene Selassie On: Resiliency, Rewriting Your Patterns and Finding a Teacher Who Speaks to You
How To Handle Toxic Thoughts | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here! Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
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Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
How not to forget what actually matters.
Soren Gordhamer is the host of Wisdom 2.0, a conference about mindfulness and compassion in the modern age. He's also a Co-Founder and General Partner of Wisdom Ventures, which invests in companies creating a more just and compassionate world. His new book is called THE ESSENTIAL: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Soren means by "the essential"
- The current and future impact of AI on the economy, our mental health, and society at large
- What Soren thinks the world looks like in 5, 10, 15 years from now
- Useful strategies for managing technology with an iota of balance and wisdom
- How to get familiar with the unseen stories that run your life—so that they Don't have so much power over you
- The number one question for our time, per Soren
- Whether or not we humans are actually going to do this "essential" work before it's too late
- Whether the people designing these systems have the best interest of the species at heart
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Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thank you to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. NOCD: Head over to nocd.com and book a free 15‑minute call with their team, to learn more and start getting help with OCD.
How to focus your "genius energy" on what matters most.
Diana Hill, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, international trainer, podcast host, and a leading expert on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—a revolutionary approach to psychology that is changing our understanding of mental health. She is the author of four books including I Know I Should Exercise, But…, The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, ACT Daily Journal, and her latest, Wise Effort.
In this episode we talk about:
- The concept of "Wise Effort" ( aligning your energy and actions with your core values)
- The practice of diffusing your thoughts
- Three things that get in the way of "Wise Effort"
- The role of radical acceptance
- How to spot "energy depletors"
- A practice she calls "Yes, yes, thank you, thank you"
- And much more
Join Dan's online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
It's one of those ideas that sounds kind of like a Zen riddle, but actually turns out to be incredibly useful: what's in the way is the way.
If you've ever sat down to meditate and thought, "Ugh, I can't focus — my mind's all over the place," or, "If only this restlessness would go away, then I could really meditate," this one's for you. Christiane's going to show us how those so-called obstacles — the distractions, the boredom, the racing thoughts — can actually become the practice itself.
All this month, we're sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Christiane Wolf exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we're giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month.
Related Episodes:
- Is Your Ambition Rooted In Trauma? | Christiane Wolf
- Peak Performance at Any Age | Christiane Wolf (Dharma Teacher/Doctor/Ultramarathoner)
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Join Dan's online community here
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We're sharing an episode of The Paula Faris Show on which Dan was a guest. Here's Paula's introduction: From theological debates to newsroom banter, Dan Harris and I couldn't be more different — I grew up in a Midwest Conservative Christian home, while Dan grew up as an East Coast Liberal who had a Bar Mitzvah for the money (his words!). But our unlikely friendship as co-anchors on Good Morning America became a lesson in empathy, curiosity, and the beauty of bridging divides. In this candid and hilarious reunion, Dan and I talk about media bias, religious differences, and how pushing each other made us better journalists — and better people. It's a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you stop avoiding the hard conversations and start leaning in and the science behind the importance of having people in our lives who are different from us.
From Bar Mitzvahs to Bible studies, this episode will make you laugh, reflect, and maybe even text a friend who sees the world a little differently than you do.
Sign up to receive Paula's email where she keeps it real about what it's like being a parent in America. And if you're a working mom, make sure you're getting The CARRY ALL email, the load-lessening newsletter for and by working moms. Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here! Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
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Plus: How to take your thoughts less seriously and be the calmest person in the room.
GuoGu (AKA Dr. Jimmy Yu) is the founder of the Tallahassee Chan Center and a Professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions at Florida State University. He is the author of several books, including The Essence of Chan (2012), Passing Through the Gateless Barrier (2016), and Silent Illumination (2021).
In this episode we talk about:
- Embodied experiencing
- How words and language shape our reality
- The practice of wonderment
- Body scan meditation
- The importance of relaxation — and how to do it if you have pain
- The 4 things you need in order for meditation to do its job
- How to carry all of this into daily life — GuoGu gets super practical here
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Additional Resources:
- Tallahassee Chan Center & Talks by Guo Gu (YouTube Channel)
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Northwest Registered Agent: Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/happierfree and start building something amazing.
How to handle people better.
Isabelle Morley is a clinical psychologist and EFT-certified couples therapist (Emotionally Focused Therapy). She is a contributing author to Psychology Today, and has been featured in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Business Insider, Vox, and Very Well Mind, among others. Her latest book is They're Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Hunting for Red Flags in Every Relationship.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between abuse and bad behavior
- How to know if you're really in an abusive relationship
- How to correctly use the term 'gaslighting'
- What boundaries are, how to set them, and how to know if yours have actually been violated
- How to spot a narcissist
- The difference between having Narcissistic Personality Disorder and just having selfish qualities
- Red flags vs. garden-variety imperfections
- The definition and weaponization of terms like 'bipolar' and 'borderline'
- The overuse of the word 'triggered'
- Basic tips for navigating relationships beyond the therapy-speak
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Navigating Intimacy: An Introductory Guide to Couples and Sex Therapy
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
What if the very thing you think is blocking your progress in meditation — or in life — is actually the doorway forward?
In this conversation with Dr. Christiane Wolf, hosted by DJ Cashmere, we explore how to work with expectations, frustration, and the belief that life needs to be different before we can be okay. Christiane shares clear, compassionate wisdom for turning toward difficulty instead of fighting it — and for discovering that what feels like the problem can become the path.
Christiane is a physician, longtime meditation teacher, and author of Outsmart Your Pain and A Clinician's Guide to Teaching Mindfulness. She's known for blending deep Buddhist insight with warmth and humor.
We're also thrilled to share that Christiane will be our Teacher of the Month for November, leading meditations and conversations throughout the month in the DanHarris.com Substack community.
Related Episodes:
Peak Performance at Any Age | Christiane Wolf (Dharma Teacher/Doctor/Ultramarathoner)
How to Outsmart Your Pain | Christiane Wolf
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here! Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
Join Dan's online community here
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to today's sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
If your inner narrator won't give it a rest — constantly judging, narrating, or second-guessing you — you're in good company.
In this live conversation from our weekly Substack sessions, Dan sits down with meditation teacher Dawn Mauricio to explore how to work with the nonstop chatter in your mind. They dig into common pitfalls like self-judgment, overthinking, and the feeling that you're "failing" at meditation — and how small mindset shifts can turn those moments into wins.
Dawn offers practical, kind, and often funny guidance for bringing gentleness and curiosity to your practice, whether your eyes are closed on the cushion or open while doomscrolling. Plus, Dan and Dawn swap tips on finding meditation community, celebrating awareness instead of berating yourself, and making mindfulness a little more doable — even when your mind won't shut up.
Related Episodes:
Am I Meditating Correctly? Am I Doing the Right Kind?How to Handle Difficult People | Dawn Mauricio
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here! Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
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An antidote to boredom and stuckness.
Sarah Ruhl is an award-winning American playwright, author, essayist, and professor. Her latest book is Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to orient towards the world with an eagerness to learn
- How to approach our lives not only as students, but also as teachers
- Unpacking the moment when "the student becomes the master"
- What does it mean to have a meditation teacher?
- Being open to synchronicity or signs from the universe
- Is everything magic?
- What Sarah's learned from the venerable psychiatrist Dr. Mark Epstein
- What it means to "leave an emotion alone"
Related Episodes:
- A Deeply Healthy Kind of Perfectionism | Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
- How To Find Joy In an Anxious World |Sara Bareilles and Dacher Keltner
- Sara Bareilles: Anxiety, Anger, and Art
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. BetterHelp: If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/Happier.
An often overlooked secret, from a U. Chicago happiness expert.
Shigehiro Oishi is the Marshall Field IV Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. He is one of the foremost authorities on happiness, meaning, and culture. His newest book is Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- How our obsession with productivity is flattening and dulling our lives
- The definitions of both happiness and meaning—both of which have, until now, been considered the main paths to a good life
- The potential downsides of pursuing happiness and meaning
- Shige introduces his third path to a good life—psychological richness
- Skills for developing psychological richness
- Tools for becoming more playful
- The difficult balance between detachment and healthy ambition
- How to reframe adverse experiences
- Re-storying tools for reframing the "hard shit" in our lives
- And much more
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsor: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
Sharing an episode featuring Dan from a podcast we love, Think Fast, Talk Smart.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dan and host Matt Abrahams discuss how mindfulness can transform our communication, sharing strategies for deeper listening, responding versus reacting, and reflecting what others say back to them. "Relationships are the most important aspect of your happiness," Dan says. "The quality of those connections goes up when you're less stuck in your own head."
Episode References: Dan Harris: https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/dan-harris/
Dan's Books: http://fastersmarter.io/10-percent-happier https://fastersmarter.io/meditation-for-fidgety-skeptics https://www.fastersmarter.io/179-communication-happiness-wellbeing-finding-positive-in-negative-emotions/
https://www.fastersmarter.io/180-unlocking-your-future-self-communication-happiness-wellbeing/
https://www.fastersmarter.io/181-why-happiness-is-a-direction-not-a-destination-communication-happiness-wellbeing/
https://www.fastersmarter.io/182-stop-chasing-time-and-start-owning-it-communication-happiness-wellbeing/
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
If the idea of "sending love to all beings" makes you roll your eyes, this episode is for you. Dan leads a guided meditation, suitable for all levels of experience. Originally recorded during one of our live sangha gatherings on Substack, which are open to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com.
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to today's sponsor: BetterHelp: If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/Happier.
A performance coach and bestselling author shares practical tools for thriving in crisis, shaving down the ego, and designing the life you want.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Murphy is a Performance Coach to some of the best athletes and leaders in the world. In addition to coaching professional athletes and executives, Murphy is the president of the Inner Excellence Freedom Project whose mission is to build communities to alleviate spiritual and physical poverty around the world.
In this episode we talk about:
- A counterintuitive secret to performing under pressure
- How to "relanguage" the story you tell about yourself
- A crucial life question that everyone should be asking themselves
- Practical tools for "inner excellence"
- Jim's Four Daily Goals
- Cultivating non-attachment to results
- How to be less afraid of fear
- The "expect nothing" rule
- And the role of faith in his life
Join Dan's online community here
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Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
Fabletics: Treat yourself to gear that looks good, feels good, and doesn't break the bank. Go to fabletics.com/Happier, sign up as a VIP and get 80% off everything.
An acclaimed science writer on how to upgrade your mind by using more than your head.
Annie Murphy Paul is a science writer and TED speaker. Her latest book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why upgrading your mind involves more than just using your head.
- How our bodies, surroundings, and relationships all have the power to enhance our thinking.
- Practical strategies for "thinking with the body," including interoception, the role of intuition, movement breaks, and even fidgeting.
- The importance of gesture and movement—why sitting perfectly still actually makes thinking harder for many of us.
- Tips for "thinking with your surroundings"—from stepping outdoors to using evocative objects and whiteboards to organize your ideas.
- The social side of thinking: how to learn from experts, think with peers, and harness the intelligence of groups.
- The challenges—and potential—of group collaboration, avoiding the pitfalls of groupthink, and fostering what psychologists call "groupiness."
- The concept of "extension inequality": why access to the resources that enhance thinking—like nature, movement, and mentorship—is not distributed equally, and why that matters.
- And finally, why returning to the way kids learn—using hands, bodies, play, and connection—might actually be good for all of us.
Join Dan's online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.
A longtime cancer survivor — and our Teacher of the Month — has some suggestions for working with pain.
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
Nobody makes it out of childhood unscathed. Here's a guide to letting go of the past.
Allison Sweet Grant, graduate with dual master's degrees from the University of Michigan, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, turned author. She has been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She is the author of two children's picture books, The Gift Inside the Box and Leif and the Fall, co-authored with her husband Adam Grant. I Am the Cage is her debut novel.
In this episode we talk about:
- The impact of your childhood trauma on your adult relationships
- The concept of the "junk drawer" (a metaphor for all the pain, self-doubt, and anxiety you might try to compartmentalize)
- Writing as a tool for self-acceptance and self-compassion
- How to re-write your own story and where to start
- Practical meditation tools to quiet the mind
- The role of cathartic visualization
- Dealing with imposter syndrome
- And more
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.
Thanks to our sponsors: Bumble: Thinking about dating again? Take this as your sign and start your love story on Bumble. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
A Buddhist recipe for speaking, working, and living in a way that will make you happy.
JoAnna Hardy has practiced in multiple traditions since 1999. She is currently a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a visiting teacher at Black Being LA, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and about to embark on a new mystery journey!
In this episode we talk about:
- Sila, the Buddhist code of ethics
- Concepts such as right livelihood and right speech
- Why we lie
- The power of Buddhist tattoos
- Hiri and Otappa (AKA healthy shame and healthy embarrassment)
Related Episodes:
- How to Speak Clearly, Calmly, and Without Alienating People | Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker
- Oren Jay Sofer, Practicing Mindful Communication
- The Buddha's 8-Part Manual for a Good Life | Brother Pháp Dung
- The Surprising Power of "Healthy Embarrassment" | Koshin Paley Ellison
- The Selfish Case for Being Ethical | Eugene Cash
Join Dan's online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thanks to our sponsors: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
How to do "shadow work," interpret your dreams, and find your "self."
Satya Doyle Byock is a psychotherapist and educator focused on the relationship with the unconscious. She is the director of The Salome Institute of Jungian Studies and the author of the book Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood. She writes weekly and hosts regular workshops on her Substack, Self & Society.
In this episode we talk about:
- The vast impact of Carl Jung's work
- What separates Freud and Jung
- The connection between Jung's ideas and Buddhism
- Practical exercises to help us resolve the tension between safety and meaning – between stability and taking a walk on the wild side
- Dreamwork: what it is, why we should do it, and the "how to"
- The perks of making the unconscious feel seen
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Additional Resources:
- Satya's Substack, Self & Society.
- Satya's new year-round program in Jungian Psychology and Myth (registration opens December 1; class begins February 2026)
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Listening to your body… easier said than done? Sebene Selassie is here to help.
All this month, we’re sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Sebene Selassie exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we’re giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. Related Episodes:
- Sebene Selassie On: Resiliency, Rewriting Your Patterns and Finding a Teacher Who Speaks to You
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris Thanks to our sponsors:
Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. BetterHelp: If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/Happier.
Every year, Joseph Goldstein does a three month silent meditation retreat by himself at his home in Massachusetts. In this conversation you're about to hear, Joseph had just emerged from one such retreat with a bunch of thoughts on what are called the three proliferating tendencies or three papañca to use the ancient Pali term.
These are three ways in which we perpetuate an unhealthy sense of self. Joseph has explained that you can think about the process of going deeper in meditation as a process of lightening up or getting less self-centered. You're about to get a masterclass in doing just that.
For the uninitiated, Joseph is one of the co-founders of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. His co-founders are two other meditation titans, Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Joseph has been a teacher at IMS since it was founded in the seventies and he continues to be the resident guiding teacher there.
In this episode we talk about:
- The framework for understanding the three proliferating tendencies; the basic building blocks of our experience in the world
- Six things that make up what the Buddha called “the all”
- What non-self means and why it's essential to the Buddhist teaching of liberation
- The two levels of truth: conventional and ultimate
- Why language is so important in conditioning how we experience things
- How the three proliferating tendencies provide a very practical guide to understanding how we manufacture our own suffering
Join Dan’s online community here
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Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Thank you to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
The antidote to a noisy, chaotic world.
Pico Iyer is the acclaimed and bestselling author of more than a dozen books translated into twenty-three languages, most recently the nationally bestselling Aflame: Learning from Silence.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why and how Pico found himself spending a lot of time at a silent monastery
- What he’s learned about the power and potency of silence
- Why so many of us fear silence
- When silence is a tonic, and when it’s a weapon or shield
- Why taking time out of your life is deeply beneficial — both for you and the people around you
- How Pico takes what he learns at the monastery into his daily life
- A wise approach to the news
- Travel as a tool for transformation
Join Dan’s online community here
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Additional Resources:
- Pico Iyer Journeys
- Pico Iyer TED Talks
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The psychology and neuroscience of revenge.
James Kimmel, Jr. is a lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, an expert on revenge, a lawyer, and the founder and co-director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies. He is the creator of The Nonjustice System, the Miracle Court app, and SavingCain.org for recovering from grievances and revenge desires and preventing mass violence. His most recent book is The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World’s Deadliest Addiction—and How to Overcome It.
In this episode we talk about:
- The horrific and violent bullying he endured as a child—which provoked his interest in the subject of revenge
- The connection between revenge and addiction
- Our evolutionary programming for revenge
- Practical strategies for when you feel wronged
- How to seek justice without revenge
- An antidote to revenge cravings
- And much more
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we’re now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For the month of October, those meditations will come from Sebene Selassie, a Buddhist teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition.
In this episode, you’ll hear our executive producer, DJ Cashmere, in conversation with Sebene, who shares her backstory: how she first came to Buddhism and meditation, some of the challenges in her life, and what she hopes to bring to the 10% Happier community this month.
Related Episodes:
- Sebene Selassie, a Life of Service While Fighting Breast Cancer
- Discomfort: A Counterintuitive Source of Hope | Sebene Selassie
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
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Thanks to today’s sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
A playbook for finding financial success without compromising your values.
David Gelles is a bestselling author and a climate correspondent for The New York Times. His new book, "Dirtbag Billionaire," reveals how Yvon Chouinard turned Patagonia into one of the world's most remarkable companies.
In this episode we talk about:
- What a ‘dirtbag’ means
- The innovative ways in which Chouinard ran his company
- The question of whether or not capitalism can be “done right”
- How to talk to your kids about about capitalism
- Whether or not capitalism and the Dharma can co-exist
- Advice on how to live in a capitalist system
- How much time the species has left before we need to get our shit together on climate
- And more
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Additional Resources:
- David’s first 10% Happier interview
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris. Thanks to today's sponsors: Stitch Fix: Get started today with stitchfix.com/happier and get 20% off your first order when you buy five or more items. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
How to stay calm and steady in uncertain times.
Trudy Goodman, Ph.D., is the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is widely known for her role as the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series The Midnight Gospel.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to trust yourself
- Why Trudy is interested in this topic of self-trust
- Why Trudy doesn’t love the word “enlightenment”, but does want to make the concept more accessible
- What self-love does — and doesn’t — look like, especially in a Buddhist context
- Staying steady in uncertain times
- Intuition and trusting yourself
- The importance of getting out of your own bubble and differentiating between your opinions and values
- The connection between forgiveness and trusting yourself
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Additional Resources:
- InsightLA
- How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism will know that “delusion” is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a positive way. In fact, the Buddha included delusion (aka: confusion about the way things really are) on his list of “the three poisons.” The whole point of meditation, per the Buddha, is to uproot delusion -- along with greed and hatred. Only then can you be enlightened. My guest today is here to valiantly make the case that delusion -- or self-deception -- has an upside. Many upsides, in fact. While he concedes that self-deception can, of course, be massively harmful, he argues that it also plays a vital role in our success and wellbeing, and that it holds together friendships, marriages, and nations. Understanding this, he says, can make you happier, more effective, and -- crucially -- more empathetic with people with whom you disagree. Shankar Vedantam is the host of the popular podcast and radio show Hidden Brain. His latest book is called Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain.
In this episode we talk about:
- the many ways our brains filter and alter our perception of reality
- why we evolved for a robust capacity to lie to ourselves
- and how his research on delusions has colored his view of the chaos and confusion of our modern world.
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From The Way Out Is In, the official podcast of Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, co-hosted by frequent 10% guest Brother Chan Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino. In this installment, Brother Phap Huu and Jo discuss the true meaning of Zen, finding beauty and meaning in simplicity, and how to practice so in everyday life. Also, what does it mean to be part of a Zen tradition? And how do we practice Zen? How do we see the world ‘through the eyes of Zen’? The conversation also touches upon the cultivation of mindfulness, concentration, and insight; the importance of humility; finding beauty in the mundane; the sacredness of objects and spaces; the role of rituals and routines; the balance between sophistication and simplicity in one’s spiritual practice; and much more. The episode concludes with a short meditation, guided by Brother Phap Huu, on being present and grateful for the wonders of life. Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
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Because even doing the dishes can be an opportunity to wake up.
We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from dharma teacher Kamala Masters as chosen by our executive producer DJ Cashmere. Kamala reflects on the practice of equanimity, and how to be mindful even in the “hell realm” of raising young children.
Full Episode:
How To Be Okay No Matter What | Kamala Masters
Join Dan’s online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
SPONSORS:
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A toolkit for navigating your fears, finding your “core,” and having sovereignty over your nervous system.
Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and the host of two award-winning podcasts.
In this episode we talk about:
- The inspiration behind her new book (it involves a fateful game of pickleball)
- The importance of building a strong "core" rather than operating from a place of dysfunction or fear
- How to achieve sovereignty over your nervous system
- Brené’s "above the line" / "below the line" practice
- How language acts as an indicator light for our emotions
- The role of our values and how to operationalize them
- Why we shit talk other people
- How to build your capacity for paradoxical thinking
- And more
Related Episodes:
- You're Doing Feelings Wrong
- Vulnerability: The Key to Courage
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- Values Exercise
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
Odoo: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting odoo.com. Modern management made simple.
Practical ways to lead a good life.
Kieran Setiya is the Peter de Florez Professor of Philosophy at MIT, where he works on ethics and related questions about human agency and human knowledge. He is the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide and Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way. He also maintains a Substack newsletter, Under the Net.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Kieran became interested in practical philosophy (and philosophy more generally)
- A brief history of philosophy
- The connection between philosophy and self-help
- Whether Buddhism is a philosophy?
- The upside of missing out (as opposed to FOMO)
- Kieran’s mild beef with the Stoics
- techniques for dealing with grief and loss
- Why living well is not the same as feeling happy
- The connection between Plato, Aristotle and contemporary influencers today
- How to deal with physical adversity
- Navigating failure
- Kieran’s case for meditation
- Operationalizing the cliché of “enjoying the process” rather than the outcome
- How to deal with the injustices of the world
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
SPONSORS: Bumble: Thinking about dating again? Take this as your sign and start your love story on Bumble.
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Our Teacher of the Month answers a common question: how do I find the time to meditate? Vinny turns this question on its head, and his answer might surprise you.
Join Dan’s online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
SPONSORS:
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A guide to navigating “the rodeo of life”.
Academy Award–winning actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey is a husband and a father, an eternal optimist, a hopeful skeptic, and a man of faith who believes that we should all start sellin’ Sunday morning like a Saturday night. His latest book is Poems and Prayers.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Matthew’s prayer practice looks like
- How to figure out what your beliefs are
- His relationship with doubt and humility
- How to reframe your relationship with failure, risk, and embarrassment
- Morning rituals and how to prepare for the day
- Sins, cynicism, and what to do when things get hard
- Matthew’s take on the world
- Misconceptions of ‘good’ and ‘evil’
- The difference between ‘hope’ and ‘belief’
- Why “belief is punk rock”
- And more
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
SPONSORS:Monarch Money: use code Happier at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year.
A Buddhist recipe for reclaiming your sanity.
Phillip Moffitt is a Buddhist meditation teacher and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He has written several books and is also the founder and president of Life Balance Institute.
In this episode we talk about:
- A Buddhist recipe for navigating life’s ups and downs
- Mindfulness tools for happier and smarter transitions
- We dive into the the Noble eightfold path
- Managing transitions with maximal happiness and resilience
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Additional Resources:
- To join Phillip’s email list, sign up here.
- Phillip's “Core Values and Essential Intentions Worksheet”
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
Function: Our first 1000 listeners get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier100 at signup to own your health.
Are you living by default or by design? A provocative question from an NYU business professor.
Suzy Welch is an award-winning NYU Stern School of Business professor, acclaimed management researcher, and New York Times best-selling author, most recently with “Becoming You: A Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career.”
In this episode we talk about:
- The distinction between purpose and happiness
- What values actually are––and why it’s so hard for people to name their own
- 15 of the most significant core values
- The importance of knowing how other people experience your personality
- Tools for envisioning your desired future
- Why knowing your passion is not enough
- And much more
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- Values Bridge
- Pie 360
- Suzy’s books
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors: AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. Coop Sleep Goods: Upgrade your sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/happier10 to get 20% off your first order.
Guess what: you don’t have to fix yourself.
All this month, we’re sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Vinny Ferraro, exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we’re giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month.
Related Episodes:
- You Can’t Hate Yourself Into Becoming a Better Person | Vinny Ferraro
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
When life gets turbulent, is self-care self-indulgent?
Emma Heming Willis is a mother, step-mother, wife, and an advocate. After her husband, Bruce Willis, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, she became a passionate voice for care partners and families navigating neurodegenerative disease. Her new book is called The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.
In this episode we talk about:
- The moment Bruce was diagnosed
- The importance of self-care and community support for caregivers
- Actionable advice on making time for oneself
- How to ask for and accept help when you need it
- Why learning to care for other people is a skill we should all develop (and how it might actually enhance your life)
- Tools for dealing with life’s most difficult emotions
- How to reframe painful experiences
- And much more
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
A raw conversation about addiction, love, death, grief, recovery, and more.
Elizabeth Gilbert is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nonfiction and fiction books such as Big Magic and Eat Pray Love. Her new memoir is All The Way To The River: Love, Loss, and Liberation.
In this episode we talk about:
- Ways that Elizabeth fostered dependency in her life
- What Elizabeth means when she says “make other people into my home”
- The modalities and practices Elizabeth uses to ground in her daily life
- The definition of healthy relationships – and how to have them
- Self-compassion
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
Stitch Fix: Get started today with stitchfix.com/happier and get 20% off your first order when you buy five or more items.
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
When it comes to your demons, your baggage, you have a choice: transform or transmit.
Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, (“Sister D”) was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).
In this episode we talk about:
- The “beginning anew” practice: what it is, plus why and how it helps.
- Is focusing on yourself self-indulgent?
- The four kinds of people, according to the buddha
- The concept of “soulmate” in a Buddhist context
Related Episodes:
- Buddhist Strategies For Reducing Everyday Addictions (To Your Phone, Food, Booze, And More) | Sister Dang Nghiem
- This Episode Will Make You Stronger | Sister Dang Nghiem
- “I am enough” (guided meditation by Sister D)
Join Dan’s online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Then he got put in charge of a losing team, and he turned them into winners.
Dan Quinn is Head Coach of the Washington Commanders. He was fired from the Atlanta Falcons back in 2020, then signed up for a “360 review” where he solicited feedback from former players, peers, and bosses. He then brought all those learnings to his new job at the Commanders, where last year (his first year with the team), he created a very interesting culture. They had a surprisingly great, headline-making season last year, and their opening game of this season is today, September 7.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to solicit and handle tough feedback
- How to give clear feedback without being a jerk
- Secrets for getting the best out of people
- Strategies for recovering from defeat and other varieties of setbacks
Related Episodes:
- How To Stop Worrying About What People Think Of You | Michael Gervais
- Dr. Michael Gervais, Sports Psychologist
- The “Performance Whisperer” George Mumford Has Deep Strategies for Flow and Success
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The creator of somatic experiencing shows Dan how to heal trauma through the body. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., has spent the past 50 years developing Somatic Experiencing. He holds a doctorate in Biophysics from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. His work has been taught to over 30,000 therapists in over 42 countries. He is the author of the new book, An Autobiography of Trauma.
Content warning: This episode includes discussions of rape and violence.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to do somatic experiencing. You’ll see Dan play the role of guinea pig + make weird sounds
- The difference between somatic experiencing and talk therapy
- Somatic experiencing practices we can implement into our lives
- Why some people feel horror/terror at the thought of re-occupying the body and how to overcome those fears
- What the research says – and how these practices around body awareness have gone from the fringes to entering the scientific mainstream
- And how to move through ancient wounds – and enrich our lives (whether we have trauma or not)
- Practices to fortify us in times of difficulty
- Facing mortality
This episode was first published in April 2024.
Related Episodes:
- Become An Active Operator Of Your Nervous System | Deb Dana
- What Science and Buddhism Say About How to Regulate Your Own Nervous System | Deb Dana & Kaira Jewel Lingo
- How to Live with the Worst Things That Ever Happened to You | Stephanie Foo
- An Ace Therapist Gives Dan A Run For His Money | Dr. Jacob Ham
- How to Get Out of Your Head | Willa Blythe Baker
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here! On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
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An expert trauma therapist offers a master class in resilience.
Linda Thai LMSW is a trauma therapist specializing in cutting-edge brain-and body-based modalities for complex developmental trauma. As an educator, she adeptly communicates on trauma, attachment, and the impact of oppressive systems. Passionate about healing trauma, Linda is redefining what it means to be wounded and whole and a healer.
In this episode we talk about:
- A primer on your nervous system
- Stress, distress, traumatic stress and burnout
- The relationship between stress and digestion
- How to figure out if you’re stressed, burned out or traumatized
- Practical tools for resetting your nervous system
Related Episodes:
- The Art and Science of the World’s Gooiest Cliche | Barbara Fredrickson
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
How to reduce negative thoughts, get deep rest, and improve cellular health.
Elissa Epel, Ph.D., is an international expert on stress, well-being, and optimal aging and a best-selling author of The Telomere Effect, and The Stress Prescription. She is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, at the University of California, San Francisco, where she is Vice Chair of Psychology and directs the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center.
In this episode we talk about:
- What telomeres are
- Why chronic stress accelerates our rate of aging – and how to reverse it
- How we have way more control over aging than we think
- Small, consistent lifestyle changes we can make to promote longer telomeres
- The role of existential stress
- Meditation retreats as a reset for the nervous system
- How even 5-minutes of daily meditation can help
- Breathing practices that increase vagal tone
- Deep rest, and other states of mind that are crucial for cellular repair and growth
- How to counteract the impacts of stress eating
- How to reframe stress as a challenge
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Become an Active Operator of Your Nervous System | Deb Dana
- What Science and Buddhism Say About How to Regulate Your Own Nervous System | Deb Dana & Kaira Jewel Lingo
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we’re now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For the month of September, those meditations will come from Vinny Ferraro, a Buddhist teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition.
In this bonus episode, you’ll hear our head of content, DJ Cashmere, in conversation with Vinny, who shares his backstory: a tough kid from Brooklyn who found the Buddhist tradition to be the most helpful thing in his life.
Related Episodes:
- A Radical Buddhist Approach To Making This The Best Year Of Your Life | Vinny Ferraro
- Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Practical learnings from Dan and his CEO on: focus, feedback, self-talk, and expecting adversity.
10% Media head honcho Toni Magyar joins Dan for a candid conversation about how to reset after a professional setback, navigating some tricky transitions, and how self-compassion and clear communication can make it all a bit easier.
In this episode we talk about:
- Celebrating the one-year anniversary of our new business, independent of the app company that Dan co-founded
- How acknowledging that change is constant helps us live with uncertainty
- What it means to operate with self-compassion and why that’s different from lowering your standards
- Some of our big plans for the next year, including more live meditation and Q&As with Dan and the Teachers of the Month
Related Episodes:
- I Just Went Through A Career Earthquake. Here’s What I Learned About Anger, Insomnia, and Bouncing Back | Dan Harris
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
What to do when the voice in your head is an asshole.
Sebene Selassie is an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter remind me to love and her first book is called, You Belong.
Jeff Warren is an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with Dan, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod.
Aaron Schultz aka DJ DRM has crisscrossed the globe for decades playing his own unique brand of dance music. Aaron is also a longtime meditator and Dharma practitioner in the Dharma Drum lineage of Chan Buddhism, and is a passionate devotee of GuanYin Bodhisattva.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to relate to sticky stories and emotions
- How to face unpleasant feelings
- The 5 hindrances (that’s a Buddhist list of the main problems that arise in meditation) and how sneaky they can be
- The potential pitfalls of a “good sit”
- The role of right effort in meditation
- How expectations make us suffer
- Neurodivergence
- Working with shame (and how it differs from wise remorse)
- The connection between dancing and the Dharma (and why Dan is too self-conscious to dance)
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
Liquid IV: Savor the last bits of summer with Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LiquidIV.com and get 20% off your first order with code HAPPIER at checkout.
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
You talk all day. Here’s how to do it better, according to a professor from Harvard Business School.
Alison Wood Brooks comes from the Harvard Business School, where she teaches a course called “TALK: How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life,” which she has now turned into a book, called TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.
In this episode we talk about:
- The evolution of conversation
- Why conversation is a skill — not just a natural talent
- How to develop conversational skills, including common conversational pitfalls to avoid
- Granular, tactical pieces of advice on how to have a conversation
- The science behind conversation that may surprise you
- Listening tips
- Conversational repair strategies
- How kindness can go pear shaped
- How to handle difficult moments in conversation
- The difference between focusing on other people and people pleasing
- How to integrate these incredible learnings into your life
- How soft skills are becoming increasingly more valuable with the rise of AI
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Additional Resources:
- Alison’s band, The Lights
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
Function Health: Learn more and join using our link. Visit www.functionhealth.com/HAPPIER to own your health.
Factor Meals: Eat smart at FactorMeals.com/TENPERCENT50OFF and use code TENPERCENT50OFF to get 50% off your first box, plus free breakfast for 1 year.
AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.
What to do when you're in the grip of grief, anxiety, or overwhelm. Our Teacher of the Month, Kaira Jewel Lingo, has some suggestions for finding your way through.
Join Dan’s online community here
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On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here! Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from dharma teacher Vinny Ferraro, as chosen by our producer Eleanor Vasilli. Vinny explores the concept of “alignment” and how you can actually choose your own attitude – and choose your own adventure.
Full Episode: Three Buddhist Practices for Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro
Join Dan’s online community here
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here! Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
The highest form of self compassion (is seeing there’s no self in the first place).
Caverly Morgan is a meditation teacher who blends the original spirit of Zen with a modern nondual approach, drawing from her eight years of training in a silent Zen monastery. She's authored two books—The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together and A Kids Book About Mindfulness. Caverly is also the Founder and Lead Contemplative of two nonprofits—Peace in Schools, creating the first U.S. semester-long credited mindfulness course in high schools, and Realizing Freedom Together, dedicated to making practices that lead to liberation for all, accessible to all. Learn more at caverlymorgan.org
In this episode we talk about:
- How to move past a constricted view of the self
- Relative vs absolute truth
- Joseph Goldstein tips on getting a glimpse of no self
- The perks of meat and potato dharma
- More practices to help supercharge our practice
- How love and self-compassion factor into all of this
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Additional Resources:
Website: Things Caverly wished she said to Dan Harris
A Practice: Fleshing Out Our Conditioning Prompts:
- In order to be loved, I need to . . .
- During times of conflict, I should . . .
- My parents always taught me that . . .
- I deserve . . .
- I’ll be comfortable when . . .
- I’ll be happy when . . .
- I know I should avoid . . .
- If only . . .
- Other people would be happy if I . . .
- It’s best not to . . .
- I’m usually afraid of . . .
- To feel successful I need to . . .
- The thing I should most watch out for is . . .
- I never seem to be able to . . .
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
SPONSORS: Leesa Go to leesa.com for 30% off mattresses, plus get an extra $50 off with the promo code “happier”.
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How it can help with stress, anxiety, and panic.
Dr. David Spiegel is Willson Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry at Stanford School of Medicine. Standing on a lifetime of research and clinical experience (nearly 50 years), he is a world renowned expert on hypnosis and has treated more than 7,000 patients with it. He founded the Reveri app to make his methodology accessible to all.
In this episode we talk about:
- What hypnosis actually is — and how it does or doesn’t differ from the mainstream conceptions (ie stage hypnotists)
- The types of people who are — and aren’t — hypnotizable. And why.
- We go over the steps of self-hypnosis, so you can do it at home
- We talk about the differences between hypnosis and a flow state
- The difference between hypnosis and meditation
- What happens in the brain during the hypnosis
- And what hypnosis is helpful for, including stress, anxiety, and panic (sidenote: Dan agreed to do the interview because he really wanted to see if hypnosis could help him with his ongoing claustrophobia on airplanes and elevators. You’ll get to hear him try…)
Try Dr. David Spiegel's Reveri app: 20% off yearly or lifetime with code 10PERCENT
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Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
SPONSORS:
Function Health Learn more and join using our link. Visit www.functionhealth.com/HAPPIER to own your health. Monarch Money Get control of your overall finances with Monarch Money. Use the code “happier” at monarchmoney.com in your browser for 50% off your first year.
All this month, we’re sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Kaira Jewel Lingo, exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we’re giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. This meditation is about learning to sit with discomfort.
Related Episodes:
- Are You Overcomplicating Your Life? Meet August's Teacher of the Month, Kaira Jewel Lingo
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
It’s good to apologize when you’ve hurt someone’s feelings, but there’s more to “making up” than simply an apology. We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff, and this week we’re hearing from parenting expert and psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy about taking the next step when you’ve made a mistake.
Full Episode:
How to Repair the Damage After a Fight | Dr. Becky Kennedy
The Single Most Important Parenting Strategy | Becky Kennedy | TED
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
How to (constructively) lower the bar on your meditation practice.
Ofosu Jones-Quartey is a meditation teacher, hip-hop artist, and author based in the DC area. He’s a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience bringing mindfulness, self-compassion, and creativity to people of all ages. His stage name is “Born I,”, and his new book is called Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The definition of open-awareness meditation
- How it differs from classical concentration practices (such as focusing on your breath, or loving kindness phrases)
- Why Ofosu chose open-awareness meditation (in direct response to his struggles with OCD)
- How you can practice open-awareness meditation
- The benefits of a technique called “mental noting”
- The “practice self-assessment tapes” that we run in our mind
- Self-compassion and “lowering the bar” in your meditation practice
- The relationship between neurodiversity and meditation in general
- How to depersonalize the experience of suffering
- And we hear some of Ofosu’s music and the life experiences that inspired it
Related Episodes:
- How to Become a Regular Meditator (and More) | Alexis Santos
- A More Relaxed Way to Meditate | Alexis Santos
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- Lyrical Dharma Music Playlist
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
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An expert in failure shows us how to find success in the most counterintuitive way.
Manu Kapur is currently the Director of the Singapore-ETH Center, and Professor for Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, where he also directs The Future Learning Initiative (FLI). Manu is also the Founding Chair of the ETH Zurich – EPFL Joint Doctoral Program in the Learning Sciences.
In this episode we talk about:
- The definition of Productive Failure (a concept Manu developed that allows you to design for and harness failure for deeper learning)
- Why we learn more from failing than from succeeding
- The difference between desirable and undesirable failure
- The neuroscience of curiosity
- Practical ways to incorporate productive failure into your daily life
- How to get into your “failure zone”
- Cool concepts like the looking back and moving the Gold posts
- How to normalize failure and create environments in which other people feel safe to fail
- The role of psychological safety and a growth mindset
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Productive Failure
- Manu’s Ted Talk
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors:
Coop Sleep Goods Upgrade your summer sleep. Visit coopsleepgoods.com/HAPPIER10 to get 20% off your first order.
Open Phone OpenPhone is offering our listeners 20% off of your first 6 months at OpenPhone.com/happier.
NOCD Head over to nocd.com and book a free 15‑minute call with their team, to learn more and start getting help with OCD.
Sharing an episode today from our friend Gretchen Rubin’s podcast, Happier. Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth Craft discuss the idea of the “familect” and why it might be fun to create a dictionary for our own familect. They also talk about a hack that makes it easier to use a smartphone, and they share dozens of listeners’ thought-provoking “Secrets of Adulthood.”
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from therapist Dick Schwartz, as chosen by Mani Chandy from our Substack team. Schwartz is the founder of Internal Family Systems, a way of looking at all of the various “parts” that we have inside ourselves, and how they can work together or make things harder for us.
Full Episodes: How to Handle Your Demons | Richard SchwartzHow (and Why) To Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Join Dan’s online community here
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
An avalanche of practical advice and brief (but powerful) life lessons.
Gretchen Rubin is a New York Times bestselling author and happiness expert who explores human nature and habits. She’s a highly acclaimed writer, host of the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin and the founder of the award-winning Happier app.
In this episode we talk about:
- What aphorisms are, and why they’re useful
- How to make decisions that lead to a “bigger life"
- Why you should pay special attention to anything you lie about or hide
- The argument against task-sharing
- The dangers of being indecisive
- Why offering emotional validation can often be more powerful than offering solutions
- Why you should pay close attention when people repeat themselves over and over
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- The Happiness Project: Revisited
- How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships
- Small Ways to Improve Your Everyday Life Right Now
- Outer Order, Inner Calm
- 'The Four Tendencies'
- Gretchen Rubin (Our Long-Lost Pilot Episode)
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- Gretchen’s books
- The “Five Things Making Me Happy” Newsletter
- Gretchen on Substack: Secrets of Adulthood
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here.
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
A conversation with a Cornell professor who is attempting to rebrand the concept of defiance.
Dr. Sunita Sah started her career as a physician but then switched over to organizational psychology. At Cornell, she conducts research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. She is the author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Dr. Sah defines defiance
- The costs of compliance
- The five stages of defiance
- How to make defiance a practice
- The upside of tension
- The importance of knowing your values — how to articulate them, and how this relates to our biology, specifically our hormones
- The gender components of defiance
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Sponsors: Smalls: For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com/HAPPIER.
Function Health: Learn more and join using our link. The first 1,000 get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/HAPPIER or use gift code HAPPIER 100 at sign-up to own your health.
We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we’re now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For the month of August, those meditations will come from Kaira Jewel Lingo, a Buddhist teacher who spent 15 years as a monastic in the Plum Village tradition.
In this bonus episode, you’ll hear our head of content, DJ Cashmere, in conversation with Kaira Jewel, sharing some of her fascinating backstory. From a communal Christian community in Chicago, to a Zen monastery in the south of France, to making her life as an independent teacher in New York, you’ll hear how the thread of “voluntary simplicity” runs through all of it.
Related Episodes:
- How To Keep Your Relationships On the Rails | Kaira Jewel Lingo
- A Buddhist Recipe for Handling Turmoil | Kaira Jewel Lingo
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
A conversation with singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and psychologist Dacher Keltner, recorded at the New York Times Well Festival, moderated by Dan. All three of them have dealt with anxiety and continue to work with it, and they discuss the ways they look for joy and sustainable wellness.
Related Episodes:
- Sara Bareilles: Anxiety, Anger, and Art
- The Evolutionary Case for Kindness | Dacher Keltner
- This Scientist Says One Emotion May Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.
Join Dan’s online community here
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To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
Reclaim your power from the news, booze, shopping, or denial.
Ayya Anandabodhi is the spiritual director of Pārāyana Vihāra, a monastic residence in Port Townsend, WA. She was raised in Wales, in the UK, and first encountered Buddhism in her early teens and began training as a nun at age 24. You can listen to some of her Dharma talks, here.
In this episode we talk about:
- What centering means – and how to do it in the midst of chaos or calamity (Including some very practical tips)
- The difference between centering vs equanimity
- How to break out of old patterns
- The power of pausing
- How anger is justified, but it doesn’t help
- A quick but deep dive into the Four Noble truths, a foundational Buddhist list
- We tackle the tricky topic of “true nature”
- We talk about the vital role of that treacly and often misunderstood term, compassion
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A happiness expert explains how to alter your ego, reduce self-consciousness, and boost “okayness”.
Bruce Hood has been a Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at Bristol University since 1999, and for the past 5 years he has been concentrating on how to make students happier. He undertook his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Cambridge followed by appointments at University College London, MIT and a faculty professorship at Harvard.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to define happiness
- How to be happy in the midst of a shitshow
- How to shift from being egocentric (self-focused) to allocentric (interconnected)
- The impacts of social isolation (and how to avoid it)
- The challenge of optimism (and how to overcome it)
- Finding a “flow state” through meditation
- How to enhance your social connections
- Where “true, authentic happiness” comes from
- Controlling attention and rejecting negative comparisons
- The role of nature
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well
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Dan welcomed his friend, the actor, neuroscientist and podcaster Mayim Bialik, and her co-host Jonathan Cohen to Substack with a live conversation. They talked about anxiety – one of many things they have in common – along with faith, imagination, manifestation (not in the way you might think), and what’s the best time of day to meditate.
Find Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts, and they’re also on Substack.
Related Episodes:
- Mayim Bialik On: Anxiety, Anger, Believing in Both Neuroscience and God, and the Pressures of Being a Teen TV Star
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We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from death doula Alua Arthur, as chosen by our managing producer Lauren Smith. Arthur helps people with all the non-medical aspects of dying – emotional, spiritual, and practical – and she has a simple question that she says simplifies decision-making and stress.
Full Episode:
How Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua Arthur
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Plus other intriguing questions answered such as: should you change your personality? What exactly is a personality anyway?
Olga Khazan is a staff writer for The Atlantic. Her new book is called Me, But Better.
In this episode we talk about:
- The definition of personality
- The so-called big 5 aspects of personality and Olga’s attempts to work on them
- How to spice up your social life
- The concept of conscientiousness, and how to get better at it
- An antidote to procrastination
- Tips for reducing neuroticism
- The role of psychedelics
- Practical ways to make reasonable changes in the midst of a busy life
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The attitude that can help you survive the Trump era.
Gregory Boyle is an American Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world. He is the acclaimed author of Tattoos on the Heart, Barking to the Choir, The Whole Language, and most recently, Cherished Belonging.
In this episode we talk about:
- His unique understanding of God—one that even agnostics can get behind
- How to build communities that counteract polarization
- The practice of affectionate awe
- Father Boyle’s antidotes to despair
- His own daily practice
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Can You Really Conquer Hatred Through Love? | Father Gregory Boyle
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Additional Resources:
- Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground
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A lot of us have questions about our meditation practice, but we may not have anybody to ask. Am I doing it right? Which kind of meditation should I be doing? How do I choose? Today, our Teacher of the Month Dawn Mauricio breaks down some of those questions with some actionable suggestions you can take into your next meditation session.
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We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from Buddhist scholar and teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi, as chosen by Tara Anderson, one of our podcast producers. We’re getting a little meta today, as Dan and his guest talk about paying attention to what your own mind is doing.
Full Episode:
The Mental States That Steal Your Calm | Bhikkhu Bodhi
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The happiness recipe from ancient Buddhist psychology.
Beth Upton has been teaching meditation since 2014. Before that she spent ten years as a Buddhist nun, five of them in Burma under the guidance of Pa Auk Sayadaw. She currently leads the Sanditthika Meditation Community.
In this episode we talk about:
- The Buddhist Abhidhamma, which Beth calls “particle physics for the mind”
- Why she’s interested in the broader teaching of Kusala (happy mind states)
- Practical ways to design our lives to get more Kusala
- The beautiful qualities of mind that all co-arise in a moment of Kusala
- How we get tripped up in the realm of the “unwholesome”
- How Beth navigates Kusala and Akusala in her day to day life
Related Episodes:
- The Profound Upsides of Mortality | Nikki Mirghafori, PhD
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Harness the power of suggestion for well-being, pain management, and mental health.
Dr. Amir Raz is a world-renowned expert on the science of suggestion with recent positions as Canada Research Chair, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Psychology at McGill University, and as Founding Director of The Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University. His most recent book is The Suggestible Brain: The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Dr. Raz transitioned from a career in magic to neuroscience
- The science of suggestibility, how it’s defined, and its relation to hypnosis
- Stage hypnosis vs medical hypnosis
- How the power of suggestion could be therapeutically harnessed to impact our physiology, behavior, and well-being
- Practical exercises for increasing thought control
- The "magical ingredient" when it comes to dealing with life's challenges
- Why placebos may work even when you know you’re taking them
- How we protect ourselves against mis–and–disinformation
- And much more
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All this month, we’re sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Dawn Mauricio, exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we’re giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. This meditation can be helpful when you’re spiraling and need to interrupt the momentum of chaos.
Related Episodes:
- How Meditation Can Help You Handle Injured Feelings and Injured Muscles | Dawn Mauricio
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We’re bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we’re hearing from comedian and actor Bill Hader, as chosen by our digital media manager, Hayden Broom. Hader was part of our “Non-Negotiables” series, and he told Dan, with some disappointment, that “the hippies were right.”
Full Episode:
Bill Hader on Anxiety, Imposter Syndrome, and Leaning Into Discomfort
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Six practical steps to harness the full power of your mind.
Our guest today is James R. Doty, a neurosurgeon who has just written a whole book about the science of manifestation – although, as you’ll hear him admit, there’s very little ‘magic’ involved in his process.
James R. Doty, M.D. is a Stanford neurosurgeon, neuroscientist, compassion researcher, inventor, entrepreneur, author and philanthropist. He’s the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University.
In this episode we talk about:
- Doty’s six steps to manifest
- His very interesting backstory
- The art and science of intention setting and the role of our neural pathways.
- How caring can ignite our parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn can help us manifest better
- Practical tips for embedding an intention into our subconscious
- The keys to understanding what we want vs. what we need
- And how to ‘alert the bloodhound’ to harness the full power of your mind
We originally aired this episode in July 2024.
Related Episodes:
-
388. The Science of Training Your Attention | Dr. Amishi Jha
- The Art and Science of Compassion: Thupten Jinpa
-
425. Compassion Is the Ultimate Tool for the Truly Ambitious | Paul Gilbert
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On maintaining sanity in insane times.
Ezra Klein is an opinion columnist and host of the award-winning Ezra Klein Show podcast at The New York Times. His latest book is Abundance, co-authored with Derek Thompson. He is also the author of Why We’re Polarized, an instant New York Times bestseller, named one of Barack Obama’s top books of 2022. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Ezra maintains some degree of equanimity
- Digital hygiene
- Ezra’s meditation practice
- Ezra’s tattoo, which is a reminder to maintain intellectual humility
- Ezra’s new end of the day ritual
- The future of the species at what appears to be a pivotal moment.
Related Episodes:
- How to Be a Good and Sane Citizen in Ugly Times | Ezra Klein
- Ezra Klein, How We Interact with Politics Matters
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Plus: How to build a meditation practice you keep coming back to.
We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we’re now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For the month of July, those meditations will come from Dawn Mauricio, a teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition whom we love.
In this kickoff episode, you’ll hear our head of content, DJ Cashmere, in conversation with Dawn, who shares a little of her backstory and her journey to become a teacher. You’ll learn about the hardest thing she’s ever done in her life, how she describes herself as a meditation teacher, and how an injury she’s currently dealing with has turned out to have some genuine upsides.
Related Episodes:
- How To Handle Difficult People | Dawn Mauricio
- What “Getting Out of Your Head” Actually Means | Dawn Mauricio
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A scream-queen (and Dan’s old friend) talks control, insecurity, friendship, and parenthood.
Allison Williams is an actress, producer, and singer best known for her breakout role on HBO’s award winning TV series GIRLS, the blockbuster film GET OUT, the science fiction horror film M3GAN, and now its sequel, M3GAN 2.0.
In this episode we talk about:
- Self-improvement versus self-acceptance
- The “friendship recession” among men
- Aging authentically and “caring less”
- Catastrophizing in parenthood
- How to avoid passing your anxieties onto your children
- The making of her latest flick, M3GAN 2.0
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Alexander Dreymon (Star of Netflix’s “The Last Kingdom”) on: Therapy, Marriage, Anger, Masculinity, Meditation, and Being Nice (Even If You’re a Viking)
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Additional Resources:
- Listen to Allison’s new podcast, Landlines. New episodes drop every Monday.
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The Zen monk who burned out. How he fixed it. And how you can, too.
Brother Chân Pháp Hữu began training at the age of 13 with the legendary Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh — who was an author, activist, and founder of the Plum Village tradition. Today Brother Pháp Hữu is the abbot of Plum Village’s Upper Hamlet and the co-host of the Plum Village podcast The Way Out Is In. He also recently co-authored a book, called Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnout.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why humans today are busier and more overwhelmed than ever before
- Why monastics aren’t immune to burnout
- How busyness is thrust upon us by the world, but it’s also the result of us running from the shit we don't wanna face
- Practical tools for addressing busyness and burnout
- Why doing nothing is an art
- The role of perspective—and how contemplating your own death can be a huge source of perspective
- The practice of total relaxation
- How to have healthy boundaries without armoring up
- How to say no without pissing people off
- How to protect ourselves in toxic environments
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- The Buddhist Case For Laziness (And How It Can Make You More Productive) | Brother Chân Pháp Hữu
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Why are many of Dan’s favorite meditation teachers consulting a clairvoyant? A special collaboration with Search Engine.
Related Episodes:
- The Science of Training Your Attention | Dr. Amishi Jha
- The Art and Science of Compassion: Thupten Jinpa
- Compassion Is the Ultimate Tool for the Truly Ambitious | Paul Gilbert
- The Science Of Manifestation: Can This Stanford Neuroscientist Convince A Skeptical Dan To Give It A Shot? | Dr. James R. Doty
- The Zen of Therapy | Dr. Mark Epstein
Additional Resources:
- Search Engine podcast
- Starter playlist of Search Engine favorite episodes
- Psychic medium Laura Lynne Jackson
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
We asked listeners to tell us about some of their favorite episodes from our Get Fit Sanely series, and we’ll be bringing you some excerpts of those episodes on Fridays this month. Today, we’re hearing from listener Shannon who made a change in her eating routine after hearing our episode with Br. Chan Pháp Lưu from Plum Village.
Related Episodes:
- Rewire Your Relationship To Food | Brother Pháp Lưu
- How to Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
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How to overcome inertia and research-backed plans that actually work.
Dr. Gary G. Bennett is Dean of the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University. He is also a professor of psychology & neuroscience, global health, medicine, and nursing, and is the founding director of the Duke Digital Health Science Center.
T. Morgan Dixon is the founder and CEO of Girl Trek, the largest health movement in America for Black women– with over one million members.
This episode originally aired in June 2024 – and it’s part of our Get Fit Sanely series.
In this episode we talk about:
- The two important questions to ask yourself in order to get out of bed in the morning
- Techniques to help you find your “why”
- Ways to combat the “three deadly i”s
- The power of community – and how to find one
- How to track your fitness and wellbeing
- And much more
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
- The Dharma of Harriett Tubman | Spring Washam
Join Dan’s online community here
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Additional Resources:
- System Catalysts episode with Morgan and Dr. Bennett
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.
You’re getting the wrong kind of stress. Here’s how to change that.
Jeff Krasno is the co-founder and CEO of Commune, a masterclass platform for personal and societal well-being, and co-creator of Wanderlust, a global series of wellness events. He hosts the Commune podcast and his new book is called Good Stress: The Benefits of Doing Hard Things.
In this episode we talk about:
- Practical strategies for bringing “good stress” into your life
- Fasting
- Communication techniques
- And much more
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
Join Dan’s online community here
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Our guest argues that looking back on those who came before us can help us understand who we are and why we do the things we do. Plus, a very special request from Dan.
Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA and has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Spring came to write about Harriet Tubman’s life
- Her work with plant medicine and the shamanic tradition
- The dream and the “conversations” Spring had with Tubman
- Why we are all so interested in ancestry
- How we can deepen our relationship with our ancestors
- Family Constellation Therapy as a modality for doing ancestry work
- Spring’s own family history
- Why she is still processing the experience of writing her book about Harriet Tubman
- What she means by the “inner underground railroad” and how it is alive today
- And, how, in the inner underground railroad, freedom equates to nirvana
Content Warning: mentions of suicide
This episode originally aired in February 2023, and we’re re-airing it today for two reasons: first, because it’s awesome; and second, because Spring needs help. A few months ago, Spring was hit by a delivery truck while crossing the street in Atlanta. She suffered extensive injuries and has been largely unable to work since then. As a result, she's been experiencing some financial distress between her mounting medical bills and her inability to be fully employed.
We’ve teamed up with the meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman to start a GoFundMe page to help Spring raise a little bit of money. Jack, Trudy and Dan have all contributed. If you can make a contribution, please do. No amount is too small.
You can find the GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-spring-washams-healing-journey
Related Episodes:
- The Dharma of Harriet Tubman | Spring Washam
- Spring Washam, ‘What Was Creating All This Suffering?’
- Everything You Wanted To Know About Meditation Retreats But Were Afraid To Ask | Spring Washam (And Dan’s Close Friend, Zev Borow)
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We asked listeners to tell us about some of their favorite episodes from our Get Fit Sanely series, and we’ll be bringing you some excerpts of those episodes on Fridays this month. Today, we’re hearing from listener Abby, who experienced a game-changing moment in our episode on mobility with Kelly and Juliet Starrett. Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- An Owner’s Manual for Your Body | Juliet and Kelly Starrett
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
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What muscles are for, how to get them, and why it’s never too late to start building them.
Bonnie Tsui is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and the bestselling author of Why We Swim, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Time magazine and NPR Best Book of the Year. Her work has been recognized and supported by Harvard University, the National Press Foundation, the Mesa Refuge, and the Best American Essays series. Her newest book is called On Muscle.
This episode is part of our ongoing Get Fit Sanely series.
In this episode we talk about:
- The connection between our muscles and mental health
- The many benefits of strength training
- How society, culture, and history have shaped the way we think about beauty standards and strength
- Misconceptions about the six-pack
- Running as a tool for healing
- The psychological impact of realizing your own physical potential
- The symbolism and science of the push-up
- The connection between our muscles and our longevity
- Practical advice for beginning strength training
- And food habits that supports muscle growth
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Join Dan’s online community here
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Why it matters for mental health; how to make improvements without succumbing to snake oil; and why you should be looking at your poop.
Dr. Robynne Chutkan is a board certified gastroenterologist and the author of the four books Gutbliss, The Microbiome Solution, The Bloat Cure, and The Anti-Viral Gut. She’s also the host of The Gutbliss Podcast.
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between gut health and mental health
- The microbiome, why it’s important, and how you can view the microbiome through a Buddhist lens
- A crash course on the digestive system
- How to navigate the snake oil – and why some supplements you are taking could be making your gut worse
- We go deep on acid reflux
- The downsides of chewing gum
- Distinguishing belly fat vs bloat
- Why not all gas is bad
Related Episodes:
- Your Brain on Food | Dr. Uma Naidoo
- The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System | Dacher Keltner
- How To Get The Physiological And Psychological Benefits Of Nature If You Don’t Live Near Nature | Dacher Keltner
- The Science Of Walking: The Benefits Of Walking In Nature, Walking Meetings, And Walking Meditation | Dacher Keltner
- I Just Went Through A Career Earthquake. Here’s What I Learned About Anger, Insomnia, And Bouncing Back | Dan Harris
- Behind The Scenes Of The 10% Happier Podcast + A Sneak Preview Of Something Big
- How To Be Sanely Ambitious | Behind the Scenes with Dan and DJ
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We asked listeners to tell us about some of their favorite episodes from our Get Fit Sanely series, and we’ll be bringing you some excerpts of those episodes on Fridays this month. Today, we’re hearing from listener Traci who was introduced to the transformative concept of intuitive eating through our episode with dietician Christy Harrison.
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
- How To Embrace the Anti-Diet | Christy Harrison
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
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A roadmap for a more balanced life.
Claudia Hammond is an award-winning broadcaster, author, and psychology lecturer. In her work she shares the ways that psychological and medical research can help us in our everyday lives, whether through radio, TV, podcasts, public events or books.
This episode is part of our ongoing Get Fit Sanely series.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to define rest
- The health risks of fatigue
- Why your rest is more effective if you don’t feel guilty about it
- Why watching TV is so restful (in moderation)
- Why taking breaks shouldn’t be considered a reward
- How to create your own personal prescription for rest
- Why a "resting state" for the brain is actually quite active
- The restful act of daydreaming (when it doesn’t lead to ruminating)
- Heat therapies for reduced cortisol levels
- Why some forms of movement and exercise can be restful
- The #1 most restful activity based on her research
- And practical advice for incorporating more rest into your busy life
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
- Neuroaesthetics: How Art Can Improve and Extend Your Life | Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- The Art of Rest
- The Keys to Kindness
- Healthcheck
- All in the Mind
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.
Simple and realistic strategies from an ultra-endurance athlete.
Rich Roll is a vegan ultra-endurance athlete and full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, podcast host, public speaker, and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living.
This episode is part of our ongoing Get Fit Sanely Series.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to harness the power of momentum
- The importance of intrinsic motivation
- What being “in shape” actually means
- Practical tips for people who aren’t ultra-endurance athletes
- Why so many people hate vegans and why you should eat more plants anyway
- Unhealthy obsessions with being healthy and the dangers of orthorexia
- Addiction, recovery, and healing childhood wounds
- What Rich’s exercise regime looks like now
- Psychedelics and non-duality
- And much more
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
Join Dan’s online community here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- The Rich Roll Podcast
- Voicing Change Media
- Links to Rich’s books
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.
We asked listeners to tell us about some of their favorite episodes from our Get Fit Sanely series, and we’ll be bringing you some excerpts of those episodes on Fridays this month. Today, we’re hearing from listener Cynthia who had a vivid takeaway from our episode on exercise and the brain with neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki.
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- The Neuroscience of Exercise | Wendy Suzuki
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist Join Dan’s online community here
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Including: “exercise snacking,” prioritizing play, and overcoming “revenge bedtime procrastination.”
Marielle Segarra is a reporter and the host of NPR's Life Kit, the award-winning podcast and radio show that shares trustworthy, nonjudgmental tips that help listeners navigate their lives.
In this episode we talk about:
- How and why Marielle got interested in this stuff
- Exercise and sleep tips that Marielle has incorporated into her own life.
- Something called, “revenge bedtime procrastination” – and how to work with it
- Some key learnings from Marielle’s experience with cancer
- The link between fitness and play—and why play is so important for human flourishing
- How to assess how much play you’re getting and tips for getting more of it
- The very subtle but important question of letting go of outcomes—in other words, not pursuing all of this stuff with so much of an agenda— and actually enjoying the process
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- How to Change Your Habits | Katy Milkman
- LifeKit’s A behavioral scientist's advice for changing your life
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
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Beyond the cliché: listening to your body.
Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD is a former physician and internationally known mindfulness and Insight (Vipassana) meditation teacher. She is the author of “Outsmart Your Pain” and the coauthor of “A Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness”. She is also a senior teacher at InsightLA in Los Angeles. And in her spare time, she runs ultramarathons.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to develop and hone interoception
- How to do practices like a body scan — and how helpful it can be for all aspects of life
- How to shift how we relate to our body
- The four foundations of mindfulness — one of the crucial discourses of the Buddha
- What a healthy relationship to the body looks like
- Translating monastic practices to our modern day lives
- How to reduce stress and suffering in the body
- Indifference vs equanimity / serenity
- Helpful questions to ask yourself in cultivating a new relationship with your body
- The four sources of reluctance or resistance to exercise
- Discipline vs self-compassion
- Unpacking the dysfunction among people who overexercise
- What we can learn from injury
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- How To Outsmart Your Pain | Christiane Wolf
- How To Take Care of Your Body Without Losing Your Mind
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
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Behind the scenes of this year’s Get Fit Sanely series with ace producers Eleanor Vassili and Marissa Schneiderman.
Today we’re kicking off the third annual iteration of a very popular series we do, called Get Fit Sanely. It’s all about how to take care of your body without losing your mind. This is a dynamic tension many of us struggle to manage.
This is our most ambitious version of Get Fit Sanely. We’re dedicating the whole month of June to the topic, with an incredible array of guests, on everything from gut health to importance of rest to how to operationalize the old cliché around listening to your body.
In this episode we talk about:
- Selecting guests and topics for this year’s iteration of the series
- How our producers let curiosity guide their thinking
- How this year’s episodes build on what we’ve covered in the past
- Where our producers’ personal stories come into play
- And an exciting new component we’re finally able to offer (hint: it’s guided meditations)
Paid subscribers of DanHarris.com will have exclusive access to a set of all-new guided meditations, led by friend of the show Cara Lai, customized to accompany each episode of the Get Fit Sanely series. We're super excited to offer a way to help you put the ideas from the episodes into practice. Learn all about it here.
Related Episodes:
- Get Fit Sanely: the podcast playlist
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
- Can You Get Fit Without Self-Loathing? | Cara Lai
- How To Outsmart Your Pain | Christiane Wolf
- The Science of Longevity | Dr. Peter Attia
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An often overlooked secret to improving your meditation practice.
Sebene Selassie, an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter remind me to love and her first book is called, You Belong.
Jeff Warren is also an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular Substack newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with me, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod.
Register for Meditation Party at the Omega Institute, Oct 24–26, 2025.
In this episode we talk about:
- The perks of meditating with friends
- The importance of friendship in chaotic times
- How to have difficult conversations
- Authenticity vs wanton oversharing
- Working with the thorny stuff that can come up in relationships
- Advice for people pleasers
- Building meaningful relationships in the age of social media
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
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Distraction is making you anxious and sleepless. Here’s how to fix it.
Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D. is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, and Founder & Executive Director of Neuroscape at UCSF. He co-authored the 2016 book “The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World”.
In this episode we talk about:
- The impact of multitasking on our attention, relationships, emotions, anxiety, and memory
- The difference between top-down and bottom-up attention
- What it means to have cognitive control—and some practical tools for restoring your own cognitive control.
- Controversial technologies that could eventually help us have a stronger brain
- The impact of music and rhythm on the mind
- And how to use technology for your brain’s benefit
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We asked not too long ago in the chat on our Substack community – which you can find at DanHarris.com – about what kinds of things you’d find useful as Friday bonus episodes, and one of the things we heard was: more guided meditations, please. So today, we are happy to oblige with this short meditation that I led, as part of our semi-regular live gatherings of the Renegade Sangha on Substack. Twice a month, paid subscribers are invited to join me, live, for a little guided meditation, then I take your questions. It’s been so much fun to hear from you, and to help you hear from each other.
Today’s guided meditation is taken from our sangha gathering on April 23. It’s super simple and good for both beginners and experienced meditators alike.
If you enjoyed that and would like more opportunities to meditate together, here’s what we’ve got coming up for you in June:
- on the podcast, we’re bringing back our series Get Fit Sanely, where we talk about how to take care of your body without losing your mind – you’ll hear about nutrition, exercise, rest, and more, all with a lens of self-compassion
- and we’re super excited about this: friend of the pod and ace meditation teacher Cara Lai will be creating a month of bespoke meditations, each one tailored to an episode of the podcast, exclusively for paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. This is something we’ve been wanting to offer for a long time and I’m thrilled that we’re finally doing it.
Visit DanHarris.com for all the details
This episode explores a compelling Buddhist question: does self-hatred, or self-love, make sense if the self is an illusion? Matthew Brensilver, PhD, is a clinical social worker and experienced teacher of meditation retreats. He also worked at an organization called Mindful Schools, which teaches teachers how to teach meditation.
This episode also explores:
- How and why to view your anger with skepticism
- The relationship between self-love and personal ethics
- What to do if you think you’re a good person but have no interest in changing your behavior to get better
- How to handle a nagging sense of moral un-justifiability
- And how Matthew has arrived at a place of relative peace with his own mortality.
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How to beat perfectionism without lowering your standards.
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist who will help you calm your anxiety and be your authentic self. She serves on the faculty at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) and is the author of HOW TO BE ENOUGH: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists and HOW TO BE YOURSELF: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety.
In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between perfectionism and anxiety
- The definition of perfectionism–and why the word is actually a misnomer
- Dr. Hendriksen’s own struggles with perfectionism, and how they manifested physically
- The difference between healthy perfectionism and unhealthy perfectionism
- Changing your relationship with your inner critic
- Shifting from rigid rules to flexibility
- Keeping high standards while making room for mistakes
- Overcoming procrastination
- Navigating social comparison
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Strategies for Social Anxiety | Ellen Hendriksen
- Ellen Hendriksen, Rising Above Social Anxiety
- The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross
- How To Move Into The Future With Optimism Instead Of Anxiety | Frederik Pferdt
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Additional Resources:
- Ellen Hendriksen on Substack
We’re excited to share with you an episode of the new podcast Proxy, produced by Yowei Shaw. Today: the case of Mic, who feels like he defied his fate and now has no purpose in life. For her new podcast Proxy, Yowei Shaw finds someone uniquely able to help Mic break out of his regret loop. Proxy is a show that investigates niche emotional conundrums through conversations with strangers who have relevant experience. New cases every other Tuesday. You can binge episodes now in the Proxy feed.
A few ideas for staying sane in insane times, regardless of your political leanings or who you voted for. Related episode: Joseph Goldstein On: Impermanence, Impersonality, And How To Use Mindfulness To Be More Creative
Joseph Goldstein’s book of poetry: Dreamscapes of the Mind
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Plus how to speak up and challenge your own tribe, how to successfully engage with people you disagree with, and more.
Jenara Nerenberg is a journalist and author. Her latest book is called Trust Your Mind: Embracing Nuance in a World of Self-Silencing. She holds degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health and UC Berkeley. She lectures widely on rhetoric, psychology, neurodiversity, sensitivity, innovation and communication.
In this episode we talk about:
- The phenomenon of groupthink—and its health implications
- The health implications of self-censoring
- Vulnerability in the age of social media
- The role of comedy in pushing back against social norms
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
On psychoanalysis, which we haven’t talked about much on this show.
Dr. Orna Guralnik is a psychoanalyst and writer. Her writing centers on the intersection of psychoanalysis, dissociation, and cultural studies. She has completed the filming of several seasons of the docu-series Couples Therapy.
In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between happiness and truth
- How to cultivate love from within
- Practices to support us in being more open-minded (to avoid what she calls a “splitting” mindset)
- Trans-generational history, and how it impacts our personal lives and relationships (in other words, how the ghosts of your ancestors operate in you now)
- One single, powerful question to ask yourself when you get annoyed
- The overlap between Buddhism and psychoanalysis
Related Episodes:
- Why Your Brain Turns The Miraculous Into The Mundane—And How To Fix It | Maria Popova
- George Saunders on: “Holy Befuddlement” and How to Be Less of a “Turd”
- The Profound Upside of Self-Diminishment | George Saunders
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Why even self-help authors can still be messy.
Glennon Doyle is the CEO and Founder of Treat Media, an award-winning media company that makes art for humans who want to stay human. She is an author, podcaster, producer, and philanthropist. Her books include the #1 New York Times bestsellers Untamed and Love Warrior; the New York Times bestseller Carry On, Warrior; and Get Untamed: The Journal.
Abby Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup champion, six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award and one of Time’s Most Influential People. She is a founder of Treat Media, and the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Wolfpack and the New York Times bestseller Forward.
In this episode we talk about:
- Significant personal struggles that happened simultaneously for Glennon, Abby, and Glennon's sister, Amanda
- How that led to them writing a book about the fundamental life questions they believe everyone grapples with
- Why people in the self-help world don’t always have their shit together
- Why trauma leads to dissociation
- How to “go on” after the experience of grief
- Why we are the way we are
- Family roles, attachment theory, and learned behaviors
- The possibility of personal change
- Our thoughts on the latest season of the White Lotus
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Abby Wambach On: Grief, Addiction, And Moving From External To Internal Validation
- Glennon Doyle is Rethinking Her Relationship to Social Media, Hustle Culture, Intuition, Her Body, and Her Parents
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Additional Resources:
- We Can Do Hard Things Book
- We Can Do Hard Things Podcast
- Treat Media
- Untamed
- Wolfpack
- Intimate Terrorism by Michael Vincent Miller
Upgrade your relationship to your wallet.
Lewis Howes is the host of the School of Greatness podcast. He has written several bestselling books. His newest is called Make Money Easy: Your Path to Peace, Freedom, and Financial Abundance.
In this episode we talk about:
- Overcoming setbacks
- The evolution of podcasting
- Developing a personal mission to help you persist through challenges
- Habits and mindset shifts to make money easier
- Figuring out your money story and money style…and how this can lead to a money strategy
- How to continually evolve your relationship to money
- How to handle money in romantic relationships
- The art of clearing unnecessary things off your plate so you can grow
- The value of generosity
Related Episodes:
- Lewis Howes, Former Pro-Athlete on Removing 'Mask of Masculinity'
- What Is Holding You Back From Greatness? | Lewis Howes
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
How journaling can transform negative emotions into meaning and agency.
Suleika Jaouad is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms, which has been translated into over twenty languages, and her highly anticipated new book, The Book of Alchemy, forthcoming in April 2025. She writes the popular weekly newsletter, the Isolation Journals.
In this episode we talk about:
- Suleika’s new book, The Book of Alchemy
- On working with fear and vulnerability
- Journaling prompts from The Book of Alchemy
- Why Journaling is a team sport
Related Episodes:
- The Science Of Journaling: How Writing Reduces Overthinking, Rumination, And Anxiety | Dr. James Pennebaker (Co-Interviewed By Dr. Bianca Harris)
- Life, Interrupted | Suleika Jaouad
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- Buy the Dump It Here journal
Dan’s best attempts to answer some listener questions from our Substack community. These questions came from our live Renegade Sangha session on April 8, and all of these sessions are open to paid subscribers. Check out how to join the party at DanHarris.com.
Anxiety has long been a massive societal issue that spiked during the pandemic, and many of us are still feeling it in 2025.
In this episode, renowned Buddhist monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche talks in detail about how he personally works with anxiety and panic and the practices he draws upon when dealing with these states.
Mingyur began doing long retreats in his teens and now teaches all over the world. He’s written the books The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness and In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying. He also oversees the Tergar Meditation Community, a global network of Buddhist meditation centers.
This episode was originally published in July 2022.
In this episode we talk about:
- Working with strong emotions using sound and the breath
-
Deconstructing your reality to make it workable
-
Understanding what awareness is in a Buddhist sense
- How to make meditation free-range and available to you all times
- The simple but also tricky advice of, “stop doing and just be”
- When to take a step back or even take a break from meditation
- What Mingyur Rinpoche says is the true purpose of the practice.
This interview was recorded in person at the TED conference in April of 2022, where both Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Dan Harris spoke.
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Dr. Robert Waldinger talks about his new book The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, which explores lessons from the longest scientific study of happiness.
Dr. Robert Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. He is also a Zen master and teaches meditation in New England and around the world. His TED Talk is one of the most viewed of all time, with over 43 million views. He’s the co-author, along with Dr. Marc Schulz, of The Good Life.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the Harvard Study of Adult Development is and how it got started
- How much of our happiness is really under our control
- Why you can’t you be happy all the time
- The concept of “social fitness”
- Why you should “never worry alone”
- How having best friends at work can make you more productive
- And why, in his words, it’s never too late to be happy
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You don’t have to focus too maniacally on your breath; your body is part of the process, too. Our good buddy Joseph Goldstein shows you how to balance.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind.
This meditation is part of a new series on the Eightfold Path. The rest of the series is available on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
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Plus more surprising information on this fundamental human drive.
Will Storr is a multi award-winning writer and Sunday Times bestselling author. His latest book is A Story is a Deal: How to use the science of storytelling to lead, motivate and persuade.
Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- The key elements of a properly deployed story
- The different ways to measure status
- The three main ways humans compete for status
- The benefits of altruism as a source of status
- The balance between self interest and altruism
- How mindfulness factors into the status drive
- Managing our relationships with social media
Related Episodes:
- Why You Can’t Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
How to boost your psychological immune system, the stoic way.
William “Bill” Irvine is the emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages, including Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy and Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient.
Bill is one of many great teachers featured on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Bill was first introduced to Stoicism (the story involves a midlife crisis and a banjo.)
- The comparison between Stoicism and Buddhism
- Psychological strategies for attaining equanimity
- The practice of negative visualization
- Stoic approaches to handling anger and insults
- How to reframe setbacks as tests
- Stoicism VS emotional suppression
- Tools for navigating the challenges of our digital age
- What Stoics say about pursuing fame and status
- And why death is the “ultimate exam”
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Additional Resources:
- Links to Bill’s Waking Up content
- Links to Bill’s books
From punk rock to broadcast journalism. A veteran journalist shares her story.
Alisyn Camerota is an award-winning journalist and author. She recently wrote the memoir, Combat Love: A Story of Leaving, Longing, and Searching for Home.
In this episode we talk about:
- Our mutual dislike of covering breaking news
- How her turbulent teenage years helped her prepare for life’s chaos
- What “home” actually means
- How her childhood informed her own parenting style
- The delicate balance between giving your children too little or too much freedom
- What it means for a journalist to center themself in a story
- Surviving the news
- Coping with anxiety and media consumption
- And much more
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Additional Resources:
- Alisyn Camerota on Substack
- Sanity Podcast
Cross-training for your mind.
Diane Musho Hamilton is an author, award-winning mediator, and teacher of Zen. She is the author of three books on conflict resolution, relationships, and communication. Her latest book is Waking Up and Growing Up: Spiritual Cross-training for an Evolving World, co-authored with Gabriel Wilson.
Diane is one of many great teachers featured on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Diane means by spiritual cross training and waking up
- Cultivating emotional maturity
- Foundations of Zen practice
- Integrating shadow and psyche
- The key aspects of living with purpose
- The value of intention setting
- Ethical action and community
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Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- Dan’s panic attack on live TV
An old friend (and my spiritual brother) discusses some of the most important things he’s ever learned.
Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcaster and the proprietor of Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to maintain equanimity in shitty situations
- How to have compassion – or at least non-hatred – for people you disagree with politically
- The illusion of free will and its relationship with compassion
- The difference between dualistic and non-dualistic mindfulness
- The concept of having no head
- Why meditating with your eyes open can be super helpful
- And much more
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources:
- On Having No Head
We’re going to give you a taste of the so-called “renegade sangha” sessions on DanHarris.com, which is powered by Substack. In those sessions, Dan usually guides a meditation and then takes questions.
In this brief episode, you’re going to hear one of the best, funniest, most relatable questions we have received to date.
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Dan deconstructs the Dharmic elements of the popular HBO show, with the co-host of The White Lotus Official Season 3 companion podcast.
Joshuah Bearman is a writer and film producer in Los Angeles. He has written for Wired, GQ, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, and contributed to This American Life. Along with Jia Tolentino, Josh is the co-host of the The White Lotus Official Podcast.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Josh became interested in Buddhism
- How Mike White, the writer and creator of The White Lotus, became interested in Buddhism
- Buddhist concepts and themes all three seasons of The White Lotus
- Buddhist notions of self and identity
- Some paradoxes and pitfalls of Buddhism
- The perils of pleasure seeking
- Craving certainty as a bulwark against anxiety
- The importance of repetition of simple Buddhist ideas that we are programmed to forget
- The Buddhist concept of attachment
- The three jewels of Buddhism and the importance of relationships
Related Episodes:
- Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus, How To Die Alone) On: Loneliness, Envy, People Pleasing, And Finding Your “Hell Yes”
- Michael Imperioli (From The Sopranos and White Lotus) Knows a Shitload About Buddhist Meditation
- Holding it Together When Things Fall Apart | Pema Chödrön
- Pema Chödrön, Renowned Buddhist Nun, On Her One Non-Negotiable Happiness Strategy
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Additional Resources:
- The White Lotus Official Podcast
They say enlightenment is always an accident. Here’s how to make yourself more accident-prone.
Henry Shukman is a poet, author and Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage. He is founder of the Original Love meditation program, spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center and co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way. His most recent books are Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening and the Zen memoir One Blade of Grass.
In this episode we talk about:
- Henry’s awakening moment
- The meaning of the term “inn”
- We walk through the four inns
- We talk about loving your obstacles
- Whether finding a meditation teacher matters
- What koans are, and how they can enhance your practice
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- Henry's meditation app, The Way
- Henry's latest book, Original Love
- Henry's website
The liberation that comes from realizing that you’re never going to get everything done.
Oliver Burkeman is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Four Thousand Weeks, The Antidote, and most recently, Meditations for Mortals. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.
Oliver is one of many great teachers featured on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the term “imperfectionism” means
- The illusion of reaching a point where "everything's done"
- Why there’s liberation in seeing how finite we are
- Why small, imperfect actions are more valuable than perfect plans
- Why overplanning is a kind of avoidance
- How to make decisions
- The importance of finishing things
- Who you should develop a taste for problems
- Why effort doesn't always equal value
- Why we need to stop protecting other people’s feelings
- And the paradox of mattering immensely and not at all
Related Episodes:
- The Power of Negative Thinking
- Time Management for Mortals
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Recorded in January 2025 during the week of the Presidential inauguration, this conversation with CNN commentator Van Jones is less about politics and more about how we react to politics. You’ll hear the questions that Van always asks himself before he goes on air, what he considers to be his purpose on earth, and how he thinks about the future.
This conversation was part of a special Inauguration Week series which featured daily gatherings of the “Renegade Sangha,” as Dan calls it, including guided meditations led by Dan, and interviews with thinkers to help us make sense of the moment. To join future live sessions, become a paid subscriber at DanHarris.com. You’ll also get cheatsheets and transcripts for every episode, plus access to a community of other folks who take this stuff seriously.
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One of the foundational Buddhist lists—a kind of GPS for enlightenment.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of many books including, most recently, Dreamscapes of the Mind.
Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, author, podcaster and the proprietor of the Waking Up app.
This episode is the first installment of a new series on the Eightfold Path. The rest of the series is available on Waking Up, a top-notch meditation app with amazing teachers and a ton of courses for all levels. If you subscribe via this link: wakingup.com/tenpercent, you’ll get a 30-day free trial—and you’ll be supporting the 10% Happier team, too. Full and partial scholarships are available.
In this episode we talk about:
- The Eightfold Path, your GPS to enlightenment
- Generosity
- The importance of faith
- The wisdom of “I don’t know” mind
- Various kinds of right view
- Unpacking right view on the Buddhist path
- Practical tips for cultivating right view
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Make peace with the difficult parts of your personality.
Dr. Richard Schwartz is a contemporary psychotherapist, PhD in marriage and family therapy. He founded the Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) therapy system and has authored many books, most recently: The Internal Family Systems Workbook.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is
- The relationship between buddhism and IFS
- How to make peace with our parts without a therapist in the room
- Dan volunteers as a guinea pig to show what it’s like to work with your parts
- The definition of love
- The link between IFS and psychedelics
Related Episodes:
- How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
- How to Get Out of Your Head | Willa Blythe Baker
- Kryptonite for the Inner Critic | Kristin Neff
- Self-Compassion Ain’t Always Soft | Kristin Neff
- The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross
- The Science Of Burnout — And How To Recharge From Stress | Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
- The Science of Emotion Regulation: How It Impacts Health, Performance, and Relationships. | Ethan Kross
- Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness | Dr. Robert Waldinger
- The Art of Growing Up, Jerry Colonna
- The Art and Science of the World’s Gooiest Cliche | Barbara Fredrickson
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Additional Resources:
- The Internal Family Systems Workbook is part of the new Sounds True Inner Workbooks series, which currently includes The Nervous System Workbook by Deb Dana and The Healing Anxiety Workbook by Sheryl Lisa Finn, with more titles planned.
A 10-minute meditation that reminds you that you’re not just a brain: there is also a body. This meditation was originally part of one of Dan’s recent Ask Me Anything sessions on Substack – join us as a paid subscriber at DanHarris.com to be a part of these live online events as Dan guides a short meditation then takes your questions.
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Brother Pháp Dung discusses the life and teachings of Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author Thich Nhat Hanh.
In January 2022, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author passed away. He was the founder of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called him “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thousands of people came out for his funeral.
Brother Pháp Dung is making his second appearance on the show to talk about Thich Nhat Hanh. If you missed it last time he was on, Brother Pháp Dung has an incredible personal story. He was born in Vietnam in 1969 and came to the US at the age of nine. He worked as an architect/designer for four years before becoming a monk. He was very close personally with Thich Nhat Hanh, who he refers to as “Thây,” or teacher, and is now a Dharma teacher himself in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition.
This episode was first published in March 2022.
This episode explores:
- The life of Thich Nhat Hanh: his path to Buddhism in the 1960’s and his exile from Vietnam for opposing the war.
- The meaning of “wrong view” or wrong perception.
- What non-separation and inter-being is.
- Thich Nhat Hanh’s view that birth and death are only notions.
- Grief, and why learning how to suffer will help you suffer less.
How to think about consciousness without breaking your brain.
Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine, and she is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics.
In this episode we talk about:
- What consciousness is—and why we should care about it
- The question of whether or not consciousness is a fundamental aspect of the universe (so literally—is consciousness embedded in the chair I’m sitting in?)
- Why thinking about this mystery can create a sense of awe (a reliable antidote to suffering)
- Meditation techniques for exploring consciousness
- The illusion of the self
- The importance of challenging our intuitions
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- The Fundamental Mystery of the Mind | Annaka Harris
- Susan Kaiser Greenland and Annaka Harris, Teaching Mindfulness to Kids
-
469. A Mystery That Matters | Anil Seth
- Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Jennifer Egan On: Panic, Awe, Fetishizing Authenticity, and Our Possible AI Futures
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Additional Resources:
- wakingup.com/tenpercent
- LIGHTS ON
- The Candy House
- The Case Against Reality
- On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious
- Ten Zen Questions: Susan Blackmore
And how to figure out what matters most to you.
Jonathan Fields is the author of several books, including SPARKED: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work That Makes You Come Alive. He is also the host of two podcasts, Good Life Project® and SPARKED™.
This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious series.
In this episode we talk about:
- What a “sparketype” is and how to use it to help your guide your life and make work decisions Embracing uncertainty
- Meditation and attention training for uncertainty
- The role of community in navigating uncertainty
- How to make exercise meaningful
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Additional Resources:
- Sanely Ambitious
Career advice from a man who has walked the walk.
Jordan Harbinger is a Wall Street lawyer turned podcast interviewer with an approachable style and knack for securing high-profile guests. His podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show, was selected as part of Apple’s “Best of 2018.”
This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious series.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to engage in networking without being gross. He has lots of interesting techniques here, including something called Gmail roulette
- He also has a cardinal rule that I found compelling
- We also talk about: The ripple effect of generosity
- How to ask for a raise
- The strategic value of asking for advice
- How to deal with a bad boss
- How to persuade and negotiate
- And the many problems with hustle culture
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Additional Resources:
- Sanely Ambitious
How to reduce perfectionism and boost confidence so you can be more effective in every area of your life.
Susan (Sue) Ashford is an award-winning scholar and Professor at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Her passion for helping people to be maximally effective in their work lives has driven her teaching and research work on self-management, proactivity, change from below, and leadership and its development.
This episode is part of our ongoing Sanely Ambitious series.
In this episode we talk about:
- The concept of “flexing”
- The pernicious role of fear and anxiety
- The crucial difference between a performance mindset and a learning mindset
- Practical tools for changing your mindset
- What it means to unleash your inner scientist
- The importance of getting feedback (and why some people struggle asking for it)
- The concept of re-storying (reframing negative perspectives)
- Why we should savor successes
- How to be interpersonally successful
- And much more
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- The Power of Flexing
- Ari Weinzweig
- Reboot by Jerry Colonna
- Ego Free Leadership
This one's simple and easy -- and features some of Dan's favorite instructions from Joseph Goldstein. This meditation was originally part of one of Dan’s recent Ask Me Anything sessions on Substack – join us as a paid subscriber at DanHarris.com to be a part of these live online events as Dan guides a short meditation then takes your questions.
Lessons learned from 12 years of serious meditation.
Diego Perez is a meditator and #1 New York Times bestselling author who is widely known by his pen name, Yung Pueblo. His writing focuses on the power of self-healing, creating healthy relationships, and the wisdom that comes when we truly work on knowing ourselves.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to burn off your mind’s conditioning
- The suffering that comes from clinging in a world characterized by relentless change
- What selfless listening is, and how to do it
- The liberation that comes from equanimity
- Some of the incredibly valuable lessons he’s learned from 12 years of meditation
- How to make better decisions for your future self
- How to have boundless compassion without being a pushover
- Why being able to see perspectives outside of your own is a sign of intelligence and mental strength
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Jack Kornfield & Yung Pueblo On: How To Meditate When You’re Freaking Out, the Limits of the Thinking Mind, & Balancing Self-Interest with Compassion
- The Dharma of Instagram
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Additional Resources:
- How To Love Better
- The Inward Trilogy
- Yung Pueblo on Substack
- Yung Pueblo on Instagram
- Insight Meditation Society
- Dhamma.org
A Harvard doctor on how she went from stress patient to stress expert.
Dr. Aditi Nerurkar is a Harvard stress expert, and the author of The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience.
In this episode we talk about:
- Healthy stress vs. unhealthy stress
- The distinction between stress and burnout
- What Dr. Nerurkar calls “toxic resilience”
- Finding quiet in a noisy world
- The relationship between scrolling and sleeping
- The gut-brain connection
- Key breathing exercises
- Dealing with your inner critic
- How to avoid what she calls “revenge nighttime procrastination”
- Exercises to help you get into your “future self”
- The rule of two strategy
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
- Stress Better, Modupe Akinola
- How to Thrive Under Stress | Elizabeth Stanley, PhD
- The Science Of Journaling: How Writing Reduces Overthinking, Rumination, And Anxiety | Dr. James Pennebaker (Co-Interviewed By Dr. Bianca Harris)
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- Aditi on Substack
Dan and executive producer DJ Cashmere talk about how we’re putting “sanely ambitious” into action on our team; plus, an important update on how to listen to the podcast ad-free.
In this episode we talk about:
- How rest and productivity are two sides of the same coin
- What psychological safety looks like on a small, creative team
- Having a “parking lot” for great ideas that we aren’t ready to do
- Other ways we’re navigating some big changes in our business
Related episodes: Work Less, Get More Done | Alex Soojong Kim-Pang Digital Minimalism | Cal Newport Help, Work Sucks | Cal Newport How to Be Productive Without Burning Out | Cal Newport
BIG NEWS: Paid subscribers can now listen to the 10% Happier podcast ad-free by going to podcast.danharris.com! If you’re not a paid subscriber, you will be prompted to sign up there. It’s another one of our perks for our paid subscribers, including transcripts and cheat sheets for every episode, plus live guided meditations and Q&A sessions with Dan.
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Secrets from the massively popular Stanford business school course on interpersonal hygiene.
Carole Robin and David Bradford taught the most popular elective course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a combined total of 75 years. Officially, the name of the course is Interpersonal Dynamics, but everybody calls it “Touchy-Feely.” Together they have written the new book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.
We dive into the six hallmarks of what they call “exceptional relationships,” how to be honest and vulnerable without overdoing it, why the questions “how am I feeling?” and “how are you feeling?” are central to improving our communication, the inevitability of risk when you set out to deepen a relationship, and why meditation is helpful in all of this.
This episode originally aired in 2021.
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Additional Resources:
- Brené Brown
- https://connectandrelate.com/
Why knowing your tendency can improve your life.
Susan Cain is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. Her Kindred Letters newsletter is read by people in all 193 countries and all 50 American states. Join her at TheQuietLife.net.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to know if you’re an introvert or extrovert
- The strengths of introversion – and how these can you no matter where you are on the introvert / extrovert spectrum
- Techniques to improve your relationships and work life
- How to design your life around where you do your best – including figuring out your true goals
- The perks of exposing ourselves to the things we fear the most
- The paradox of anxiety and shyness
- And why introverts and extraverts often get along so well—something Susan calls “introvert/extrovert synergy”
Related Episodes:
- What Is Sadness Good For? | Susan Cain
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- The Quiet Life with Susan Cain | Substack
What it is, how beginners can get a taste, the dangers of striving, and whether tech can make it easier.
Dr. Matthew D. Sacchet, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Meditation Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). Since 2012, he has authored more than 120 publications, presented more than 150 times at international, national, regional and local conferences and speaker series, and been cited more than 8,000 times.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Matthew's learning about advanced states of meditation, and what they do to the brain
- What relevance advanced meditation might have for the rest of us
- How we might get a taste of these states ourselves
- Whether technology might ultimately help some of us advance more quickly
- The psychological risks of practicing deep end meditation
Related Episodes:
- Dr. Richie Davidson, Daniel Goleman – Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body
- Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein
- A Meditator in the Arena | Sam Harris
- Willoughby Britton, Jared Lindahl -- Does Meditation Have a Dark Side
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Additional Resources:
- Meditation Research Program at Harvard
- Matthew Sacchet on X (Twitter)
- Matthew Sacchet’s LinkedIn
Featuring a meditation teacher, author, professor, and dedicated experimenter with these molecules.
Jay Michaelson is a journalist, meditation teacher, rabbi, and professor of religious studies whose work for the last several years has been focused on psychedelics, meditation, and spirituality.
Jay is a field scholar at Emory University’s Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, and a fellow at Harvard Law School’s project on Psychedelic Use, Law, and Spiritual Experience. He is currently a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, teaching courses on psychedelics, law, and religion.
In this episode we talk about:
- Everything you should know about psychedelics if you’re wondering whether to give them a try
- What the research shows thus far
- The differences among various compounds
- The overlap between meditation and psychedelics
- The difference between spirituality and healing
- The dizzying question of whether these medicines have a separate consciousness
- And more
Related Episodes:
- Psychedelics and Meditation | Michael Pollan - by DB - Dan Harris
- What to do About Eco-Anxiety | Jay Michaelson
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- Both/And with Jay Michaelson
- A special guided meditation from Jay to accompany this episode
- Two free upcoming events:
- Emory Science on Spiritual Health Conference (free, online)
- Harvard Symposium on Psychedelics in Monotheistic Traditions (which Jay co-chairing)
A node of sanity in these challenging times.
Bill Weir is America’s leading climate reporter. His new book is a celebration of our planet and human brilliance. It is a hopeful plea for communities to rally around nature, new ideas and each other, to create the kind of resilience that lasts generations.
In this episode we talk about:
- How a hotter earth is increasingly changing our lives
- Why some experts say the climate issue is half physics, half psychology
- How to work with feelings like rage and despair
- Why so many of us look away from the climate crisis
- Why acceptance is not surrender
- And the utility of class psychological frameworks, including Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief
Related Episodes:
- What to do About Eco-Anxiety | Jay Michaelson
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Additional Resources:
- Order Life as We Know It (Can Be)
One of my favorite episodes that we’ve recorded in a long while.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.
This year, IMS printed a collection of Joseph’s poetry, titled Dreamscapes of the Mind: Poems and Reflections. The book includes 21 poems and almost a dozen short verses.
We have made copies available for a suggested donation of $12 to support IMS’s Retreat Center scholarship fund (shipping to U.S. addresses only).
For a copy of Joseph’s book, visit give.dharma.org/JGpoetry
In this episode we talk about:
- Impermanence, impersonality, and the vast spaciousness of the mind
- Mortality
- How we can use mindfulness to be more creative
- Joseph reads one of his favorite poems (and a couple others)
- Thoughts on how to approach death
- What Joseph means by dreamscape of the mind
- Deep Dharma topics like Nirvana, rebirth, taking refuge and more
Related Episodes:
- Joseph Goldstein + Mark Epstein On: How To Handle Unwanted Experiences, How Not To Waste Your Suffering & The Overlap Between Buddhism + Therapy
- I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here’s What I Learned
- Dr. Mark Epstein On: How To Transform Your Neuroses Into “Little Shmoos”
- Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Additional Resources:
- For a copy of Joseph’s book, visit give.dharma.org/JGpoetry
What confidence does to your brain, why it helps with anxiety, and how to get it if you don't already have it. Plus, the problem with overconfidence.
Ian Robertson is a Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Trinity College and was the founding director of Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. He has written five books, the latest of which is called, How Confidence Works.
In this episode we talk about:
- What confidence actually is
- How to boost confidence
- The dangers of overconfidence, and how to guard against it
- The role of anxiety and failure
- The "Oscar effect”, and why winners tend to live longer
- How to reframe anxiety as excitement
- The role of gender, race, and class on confidence levels
- The importance of distancing yourself from confidence saboteurs
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- A Buddhist Recipe For Confidence | Ethan Nichtern
- Do You Feel Like an Imposter? | Dr. Valerie Young (Co-Interviewed by Dan’s Wife, Bianca!)
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A candid, useful, and hilarious conversation.
Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety. The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.
Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year. Koshin has appeared on dozens of podcasts and his work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.
In this episode we talk about:
- We get really real on the role of early childhood trauma and how that can show up in our relationships
- The importance of understanding your partner’s operating manual and how to come up with rules of the road
- The role of humor in relationships—how it can be used to successfully name the difficult parts of our partner’s personality—and how that can go wrong
- Why it’s important to do your own work outside of your relationship—in therapy and meditation or whatever is useful to you
- And the value of learning to be uncomfortable… together
Related Episodes:
- How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
- Escape From Zombieland | Koshin Paley Ellison
- The Surprising Power of “Healthy Embarrassment” | Koshin Paley Ellison
- The Art of Growing Up, Jerry Colonna
- Jerry Colonna, 'CEO Whisperer' and Reboot.io Founder - Dan Harris
- This Neurobiologist Wants You To Ask One Question To Reframe Anxiety, Depression, And Trauma | Dr. Bruce Perry (Co-Interviewed by Dan's Wife, Bianca!)
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
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Why self-inquiry is the first ingredient to a healthy relationship.
Jillian Turecki is a renowned relationship coach, teacher, author, and host of the podcast, Jillian On Love. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity about what makes a relationship thrive, Jillian has helped thousands over the last 20 years through her teachings, courses, and writing to revolutionize their relationship with themselves so that they transform their romantic relationships.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between lust and love
- How to make the idea of self love more than an empty cliché
- How to be honest with your partner
- The myth of finding “the one”
- How to be your best self even after you’ve exited the honeymoon stage
- And why, if you want a successful relationship, you have to make peace with your parents
Related Episodes:
-
510. Me, a Love Story: How Being OK With Yourself Makes You Better at Everything | Sharon Salzberg
-
464. How to Keep Friendships From Imploding | Esther Perel
- Esther Perel on the One Thing That Will Improve the Quality of Your Life
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Data-driven, dharma-informed, Dan-tested strategies for improving relationships of all kinds.
In this episode we talk about:
- The value of having platonic friends in addition to your spouse or partner
- A key communication skill that Dan picked up from the writer and researcher Brené Brown
- How humor can help your relationships – and how it can hurt
- A cognitive reframe from couples therapist Esther Perel
- How to manage conflict in a healthy way
- And one of Dan’s favorite Saturday Night Live sketches: Man Park
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Practical strategies for managing our emotional lives.
Dr. Ethan Kross, author of the international bestseller Chatter, is one of the world’s leading experts on emotion regulation. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the Director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory.
In this episode we talk about:
- What an emotion actually is
- The myth that we should only experience positive emotions
- Why sometimes avoidance is a smart strategy
- The six emotional "shifters" we can use to regulate our emotions
- The role of our senses
- How to use mental time travel to shift perspective
- And the role of our surroundings, relationships, and culture
Related Episodes:
-
365 The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross
- The Neuroscience Of: Emotional Regulation, Relationships, Body Image, And Intuition | Emma Seppälä
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How your reliance on being liked, being comfortable, and being perfect is blocking you from making the change you want.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is one of the most influential doctors in the UK with over two decades of experience. He now hosts Europe's biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More, he is the author of 5 Sunday Times bestsellers, he regularly appears on BBC television, national radio and his TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has almost 6 million views.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why we have an overreliance on experts and perfection
- Barriers and solutions to long term change
- How to stop people pleasing (or become a “people pleaser in recovery”)
- Tips for neutralizing emotional discomfort and stress
- The "life is an escalator" myth, and our relationship with complaining
- How to adapt to adversity without feeding our bad habits
- Escaping the trap of busyness
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Why Your Bad Habits (and Addictions) May Be Getting Worse - and How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud Brewer
- How To Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions | Dan Solo Episode
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A Buddhist doctor/nun on how we’re all addicted to something—and how to reduce craving.
Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, (“Sister D”) was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- Sister D’s Buddhist version of the 12 step program, which is a combination of two canonical buddhist lists: the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
- How willpower doesn’t fit into the Buddhist path of understanding and working with addiction
- How to change addiction at its root
- Practical applications of mindfulness
- Self-compassion
- The importance of social support
- Her thoughts on our relationships to our phones
- And more
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- This Episode Will Make You Stronger | Sister Dang Nghiem
- The Science Of Manifestation | James Doty
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How to use your innate mindfulness to turn the volume down, or even uproot, your everyday addictions.
Dr. Judson Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public Health & Medicine at Brown University. He is the author of several books, including The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- Jud’s definition of addiction
- The difference between the scientific view and the Buddhist view on addiction
- The buddhist concept of Dependent origination
- Dopamine and dopamine fasting
- A three gear plan for sticking to your resolutions
- Judson’s disenchantment with the term “mindfulness”
- What we need to know about willpower
- The two types of stress – and its impact on our behavior
- What makes us resilient – and why it matters
- How community plays a role in making habit changes
- And finally, a friendly debate on whether there is such a thing as healthy anger?
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Get Fit Sanely
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
- The Science of Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry–And How to Stop | Judson Brewer
- Modern Life Is Making You Sick, but It Doesn't Have To | Gabor Maté
- Why We're All Suffering from Racial Trauma (Even White People) -- and How to Handle It | Resmaa Menakem
- I Just Went Through A Career Earthquake: This Is What's Next.
- How to Break Your Anxiety Habit | Judson Brewer
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Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/judson-brewer-898
Additional Resources:
- MindShift Recovery
A podcast pioneer on failure, resilience, luck, work/life balance, and the power of questions.
Guy Raz has been instrumental in creating some of the most iconic podcasts in the world, including Wondery's How I Built This, Wow in the World and TED Radio Hour. The New York Times has described him as “one of the most popular podcasters in history.”
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- The challenge–and gift–of failure
- Getting comfortable with discomfort and risk
- The notion of luck
- The balance between your relationships and your work
- Why scale isn’t always the answer
- Success vs. happiness
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Sanely Ambitious
-
321 The Joy of Being Wrong | Adam Grant
- Rethinking Success | Mia Birdsong
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/guy-raz-896
How to be less stressed and more productive.
Nolitha Tsengiwe, a Dharma teacher and board member at Dharmagiri Retreat Center, in South Africa. She is also a graduate of Insight Meditation Society teacher training.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to weave mindfulness into your day without requiring a big formal sit
- How to have healthy conflict in the workplace
- Our attempts to explain the ineffable
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Sanely Ambitious
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/nolitha-895
Additional Resources:
- Listen to Nolitha’s talks on DharmaSeed
Burnout is on the rise. Two experts show us how to combat it.
Dr. Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than twenty years ago.
Christopher Germer is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also co-developed a highly impactful program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which has been taught to over 100,000 people across the world.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- How to know if you are burnt out
- The three main symptoms of burnout, their causes, and their health consequences
- The three components of self-compassion and how they can help
- The inner critic and why we kick our own asses
- How to draw appropriate boundaries with your boss
- The difference between tender and fierce self-compassion
- Tools for dealing with perfectionism without letting go of high standards
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Sanely Ambitious
- Kryptonite for the Inner Critic | Kristin Neff
-
360 Self-Compassion Ain’t Always Soft | Kristin Neff
-
310 The Scientific Case for Self-Compassion | Chris Germer
- For the Burned Out, Fried, and Exhausted | Emily & Amelia Nagoski
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/neff-germer-894
Additional Resources:
- Self-compassion event with Kristin Neff & Dan Harris
- The Self-Compassion Test
- The Center for Mindful Self Compassion
A candid conversation about money: How much is enough? How to find real security?
Sebene Selassie, an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter Ancestors to Elements and her first book is called, You Belong.
Jeff Warren is also an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular Substack newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with me, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- How much is enough
- The illusion of security
- The importance of being able to talk to your friends about this stuff
- The power of identifying your own money story, in other words, finding the point of origination for your own neuroses on the subject
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- How to Avoid the Toilet Vortex of Anxiety | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
- How to Stay Calm No Matter What’s Happening | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
- Meditation Party: The “Sh*t Is Fertilizer” Edition | Sebene Selassie & Jeff Warren
- Meditation Party with Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren: Psychedelics, ADHD, Waking Up From Distraction, and Singing Without Being Self-Conscious
- Meditation Party: Magic, Mystery, Intuition, Tattoos, and Non-Efforting | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/meditation-party-892
Additional Resources:
- Register for Meditation Party at Omega, October 24 - 26, 2025
- Allison Strickland’s GoFundMe
A Wharton professor shares practical tips on increasing your financial security, and eradicating the taboo around financial conversations.
Dr. Wendy De La Rosa is an Assistant Professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She focuses on behavioral science to improve consumers’ financial well-being.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- Psychological and technological tools for taking control of your finances
- How to get a handle on small frequent purchases
- The relationship between our environment and our finances
- Financial shame
- How our parents relationship with money impacts us as adults
- The G.I. Joe Fallacy, and the misconception that “knowing is half the battle” when it comes to our financial health
- 10 financial questions to ask your romantic partner
- How to eliminate the taboo of financial conversations
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
-
- The Psychology of Money | Morgan Housel
-
402. How To Work Around Your Own Irrationality | Richard Thaler
-
345 How to Change Your Habits | Katy Milkman
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/de-la-rosa-891
The science and dharma of mindful eating. How it can stop over eating—and how to actually make the habit.
Brother Pháp Lưu is an ordained monk in the Plum Village tradition started by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. He’s worked with scientists at Dartmouth College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to develop research on the effect of Plum Village mindfulness practices on children.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- The health benefits of mindful eating
- The line between moderation and restriction
- The five contemplations before eating
- The basic steps of mindful eating
- How to ensure mindful eating doesn’t feel like a chore or burden
- Fasting and our culture's dysregulated relationship to food
- Mindful consumption in general
- The four nutriments
- And much more
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Get Fit Sanely
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
- The Science of Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry–And How to Stop | Judson Brewer
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/phap-luu-889
What exercise does to your brain—and how to actually do it regularly.
Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University, where she is also the first Asian-American Dean of the College of Arts and Science. She is the author of two books, Good Anxiety and Healthy Brain, Happy Life.
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
We talk about:
- How exercise not only enhances cognitive function but also protects against age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
- The difference between cardio and strength training
- Whether it matters if you track your steps
- How to sustain your motivation to exercise
- And practical tips on how to start, restart or increase an exercise habit
- We also talk about the brain benefits of sleep, meditation, and healthy eating (with a detour into ways to counteract the potentially unhealthy obsession with being healthy)
- And finally, we talk about the counterintuitive benefits of anxiety
Related Episodes:
- Do Life Better
- Get Fit Sanely
- Sleep Better
- The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
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Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/wendy-suzuki-888
Dan briefly whittles down his top 10 takeaways from the science of behavior change.
In this episode we talk about:
- How our brain’s evolution for short-term survival makes long-term goals harder
- Picking the right goals
- Making it easy
- Leveraging fresh starts
- How to make goals a team sport
- The crucial role of mindfulness and self-compassion
This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.
Related Episodes:
The Science of Making – And Keeping – New Year’s Resolutions | Hal Hershfield
How To Change Your Habits | Katy Milkman
Why Your Bad Habits (And Addictions) May Be Getting Worse – And How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud Brewer
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/dan-solo-habit-formation
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier Meditation app today.
Contemplating your own death can feel like a massive bummer at first, but there’s good news: how you react to that inescapable fact really matters.
Vinny Ferraro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He’s the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades.
As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher thru Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and the Esalen Institute. Currently, he leads Spirit Rock's Year to Live course and teaches retreats and daylongs through Big Heart City and meditation centers across the country.
He is a respected leader in developing and implementing interventions for at-risk populations. leading groups in schools, juvenile halls and prisons since 1987. He has led emotional intelligence workshops for over 100,000 youth on four continents.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why it’s important to think about your own death even if you’re not expecting it anytime soon
- The distinction between the actual conditions of your life and how much you suffer
- A practice called the five Daily Remembrances, which Dan started doing himself right after we recorded this — and which has made a real difference for him
- And some of other practices they do in the class, including the “life review” and “housekeeping”
Related Episodes:
Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro
How Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua Arthur
Join the waiting list for A Year To Live at Spirit Rock.
Find out more about the Young Adult Retreat at Spirit Rock (taught by Vinny Ferraro, Matthew Brensilver, Cara Lai, and Hakim Tafari).
Use code TENPERCENT for 10% off these two courses at Spirit Rock:
Anxiety as Teacher: A Dharma and Yoga Daylong
Cultivating the Beautiful Factors of Mind
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Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/vinny-ferraro-a-year-to-live
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier Meditation app today.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
“Radical self-love” — what it is and how to do it.
It is incredibly common for many of us humans, whatever our gender, to be at war with our bodies -- trying to live up to the people we see in the movies, on social media, or even the versions of ourselves in old pictures. This never-enough-ness can lead to an ambient level of self-loathing that can be incredibly destructive. That's where "radical self-love" comes in.
Our guest today is Sonya Renee Taylor. She is the author of three books, including The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love. She is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of The Body is Not An Apology. She has come to this work as a result of her own personal pain, as a Black woman inhabiting a body that she says does not conform to societal norms.
In this conversation, we talk about defining radical self-love (and why she believes it's our natural state), tools for cultivating radical self-love, and the connection between being OK with yourself and the larger society.
Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/sonya-renee-taylor-rerun
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier Meditation app today.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
Very few of us relish chaos and disruption, but they are facts of life, given the nonnegotiable nature of change. In this episode with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, we’re going to talk about how to tune into the value of disruption, and learn how to sit with the chaos.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an ordained Zen priest, holds a Ph.D., and worked for decades as a social science researcher and development director for non-profit organizations. She is also a prolific author.
In this conversation we’ll explore:
- what to do with the unknown and not having any answers
- the power of a “sip of silence” (her term)
- what she means by the phrase “death as a doorway to tenderness”
- how she defines tenderness - a word that can easily get bogged down in sloppy sentimentality
- and what she meant when she wrote “I'm not advocating love as an answer to all of the ills of the world. Then again, it is just that simple to be love.”
Content Warning: There are brief mentions of assault; spiritual, sexual, and substance abuse; and racism, including an incident Zenju experienced herself.
Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/zenju-earthlyn-manuel-rerun
This episode was originally published in October 2021.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
Can mindfulness really pull you out of a spiral of self-judgment? Don’t you need to be judgmental sometimes? What’s the difference between being discerning and judgmental?
Description:
Meditation and mindfulness doesn’t uproot your capacity to be judgmental, but it can help you see the value in being judgmental by learning how to work with the judging mind.
La Sarmiento has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1998. La is a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, a teacher with Cloud Sangha, and a contributor to the Happier Meditation app.
In this episode we talk about:
- How mindfulness can help us identify when we’re being judgmental
- The difference between discernment and judgment
- How it can be so delicious to be judgmental of others – but why it’s actually harmful to ourselves and others
- The four questions to ask when we notice ourselves going into judgment mode
- How to operationalize the phrase “am I suffering right now?”
- Investigating the motivations behind striving for success
- Why owning up to being a jerk is sometimes the exact right answer
Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/la-sarmiento-rerun-2024
Where to find La Sarmiento online:
Website: www.lasarmiento.com
Additional Resources:
Download the Happier Meditation app today.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
Equanimity: what it is, what it isn’t, and how to get it.
Guest Kamala Masters was one of the teachers at Dan’s first ever meditation retreat. In this episode she dives into how to develop equanimity and shares her story of learning how to practice meditation during her everyday life while raising three children on her own.
Kamala Masters has been meditating since the 1970s, first with Anagarika Munindra, who was Joseph Goldstein’s first teacher, and then with the Burmese master Sayadaw U Pandita with whom she twice temporarily ordained as a Buddhist nun. More recently, she’s been training with another Burmese master we’ve talked about here on the show, Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She is a Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society, and the co-founder of the Vipassana Metta Foundation, which developed the Maui Dharma Sanctuary.
In this conversation we talk about:
- What is equanimity?
- The most common misconception about equanimity
- The near and far enemies of equanimity
- The power and limitations of setting intentions
Full Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/kamala-masters-rerun
Where to find Kamala Masters online:
Website: Vipassana Metta on Maui
Additional Resources:
Download the Happier Meditation app today.
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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Dan and Executive Producer, DJ Cashmere, pull back the curtain on what we do, how we do it—and what’s coming next.
In this episode we talk about:
- An exciting New Year's series reveal and upcoming meditation challenge
- What goes into making the show–and why we do it
- The ins and outs of starting a new business
- And much more
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/bts-878
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
How your blindspots hurt your decision-making— and how to fix it.
Anu Gupta is an educator, lawyer, scientist, and the founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, an education technology benefit corporation that trains professionals across corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors to advance DEIB and wellness by breaking bias. His work has reached 300+ organizations training more than 80,000 professionals impacting over 30 million lives. Gupta holds a JD from NYU Law, MPhil in Development Studies from Cambridge University, and BA in International Relations and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies from NYU. As a gay immigrant of color, he came to the work of breaking bias after almost ending his life due to lifelong experiences with racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia. The realization that bias can be unlearned helped lead him out of that dark point and inspired a lifelong mission to build a global movement for social healing based on principles of mindfulness and compassion. A peer-reviewed author, he has written and spoken extensively, including on the TED stage, the Oprah Conversation, Fast Company, Newsweek, and Vogue Business. He is the author of Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From—and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them.
In this episode we talk about:
- The 5 causes of bias
- The dis-utility of shame
- What has – and hasn’t – been working in DEI trainings
- Contemplative practices, on and off the cushion, for breaking bias
- And his response to skeptics
Related Episodes:
- Why You‘re Not Seeing the World Clearly— and How to Fix It | Jessica Nordell
- The Self-Interested Case for Examining Your Biases | John Biewen
- Dolly Chugh, How Good People Fight Bias
- Rhonda Magee, Law Professor Using Mindfulness to Defeat Bias
- How to Call People In (Instead of Calling Them Out) | Loretta Ross
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/anu-gupta-877
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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The upside of the often misunderstood "tribalism".
Michael Morris is the Chavkin-Chang Professor of Leadership at Columbia Business School as well as a Professor in its Psychology Department. Outside of academia, Professor Morris has consulted with and conducted executive training workshops for hundreds of clients across the globe, including Fortune 100 firms, governments, and the Obama and Clinton campaigns. He lives in New York City. His latest book is called Tribal: How The Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together.
Related Episodes:
- How Turning Habits Into Rituals Can Help You At Home, At Work, And When You're Anxious | Michael Norton
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/michael-morris-876
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
A famed author and humorist takes a deep dive into grief (with Dr. Bianca Harris as co-host).
Sloane Crosley is the author of The New York Times bestselling books Grief Is for People, How Did You Get This Number, and I Was Told There’d Be Cake. She is also the author of Look Alive Out There, Cult Classic and The Clasp, both of which have been optioned for film. She served as editor of The Best American Travel Writing series and is featured in The Library of America's 50 Funniest American Writers, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, Phillip Lopate’s The Contemporary American Essay and others. She was the inaugural columnist for The New York Times Op-Ed "Townies" series, a contributing editor at Interview Magazine, and a columnist for The Village Voice, Vanity Fair, The Independent, Black Book, Departures and The New York Observer. She is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. She has taught at Columbia University and The Yale Writers’ Workshop.
In this episode we talk about:
- A series of consecutive losses that Sloane endured
- The concept of cumulative grief
- Sloane’s version of the five stages of grief
- Her beef with acceptance
- Bibliotherapy as a source of healing
- And much more
Related Episodes:
The Science Of Grief: What Helps, What Doesn’t, And Why We Don’t Talk About It Enough | Cody Delistraty
How To Talk To Yourself When Things Suck | Sam Sanders
#450. The Science of Loss and Recovery | Mary-Frances O’Connor
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/sloane-crosley-874
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
- Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing the Impact of Loss
- All My Puny Sorrows
- Otherwise: New & Selected Poems By Jane Kenyon
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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Smart strategies that emerged from a brutal year.
Sam Sanders is an award-winning reporter, radio host and podcaster. He co-hosts the podcast Vibe Check with Zach Stafford and Saeed Jones. He also currently hosts The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW. Check out the album he mentioned in the episode, Caroline Rose’s The Art of Forgetting.
This is part 2 in a 3-part series we’re running on grief.
In this episode we talk about:
- The fact that there is no right way to deal with grief
- The value of feeling your feelings — even though it sucks
- Why it can be helpful to take breaks from your grief without guilt
- The importance of joy and play
- The changing nature of grief
- What it means to be “anointed” by grief
- And what it looks like to maintain a relationship with someone even after they’ve died
Related Episodes:
- How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
- Kryptonite for the Inner Critic | Kristin Neff
- The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross
- Jonathan Van Ness on Shame, Shopping, Bodies, and Hope
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/sam-sanders-873
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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A journalist explores one of humanity’s most brutal and unavoidable experiences.
Cody Delistraty is a writer and speechwriter, most recently working as the culture editor at the Wall Street Journal Magazine. He has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and was the European arts columnist for The Paris Review. He has degrees in politics from New York University and in history from the University of Oxford. British Vogue named him a best young writer of the year, and he has given talks about art and creativity to companies like PwC. He lives in New York City.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why our culture is so repressed when it comes to grief
- We dive into the many experiments that Cody launched to help cope with loss; from book and laughter therapy, to psilocybin and AI
- The concept of grief as an addiction
- The importance of rituals
- The scientific possibility of deleting our memories to avoid pain
- And how to live along side of grief when there is no cure
Related Episodes:
Abby Wambach On: Grief, Addiction, And Moving From External To Internal Validation
#583. Jennifer Senior On: Grief, Happiness, Friendship Breakups, and Why We Feel Younger Than Our Actual Age
Joe DiNardo, Grief and Meditation
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/cody-delistraty-872
Additional Resources:
Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
The Grief Cure: Looking for the End of Loss
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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This scientist says that walking is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Here are some ways you can incorporate it into your life.
Today we're going to talk about something so obvious, but so incredibly powerful. Walking. This is the third of a three part mini-series we're doing focused on the benefits of spending time outdoors.
Dr. Keltner is one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, The Power Paradox, and Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being. He also hosts the podcast The Science of Happiness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The practice of “awe walks”
- The ritualizing of walking
- How it can help your concentration and anxiety levels
- Walking meetings
- And walking meditations
Related Episodes:
The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System | Dacher Keltner
How To Get The Physiological And Psychological Benefits Of Nature If You Don’t Live Near Nature | Dacher Keltner
#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner
We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here’s How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk
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Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dacher-keltner-bonus-3
Additional Resources:
- The Science of Happiness Podcast
- How to Start (Restart, or Upgrade) Your Meditation Practice: A Master Class | Jon Kabat-Zinn
-
580. Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence
- The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
- Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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Buddhist megastars in conversation.
Today, we’re dropping a recording of a live event we held earlier this year, during which Joseph Goldstein and Dr. Mark Epstein came on stage for a fascinating set of conversations. We did this event to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dan’s first book, also called 10% Happier.
The night was structured like a late night show, so there was a monologue, and live music with the band Mates of State.
Dr. Mark Epstein is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, and is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself, and The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974.
Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.
In this episode we talk about:
- The three month solo silent meditation retreat Joseph had just finished
- How to not suffer in the face of unwanted experiences
- Three exercises for slowing down
- Pragmatic applications of retreat practice for life in the real world
- How to see outside yourself
- How Mark came to Buddhism 50 years ago
- The relationship between Buddhism and psychotherapy
- The Buddhist concept of the two levels of reality
- And a guided meditation from a surprise guest
Related Episodes:
Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein
Dr. Mark Epstein On: How To Transform Your Neuroses Into “Little Shmoos”
I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here’s What I Learned
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/joseph-mark-live
Additional Resources:
- The New York Insight Meditation Center
- http://markepsteinmd.com/
- Going to Pieces without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness
- The Trauma of Everyday Life
- Mates of State
- Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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How learning to apologize can upgrade your life.
V (formerly Eve Ensler) is the Tony award-winning playwright, author, and activist. Her play The Vagina Monologues is an Obie award-winning, Olivier-nominated theatrical phenomenon that has been translated into 48 languages and performed in 140 countries. She is the author of numerous books, including the recently released bestseller Reckoning (2023), heralded by the Washington Post as “gutting and gorgeous.” Other best-selling books include The Apology (2019), translated into 20 languages, In the Body of the World, and The New York Times bestseller I Am an Emotional Creature. She starred on Broadway in The Good Body and, most recently Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in the critically acclaimed In the Body of the World. She helped create That Kindness: Nurses in Their Own Words, presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music in collaboration with theaters across the US, as a tribute to nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. V is currently writing the story and co-writing lyrics for the musical Becoming (formerly WILD), which made its world premiere in December 2021 at The American Repertory Theater. She recently wrote This is Crazy, a play about mental illness commissioned by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Her film credits include The Vagina Monologues (HBO), What I Want My Words to Do to You (Executive Producer, Winner of the Sundance Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award, PBS), Mad Max: Fury Road (Consultant), and City of Joy documentary (Netflix). She is the founder of V-Day, the 26-year-old global activist movement that has raised over 120 million dollars to end violence against women, gender-expansive people, girls, and the planet—and founder of One Billion Rising, the largest global mass action to end gender-based violence in over 200 countries, as well as a co-founder of the City of Joy, a sanctuary and revolutionary center for women in the Congo who have survived sexual assault. She writes regularly for The Guardian.
In this episode we talk about:
- V’s 4-step process for making an apology
- Why she doesn’t believe in forgiveness
- Her concept that the wound is the portal
- And much more.
Related Episodes: What To Do When You’re Angry | Matthew Brensilver, Vinny Ferraro, Kaira Jewel Lingo
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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/v-868
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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Practical tips for accessing the healthcare of nature no matter where you live.
It’s very possible that you've heard the long list of physiological and psychological benefits that one can derive from getting out into nature. Those benefits include improved mood, boosted immune system, lowered blood pressure and more. That being said, 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas. So today, we're going to talk to an expert about how to derive the many benefits of nature, no matter where you are.
Dr. Keltner is one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, The Power Paradox, and Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being. He also hosts the podcast The Science of Happiness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The importance of opening our senses to nature
- The power of birdsong
- The science of street trees and their impact on depression
- How taking pictures of our local environment can enhance focus and productivity
- And lastly, how we can harness the power of our imagination
Related Episodes:
The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System | Dacher Keltner
#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner
We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here’s How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk
Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dacher-keltner-bonus-2
Additional Resources:
Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
A journalist-turned-Buddhist-nun shares six phrases – or mantras – to help keep your relationships on the rails.
Relationships can be tricky. Especially if you find yourself upset with someone, and instead of talking it through, you let it fester until one moment you completely lose it and end up having to apologize. If you’ve ever felt like you had friction with the people in your life, or that you’ve been taken for granted, today’s episode offers you solid strategies to cope.
Sister True Dedication is a Zen Buddhist nun and teacher ordained by the great meditation teacher and author, Thich Nhat Hanh. She edited several of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books, including The Art of Living and Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. She was born in the United Kingdom, studied history and political thought at Cambridge University, and worked for BBC News before ordaining as a nun at the age of 27.
In this episode we talk about:
- The six phrases – or mantras – that Thich Nhat Hanh recommended people use in their relationships
- Keeping misunderstandings “dust free”
- Taking action to make sure anger doesn’t fester
- The importance of recognizing that our understanding of the world is always partial
- Bringing mantras to work
- How Sister True Dedication went from journalism to the monastery
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/sister-true-dedication-rerun
Where to find Sister True Dedication online:
Website: Plum Village Teacher Page
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
A compendium of expert advice on handling all the complications — and pleasures — that the holiday season brings.
I have whipped up a holiday survival guide for you, a series of evidence-based strategies for navigating what can be a tricky time of year.
During the course of this episode, I'm going to talk about nine pain points, including navigating political differences around the dinner table, overeating, overwhelm, travel indignities, social anxiety, difficult family members, etc. I'm going to share with you a bunch of strategies pulled from ancient wisdom and modern science.
In this episode we talk about practical strategies for dealing with nine pain points of the holiday season:
- The expectation of perfection
- Overwhelm
- Difficult family dynamics
- Grief
- Loneliness
- Social anxiety
- Overeating
- Holiday travel
- Financial worries
Related Episodes:
How to Feel Less Enraged And Hopeless When You Consume The News | Sharon McMahon
Science-Based Tools For When You’re Stressed, Obsessed, Or Overthinking | Dr. Jenny Taitz
How to Speak Clearly, Calmly, and Without Alienating People | Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker
The Science of Loss and Recovery | Mary-Frances O’Connor
Strategies for Social Anxiety | Ellen Hendriksen
The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
Can Anxiety Be a Gift? | Dr. David Rosmarin
Your Craving Mind | Kevin Griffin
Why Your Bad Habits (and Addictions) May Be Getting Worse - and How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud Brewer
Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes
Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/holiday-survival-guide
Additional Resources:
- Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download
Feiler also discusses why we no longer live linear lives, letting go of the idea of having a career, and redefining success.
Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, and Council of Dads. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than four million times, and he teaches the TED Course How to Master Life Transitions. His latest book is called The Search.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Feiler went from being a guy whose early work focused on spirituality to now focusing on work
- How historically work was something that was supposed to make you unhappy. And how Millennials and Gen Z have helped change that
- What is a workquake?
- Why the majority of us actually have 5 jobs— what those are and why they matter
- What is a meaning audit?
- The best single question you can ask yourself to write your own story of success
- And the historical figures who helped define how we think about success
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/bruce-feiler
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to the third installment of Meditation Party, an experiment we’re running with a chattier format – more of a morning zoo vibe, but way deeper, of course. Dan’s co-hosts in this episode are his two close friends: the great meditation teachers Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren. Sebene Selassie is based in Brooklyn and describes herself as a “writer, teacher, and immigrant-weirdo.” She teaches meditation on the Ten Percent Happier app and is the author of a great book called, You Belong. Jeff Warren is based in Toronto and is also a writer and meditation teacher who co-wrote the book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics with Dan Harris. Jeff also hosts the Consciousness Explorers podcast.
Related Episodes:
489. Can You Really Conquer Hatred Through Love? | Father Gregory Boyle
519. The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sh*t Together | Shinzen Young and James Gross
Best of the Archives: Making it RAIN | Tara Brach
For more info on the Meditation Party Retreat: Meditation Party Workshop at Omega Institute
To watch this interview online, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@TenPercentHappier
If you want to be part of the show, please call in with a question or comment. The number is 508-656-0540. Or you can email us with a voice memo at podcast@tenpercent.com with a voice memo.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/meditation-party-3
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Today’s guest is Linda Åkeson McGurk, a Swedish American writer and author of There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids. Her latest book is called The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day. She is the founder of the blog Rain or Shine Mamma, a resource for parents and other caregivers.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why humans are so drawn to nature and what the many scientific benefits are
- The historical roots of frilutsliv in Nordic countries
- Why we should go outside even when the weather sucks
- Why we should go camping
- The benefits of cold plunges
- The benefits of silence
- The danger of seeing ourselves as separate from nature
- And why she believes appreciation of nature and meditation are complimentary
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/linda-akeson-mcgurk
TheMightyFix.com/HAPPIER
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Wim Hof
Additional Resources:
- Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get out of the trance of thinking and explore what it’s like to be more generous with your attention directly, here, now.
About Pascal Auclair:
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He is a co-founder of True North Insight and one of TNI’s Guiding Teachers.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “The Present Moment.”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mindfulness is a word that is in danger of becoming meaningless. In this episode, we dig into the meaning of mindfulness. how to practice without getting overwhelmed, and how to stop the judgment spiral.
Today’s guest is Diana Winston, the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. She has written several books, including The Little Book of Being, and Fully Present, the Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness, which she co-authored with Susan Smalley, and which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Diana has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1989, including a year as a Buddhist nun in Burma.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Diana defines mindfulness
- How we know if we’re in a state of bonafide mindfulness
- The difference between mindfulness as a trait and mindfulness as a state
- Whether you have to meditate to achieve mindfulness as a trait
- What current scientific research says about the benefits of meditation
- The link between intuition, happiness and authenticity
- Her definition of happiness
- How meditation can help us relate to our bodies differently
- How to stop the self-judgment spiral
- Creating a top ten list to deal with difficult thoughts
- How to use meditation for chronic pain
- Striking a balance between reason and intuition
- The ripple effects of practicing meditation
- And how to start practicing mindfulness without getting overwhelmed
Full Shownotes:https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/diana-winston
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Gladwell On: the importance of flow states, why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice, and how he personally relaxes.
Malcolm Gladwell is the president and co-founder of the podcasting network Pushkin Industries, and the author of six New York Times bestselling books including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He’s also the host of the Pushkin podcast Revisionist History.
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
For tickets to TPH's live and live streamed event in Colorado on November 3:
https://www.milehichurch.org/calendar/10-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/
Do you have a favorite episode of TPH? We want to hear about it!
Here’s how you can help us uncover these hidden gems.
- Call +1 508-656-0540
- Tell us your name and favorite episode
- And, in a couple of sentences, tell us why this episode hit home for you
Do this and your episode and story may be part of our Deep Cuts feature
In this episode we talk about:
- The backlash Malcolm faced from his work from home comments
- Pushing the noise aside when it comes to social media
- Lessons in kindness from a recent Revisionist History episode
- The importance of flow states
- How he personally relaxes
- Why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice
- What he thinks now about his famous 10,000 hours argument
- Why we need to engage and investigate the views of others to be morally alert as human beings
- And his biggest journalistic mistake
Content Warning: Brief mention of eating disorders.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode//malcolm-gladwell-rerun
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The scientific case for self-compassion and why it doesn’t have to lead to passivity, self absorption, or cheesiness.
Today's guest is Kristin Neff, an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s the author of the bookSelf-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
For tickets to TPH's live and live streamed event in Colorado on November 3rd:
https://www.milehichurch.org/calendar/10-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/
Do you have a favorite episode of TPH? We want to hear about it!
Here’s how you can help us uncover these hidden gems.
- Call +1 508-656-0540
- Tell us your name and favorite episode
- And, in a couple of sentences, tell us why this episode hit home for you
Do this and your episode and story may be part of our Deep Cuts feature
In this episode we talk about:
- How Kristin first got into meditation and why she was drawn to the practice of compassion
- How, paradoxically, self-compassion actually makes us less focused on ourselves
- The three components of self-compassion
- One of the big blockers for men in practicing self-compassion
- What self-compassion is and isn’t
- How research shows that self-compassion is a trainable skill
- Whether we actually need the internal cattle prod to get ahead
- Being kind to yourself even when you notice prejudice coming up in your mind
- And how men and women deal with shame differently
Full Shownotes:https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/kristin-neff-rerun
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Our busy lives rarely afford us time to reflect on what’s truly important. Remembering what matters most empowers us to engage meaningfully.
About La Sarmiento:
La Sarmiento is the the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas and a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and for Cloud Sangha. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Community Dharma Leader Training Program in 2012. As an immigrant, non-binary, Filipinx-American, La is committed to expanding access to the Dharma. They live in Towson, MD with their life partner Wendy and rescue pups Annabel and Bader.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Finding Purpose: What Matters Most?”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ryan also talks about how meditation helped him ride out a brutal political campaign, escaping the grind, and whether he’ll run for office again.
Tim Ryan served for 20 years in the U.S. Congress. He is the author of a book on the power of mindfulness. He is the author of a book on the power of mindfulness, Healing America: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Recapture the American Spirit and a book on reforming the broken food systems, The Real Food Revolution: Healthy Eating, Green Groceries, and the Return of the American Family Farm.
In this episode we talk about:
- How his practice helped him weather a brutal political campaign
- Why he’s joined the ice bath craze
- The link between breathwork and meditation
- How he’s adjusting to civilian life after 20 years in Washington
- How he handled things when he realized the race was not going his way
- What he was thinking and feeling when he made his concession speech
- What it’s like to be outside of the DC fishbowl
- The freedom that comes with not living under a microscope
- The kids basketball game made him realize his life had changed
- Escaping the grind
- Whether he’s considered running for office again
- And what the rough and tumble of politics has taught him about dealing with difficult people
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/tim-ryan
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We also cover: What to do when you're feeling stuck, the difference between authenticity and sincerity, and his approach to work/life balance.
Rick Rubin is a nine-time GRAMMY-winning producer and a New York Times number one best selling author of the book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time and the most successful producer in any genre by Rolling Stone. He has collaborated with artists from Tom Petty to Adele, Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys to Slayer, Kanye West to the Strokes, and System of a Down to Jay-Z.
In this episode we talk about:
- Rick’s meditation practice
- The connection between meditation and creativity
- Why creativity is a birthright for all of us
- How good habits help facilitate the making of good art
- The benefits of accepting the magical and mysterious aspects of creativity
- His analogy of the vessel and the filter
- The difference between authenticity and sincerity
- The role of doubt when creating
- The role of intuition
- What to do when you’re feeling stuck in a creative endeavor
- His approach to a work/life balance
- His take on drugs and their effect on the creative process
- And his thoughts on the creative capacity of AI
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/rick-rubin
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The great meditation teacher Sebene Selassie said this about today’s guests: “I think their work is going to revolutionize mindfulness.”
The guests in question are Jake Eagle, a licensed mental health counselor, and Dr. Michael Amster, a physician with a specialty in pain management who is also a certified yoga and meditation teacher. Together, they’re out with a new book called The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose―In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day. In it, they lay out a simple technique for “microdosing mindfulness” that just about anybody can work into their daily lives.
Plus: Dan’s wife, Bianca, joins Dan as co-interviewer.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Jake and Michael stumbled upon this method (the story involves pancakes)
- Why Bianca has had trouble booting up a meditation habit (and why Jake says he’s “a terrible meditator”)
- Why people who have trouble sitting daily for extended periods might find that these microdoses are easier to work into their day
- How to do the A.W.E. Method
- The similarities and differences between A.W.E. and traditional mindfulness meditation
- Practical tips for trying out A.W.E. in everyday life, given how hard it is to form habits
- The early scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of the A.W.E. Method
- And, finally, whether Bianca and Dan were convinced to try the method!
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
themightyfix.com/happier
Full Shownotes:
https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/eagle-amster-630
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Counteract negativity bias by appreciating the goodness in life: simple acts of kindness, moments of beauty, and even your own good efforts.
About Oren Jay Sofer:
Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “What’s Good?”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The hidden influence that your surroundings can have on your happiness. And how to tweak things in subtle but powerful ways.
Today’s guest is Ingrid Fetell Lee, the author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. She is the former design director at IDEO and the founder of the website The Aesthetics of Joy. She holds a Master’s in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing from Princeton University.
This is the second installment in a three part series we’re running called, Mundane Glory about learning not to overlook the little things in your daily life that can be powerful and evidence-based levers for increased happiness.
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
In this episode we talk about:
- The physiological and psychological benefits of joy
- How to find joy in tangible objects and sensorial experiences
- What Ingrid means by “faux joy”
- How joy can intersect with many emotions including sadness and awe
- How to change your environment, at work and at home, to infuse it with joy
- A practice she calls, “Joy spotting”
- Her list of, “The 50 Ways to Find More Joy Everyday”
- The importance of noticing your killjoys
- The risks of being visibly joyful
- And how even on your worst day, joy can be accessible
themightyfix.com/happier
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/ingrid-fetell-lee
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Did you know that just 20 minutes of art a day is as beneficial as exercise and mindfulness? Or that participating in one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years?
Our guests Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen talk about their new book, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.Together they explore the new science of neuroaesthetics, which explains how the arts can measurably change the body, brain, and our behaviors.
This is the first installment in a three part series we’re running called, Mundane Glory about learning not to overlook the little things in your daily life that can be powerful and evidence-based levers for increased happiness.
In this episode we talk about:
- Their definition of the arts and aesthetic experiences
- How they see nature as, “the highest form of art”
- How simple actions like humming in the shower & gardening can be categorized as art experiences
- How you don’t have to be good at making art to benefit from it
- The difference between “makers” and “beholders” of art
- What they mean by art being a part of our evolutionary DNA
- How engaging in the arts can help strengthen our relationships and connectivity
- How arts and aesthetic experiences create neuroplasticity in the brain
- How society’s emphasis on optimizing for productivity has pushed the arts aside
- The four key attributes that make up a concept called an “aesthetic mindset”
- The benefits of partaking in a wide array of art experiences
- The importance of infusing play and non judgment into the art you make
- How art can be a form of meditation and mindfulness
- How artistic experiences can extend your life, help treat disease and relieve stress
- How the arts affect the way we learn
- The emerging field of neuroarts and neuroaesthetics
- How food fits into the arts category
- Simple ways to integrate the arts into our daily lives
- Technology’s relationship to the arts
- And the importance of architecture and your physical space as a form of art
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
themightyfix.com/happier
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/ivy-ross-susan-magsamen
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Guidance for any time you need to practice staying relaxed and ready for whatever life might throw your way.
About Matthew Hepburn:
Matthew is a meditation and dharma teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience and a passion for getting real about what it means to live well. He emphasizes humor, technique, and authentic kindness as a means to free the mind up from unnecessary struggle and leave a healthier impact on the world.
Beyond Ten Percent Happier, Matthew has taught in prisons, schools, corporate events and continues to teach across North America in buddhist centers offering intensive silent retreats and dharma for urban daily life.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Becoming Dauntless”.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Our guests today trained an AI on the world’s most beloved texts, from the Bible to the Koran to the words of Marcus Aurelius, Maya Angelou, and Leonard Cohen. Then, they asked the AI life’s hardest questions. The AI’s answers ranged from strange to surprising to transcendent.
Jasmine Wang, a technologist, and Iain S. Thomas, a poet, join us to talk about not only the answers they received from the robot, but also why they are deeply concerned about where AI might be headed.
In this episode we talk about:
- The origins of the book
- The definitions of some basic AI terminology
- The biggest takeaways of their conversation with AI—some of the answers they got back were fascinating and beautiful
- The perils and promise of AI (we spend a lot of time here)
- The ways in which AI may force us to rethink fundamental aspects of our own nature
- And what we all can do to increase the odds that our AI future is more positive than not
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/jasmine-wang-and-iain-s-thomas
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jennifer Egan is not only a novelist, she's also written short stories and award-winning magazine journalism. She's one of those writers who can both spin a fascinating yarn and load it up with insights into everything from human nature to the future of technology, all while pulling off bewitching turns of phrase; what the writer Jonathan Franzen has called “micro felicities.”
Egan is as funny, fascinating, and open IRL as she is on the page although it’s not clear she feels that way given she talks about how much smarter she feels in writing than in speaking!
In this episode we talk about:
- Egan’s writing process
- The power of writing by hand
- The shocking, relentless, ruthless discipline that she imposes on herself to never do the same thing twice as she’s writing
- Curiosity, awe, and panic attacks
- How she handles feedback
- Her feelings of insubstantiality
- Our cultures fetishization of authenticity
- The impact of success on her work
- AI and our possible technological futures
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/jennifer-egan
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The simple yet effective technique of trusting your body will help you fall into a quiet, restful sleep.
About Jeff Warren:
Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “How to Fall Asleep.”
More information on the upcoming "Meditation Party" retreat at the Omega Institute with Dan Harris, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren is here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In today’s episode, Dr. Donn Posner proposes a whole new way of thinking about sleep. First, he normalizes the sleep problems many of us experience. If you’re sleeping poorly right now, he says, don’t freak out; it’s natural and normal. Second, he has a bunch of tips for how to deal with insomnia, some of which you may have never heard before.
Dr. Donn Posner is one of the leaders in the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia. Dr. Posner is the Founder and President of Sleepwell Consultants, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between chronic and acute insomnia
- How we can adapt to things that can mess up our sleep, like remote work
- Sub-chronic sleep conditions
- What to do if we're experiencing acute insomnia so that it doesn't become chronic insomnia
- The importance of structure when it comes to good sleep
- What social jet lag is
- Dr. Posner’s take on napping
- Why wake time is so important when it comes to good sleep
- Why we shouldn’t try to compensate for a bad night's sleep
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/donn-posner-268-rerun
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If you're not sleeping well, it's harder to do anything you care about. It's harder to get healthier, to be more focused and productive, to be happier, to be more successful, to have good relationships—all of it.
Sleep may be the apex predator of healthy habits, and yet so many of us are getting terrible sleep because we don't prioritize it or because we've told ourselves a whole story about how we're just not people who sleep well, and so we just live with it.
In this episode, you’re going to meet somebody who decided she was not going to live with it any longer, and she launched an extremely detailed personal investigation in order to fix it. And luckily for us, she is a journalist, so she documented the whole thing and gathered extremely useful, heavily vetted information and insights we can all use.
Diane Macedo the author of the book, The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More. She is an ABC News anchor and correspondent and she appears on Good Morning America World News Tonight with David Muir and Nightline. Diane is also the daytime anchor for ABC News Live, the streaming service.
In this episode we talk about:
- Key signs that you’re not getting enough sleep
- Do sleeping pills really work?
- When and how to find a sleep specialist
- How to deal with performance anxiety around sleep
- The difference between sleep deprivation and insomnia
- Mindfulness and sleep
- The biggest sleep myths
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/diane-macedo-444-rerun
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today’s episode is a wide-ranging Interview with Zach Braff, one of those rare famous people who’s really willing to go there.
You may know Braff from the TV show Scrubs or the movie Garden State but Braff is actually a genuine multi-hyphenate; a true triple threat. He acts, writes and directs his own movies and other people’s TV shows including Ted Lasso on Apple TV. Relatively recently he put out a new movie that he both wrote and directed called A Good Person starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.
In this episode we talked about anxiety, depression, insomnia, addiction, grief, social media usage, and what he means by “learning to love your fate”—a notion that is literally tattooed on his wrist.
This Interview was conducted in person at the TED conference in Vancouver this past April.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/zach-braff
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Life is already complicated enough. Meditation doesn’t have to be, if we learn to be simple and easy.
About Joseph Goldstein :
Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Be Simple and Easy.”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Every year, Joseph Goldstein does a three month silent meditation retreat by himself at his home in Massachusetts. In this conversation you're about to hear, Joseph had just emerged from one such retreat with a bunch of thoughts on what are called the three proliferating tendencies or three papañca to use the ancient Pali term.
These are three ways in which we perpetuate an unhealthy sense of self. Joseph has explained that you can think about the process of going deeper in meditation as a process of lightening up or getting less self-centered. You're about to get a masterclass in doing just that.
For the uninitiated, Joseph is one of the co-founders of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. His co-founders are two other meditation titans, Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Joseph has been a teacher at IMS since it was founded in the seventies and he continues to be the resident guiding teacher there.
In this episode we talk about:
- The framework for understanding the three proliferating tendencies; the basic building blocks of our experience in the world
- Six things that make up what the Buddha called “the all”
- What non-self means and why it's essential to the Buddhist teaching of liberation
- The two levels of truth: conventional and ultimate
- Why language is so important in conditioning how we experience things
- How the three proliferating tendencies provide a very practical guide to understanding how we manufacture our own suffering
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-364-rerun
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
These days, the word mindfulness has become a buzz phrase but very often people don’t know what the word actually means, much less how to practice it. One simple definition of mindfulness is the ability to see what’s happening in your mind without getting carried away by it. The benefits of doing so are vast and profound— from decreased emotional reactivity to being more awake to what’s actually happening in your life.
Today's guest Joseph Goldstein talks about a classic Buddhist list called the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which lays out various techniques for developing mindfulness within your practice.
Goldstein is one of the premier western proponents of Mindfulness. He co-founded the legendary Insight Meditation Society alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. He also wrote a book called Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
In this episode we talk about:
- The historical context for the four foundations of mindfulness
- Why he thinks the Buddha loved lists
- Why the Buddha placed mindfulness of the body first on the list
- The steps to mastering mindfulness of the body
- The meaning of the word embodied and how that’s different from our usual mode of being in the world
- How and why to do walking meditations
- What are feeling tones and why are they important
- Practices for cultivating mindfulness of mind
- The mantras that Joseph uses when teaching
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-483-rerun
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In this gentle meditation, Sebene offers support for grief. She guides you through a practice of kindness and compassion for yourself.
About Sebene Selassie:
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Working with Grief.”
You can hear Sebene, along with teacher Jeff Warren, on the Meditation Party episodes:
553. Meditation Party: The Sh*t Is Fertilizer Edition
601: Meditation Party: Psychedelics, ADHD, Waking Up from Distraction, and Singing Without Being Self-Conscious
More info on the upcoming Omega Institute Retreat (available in-person and virtually) with Dan, Sebene, and Jeff is here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a fun, weird, extremely interesting and inspiring episode.
It’s about lucid dreaming, something that people might perceive as hippie nonsense, but is actually deeply woven into ancient and time-tested Buddhist traditions.
Our guest today has been studying and practicing Buddhism and what he calls nocturnal meditations for more than four decades. And he has remarkably simple and down to earth tips for doing this in your own life. He argues anybody can do this. And the proposition is pretty compelling. We’re asleep for a huge percentage of our life, and from a perspective of contemplative development, or training your mind, that’s a huge stretch of land that is lying fallow.
Andrew Holecek is an expert on lucid dreaming and the Tibetan yogas of sleep and dream. He is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the author of scientific papers on lucid dreaming. He has also written many books on the subject, including: Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep.
In this episode we talk about:
- The Five Nocturnal Meditations, which include: liminal dreaming, lucid dreaming, dream yoga, sleep yoga, and bardo yoga
- Why bother with these nocturnal practices in the first place?
- How these nocturnal practices might be the next phase of human evolution
- The problem of wake-centricity
- Practical tips for trying this stuff yourself
- And if lucid dreaming is meant for everyone – including those of us with sleep issues
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/andrew-holecek-620
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There seems to be one clear bug in the human operating system — most of us do not like talking about death. Yet when we do talk about it, it can genuinely upgrade the quality of our lives.
Our guest today is Alua Arthur, a former attorney who is now what’s called a death doula, which is someone who helps guide people through the end of their lives. Through this work, she has learned some extraordinary stuff about how to live life right now.
Alua is also the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization. She is working on her debut memoir, which will be coming out next year called, Briefly Perfectly Human.
This conversation took place at the 2023 TED Conference in Vancouver, immediately after Alua delivered her triumphant talk, which is out now. Special thanks to the TED Audio Collective. You can listen to Alua's talk and other TED talks on the TED Talks Daily podcast.
In this episode we talk about:
- How death can be a powerful motivator
- How consistently being aware that you’re going to die can be a “stress reliever”
- The utility of imagining your ideal death
- Her view on reincarnation
- How the concept of “healing” can sometimes be used as a weapon against ourselves
- The importance of not leaving things unsaid
- How “hope” at the end of life can sometimes be unhelpful
- What surprises her about death
- How her work helped her out of her depression
- The five steps that you should take when confronting your own death
- The harm that can sometimes result from too much medical intervention toward the end of life
- The often fraught relationship that vulnerable and marginalized people can have with the medical community
- The benefits of thinking about what version of yourself you want to meet on your deathbed
- The death meditation that she uses when working with people
- What to say and do when you are with somebody who is grieving
- And a practice she calls, “The dying things exercise”
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/Alua-Arthur-619
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
During major life transitions your emotional and mental world can kick into overdrive. Learn how to stay in the eye of the hurricane.
About Joseph Goldstein:
Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Calm in Big Transitions’’.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Our relationships are the most important variable in our health and happiness, but they may also be the most difficult. This is especially true when those closest to us turn out to be emotionally immature people.
Lindsay C. Gibson is a clinical psychologist and bestselling author who specializes in helping people identify and deal with emotionally immature people, or EIP’s. Her first appearance on our show was one of our most popular episodes of 2022. Now she’s back to offer concrete strategies for handling the EIP’s in your life, wherever you may find them. Her new book is called Disentangling from Emotionally Immature People.
In this episode we talk about:
- A primer on the cardinal characteristics of emotionally immature people (EIP’s), how to spot them, and why you might want to
- What Lindsay means by “disentangling” from EIP’s, and how to do it
- What often happens to your own sense of self when you’re in relationship (or even just in conversation) with an EIP
- How to interact with an EIP
- How to prevent brain scramble when you’re talking with someone who isn’t making any attempt to understand what you’re saying
- How she reacts when she comes across EIP’s in her everyday life
- Whether it’s possible to have some immature characteristics without being an EIP
- Handling your own emotionally immature tendencies
- Whether or not EIP’s can change
- The limits of estrangement
- Why she encourages “alternatives to forgiveness”
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes:
https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/lindsay-c-gibson-617
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
“Mindfulness” has become a buzz phrase. There are books on mindful parenting, mindful lawyering, even mindful sex. But what does the word even mean? And how do you actually do it? In one of his most famous and foundational discourses, the Buddha was said to have laid out, in great detail, four ways to establish mindfulness. In today’s episode we’re going to walk through these four “foundations” of mindfulness with Sally Armstrong, who started practicing in 1981, began teaching 15 years later, and now leads retreats all over the world.
We posted this episode a few years ago, but thought it might be a good time to drop a good, old-fashioned, meat and potatoes, stick to your ribs dharma episode to help us get back to basics. Because, like Sally says, Guru Google can only get us so far…
In this episode we talk about:
- How Sally got started in meditation – including sitting and in person retreat with SN Goenka and living near the Dalai Lama
- Using our meditation to align on intentions and values and seeing that we have a choice once we wake up.
- Where she encounters challenges in her practice today
- The importance of Beginner's mind
- Sally’s clear breakdown of the Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness (the first time we’ve really gone into detail on the show)
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sally-armstrong-232-rerun
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Check out our friends at How to Be a Better Human podcast, as we take a look within and beyond ourselves.
How to Be a Better Human isn’t your average self-improvement podcast. It’s a show that understands that being a human is hard -- because no one tells you how to do it well! Join comedian Chris Duffy as he has conversations with the kind of brilliant experts you see giving TED Talks. Listen as they share how anyone can put big ideas into practice in their own lives, and make them a little less terrible. Because although we do our best to figure out life on our own, we can always use some help. Find How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you’ve been listening to the podcast this week, you probably heard that we’re in the midst of a 3-week series on health and fitness – what we’re calling Get Fit Sanely. To state the obvious, one of the hardest parts of getting fit is to make and break habits.
In conjunction with this series, we’re doing something cool over on the Ten Percent Happier app: we’re bringing back our Healthy Habits challenge, a 7-day course that pairs behavior change expert Kelly McGonigal and meditation teacher Alexis Santos. Each day, you’ll hear a short conversation with Dr. McGonigal about how to actually change habits in a beneficial way, without beating yourself up, followed by a meditation from Alexis that helps bring mindfulness to the whole endeavor. If you’re an app subscriber, you can check out the course anytime, but what’s really helpful is to do it with other people.
The Healthy Habits Challenge kicks off in the Ten Percent Happier app on Monday, June 19. To join the Healthy Habits Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com (all one word, spelled out). If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join!
And if you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge along with our entire app.
And for today’s bonus meditation, we’re sharing one of the meditations that Alexis contributed to the challenge. It’ll help you get in the right frame of mind to start making a small, effective, doable change. We’ll be sharing more of these meditations from Alexis over the next couple of weeks as well.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Starting With Mindfulness.”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you want to opt out of diet culture, then what should you actually eat?
Today’s guest is endeavoring to answer this question. Rachel Hartley is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and the author of a book called Gentle Nutrition: A Non-Diet Approach to Healthy Eating.
In this episode we talk about:
- The basics of intuitive eating
- Her thoughts on whether or not we should weigh ourselves
- Whether or not adopting intuitive eating means living with your face in a cookie jar forever
- How her work has influenced her own body image
- The eight guidelines of gentle nutrition
- Her provocative contention that “the healthiest choice isn’t always the most nutritious choice”
- Her take on some of the critiques of intuitive eating
- Her thoughts on trendy new weight loss drugs like Ozempic
For tickets to TPH's live event in Boston on September 7:
https://thewilbur.com/armory/artist/dan-harris/
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/rachael-hartley-615
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Most of us have an intuitive sense that there’s a pretty serious link between what we eat and how we feel. Today’s guest is here to explain the science behind that relationship.
Dr. Uma Naidoo is a pioneer in the field of nutritional psychiatry and an expert on both the gut-brain connection and the food-mood connection. She is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, a professional chef, and a nutrition specialist. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. And she is the author of a book called This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the gut-brain connection is, how it works, and why it’s so important
- Her contention that “we are in control of how we feel emotionally through the food choices we make every single day”
- How to leverage nutritional psychiatry to help you handle:
- ---Anxiety
- ---Depression
- ---Sleep disorders
- ---Dementia
- ---PTSD
- ---ADHD
- ---OCD
- Her thoughts on taking in all of this information without developing orthorexia (an unhealthy obsession with healthy food)
- Her thoughts on intuitive eating
- How to understand vitamins vs. supplements (and her advice on taking supplements)
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/uma-naidoo-614
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Have you ever noticed that no matter how much shit you buy, it never really does it for you? There’s always that next purchase.
I’m no anti-capitalist, but I don’t think it hurts to acknowledge the lie—or if you want to be generous, misunderstanding—at the core of the enterprise: that somehow acquisition will lead to lasting satisfaction.
This insight about the limits of materialism is what animates my friends Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who together, are known as the Minimalists. Several years ago, they released a documentary on Netflix. It focuses on how to declutter your stuff and life and how that can lead to decluttering your mind and reduced anxiety.
They actually interviewed me for it—even though I am not really a minimalist—and to this day it is the interview that generated perhaps the most attention of any I have ever done. For years, people stopped me on the street about that one.
Anyway, Joshua and Ryan are now bringing their documentary – aptly entitled “Minimalism” – to YouTube, for free and without commercials. In honor of that, we are reposting an interview I did with them back in 2021.
We hope you enjoy this bonus rebroadcast, and don’t forget to check out the Minimalists podcast, Youtube, website…they’re everywhere. Oh, and just to say that when we originally posted this interview, we paired it with a supplemental conversation with the great meditation teacher Oren Sofer, so if you want to hear the original, you can check that out here.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Happy Friday, everybody. It’s time for another bonus meditation, and we’re going to stick with our current theme of Get Fit Sanely. This week on the podcast we talked with mobility experts Kelly and Juliet Starrett about how to stay pain-free and flexible even as you get older, and then Cara Lai helped us think about how to exercise without being motivated by subtle self-hatred.
Obviously, a key part of fitness— from exercise to diet— is making and breaking habits. And that’s what today’s meditation is about: how when you’re in autopilot mode—a default setting for most of us— it is hard to change your behavior.
This meditation comes from the healthy habits course we produced over on the Ten Percent Happier app, which features Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal and meditation teacher Alexis Santos.
To access the Healthy Habits Course, just download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and find “Healthy Habits” in the Course tab.
And if you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the course along with our entire app.
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It’s an urgent question for so many of us: Can we exercise, can we take care of our bodies, without being driven by shame, self-loathing, or noxious comparison to other people?
Our guest today has a unique perspective on this. Cara Lai is a former social worker and psychotherapist who is now a Buddhist teacher. She also used to be a marathoner. But in the last few years, her body has undergone some radical changes, leading her to some hard-won, fascinating, and deeply useful insights about how to strike the balance between taking care of your body and staying sane.
In this episode we talk about:
- Practices for that moment when you’re getting out of the shower, see yourself in the mirror, and engage in a festival of self-judgment
- The surprising things that happened when Cara was forced to stop exercising
- A counterintuitive mindfulness practice suggestion for those with exercise routines
- When and why you should purposely do things you know are bad for you
- Why we often resist ‘being in our bodies,’ why that’s OK, and how to lower the bar on this contemplative cliché–without giving it up
- A body-related Buddhist practice she finds to be totally not useful
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/cara-lai-612
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From the way we sit while watching TV to the way we put on our shoes, our days are filled with opportunities to improve our mobility–without getting all sweaty. That’s according to today’s guests, who are here to teach us about some simple ways to keep our bodies durable for as long as possible.
Kelly and Juliet Starrett are the authors of the new book Built to Move: The 10 Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully. Their book covers 10 tests you can do to assess your mobility “vital signs” and 10 practices you can do to improve those vital signs and make your body work better.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the Starrett's see as the shortcomings of “the fitness industrial complex”
- What mobility is, and why working on it is different from working out
- Why you should practice getting up off the ground without help
- The importance of your hip range of motion
- Why the Starrett's recommend a minimum of 8,000 steps per day, not 10,000
- The ‘Old Man Balance Test’
- The ‘SOLEC test’
- The Starretts’ recommendations on nutrition, sleep, and breathing
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/juliet-and-kelly-starrett-611
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If you’ve been listening to the podcast this week, you probably heard that we’re in the midst of a 3-week series on health and fitness – what we’re calling Get Fit Sanely. To state the obvious, one of the hardest parts of getting fit is to make and break habits.
In conjunction with this series, we’re doing something cool over on the Ten Percent Happier app: we’re bringing back our Healthy Habits challenge, a 7-day course that pairs behavior change expert Kelly McGonigal and meditation teacher Alexis Santos. Each day, you’ll hear a short conversation with Dr. McGonigal about how to actually change habits in a beneficial way, without beating yourself up, followed by a meditation from Alexis that helps bring mindfulness to the whole endeavor. If you’re an app subscriber, you can check out the course anytime, but what’s really helpful is to do it with other people.
The Healthy Habits Challenge kicks off in the Ten Percent Happier app on Monday, June 19. To join the Healthy Habits Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com (all one word, spelled out). If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join!
And if you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge along with our entire app.
And for today’s bonus meditation, we’re sharing one of the meditations that Alexis contributed to the challenge. It’ll help you get in the right frame of mind to start making a small, effective, doable change. We’ll be sharing more of these meditations from Alexis over the next couple of weeks as well.
Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Starting With Mindfulness.”
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Everyone from the Buddha to the Stoics have exhorted us to remember that we’re going to die. So what are we to make of Dr. Mark Hyman? He’s a physician and a student of Buddhism who is just out with a new book, called, “Young Forever.” In it, he argues that your biological age can be reversed even as you grow chronologically older. So we decided to have him on, learn about his approach, and gently grill him on some of the things that made us most skeptical.
This is the second part of our new six-part series, Get Fit Sanely series, where we are trying to help you to make sense of the noise around getting fit–and to do so without losing your mind.
A little bit more about Dr. Hyman: He is a practicing family physician, the Founder and Senior Advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and a fifteen-time New York Times best-selling author. He also has his own podcast, called The Doctor’s Farmacy.
In this episode we talk about:
- Whether there’s a tension between Mark’s approach and Buddhism
- Whether it’s realistic for people alive today to think that we could make it to 150 or 200 years old
- Mark’s contention that he is in better shape at 63 than he was at 40
- His take on intuitive eating
- His top line recommendations on exercise
- The benefits of cuddling
- His response to critiques of functional medicine
- Whether his longevity routine is something regular people can do
- The research on cold plunges and saunas
- His advice on alcohol
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dr-mark-hyman-609
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Most of us want to stay alive — and healthy — for as long as possible. But how to actually do that, given all the obstacles? What advice should we listen to? How do we find the time and motivation to follow it? And how do we do so without succumbing to what has been called the “subtle aggression of self improvement”?
Today, we are launching an ambitious three-week series to tackle these questions. We are bringing on top experts from science and Buddhism who will talk about how to eat better, exercise smarter, and extend your lifespan. Guest number one is Dr. Peter Attia. He has trained at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins, and the National Institutes of Health. He’s the host of a popular health and fitness podcast called The Drive and the author of a new book called Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why Peter kind of hates the word ‘longevity’
- The definitions of ‘lifespan’ and ‘healthspan’–and what we can do in five key areas to increase both
- The importance of exercise, including what types of exercise to do, how to measure your fitness, and how even a little bit of weekly exercise can go a very long way
- The roles our genes play in our lifespan and our healthspan
- The importance of nutrition, including Peter’s top tips, his personal evolution, and his take on intuitive eating
- How to get better sleep (and when to stop tracking it)
- How to think about pharmaceutical tools, incl. a discussion of how to make sense of the crowded and unregulated supplement market
- The importance of emotional health, including a raw story from Peter about how he came to understand the importance of mental health, and why he believes tending to your emotional health makes all of the other health levers easier to pull.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/dr-peter-attia-608
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Starting next week, we’re launching a six part series where we’re going to talk to a vast array of experts on longevity, exercise, and diet — we’re calling it Get Fit Sanely.
To kick the series off, I wanted to have our senior producer DJ Cashmere on, who’s the architect behind this project. You’re gonna hear him get really personal about how these issues have affected his own psychology, and you’ll hear a very thoughtful person talk about what he’s taken away from the months of research he’s done on these subjects. And, we’ll give you a taste of what it’s like here behind the scenes at Ten Percent Happier.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/buddhist-beach-bod
Other Resources Mentioned:
- No Excuses: Race and Reckoning at a Chicago Charter School — DJ’s audio documentary about his time as a teacher
Additional Resources:
- Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
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Mindful movement is an excellent way to integrate and even invigorate mindfulness while cultivating the power of curious awareness.
About Dawn Mauricio:
Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, and she teaches extensively in her home-country of Canada, as well as the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Gentle Mindful Movement.”
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It’s hard to be a human. No matter how good things are for you, being alive is still hard. Whatever your life circumstances are, we’re all subject to impermanence and entropy.
This episode dives into a five-part Buddhist list for being stronger in the face of whatever life throws at you.
Sister Dang Nghiem, who goes by Sister D, is a nun in the Plum Village tradition and a disciple of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. She was born in Vietnam during the war, and is the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. Sister D experienced an unfathomable amount of loss before relocating to the US, where she became a doctor and later, after experiencing more loss, became a nun. She’s written several books and her most recent is Flowers in the Dark.
In this conversation, Sister D shares her story, and then walks us through The Five Strengths of Applied Zen Buddhism which include trust, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
Content Warning: This episode covers difficult topics including death, mental illness, and sexual abuse.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sister-dang-nghiem-403-rerun
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As you might already know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month – and, while mental health is important every month, it’s an important opportunity to share resources that can help one another.
So, in that spirit – we’re going to bring you a bonus episode from a podcast we love called Meditative Story. We’re going to share my episode of Meditative Story with you, where I tell a personal story about a father-son trip that I went on with my son, Alexander, when he was four years old. And how this trip really changed our relationship.
If you’re not familiar with Meditative Story, it provides immersive storytelling with mindfulness prompts embedded right into the narrative, woven with a wonderful musical soundtrack.
I hope you enjoy this episode of Meditative Story.
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The notion of “being your authentic self” might sound like too much of a tired trope, but getting real and stripping away your fears and hang-ups can help you live a more meaningful life.
In her new book, “Bold Move: A 3-Step Plan to Transform Anxiety into Power”, Dr. Luana Marques shares her story about growing up in chaos and learning early skills of cognitive behavioral therapy that helped her cope with anxiety and live boldly.
Dr. Luana Marques is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, a former president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and a renowned mental health expert, educator, and author.
In this episode we talk about:
- Luana’s personal story growing up in Brazil and struggling with anxiety as a child
- What it means to live boldly
- What is psychological avoidance and the 3 R’s of Avoidance
- Luana’s three step plan to transform anxiety into power
- How to be comfortably uncomfortable
- Why the brain is a faulty predictor
- Why being bold is not the same as being fearless
- Why social support is the number one buffer across any mental health issue
- How aligning your daily actions with your values can help you deal with anxiety
- How to identify your values by looking at pain
- And what Luana means by “being the water not the rock”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dr-luana-marques-604
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This simple but profound meditation will help you flip the judgment switch and genuinely welcome whatever your life presents.
About Jeff Warren:
Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto.
He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Welcoming Your Imperfection,” or click here:
"https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=dfa31f5f-cf3e-40a6-ae63-ecf0ee524803"
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We’ve all got parts of our personality or our past that we’re ashamed of. We might refer to these parts of ourselves as our demons, our baggage, or our secrets; no one is immune.
So, how do you want to deal with this situation? Stay coiled in shame and denial? That only makes the demons stronger. An alternative, per my guest Koshin Paley Ellison, is to approach your stuff with “healthy embarrassment.” That allows you to work more skillfully with your baggage so that it doesn’t own you. And once you’re cooler with yourself, that can improve your relationships with other people, which is probably the most important variable for your happiness. And healthy embarrassment is just one of many extremely useful things we are going to talk about today.
Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. He is the co-founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, an amazing place which, among other things, trains people to be volunteers in hospice centers. Koshin is the author of a new book called Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion, which centers on a classic Buddhist list called The Eightfold Path, the Buddha’s recipe for enlightenment or, as Koshin puts it, “the most awesome combo platter.”
In this episode we talk about:
- What is The Eightfold Path and how it fits into another Buddhist list, The Four Noble Truths
- How to use the list to do life better
- The danger of perfectionism in putting the list to use in your life
- How to bridge the gap between what we say we care about and what we’re actually doing with our lives
- How sitting with your pain can lead to freedom
- The utility and pitfalls of gossip
- How we can look at the idea of “killing” in many different ways, including how one can “kill a moment” or “the energy in a room”
- How the concept of “right effort” can help us find the balance between not doing enough and overworking ourselves
- How being uncomfortable is a sign of real engagement with our practice
- And Koshin’s addition of the concept of “mystery” as another aspect of the eightfold path
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/koshin-paley-ellison-528
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Today we explore the entire dread spectrum with Saleem Reshamwala, who took a deep dive on this very common, very uncomfortable emotion. What is dread, exactly? What evolutionary purpose does it serve? Most importantly, how do we deal with it? What are the antidotes?
Reshamwala has worked for The New York Times, PBS, and also TED, where he hosts a podcast called Far Flung. He is also the host of More Than A Feeling, another podcast here at Ten Percent Happier. Saleem and his team recently launched something called The Dread Project - we shared their first episode kicking off the series last week. It’s a five-day series that investigates dread. Each day of the challenge, listeners tackle dread in a different way. You can sign up for The Dread Project at dreadproject.com.
In this episode we talk about:
- Dread-management techniques, including: journaling, drawing, and welcoming your dread to the party inside your head
- How to face dread when it comes to climate change
- And the biggest dread of all— death
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/saleem-reshamwala-527
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Today we explore the entire dread spectrum with Saleem Reshamwala, who took a deep dive on this very common, very uncomfortable emotion. What is dread, exactly? What evolutionary purpose does it serve? Most importantly, how do we deal with it? What are the antidotes?
Reshamwala has worked for The New York Times, PBS, and also TED, where he hosts a podcast called Far Flung. He is also the host of More Than A Feeling, another podcast here at Ten Percent Happier. Saleem and his team recently launched something called The Dread Project - we shared their first episode kicking off the series last week. It’s a five-day series that investigates dread. Each day of the challenge, listeners tackle dread in a different way. You can sign up for The Dread Project at dreadproject.com.
In this episode we talk about:
- Dread-management techniques, including: journaling, drawing, and welcoming your dread to the party inside your head
- How to face dread when it comes to climate change
- And the biggest dread of all— death
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/saleem-reshamwala-527
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today we explore the entire dread spectrum with Saleem Reshamwala, who took a deep dive on this very common, very uncomfortable emotion. What is dread, exactly? What evolutionary purpose does it serve? Most importantly, how do we deal with it? What are the antidotes?
Reshamwala has worked for The New York Times, PBS, and also TED, where he hosts a podcast called Far Flung. He is also the host of More Than A Feeling, another podcast here at Ten Percent Happier. Saleem and his team recently launched something called The Dread Project - we shared their first episode kicking off the series last week. It’s a five-day series that investigates dread. Each day of the challenge, listeners tackle dread in a different way. You can sign up for The Dread Project at dreadproject.com.
In this episode we talk about:
- Dread-management techniques, including: journaling, drawing, and welcoming your dread to the party inside your head
- How to face dread when it comes to climate change
- And the biggest dread of all— death
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/saleem-reshamwala-527
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Setting intentions regularly can be an incredibly effective and deeply satisfying tool to map out how you want to live your life.
About Dawn Mauricio:
Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, and she teaches extensively in her home-country of Canada, as well as the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Daily Intention Setting,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=deaecaa8-6b71-43cd-b2f7-a406c93fafd4
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Can gratitude be more than just a platitude? Our guest today argues: yes.
DaRa Williams is a longtime practitioner and teacher of meditation. She is one of the guiding teachers at Insight Meditation Society, a graduate of the Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program, and also has a clinical mental health private practice in Manhattan. DaRa also says, only semi-facetiously, that she believes gratitude can be considered the fifth Brahma Vihara.
In this conversation we talk about:
- How to start knitting gratitude into your everyday life
- Whether gratitude is possible when everything sucks
- How to avoid spiritual bypass
- The opportunity that suffering brings for happiness
- How to take our suffering less personally
- The power of reminding yourself that you are nature
- And our unconscious fascination with creating difficulty
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dara-williams-295-rerun
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There are all sorts of ways to struggle with getting things done. Maybe you’re a procrastinator, maybe you’re somebody whose energy flags in the middle of a project, maybe you’re too stubborn and don’t know when to quit, or maybe you’re somebody who sets too many goals and gets burned out. Whatever your situation, we all struggle with motivation. The good news is that there’s a whole crew of scientists who study best practices for getting things done, including today’s guest, Ayelet Fishbach, PhD.
Fishbach is one of the most eminent players in the field. She is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. She is also the author of Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation.
In this episode we talk about:
- The crucial first step of setting goals
- How to pick the right goals for you
- Whether it’s more effective to have a goal that is positive – where you’re aiming to achieve something specific – or negative – where you’re aiming to stop doing something
- Whether to-do lists work
- Whether incentives work
- Best practices for monitoring your progress
- The importance of celebrating milestones
- The importance of negative feedback
- Why the 10,000 steps per day goal makes motivational sense even though it’s been proven to be scientifically arbitrary
- And how to know when to let go of a goal
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ayelet-fishbach-525
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Bring an open minded curiosity to your big emotions and get to know yourself more fully, developing resilience to deal with all the feels.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Being with Big Emotions,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=0606529f-6448-4fa4-8b87-d9c64666f743
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This episode is for anyone who has ever had a tough or tricky moment. In other words, everyone who is currently drawing breath on planet earth right now.
Today’s guests are powerhouse duo Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche is one of the greatest living Tibetan masters who has a whole toolbox of techniques for dealing with difficult moments, habitual patterns, and common meditation obstacles. He’ll be in conversation with Daniel Goleman, a trained scientist and science writer best known for his landmark book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Together, they have just written a book called Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion.
This is the fourth and final installment of our series called, The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sht Together*. In each episode we bring together a meditative adept or Buddhist scholar and a respected scientist. The idea is to give you the best of both worlds to arm you with both modern and ancient tools for regulating your emotions.
In this episode we talk about:
- The single word that Rinpoche believes captures the most challenging aspect of modern life
- Two of the biggest obstacles for meditators
- What Rinpoche calls the “drop it” practice
- Rinpoche’s term, “beautiful monsters”
- The four steps of the “handshake” practice, which is meant for meeting difficult emotions and being OK with them
- Why reasoning with your feelings doesn’t work
- How to experience a fundamental OK-ness independent of external conditions
- A personal story from Rinpoche about being with one of his own difficult habits
- What Rinpoche calls the “three speed limits”
- And, “belly breathing”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tsoknyi-rinpoche-daniel-goleman-523
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Is it possible to learn to spot which state your nervous system is in and move from suboptimal states to much better ones? The subject of how to work with your own nervous system is called Polyvagal Theory and today’s guests Deb Dana & Kaira Jewel Lingo will give us a primer on what that exactly means. They will also talk about how our nervous systems are connected to the nervous systems of other people, and how we can learn to co-regulate our systems for the betterment of others.
Deb Dana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who is a clinician, consultant and author specializing in complex trauma. Her work is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma, and creating ways of working that honor the role of the autonomic nervous system. She has written several books, including Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.
Kaira Jewel Lingo is a Dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, as well as in secular mindfulness, with a focus on activists, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, artists, educators, families, and youth. She is author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption.
This is the third installment of our series called, The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sht Together*. In each episode we bring together a meditative adept or Buddhist scholar and a respected scientist. The idea is to give you the best of both worlds to arm you with both modern and ancient tools for regulating your emotions.
In this episode we talk about:
- The basics of Polyvagal Theory
- A fascinating and easily graspable concept from Buddhist psychology called, “store consciousness”
- The interconnectedness of our nervous systems and the responsibility that creates for all of us
- How to handle being annoyed
- What happens when we beat ourselves up with “shoulds,” and how to stop doing that
- The value of simply knowing, in the moments when you’re stuck, that those moments are impermanent
- How to allow your suffering to inform your life
- The value of “micro-moments”
- Two ways of caring for painful states without suppressing them
- And the power of action and service in overcoming anxiety
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/deb-dana-kaira-jewel-lingo-522
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The team over at our sister show, More Than a Feeling, are diving deep into an emotion that a lot of us can relate to: dread. And while that may sound unappetizing, they’ve found a way to make this series delightful and useful.
It’s called “The Dread Project,” and today you’re gonna hear their kick off episode, and then next week, every day, in the More Than a Feeling podcast feed, you’ll find a short episode that will give you a new, short and fun exercise on how to work with your dread.
Sign up for The Dread Project Challenge at dreadproject.com, and you’ll get five days of emails with insights from each day’s episode and the exercise that goes with it.
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A common idea in the west is that our feelings or emotions should be viewed with suspicion, superseded or overridden by rational thought, and that your mind is a battleground between emotions and rationality. But on the show today, guests Lisa Feldman Barrett and John Dunne are going to offer a very compelling science backed argument that disputes the notion that thinking and feeling are distinct. Furthermore, they argue that understanding how emotions are actually made can be a life or death matter.
Lisa Feldman Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists, having published over 270 peer-reviewed scientific papers. She has written several books, including How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 6.5 million times.
John Dunneholds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Humanities at the Center for Healthy Minds of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work focuses on Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, especially in dialog with Cognitive Science and Psychology. He earned his PhD from Harvard.
This is part two in a series we’re calling The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sht Together*.In each episode we bring together a meditative adept or Buddhist scholar and a respected scientist. The idea is to give you the best of both worlds to arm you with both modern and ancient tools for regulating your emotions.
In this episode we talk about:
- Lisa’s scientific definition of emotions
- John’s Buddhist contention that emotions, as a category, do not exist in Buddhism
- The difference between suffering and discomfort
- What we can do to master our emotions including understanding what Lisa terms as our “body budget”
- Becoming more emotionally intelligent
- Mastering our feelings in the moment
- Whether or not pain is an emotion and how it works
- How and why to be present in the here and now
- The upside of unpleasant feelings
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lisa-feldman-barrett-john-dunne-520
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In western culture, there's been a long held view that our ability to reason should be placed above our emotions. But the hard truth is that our emotions are there and they're non-negotiable— and If you don't know how to work with them, they can own you.
The good news is that you can work with them and that there are many systems for doing so. To boot, you can learn a ton by listening to your emotions in the right ways.
Today’s guests, Shinzen Young and James Gross will help us understand how to work with our emotions and offer both techniques in modern science and ancient wisdom in order to do so.
Gross is the Ernest R. Hilgard Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, where he directs the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory. Young is an American mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant. He teaches something called Unified Mindfulness, which you will hear him describe in this conversation.
This is part one in a series we’re calling The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sht Together*.In each episode we bring together a meditative adept or Buddhist scholar and a respected scientist. The idea is to give you the best of both worlds to arm you with both modern and ancient tools for regulating your emotions.
In this episode we talk about:
- James’s “modal model” for understanding what emotions are and how they work
- James’s five different types of strategies you can use for regulating your emotions
- Shinzen’s contention that emotions have two sides to them
- How we can experience emotions with more fulfillment and less suffering via a mindfulness training he calls “focus factors”
- James’s “process model of emotion regulation”
- What James believes are the elements that unite science and Buddhism
- Shinzen’s contention that anyone can experience massive benefits of mindfulness training if their meditation practice has four key components
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shinzen-young-james-gross-519
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Cultivate resilience by choosing to turn towards joy, and transform difficult times into growth opportunities and heartache into gratitude.
About La Sarmiento:
La Sarmiento is the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas and a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and Cloud Sangha. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Community Dharma Leader Training Program in 2012. As an immigrant, non-binary, Filipinx-American, La is committed to expanding access to the Dharma. They live in Towson, MD with their life partner Wendy and rescue pups Annabel and Bader.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Opening to Joy,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=ad5f5edb-d41b-4419-8cdd-cbe4155ef6ae.
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We’re sharing a very special episode from a frequent guest of the show, Esther Perel. In this episode, “Love in War with Esther Perel: Ukraine,” you’ll hear a couples session led by Esther, between a husband and wife whose family has been torn apart by the war in Ukraine. Through the lens of relationship, you experience both the horrors of war and the relatability of intimate relationships.
Esther Perel is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of many books, including Mating In Captivity. She’s also the host of the podcasts Where Should We Begin? and How’s Work?.
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It is so easy to be pessimistic and, in fact, we are evolutionarily wired towards it with a built in negativity bias. This bias can be super useful, because it keeps us on guard for threats. But like all biases, it can warp the way we see the world. This is why optimism can be incredibly helpful. We’re not talking about blind optimism here but more about grounded, realistic and reasonable optimism.
Our guest today, Robin Roberts, has come by this skill the hard way. Not only is she one of the boldest of the boldface names in the news business, where she is forced to confront crime, war, and natural disasters on the regular, but she’s also come through two very serious bouts of cancer.
Roberts is the longtime co-anchor of Good Morning America. She has a new book called, Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams in which she talks about how she has honed her optimism chops, and how you can, too.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to strengthen your optimism muscle
- Making “one day, day one”
- Operationalizing your goals
- Robin’s meditation practice
- Napping during meditation
- How she gets enough sleep given her crazy schedule
- Envisioning the victory
- Flipping the script so that instead of thinking “what could go wrong?” we think, “what could go right?”
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/robin-roberts-516
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Friendship might not necessarily be something you’ve considered to be an urgent psychological and physiological issue. One thing we explore a lot on the show is that the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life, and sadly, in many ways, it’s harder than ever to make and keep friends. With loneliness and disconnection on the rise, our society just wasn’t constructed for social connection, and recent data suggests we’re in a friendship crisis, with many of us reporting that we have fewer close friendships than ever.
Our guest today is Robin Dunbar, an Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Oxford University and the author of numerous books on the development of homo sapiens. Dunbar is perhaps best known for formulating “Dunbar's number,” which is a measurement of the number of relationships our brain is capable of maintaining at any one time. He is a world-renowned expert on human relationships, and has a ton of fascinating research findings and practical tips for upping your friendship game.
In this conversation, we dive into the science behind human relationships, the upsides and downsides of maintaining friendships on social media, the viability of friendships across gender lines, and what science says you can do to compensate if you feel you are currently lacking in close friendships.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/robin-dunbar-372-rerun
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Conflict is inevitable in any relationship. By identifying what really matters to us, we can strengthen our most meaningful connections.
About Oren Jay Sofer:
Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation, and Nonviolent Communication in secular and Buddhist contexts. Oren has practiced meditation in the early Buddhist tradition since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India with Anagarika Munindra and Godwin Samararatne. He is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and a graduate of the IMS - Spirit Rock Vipassana Teacher Training, and current member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council.
Oren is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, a practical guidebook for having more effective, satisfying conversations.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “When We Fight With People We Love,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=4de9fcbb-c18d-44c0-bdca-328c38289a9f.
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Relationships can be tricky. Especially if you find yourself upset with someone, and instead of talking it through, you let it fester until one moment you completely lose it and end up having to apologize. If you’ve ever felt like you had friction with the people in your life, or that you’ve been taken for granted, today’s episode offers you solid strategies to cope.
Sister True Dedication is a Zen Buddhist nun and teacher ordained by the great meditation teacher and author, Thich Nhat Hanh. She edited several of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books, including The Art of Living and Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. She was born in the United Kingdom, studied history and political thought at Cambridge University, and worked for BBC News before ordaining as a nun at the age of 27.
In this episode we talk about:
- The six phrases – or mantras – that Thich Nhat Hanh recommended people use in their relationships
- Keeping misunderstandings “dust free”
- Taking action to make sure anger doesn’t fester
- The importance of recognizing that our understanding of the world is always partial
- Bringing mantras to work
- How Sister True Dedication went from journalism to the monastery
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sister-true-dedication-514
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You may remember hearing a massively viral story from a few years ago about a school in Baltimore that gave students meditation, instead of detention.
Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez founded the Holistic Life Foundation and are the authors of Let Your Light Shine, which recounts the story of their work helping traumatized children in one of America’s most underserved cities, and how mindfulness tools can help children and communities not only survive, but thrive.
In this episode we talk about:
- The story behind their meditation-instead-of-detention initiative
- Their experience asking principals to give them the most challenging students
- What it’s like working in one of the most violent cities in the world
- The results from teaching students yoga and meditation
- How we can apply the lessons they’ve learned to meditation and life
Content Warning: Explicit language. For a clean version of this episode, please listen on the Ten Percent Happier app or at tenpercent.com
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ali-smith-atman-smith-andres-gonzalez-513
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Instead of letting your inner critic control you, turn it into a caricature so you can find a little space in the relationship.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Dressing Up The Inner Critic,” or click here:
"https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=cadfb39c-1d15-49bf-a628-ee718d84cfe4"
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One of the great perils and problems of our age is that we sometimes become too entrenched in our views and attached to being right.
According to guest George Saunders, the antidote is something he calls “holy befuddlement.”
George Saunders is the author of eleven books, including Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for best work of fiction in English. His most recent book, Liberation Day, is a collection of short stories that explore the ideas of power, ethics, and justice, cutting to the heart of what it means to live in community with our fellow humans.
In this episode we talk about:
- How George Saunders creates “holy befuddlement” in himself and in his readers
- How shaving down dogmatism can help us be, in his words, less of a “turd”
- How to deal with heightened expectations we might have of ourselves
- Healthy ways to enjoy praise
- What it looks like to cultivate a relationship with our self, to the extent that the self exists
- The importance of moral ambiguity in his work
- The impact of meditating – or not meditating – on our creative work
- And forgiveness and coming up short
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/george-saunders-511
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It might be hard to find a more annoying cliché than self-love; it can seem empty and inactionable. And even if you could make it work, I think many of us suspect it would lead to complacent resignation or unbridled narcissism. But there is an enormous amount of evidence that self-love, or as the scientists call it, self-compassion, can make you more effective in reaching your goals as well as lead to better relationships with everybody around you.
On today’s show, the great meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg will walk us through the idea that love— both self-love and other love— is a skill that can be cultivated with massively positive impacts.
Salzbergis a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her forthcoming release, Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom, is set for release in April of 2023 from Flatiron Books. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.
This episode comes out in conjunction with Dan Harris’ recent TED Talk on self-love. You can watch the full talk here.
In this episode we talk about:
- The definition of self-hatred and its predominance in the West
- The real practical benefits of self-compassion
- Whether there is a difference between self-compassion and self-love
- Why many people resist the idea of self-love
- The distinction between empathy and compassion and how they work together in Buddhism
- How to have lovingkindness for somebody who doesn't feel we have the right to exist
- Reclaiming words like love and happiness
- And how generosity makes us more whole
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sharon-salzberg-510
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Relieve your anxiety by exploring the relationship between stress and thinking while learning to break unhealthy habit loops.
About Jess Morey:
Jess Morey is a lead teacher, cofounder and former executive director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education which runs in-depth mindfulness programming for youth, and the parents and professionals who support them across the US, and internationally.
She began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), and has maintained a consistent commitment to meditation since. Diving head first into meditation at such a key developmental stage makes the revelatory perspective of mindfulness & compassion her natural home turf, and gives her an easy, conversational teaching style anyone can relate to.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Soothe Stressful Thoughts,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=eb664bd8-0560-439e-9e57-e5eddb622bfa.
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Are you interested in suffering less? Today's guest, Dharma teacher Pascal Auclair, is going to talk about seven very specific and practical ways to train your mind for reduced suffering by exploring a Buddhist list called the seven factors of awakening, which is a part of the fourth foundation of mindfulness. We’ve talked about a bunch of Buddhist lists on the show before, but this is one of the happiest of all the lists to explore.
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, sitting retreats in Asia and America. He has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, who have both been previous guests on this show. Pascal is now a core teacher at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts. He is also a co-founder of True North Insight and one of its guiding teachers.
This episode is the fifth and final installment of a series we've launched on the four foundations of mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The movement from difficult states of mind to more beneficial and helpful states of mind
- How the 7 factors can help you create your “best mind”
- The difference between the “energizing” and “calming” factors
- How to practically apply these factors to your daily life
- And specifically how the seven factors can improve your relationships
Full Shownotes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pascal-auclair-508
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Thoughts are not your enemy in meditation. If you’re getting distracted while you meditate, that’s not necessarily a problem. Thoughts are natural. They’re always going to come. The point is not to clear the mind and to magically eradicate all thinking, the point is to have a different relationship to your thoughts.
When we’re not mindful of our thoughts, they march into the room, tell us what to do, and we act them out, reflexively, habitually and automatically— like puppets on a string. Our guest today, Dharma teacher Tuere Sala, is going to talk about how to cut the strings of what can often be a malevolent puppeteer.
Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Retreat Center. She’s a former prosecutor who has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years and is especially focused on bringing the dharma to nontraditional places. She is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high stress, past trauma and difficulties sitting still.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why we get caught in our thinking
- Understanding that our thoughts are not who we are
- How to direct our attention away from negative thoughts
- How the idea of permanency causes suffering
- Using thinking itself as the object of our meditation
- Noticing mind states
- Relative reality vs. ultimate reality
- The eight states of mind and their felt sense in the body
- And Sala’s definition of true liberation
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tuere-sala-507
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Let your attention be fueled by interest and discover how meditation can feel more engaging and enjoyable.
About Cara Lai:
Cara Lai spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy, or at least avoid total misery, which landed her on a meditation cushion for the majority of her adulthood. Throughout many consciousness adventures including a few mind-bendingly long meditation retreats, she has explored the wilderness of the mind, chronic illness, the importance of pleasure, and a wide range of other things that she might get in trouble for mentioning publicly.
In the past, Cara has worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist, but at this point she’s given up on being an adult in exchange for an all-out mindfulness rampage. Her teaching is relatable, authentic, funny and sometimes crass, and is accessible for many people. She teaches teens and adults at Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and UCLA; ultimately hoping to become as good of a show-off as Dan. And to help people be happier.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Undomesticate Your Mind,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=8a578725-d3e5-464a-bcd2-e1789716e3e5.
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The Buddha was an inveterate list-maker who gave us easy to remember checklists to help us do life better. One of the handiest lists the Buddha made was called the five hindrances, which is a part of the fourth foundation of mindfulness. This list outlines the five things that mess us up when we’re trying to meditate — or, in fact, when we’re trying to do anything. If you’ve got issues right now, odds are pretty high that you are in the throes of one of the hindrances. The excellent news is that the Buddha not only made a taxonomy of the hindrances but also a long list of antidotes. We’re going to run through all of this today with Bonnie Duran, a great dharma teacher who is making her second appearance on the show.
Duran is a teacher and member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Director of the Center for Indigenous Health Research at the University of Washington’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. She combines extensive research and practice of Buddhism with her deep understanding of indigenous spiritual practices.
This episode is the fourth installment of a series we've launched on the four foundations of mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- How the five hindrances manifest in our daily lives
- Using the RAIN technique to investigate the 5 hindrances
- Whether there is any type of desire that is helpful
- Cultivating a sky-like attitude
- How to not water the seeds of negativity
- The similarities between Indigenous beliefs and what the Buddha taught
- How body scans can be an antidote to sleepiness
- And whether you can ever uproot the hindrances entirely
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bonnie-duran-505
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Most of us come into the world with the suspicion that we are the center of the universe. This self-preoccupation is natural, but it can often lead to unhappiness in the form of rumination, wallowing, comparison, etc.
Our guest today, author Karen Armstrong, has a clear proposal for how we can stop living what she calls “artificial” lives and shave down our inborn self-centeredness. Not for nothing, she believes her proposal has the added benefit of perhaps helping to save the planet.
Armstrong is a former nun who has become one of the world’s leading thinkers on religion (particularly the monotheistic ones). She has written such bestsellers as: A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, The Battle for God, Islam: A Short History, and Buddha. Her latest book is called Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World.
In this episode we talk about:
- Practices you can try for using nature as a way to make yourself happier
- How Armstrong conceives of God at this point in her life
- The benefits of the Confucian practice of “quiet sitting”
- How her time as a nun paradoxically made her more self-preoccupied rather than less
- And her definition of holiness
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/karen-armstrong-504
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Bringing awareness to everyday activities can be a taste of freedom to help you move through your day with clarity, energy, and well-being.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis Santos is a featured teacher on the Ten Percent Happier app and has been in the field of mindfulness and meditation since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, with whom he ordained as a Buddhist monk, and has taught at retreat centers around the globe.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “While Going About Your Day,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=0a6b880d-a114-4db6-a502-3f70c56e3078.
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Ever have that experience where you catch yourself in a moment of anger, judgmentalism or fear? And, with a wince, immediately tell yourself a whole story about what kind of person you are? How do you stop this from happening or cut it short once it’s already begun?
The answer? Mindfulness or having the basic self-awareness to see what kind of mental states are arising so that you are not owned them. To use a technical Buddhist term this is called, “mindfulness of mind.” It’s the ability to see your mind states without taking them personally and it comes from one of the Buddha’s most famous lists called the four foundations of mindfulness.
Today we are going to learn about the whys and wherefores of mindfulness of mind from one of the most esteemed living Buddhist scholars, Bhikkhu Bodhi. Bodhi is a monk,originally from NYC. He is a prolific translator, scholar, and author of books on the Buddha’s teachings. He is also President of the Buddhist Association of the United States and co-founder and Chairperson of the Board of Buddhist Global Relief.
This episode is the third installment of a series we've launched on the four foundations of mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The historical backdrop of the four foundations of mindfulness
- What exactly the Buddha meant by “mindfulness of mind”
- How we can know whether or not we are being mindful
- How not to let our mindfulness become a sort of compulsive internal nanny state
- Practical instructions for the third foundation (given that the Buddha never actually gave them)
- And Bhikkhu Bodhi’s view that we should not be mindfulness zealots
Photo Credit: Hsiao Ying Chang (史曉瑛）
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bhikkhu-bodhi-502
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Today we’re talking about an often overlooked source of suffering— housework. There are so many ways in which housework can be a bummer. Maybe we’re feeling guilty about the fact that our place is always a mess. Maybe we’re driving ourselves crazy with obsessive cleaning. Maybe we have relatives who are overly critical about the state of affairs in our home. Maybe gender politics with our spouses and partners is a source of strife.
Our guest today, KC Davis, helps deconstruct these often rigid and daunting cultural norms that surround the concept of domestic bliss. As a self-styled anti-perfectionist, Davis has garnered a huge audience on TikTok with more than 1 million followers. She has also written the book, How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.On today’s show, she offers a ton of practical tips that are rooted in self compassion and the dogged determination not to use shame as a motivator when it comes to our domestic lives.
In this episode we talk about:
- One of KC’s slogans,“You don’t exist to serve your space, your space exists to serve you”
- The difference between what’s “normal” and what’s “functional”. For example, why that pile of laundry on the floor is just fine if it works for you
- Why it’s important to think of house work as morally neutral. For example, why doing dishes has nothing to do with you being a good or bad person
- Why she doesn’t believe laziness exists
- The power of what she calls “category cleaning”
- Breaking the clean/not clean binary
- And achieving equitable division of labor around the house
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kc-davis-501
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In this previously released episode, Malcolm Gladwell responds to backlash he received over his belief that working in an office—and the collaborative creative environment it can offer—is in your best interest (and in the interest of others). We also dive deep into some of the important themes featured in the seventh season of his podcast Revisionist History, including: kindness, generosity, and sacrifice. And, Dan and Gladwell share their biggest mistakes as journalists.
Malcolm Gladwell is the president and co-founder of Pushkin Industries, and the author of six New York Times bestselling books including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He’s also the host of the new Pushkin podcast Legacy of Speed.
In this episode we talk about:
- The backlash Malcolm faced from his work from home comments
- Pushing the noise aside when it comes to social media
- Lessons in kindness from a recent Revisionist History episode
- The importance of flow states
- How he personally relaxes
- Why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice
- What he thinks now about his famous 10,000 hours argument
- Why we need to engage and investigate the views of others to be morally alert as human beings
- His biggest journalistic mistake
Content Warning: Brief mention of eating disorders.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/malcolm-gladwell-486
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Is it possible to be happy no matter what happens? Today we’re going right to the source of what makes us unhappy to learn how to disarm and disable potential suffering before it owns us.
Everything that comes up in our mind is either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. In other words, with everything we experience, we either want it, don’t want it, or we don’t care. In Buddhism, this is called “feeling tones” or “vedana” and it is known as the second foundation of mindfulness in the Buddha’s comprehensive list. So why does this matter? Because if you are unaware of the pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral tones, then you are being controlled by them. Similarly, if you are unaware that certain people or things provoke aversion, then you can unthinkingly avoid or even be aggressive towards them. In this way, we can be like puppets on a string— just yanked around by greed, hatred, and numbness.
Today’s guest, dharma teacher Christina Feldman, is going to drill down on this embarkation point for our suffering, zap it with mindfulness and help us understand how we don’t have to live like puppets on a string.
Feldman began teaching in the west in the seventies after spending years in Asia studying Buddhist meditation. She is a co-founder of Gaia House, a retreat center in the UK, and has also served as a guiding teacher at Insight Meditation Society beginning in its early days. More recently, she is a co-founder of Bodhi College, which is dedicated to the study and practice of the early teachings of the Buddha. She is the author of a book called, Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity, and co-author of Mindfulness: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology.
This episode is the second installment of a series we've launched on the four foundations of mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why vedana is often called, “the ruler of consciousness” or “the king, or the queen of consciousness”
- How to practice with vedana, and the benefits thereof
- Her lovely description of the Buddha as being very focused on understanding “the architecture of distress and unhappiness”
- Her contention that unhappiness is not a life sentence.
- Her definition of genuine happiness
- What she means by the power of “giving greater authority to intentionality, rather than to mood or story”
- And her personal practice of setting life intentions every year
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christina-feldman-500
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Jessica Nordell is a science and culture journalist who has written for the Atlantic and the New York Times. She earned a B.A. in physics from Harvard and an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her new book is called The End of Bias, A Beginning: The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias.
Photo Credit: Leslie Plesser
In this episode we talk about:
- Why humans have biases
- What happens physiologically when biases are challenged
- Why some of the most popular personal and institutional strategies for confronting biases do not work
- The role that mindfulness and loving-kindness can play in reducing bias
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jessica-nordell-rerun
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Try this powerful metta practice where you connect directly with the feelings of loving-kindness in your body and then expand out to others.
About Dawn Mauricio:
Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, and she teaches extensively in her home-country of Canada, as well as the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Loving-Kindness in the Body,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=a51646c8-17e1-4f15-abcd-5082f1c5f8e5.
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It’s such a common desire to get out of our heads — to escape the nonstop, mostly self-referential chatter, the habitual storylines, the ancient resentments and the compulsive self-criticism. Many of us take elaborate and even drastic measures in this regard like self-medication, shopping, tech addiction, and so on. But there’s a much healthier option that is readily and perpetually available. In fact, we’re dragging it around with us all the time, the body.
The Buddha is said to have laid out four ways to be mindful. In other words, to be awake to whatever is happening right now. The first of these four foundations of mindfulness is mindfulness of the body and todays’ guest, meditation teacher Dawn Mauricio, will walk us through the practical applications of this foundation.
Mauricio has been meditating since 2005 and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s four-year teacher training program. She is also the author of the book,Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners: 50 Meditations to Practice Awareness, Acceptance, and Peace. Dawn’s been on the show before to talk about how to handle difficult people.
This episode is the first installment of a series we've launched on the four foundations of mindfulness.
In this episode we talk about:
- What it actually means to get out of your head and into your body and all of the practical ways to get there
- How strong emotions and seductive technology can work against us
- And what to do when being aware of your body might actually not be the best thing for you
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dawn-mauricio-498
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Emotionally immature people (EIP’s) are hard to avoid and most of us, if not all of us, have to deal with them at some point in our lives. These interactions can range from mildly annoying to genuinely traumatic, especially if the emotionally immature people in question are our own parents, which is true for an awful lot of us.
Today’s guest, clinical psychologist Lindsay C. Gibson, gives advice for dealing with emotionally immature people, whether they’re your parents or not. She has written a sleeper hit book on the subject called, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents.
In this episode we talk about:
- The signs of emotional immaturity
- Whether or not I’m emotionally immature
- What happens to children who are raised by emotionally immature parents, including their signature coping strategies
- Why adult children of EIP’s turn to healing fantasies, and how to let them go
- How to cope with emotionally immature parents as an adult
- What role compassion should and should not play in your relationship with EIP’s
- How to heal
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lindsay-gibson-497
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Hope is a skill. Using the phrase ‘let it be’ invites us to be more relaxed with life and lets us envision a better world.
About Sebene Selassie:
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Learn Acceptance, Spark Hope,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=0c9bda64-63da-44ed-8569-cfb9bd3d38cc.
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In the last couple of years, many people have been extolling the virtues of something called the "Enneagram" but—what the hell is it?
On today’s show, longtime dharma teacher, Susan Piver, is here to demystify it. As she explains, the Enneagram is a tool that allows people to figure out their personality type and says it has been one of, if not the most important, tool in her personal development.
Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004 and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project— the world’s largest online-only meditation center. She’s written ten books including her latest called The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship.
In this episode we talk about:
- What the Enneagram is and why Piver finds it so helpful
- What she means by warriorship
- The nine personality types, which she views as maps of our blind spots
- Why, unlike other personality systems, there is no test for the Enneagram (at least in Susan’s view)
- And we talk about why Susan thinks the Enneagram and Buddhism mix so well even though on first blush it would seem to contradict the dharmic emphasis on the self being an illusion
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-piver-495
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Most of us talk all day long. We speak to each other, we type at each other, and of course, we talk to ourselves internally. Talking and listening is a key part of what it means to be human and It’s very hard to be a successful person if you can’t communicate your ideas and listen to and understand other people.
Today’s guests, Mudita Nisker and Dan Clurman, are here to explain some very simple and easy to understand communication skills that can transform your life. Their new book, Let's Talk: An Essential Guide to Skillful Communicationconcisely summarizes their teachings and they’re coming on the show today to walk us through some of the key learnings from this book.
Over the past thirty years Nisker and Clurman have provided communication training to individuals and organizations in the private, public, government, and nonprofit sectors. They have also led workshops, and trained staff at leading mindfulness centers such as Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Clurman is a communication coach and professor in the Ageno School of Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Nisker is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice.
In this episode we talk about:
- Talking vs. listening
- Content vs. process
- The power of saying nothing at all
- Reflective listening
- The Buddhist concept of Right Speech
- Content goals vs. relationship goals
- “I” language
- Provisional language
- Stating positive intentions
- Framing
- And Flooding vs. chunking
You can read an excerpt of the book, Let's Talk: An Essential Guide to Skillful Communication if you subscribe to our TPH newsletter, which comes out every Sunday. And you can subscribe if you go to: tenpercent.com/newsletter.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dan-clurman-and-mudita-nisker-494
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Being aware of the breath is a foundation of mindfulness. The goal is to gently return, with growing kindness, again and again.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Basic Breath Meditation,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=3ff23976-95f1-48fc-8973-fec1210b12dc.
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At times, self-improvement can seem like a never-ending hallway filled with limitless shame and insufficiency. So when something as simple as the breath falls into this category, it seems only natural to meet that news with some resistance. Our guest today, James Nestor argues that many of us, of all things, are breathing incorrectly but that by fixing our breathing, it can help with both physical and psychological ailments.
Nestor is a science journalist who wrote a book called, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, which spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into more than 35 languages.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Nestor got interested in breathing in the first place
- Why we are the worst breathers in the animal kingdom
- The importance of posture
- The deleterious effects of mouth breathing
- Why we need to chew more
- The relationship between breathing and anxiety
- The relationship between breathing and sleep
- And we dive into a variety of breathing exercises
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/james-nestor-492
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Most of us worry about money sometimes, but what if we changed the way we thought about our relationship to finances? Today’s guest, William MacAskill, offers a framework in which to do just that. He calls it effective altruism. One of the core arguments of effective altruism is that we all ought to consider giving away a significant chunk of our income because we know, to a mathematical near certainty, that several thousand dollars could save a life.
Today we’re going to talk about the whys and wherefores of effective altruism. This includes how to get started on a very manageable and doable level (which does not require you to give away most of your income), and the benefits this practice has on both the world and your own psyche.
MacAskill is an associate professor of philosophy at Oxford University and one of the founders of the effective altruism movement. He has a new book out called, What We Owe the Future, where he makes a case for longtermism, a term used to describe developing the mental habit of thinking about the welfare of future generations.
In this episode we talk about:
- Effective altruism
- Whether humans are really wired to consider future generations
- Practical tips for thinking and acting on longtermism
- His argument for having children
- And his somewhat surprising take on how good our future could be if we play our cards right
Podcast listeners can get 50% off What We Owe the Future using the code WWOTF50 at Bookshop.org.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/william-macaskill-491
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After an intense day, try this simple meditation to decompress and de-stress by getting comfy and putting your feet up.
About Jeff Warren:
Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “End of Day Decompress: The Porch Sit,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=df063222-15c4-4b4c-b15c-5ce2b6ca8d80.
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In this episode from our archives, psychologist Kelly McGonigal dives into her book The Joy of Movement and practical steps on how to develop healthy habits.
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success. She is the author of The Joy of Movement, The Willpower Instinct, and The Upside of Stress.
In this conversation we talk about:
- Why her book is a love letter to movement and human nature
- The science behind the runner’s high
- Why she wants to change the conversation around movement
- Why shame and self-criticism is disempowering and not motivating
- The value of setting intentions
- How Kelly has used psychology and meditation to relieve her own pain and suffering
- And what Tonglen meditation is — and its impact on her life
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kelly-mcgonigal-rerun
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The idea of loving people no matter what— no matter how obnoxious or unacceptable their behavior is can sound simultaneously treacly and downright impossible.
But today's guest Father Gregory Boyle talks about the practicality of this idea by showing how the concept of loving no matter what can be used as a tool— not to condone bad behavior but to help see people as doing their best, no matter how unskillfully.
Father Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest who founded a remarkable organization called Homeboy Industries, which is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world. He has a new book out called, The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Homeboy Industries began 34 years ago
- Boyle’s practices for working with stress
- What he means when he says you have to put death in its place
- Motivating people through joy rather than admonition
- How to catch yourself when you’re about to demonize or be judgmental
- How to set boundaries
- How to dole out consequences without closing the doors to anybody
- And we talk about Father Boyle’s quite expansive and inclusive notion of God
Content warnings: There are mentions of sensitive topics including, sexual trauma, violence, drug abuse and domestic abuse.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/father-gregory-boyle-486
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Our busy lives rarely afford us time to reflect on what’s truly important. Remembering what matters most empowers us to engage meaningfully.
About La Sarmiento:
La Sarmiento is the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas and a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and Cloud Sangha. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Community Dharma Leader Training Program in 2012. As an immigrant, non-binary, Filipinx-American, La is committed to expanding access to the Dharma. They live in Towson, MD with their life partner Wendy and rescue pups Annabel and Bader.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Finding Purpose: What Matters Most?,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=c83def97-a4b0-420b-b7b2-223636f3546e.
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Today’s episode looks at one of the hardest Buddhist principles to grasp— the notion that the self is an illusion. Many people get stuck on the misunderstanding that they don’t exist. They look in the mirror and say, “Of course I exist. I’m right there.” And that’s true, you do exist, but just not in the way you think you do.
Today’s guest, Jay Garfield explores this notion by arguing that you are indeed a person just not a self— a principle that can simultaneously feel both imponderable and liberating.
Jay Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and Buddhist Studies at Smith College and a visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School. He is the Author of multiple books, including his latest, which is called, Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self.
In this episode we talk about:
- The difference between a person and a self
- The problems with being taken by the illusion of selfhood
- Why he believes the illusion of self is not an evolutionary design flaw
- The many benefits of “losing ourselves”
- How to actually lose ourselves
- The concept of Interconnection
- His definition of real happiness
- The difference between pain and suffering and how to have the former without the latter
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jay-garfield-487
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Since the start of COVID-19, more people are working from home, and with that, more people have strong opinions about whether or not it’s the best route to take.
In today’s episode, Malcolm Gladwell responds to recent backlash over why he believes that working in an office—and the collaborative creative environment it can offer—is in your best interest (and in the interest of others). We also dive deep into some of the important themes featured in the seventh season of his podcast Revisionist History, including: kindness, generosity, and sacrifice. And, Dan and Gladwell share their biggest mistakes as journalists.
Malcolm Gladwell is the president and co-founder of Pushkin Industries, and the author of six New York Times bestselling books including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He’s also the host of the new Pushkin podcast Legacy of Speed.
In this episode we talk about:
- The backlash Malcolm faced from his work from home comments
- Pushing the noise aside when it comes to social media
- Lessons in kindness from a recent Revisionist History episode
- The importance of flow states
- How he personally relaxes
- Why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice
- What he thinks now about his famous 10,000 hours argument
- Why we need to engage and investigate the views of others to be morally alert as human beings
- His biggest journalistic mistake
Content Warning: Brief mention of eating disorders.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/malcolm-gladwell-486
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Bringing mindfulness to walking is an opportunity to build awareness and relax the mind as you move about your day.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis Santos is a featured teacher on the Ten Percent Happier app and has been in the field of mindfulness and meditation since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, with whom he ordained as a Buddhist monk, and has taught at retreat centers around the globe.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Everyday Natural Walking,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=adef9231-650a-4853-ab5b-bcf476ac21a7.
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Oftentimes Buddhism can take a tough love, no nonsense approach to happiness by saying, if you want to be happier, sometimes you need to face hard truths.
In today's episode we’re going to talk about a Buddhist list called The Three Characteristics. These are the three non-negotiable truths about reality, which you have to see and understand in order to be happy. Granted, when looked at from a certain angle, these truths, or characteristics of reality can suck at times. But do you want to see the truth of things or not? Do you want to be happier or not?
Our guide through these three characteristics is the mighty Mushim Patricia Ikeda. Mushim has a background in both monastic and lay Buddhist practice and is a core teacher and community director at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California. This is her second appearance on the show.
Content Warning: This episode briefly mentions child loss.
In this episode we talk about:
- The three characteristics, alternatively known as the three Dharma seals
- Our conflicted relationship to change
- Our brain’s tendency to focus on the negative
- Practices that can help with handling change more effectively
- How not taking your thoughts so personally can build your resilience
- And why Mushim believes that universal non-discriminating love is synonymous with Nirvana
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mushim-patricia-ikeda-484
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These days, the word mindfulness has become a buzz phrase but very often people don’t know what the word actually means, much less how to practice it. One simple definition of mindfulness is the ability to see what’s happening in your mind without getting carried away by it. The benefits of doing so are vast and profound— from decreased emotional reactivity to being more awake to what’s actually happening in your life.
Today's guest Joseph Goldstein talks about a classic Buddhist list called the four foundations of mindfulness, which lays out various techniques for developing mindfulness within your practice.
Goldstein is one of the premier western proponents of Mindfulness. He co-founded the legendary Insight Meditation Society alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. He also wrote a book called Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
In this episode we talk about:
- The historical context for the four foundations of mindfulness
- Why he thinks the Buddha loved lists
- Why the Buddha placed mindfulness of the body first on the list
- The steps to mastering mindfulness of the body
- The meaning of the word embodied and how that’s different from our usual mode of being in the world
- How and why to do walking meditations
- What are feeling tones and why are they important
- Practices for cultivating mindfulness of mind
- And we talk about some of the mantras that Joseph uses when teaching
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-483
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Cultivating what’s good in us helps during times of both abundance and adversity. In fact, it’s when times are hard that we need it the most.
About Kaira Jewel Lingo
Kaira Jewel Lingo was an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing. She's now a lay dharma teacher based on Long Island. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and an M.A. in anthropology and social sciences. She’s also the author of the book We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Growing the Good,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=5e3aaefe-3a96-40a4-ad6a-1c41c9b9754d.
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There are so many benefits to mindfulness with one of the biggest being the cultivation of more self-awareness. This cultivation can lead to identifying the unhelpful mental habits that can develop over the years.
Today we’re going to talk to Carol Wilson who offers very clear and practical ways that Buddhist meditation can help us turn down the volume on our unproductive mental habits and be less reactive.
Wilson is a guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Society, where for many years she has taught their annual three-month retreat. She began her insight meditation practice in 1971 in India and in the 1980s she spent a year in Thailand as a Buddhist nun.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to be mindful throughout the day
- The concept of 360 degree awareness
- Noticing when one experiences wanting or aversion
- Why Wilson believes that the root of suffering comes from making it all about us
- How seeing torment can help us experience freedom from the self
- The benefits of reflecting on your past acts of generosity
- Bringing awareness to your motivations
- And doing a gratitude practice regularly to change the weather pattern in your mind
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/carol-wilson-481
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Many of us may have a reflexive reaction when we notice we’re feeling down: we want it to go away. Maybe we think something is wrong with us and we automatically self medicate in any number of ways. But how do we square this with the fact that many of us may also really like sad movies and music? And making things even more complex, how do we compute the fact that the universe is constantly handing us opportunities to feel awe, gratitude, and joy, often at the exact same moment that sadness arises?
What’s going on with this complex and conflicted relationship we have with a perfectly normal human emotion?
Our guest today Susan Cain has written a whole book about this called Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. In this book, she explores how the capacity to tune in to the inherent joy and sadness of the human situation can be a superpower for connection.
In this episode we talk about:
- Whether bittersweetness is a skill you can hone
- The relationship between bittersweetness and the Buddhist concept of impermanence
- Why we feel embarrassed about discussing sorrow and longing
- How sadness can be transmuted into creativity, and how that creativity can lead us out of sadness
- And how America, a country founded on so much heartache, turned into, in her words, “a culture of normative smiles”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-cain-480
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Sharon teaches you a simple breathing technique to release tension and reduce the intensity of a painful experience.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Breathing to Release Pain,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=9a2fee2c-a8ea-443c-bf4f-d4329f2eb2ef.
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Sit in meditation for a few minutes and you’re likely to experience pain, either physical or psychological. Hang around the meditation scene for very long, and you are likely to hear the expression, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.”
And that’s what this episode is all about— boosting your pain tolerance through meditation. Because pain really is inevitable, but can you reduce your suffering through mindfulness and compassion?
Our guest today, Christiane Wolf, argues ‘yes’. She is a physician turned mindfulness and compassion teacher and teacher trainer. She is an authorized Buddhist teacher in the Insight (Vipassana) meditation tradition, teaching classes and retreats worldwide, and she’s also the author of Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind.
In this episode we talk about:
- Meditation techniques that offer us a better relationship to pain
- How to work with the physicality of pain
- The stories we tell ourselves about our pain
- And seeing pain as an opportunity
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christiane-wolf-rerun
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We all have long-standing painful patterns of behavior or inner storylines that can cause us to react disproportionately or inappropriately to everyday events.
Today's guest, Dr. Radhule Weininger, has a term for this. She calls them longstanding recurrent painful patterns or LRPPs.
Weininger is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and teacher of Buddhist meditation and Buddhist psychology. She has a new book, Heart Medicine: How to Stop Painful Patterns and Find Peace and Freedom—at Last
In this episode we talk about:
- How to recognize a problematic pattern or when you’ve been “lrpp-ed”
- Why Dr. Weininger believes that Buddhism and western psychology, when practiced together, can help us deal with these recurring patterns
- Unpacking the word trauma
- The psychological term “mismatch” and how it relates to childhood trauma or hurt
- How to practice meditation in order to tolerate discomfort
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/radhule-weininger-478
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Find freedom from obsessive loops of fear by getting grounded in the body, dropping the stories, and bringing some kindness to the struggle.
About Sebene Selassie:
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Loosening the Grip of Panic,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=cea1fa4d-882a-4b50-b966-20d97d08d84d.
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Today we’re gonna tackle one of the best known contemplative clichés: being in the present moment and inhabiting the now.
The present moment seems to be a state we aspire towards, but are rarely given practical information about how to actually achieve. But today’s guest, Matthew Brensilver offers just that— practical information on how to achieve being present. We also explore his argument that when painful memories surface in meditation, it acts as a kind of exposure therapy that acclimates us to the things we may not want to face.
This is Matthew Brensilver‘s second appearance on the show. He teaches retreats at the Insight Retreat Center, Spirit Rock and other Buddhist centers. Before committing to teach meditation full-time, he spent years doing research on addiction pharmacotherapy at the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine. Matthew is the co-author of two books about meditation during adolescence and continues to be interested in the unfolding dialogue between Buddhism and science.
In this episode we talk about:
- What “be present” actually means
- What to do when Buddhist teachings or meditation instructions feel out of reach and when we start compulsively self-assessing against them
- What to do when a memory arises in meditation, especially a difficult memory
- The brain’s tendency toward constant prediction
- The benefits of meditation retreat
- And distinguishing between true alarms and false alarms
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-brensilver-476
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Often, when you’re afraid of something, the best advice is deeply counterintuitive, not to mention inconvenient: to turn toward the source of your fear.
Today we’re going to talk about the fear of confronting your own past with our guest Sarah Polley.
Polley is an Oscar nominated filmmaker and actress who recently wrote a new book, called Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory. In her book, she explores the relationship between her past and present and how the two are in constant dialogue.
In this episode we talk about:
- The story of her concussion and the unusual advice she got from a specialist that became not just a path to recovery, but a sort of personal credo, “run toward the danger”
- What we often do with our stories of childhood shame, and the immense power of talking about it
- How she has come to stop seeing her anxiety as a stop sign
- Her argument that the advice to “listen to your body” is not always the best advice
- The liberating potential of intentionally making uncharacteristic decisions
- Her path to meditation and her current practice
- And the limits of her own “run towards the danger” mantra
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sarah-polley-475
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Expand and strengthen your understanding of awareness through an exploration of focused, investigative, and flexible awareness.
About Diana Winston:
Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center and the author of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness. She has taught mindfulness since 1999 at hospitals, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and schools in the US and Asia. She developed the evidence-based Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) curriculum and the Training in Mindfulness Facilitation, which trains mindfulness teachers worldwide. She is also a founding board member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Exploring Awareness Three Ways,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=0445dec7-d4dc-4358-ad9f-87a7058eb4a6.
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Depression is a debilitating problem both on an individual and a societal level and it has only gotten worse during the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, depression is now one of the leading causes of disability on the planet.
Our guest today Dr. Samantha Boardman is going to talk about what she calls the opposite of depression— something called positive psychiatry. This approach focuses on the positive things in the lives of her patients rather than just the pathologies.
Boardman is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, which is also where she went to medical school and did her four year residency program. She later went back and got a Master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She recently put out a book called Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength
In this episode we talked about:
- The 3 C’s (factors contributing to vitality)
- The notion that our understanding of happiness does not have to be internally oriented
- How not all socializing is created equal
- Why identifying your values is important
- The value of hobbies
- The flake factor
- And the value of failure
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/samantha-boardman-473
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Anxiety has long been a massive societal issue that has spiked during the pandemic.
In this episode, renowned Buddhist monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche talks in detail about how he personally works with anxiety and panic and the practices he draws upon when dealing with these states.
Mingyur began doing long retreats in his teens and now teaches all over the world. He’s written the books The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness and In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying. He also oversees the Tergar Meditation Community, a global network of Buddhist meditation centers.
In this episode we talk about:
- Working with strong emotions using sound and the breath
- Deconstructing your reality to make it workable
- Understanding what awareness is in a Buddhist sense
- How to make meditation free-range and available to you all times
- The simple but also tricky advice of, “stop doing and just be”
- When to take a step back or even take a break from meditation
- What Mingyur Rinpoche says is the true purpose of the practice.
This interview was recorded in person at the TED conference in April of 2022, where both Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Dan Harris spoke.
Full Shownotes:
https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/yongey-mingyur-rinpoche-472
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Connecting with the universal world wide web of meditators expands your perspective and helps cultivate a deep feeling of belonging.
About Jeff Warren:
Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Symphony of Interconnection,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=1255a87a-5d7e-4736-9d6e-750e582f96f8.
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In this episode, the social justice educator and activist Jacoby Ballard talks about a universal, or near universal, issue: anger. And, he offers us two mental skills that can help channel anger into something even more powerful and effective. Those skills are forgiveness and equanimity.
Ballard is a meditation and yoga teacher and the author of a new book called, A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation
Content Warnings: There are some brief references to sensitive topics, including trauma and suicide.
In this episode we talk about:
- How he went from an activist largely fueled by anger to a dharma teacher with a very different approach
- The sometimes useful role of anger in activism and the danger of being stuck in anger mode
- The subtle but powerful move of getting in touch with what is beneath our anger
- Using annoyance as a jumping off point for inner investigation
- Ways to work with anger and learning to discharge the energy in our body
- Forgiveness, including forgiving ourselves
- Getting over our need to be right
- Equanimity, or as Jacoby calls it, his “tussle with equanimity”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jacoby-ballard-470
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How, on this planet, did we go from molten lava and shifting tectonic plates to sentient beings? How are you awake and aware right now? Who and where and what exactly is the “you” that is experiencing everything?
Guest Anil Seth says that exploring these questions can lead to real and radical changes in your life, including reducing your emotional reactivity.
Seth is a Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science and Editor-in-Chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness. His TED Talk on consciousness has been viewed over 13 million times. Most recently, he is the author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.
In this episode we talk about:
- How brains give rise to consciousness
- The bundle theory of self
- The comfort in thinking of the self as impermanent
- A new way to think about emotional states
- How Seth’s personal experience with long COVID has changed his own sense of self
- The question of whether we have free will
- Whether machines can be conscious – and whether we should be afraid of artificial intelligence
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/anil-seth-469
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What and who are you? In this advanced exploration, you are invited to contemplate what is and isn’t definable about your identity.
About JoAnna Hardy:
JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher. She is also on the faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher's council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for ”Exploring Identity,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=a40fbc27-1341-496e-978a-3e462fce5bc0.
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One of the most common and insidious complaints of meditators is distraction, which can be a frustrating and difficult obstacle. Even the Buddha himself acknowledged this common problem and laid out some detailed practices for dealing with it.
In this episode, Shaila Catherine outlines the Buddha’s five strategies to help us tackle distractions, which can be applied to our meditation practice as well as other aspects of our lives.
Catherine is a dharma teacher whose latest book is calledBeyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind. She is also the founder and principal teacher at Insight Meditation South Bay and has 40 years of practice, including nine years, cumulatively, of silent retreat. Her first TPH appearance, which we called How to Focus, aired in May 2021.
In this episode we talk about:
- The Buddha’s struggles with distraction
- Shaila’s attempts to make the teachings of the Buddha accessible to contemporary minds
- The importance of getting to know your own thought patterns
- The counterintuitive strategy of “avoid it, ignore it, forget it”
- Replacing seduction with mindfulness
- Developing a flexibility of mind
- Why we’re vulnerable to our own tendencies when we’re not mindful
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shaila-catherine-467
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It seems like a design flaw in our species that we live in a world of constant change yet most of us are not comfortable with uncertainty.
In this episode, we talk to Maya Shankar about how to get better at dealing with change and to stop seeking what scientists call “cognitive closure.”
Shankar is a former Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She also served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations, and is currently a Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google. She is the host of the Pushkin Industries podcast A Slight Change of Plans, which was named Best Show of the Year in 2021 by Apple.
In this episode we talk about:
- Why humans are so uncomfortable with uncertainty and change
- What a behavioral scientist actually does in the world
- Why even the host of a podcast about change isn’t immune to the uncertainties of life
- The benefits of cultivating a more malleable sense of self
- Why humans are such bad forecasters
- The importance of auditing yourself when you’re undergoing a big change
- How to take advantage of big reset moments
- The concept of cognitive closure and why encouraging an open mind can make us more resilient
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/maya-shankar-466
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Nourish yourself with some kindness and shift away from self-criticism towards accepting yourself fully, even your hardest parts.
About La Sarmiento:
La Sarmiento is the the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas and a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and for Cloud Sangha. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Community Dharma Leader Training Program in 2012. As an immigrant, non-binary, Filipinx-American, La is committed to expanding access to the Dharma. They live in Towson, MD with their life partner Wendy and rescue pups Annabel and Bader.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Dismantling Perfectionism, Accepting Yourself,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=dd701886-ad66-417a-b466-cdefb92ff5c8.
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“The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life.”
These words from the legendary Esther Perel have the power to genuinely change your outlook on life. But while it’s easy to hear them and immediately have your mind go to family relationships or romantic relationships, today we’re going to talk about friendships. Friendships can be massive contributors to mental health. They can also, when they go pear-shaped, be the source of abundant misery.
Today’s guest is the legendary Esther Perel. Her resume is beyond impressive: She is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of books such as Mating in Captivity. Her TED talk has attracted more than 30 million views. She is fluent in nine languages. She is the host of the popular podcasts Where Should We Begin? and How’s Work? And her latest project is called Where Should We Begin - A Game of Stories with Esther Perel.
In this episode we talk about:
- How the pandemic has impacted our friendships
- Esther’s contention that “love and commitment and intimacy don’t just belong to the world of romantic couples”
- What makes friendship unique, in good ways and tricky ways
- What to consider when determining whether to confront a difficulty in a friendship
- How to conduct a self-assessment of yourself as a friend
- How systematic we should be about cultivating and maintaining our friendships
- How to reconnect with friends authentically
- Whether or not we can have platonic friendships across the gender spectrum
- How to handle friendships when you’re in a romantic relationship, including friendships you share, friendships with those with whom your partner doesn’t get along, and friendships with exes
Content warning: There are some brief references to sensitive topics, including suicide.
Esther Perel invites you and a colleague to apply for a session with her that will be part of the new season of her podcast How's Work?* Her team is looking for work pairs, co-founders, colleagues, managers, or any combination to join her for a session to explore the future of work together. Apply here.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/esther-perel-464
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Life is filled with all kinds of moral dilemmas— from the mundane to the momentous. Should I lie and tell my friend that I like her ugly shirt? Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Ultimately, does anything we do even matter?
In today’s conversation, television writer and producer, Michael Schur helps us to navigate our moral dilemmas and answer some of these difficult questions.
Schur is best known for creating and co-creating such shows as Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls. Additionally, he has worked on shows like The Office, Master of None, The Comeback, and Hacks. He is also the Author of How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question.
In this episode we talk about:
- What got him started on the road to reading philosophy and studying ethics
- The so-called “trolley problem”
- Trusting your gut
- Natural states of virtue
- The evolutionary advantages of virtue
- And how white lies can be beneficial in a complicated and messy society
This interview was recorded in person at the TED conference in April of 2022, where both Michael Schur and Dan Harris spoke.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/michael-schur-463
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Build resilience for tough situations. Learn the tools to develop self-empathy, clarifying what matters to you most and how to move forward.
About Oren Jay Sofer:
Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation, and Nonviolent Communication in secular and Buddhist contexts. Oren has practiced meditation in the early Buddhist tradition since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India with Anagarika Munindra and Godwin Samararatne. He is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and a graduate of the IMS - Spirit Rock Vipassana Teacher Training, and current member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council.
Oren is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, a practical guidebook for having more effective, satisfying conversations.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Self Empathy,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=c547f8dc-f150-464a-ba59-3131a4bf6944.
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How much would your relationships improve if you could up your emotional intelligence game? That phrase, “emotional intelligence” or EQ, entered the lexicon over 25 years ago, when Daniel Goleman wrote a book by the same name.
In this episode, Daniel Goleman talks about the four components of emotional intelligence and how we can develop these skills in our daily lives.
Golman is a Harvard-trained psychologist who, along with other contemplative luminaries such as Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg and Jon Kabat-Zinn, went to Asia and discovered meditation in the 1960s— making it a huge part of their lives and careers.
In this episode we talk about:
- The four components of emotional intelligence, how to develop them, and why these skills matter so much during the middle of a pandemic
- Empathy and relationship management in the age of zoom
- The “marshmallow test” and impulse control
- A phenomenon he calls, “amygdala hijacks”
- Why so many Jewish kids in the sixties and seventies got turned on to Buddhism
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/daniel-goleman-repost
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It’s completely natural when dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, shame, or any other unpleasant emotion, to just want it to go away.
Guest Susan David says that these discomforts are the price of admission to being alive and offers an approach called emotional agility as a way to navigate them.
Susan David, Ph.D. is a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of a book called Emotional Agility. Her TED Talk on the subject has been viewed more than eight million times.
In this episode we talk about:
- Her definition of emotional agility
- The four skills of emotional agility
- Why she says our emotions are data, not directives
- How to move skillfully through a world that “conspires against us seeing ourselves”
- How to avoid emotional “fusion”
- The power of tiny tweaks
- And “emotional granularity”— what it is, why it matters and how to practice it
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-david-461
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Start focused on what's truly important. When you pause to remember the big picture, your day can move forward grounded in integrity & wisdom.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis Santos is a featured teacher on the Ten Percent Happier app and has been in the field of mindfulness and meditation since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, with whom he ordained as a Buddhist monk, and has taught at retreat centers around the globe.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Wake Up With Perspective,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=cb852965-67e4-4b4c-a2d0-c3765c3224bc.
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The phrase, “Get over yourself” is often used in a flippant way, but it’s actually speaking to a deep human need to get out of our heads and off our own backs. At a fundamental level, this is what Buddhism is all about— seeing through the illusion of the self, which can be the source of so much of our suffering.
In this episode guest Pascal Auclair talks about how we can unlock this suffering through the use of a foundational Buddhist list called the five aggregates.
Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997. He has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where he is now enjoying teaching retreats. Pascal teaches in North America and in Europe. He is a co-founder of True North Insight and one of their guiding teachers.
In this episode we talk about:
- How the five aggregates got Auclair hooked on Buddhist practice and philosophy
- The five aggregates as a way to work with difficulty
- Living with the non-negotiable prospect of dying
- Paying attention to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling tone
- Meditation training as a way to understand that experiences are conditional
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pascal-auclair-459
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Our culture has oddly conflicting views about pleasure.
In this episode, author adrienne maree brown explores the importance of pleasure and how it changes your experience of the world.
adrienne maree brown is the writer-in-residence at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, and author of Grievers (the first novella in a trilogy on the Black Dawn imprint), Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Mediation, We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds and the co-editor of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements and How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office. She is the cohost of the How to Survive the End of the World, Octavia’s Parables and Emergent Strategy podcasts. adrienne is rooted in Detroit.
In this conversation we talked about:
- What is pleasure activism
- The role of sex and drugs
- Why we should say yes more
- How to be in touch with our sense of “enough”
- The role of gratitude
- The line between commitment and detachment
- How she defines authentic happiness
- Her self-description as “a recovering self-righteous organizer,” and why self-righteousness actually leads to powerlessness
Content Warning: Discussions of sex and drugs.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/adrienne-maree-brown-458
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Acknowledging the hard feelings that accompany procrastination can help you alleviate avoidance and accomplish the task at hand.
About Jay Michaelson:
Dr. Jay Michaelson is a Senior Content Strategist at Ten Percent Happier and the author of seven books on meditation, including his newest, Enlightenment by Trial and Error. In his “other career,” Jay is a columnist for The Daily Beast, and was a professional LGBTQ activist for ten years. Jay is an ordained rabbi and has taught meditation in secular, Buddhist, and Jewish context for eighteen years.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Procrastination Medication,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=5d0ef603-6af6-4b9d-bc81-7920fbda1efa.
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In a culture that values persistent productivity, one can be left feeling chronically behind.
In this episode, author and recovering time management junkie, Oliver Burkeman encourages us to stop scrambling to fit it all in by exploring the relationship between our mortality and getting things done.
Oliver Burkeman is the author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Former guest Adam Grant has called it, “The most important book ever written about time management.” This is Oliver’s second appearance on the show. Burkeman joined us on the show a few years ago to talk about his other book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. He also writes a bi-weekly email newsletter called The Imperfectionist.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- Why accepting mortality is a crucial step in improving our relationship to time
- His conviction that it’s not about being more efficient. It’s about knowing what to neglect
- Patience as a superpower and the impatience spiral
- The benefits of burning bridges
- Becoming a better procrastinator
- The benefits of rest
- What he calls “cosmic insignificance therapy”
- Practical tips, such as the “fixed volume approach to productivity,” the value of serialization, and strategic underachievement.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/oliver-burkeman-456
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Our guest this week is Alicia Menendez, an award-winning journalist, who finds herself in a common position for many women: caring way too much about what others think of her. Be nice, but not too nice. Be successful, but not too successful. Just be likable, whatever that means. In the workplace strong women are often criticized for being cold, while warm women may be seen as pushovers. In her book, The Likeability Trap, and in this conversation, she discusses this issue and explains how and why both men and women should combat it.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- The aforementioned likability trap
- The structural imbalance in feedback for women and men in the workplace
- The things for men to consider as they engage with women in the workplace
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/alicia-menendez-212
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Tune in mindfully to help alleviate the pain of feeling unworthy and cultivate more compassion and joy for yourself.
About Diana Winston:
Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center and the other of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness. She has taught mindfulness since 1999 at hospitals, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and schools in the US and Asia. She developed the evidence-based Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) curriculum and the Training in Mindfulness Facilitation, which trains mindfulness teachers worldwide. She is also a founding board member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Unworthiness,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=59c693e4-de4c-4e08-8eee-95fb36296938.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sometimes part of healing trauma means learning how to be human.
This episode is the last episode of our Mental Health Reboot series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month. Dr. Jacob Ham, who was introduced in Stephanie Foo’s episode earlier this week, helped Stephanie through her case of complex PTSD and discusses how to live with the hardest things that have happened to you.
Dr. Ham is the Director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He sees children, youth, adults, and families across the age range and for a variety of issues.
In this episode we talk about:
- What Dr. Ham says may be the “most important thing he’s discovered” as a therapist
- Why he shuts down his clients’ attempts to intellectualize their experiences
- Kairos versus kronos
- Why Dr. Ham says the Incredible Hulk is so important to him
- The concept of mentalization
- What it means to love exquisitely
- And whether or not we have to learn to love ourselves before we can learn to love others
Content Warning: Explicit language.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jacob-ham-453
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We’ve all had difficult, and sometimes horrible things happen to us.
While some people may be luckier than others, it’s rare that anyone goes unscathed. This episode is part of our Mental Health Reboot series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.
In this episode, Stephanie Foo shares her story of being diagnosed with complex PTSD and how she learned to process her trauma and live with her past. The result of her journey is a new book called What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma.
Stephanie Foo is a journalist and radio producer. Her previous work includes This American Life, The Cut, Reply All, and 99% Invisible. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times and Vox.
In this conversation we talk about:
- The various therapies, meditation styles, and wellness modalities Stephanie explored to help process her trauma
- What actually worked for her, and how it might be relevant to other survivors
- Shame, gratitude, and self-love
- Her transformative work with Dr. Jacob Ham, who will be featured in another episode this week.
Content Warnings: Discussions of trauma and abuse, references to addiction and mental health challenges. Explicit language.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/stephanie-foo-452
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Emotions can feel so personal. Joseph helps you get your feet back under you. Remember: your mind doesn't have to push you around.
About Joseph Goldstein:
Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Releasing Moods & Emotions,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=63bba532-84e7-4dd1-a0df-5f734be86239.
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Very few of us will live a life without loss.
As part of our Mental Health Reboot series in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, this week’s episodes talk a lot about grieving. Mary-Frances O’Connor, an expert in bereavement research, explores the science of how we grieve and experience loss, whether it’s a job or a loved one.
Mary-Frances O'Connor is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona, where she is also the Director of Clinical Training. And she is the author of a book called The Grieving Brain.
In this episode we talk about:
- The distinction between grief and grieving
- How her Buddhist practice has influenced her understanding of grief
- Whether or not we can ever quote/unquote “get over it”
- Why she argues for “a really big toolkit of coping strategies”
- How to understand the work of Elizabeth Kübler-Ross today
- What grieving looks like in a pandemic
- What to say to people who are grieving
- The new diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder
Content Warning: Brief mention of suicide.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mary-frances-oconnor-450
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There is an unstoppable flow of gain and loss within our lives.
Processing this flow helps us to develop equanimity. In this conversation, Pulitzer Prize-winner and New Yorker staff writer Kathryn Schulz discusses her new book Lost and Found: A Memoir, in which she explores experiencing both a huge loss anda huge gain, and how to live in a world where both happiness and pain commingle.
In this episode we talk about:
- How humans experience grief
- A gift you can give to the grieving
- Why she loves the clichés that remind us to enjoy the moment
- Her broad understanding of the term “loss”
- Why the key word in ‘lost and found’ is “and”
- What she’s learned about compromising in relationships
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kathryn-schulz-449
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Learn to find a feeling of protection and trust during a downpour of stressful thoughts or overwhelm.
About Matthew Hepburn :
Matthew is a meditation and dharma teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience and a passion for getting real about what it means to live well. He emphasizes humor, technique, and authentic kindness as a means to free the mind up from unnecessary struggle and leave a healthier impact on the world.
Beyond Ten Percent Happier, Matthew has taught in prisons, schools, corporate events and continues to teach across North America in buddhist centers offering intensive silent retreats and dharma for urban daily life.
Matthew is the host of the Twenty Percent Happier podcast, where you'll get to eavesdrop on people getting real about the challenges all of us face, and you’ll hear how through meditation, those challenges are transformed.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Shelter in a Storm: Finding Refuge,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=8e3f8e99-e4b3-4c54-b46d-f57647b254db.
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How does hope work?
In this episode from the archives, Rutgers University clinical psychologist Dr. Jacqueline Mattis discusses hope from a scientific perspective and how we can cultivate it.
Dr. Mattis, who is also a Dean of faculty at Rutgers, did not start her career wanting to study hope. She started out studying spirituality and religiosity, specifically concentrating her field work and interviews in African-American and Afri-Caribbean urban communities. She wanted to know why people living under high stress conditions so often choose to be good and compassionate. And that research ultimately led her to hope.
In this episode we talk about:
- How her family history influenced her relationship to optimism and faith
- The difference between spirituality and religiosity
- The benefits of hope and skills to cultivate it
- The ways hope can go wrong
- And the benefits of denial
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jacqueline-mattis-340-repost
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How do you find hope in a lifetime that has experienced more trauma than most?
Guest Jonathan Van Ness says that the key is to stay curious and focus on happiness and joy, even if it’s just in a tiny corner.
Jonathan Van Ness is a hairstylist by trade and best known as one of the hosts of the Netflix series Queer Eye. He is also the author of Love That Story and the New York Times bestselling memoir Over the Top, and the host of the podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness.
In this episode we talk about:
- The universality of processing grief
- What a “window of tolerance” means
- Getting curious about shame
- Body dysmorphia
- JVN’s complex and contradictory feelings about shopping
- What “parts therapy” or Internal Family Systems therapy is
- Setting boundaries
- Connecting and cultivating joy
Content Warning: Explicit language and mentions of sexual abuse, substance amuse, body dysmorphia, and references to sex.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jonathan-van-ness-447
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This body scan meditation is designed to be simple and relaxing. It's the perfect bedtime companion for a good night's rest.
About Anushka Fernandopulle:
Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka.
Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Bedtime Body Scan,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=33b34fe4-6b04-43f6-b2cd-51a9bb83fce2.
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If you’re trying to improve your sleep, thinking about doing so right before you get into bed might not be the best approach.
Dr. Sara Mednick, is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the new book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long “Mental Health Reboot” series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.
According to her research, Dr. Mednick says that we need to take a more holistic approach to getting better sleep, and that sleep is just one of the ways that our bodies rest and restore.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- The nuances of napping
- Dr. Mednick’s definition of the “downstate”
- Whether there are practices that can compensate for poor sleep
- Why heart rate variability is an important measurement of health
- Why sex is so helpful for sleep
- And when to take melatonin to best effect
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sara-mednick-445
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Sleep may be the apex predator of healthy habits, so why are so many of us getting terrible sleep?
Guest Diane Macedo launched a very detailed personal investigation in order to fix her sleeping habits and joins us for the first episode of a month-long “Mental Health Reboot” series we’re doing to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.
Diane Macedo is the author of the new book The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven, and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More. As an ABC News anchor and correspondent, she appears on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and Nightline. She’s also the daytime anchor for ABC News Live.
In this episode we talk about:
- Key signs that you’re not getting enough sleep
- Do sleeping pills really work
- When and how to find a sleep specialist
- How to deal with performance anxiety around sleep
- The difference between sleep deprivation and insomnia
- Mindfulness and sleep
- And the biggest sleep myths
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/diane-macedo-444
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Most of us have gotten at least a little emotional at some point recently. It’s natural. But why do we have emotions and how much should we pay attention to them on any given day? Can we learn to skillfully choose which emotions to listen to and which ones to just let move on by?
In More Than A Feeling, the latest podcast from Ten Percent Happier, host Saleem Reshamwala goes on a real life quest to find the answers to these questions. He’ll experiment with neuroscientists, dive into stories with historians and philosophers, and document how musicians, therapists, hairdressers and airplane pilots work with emotions.
About Saleem Reshamwala:
Saleem Reshamwala is the host of More Than A Feeling, Ten Percent Happier's podcast about human emotions. He is an Emmy-nominated producer, for his video work on implicit bias with the New York Times, a winner in the Best Music Video category at Harlem's Hip Hop Film Festival, and a mentor for The Sauce Fellowship, a Southern youth digital storytelling program in conjunction with the New Orleans Video Access Center.
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Can you become happier, more balanced, and practice equanimity without losing your edge?
Guest Kamala Masters was one of the teachers at Dan’s first ever meditation retreat. In this episode she dives into how to develop equanimity and shares her story of learning how to practice meditation during her everyday life while raising three children on her own.
Kamala Masters has been meditating since the 1970s, first with Anagarika Munindra, who was Joseph Goldstein’s first teacher, and then with the Burmese master Sayadaw U Pandita with whom she twice temporarily ordained as a Buddhist nun. More recently, she’s been training with another Burmese master we’ve talked about here on the show, Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She is a Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society, and the co-founder of the Vipassana Metta Foundation, which developed the Maui Dharma Sanctuary.
In this conversation we talk about:
- What is equanimity?
- The most common misconception about equanimity
- The near and far enemies of equanimity
- The power and limitations of setting intentions
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kamala-masters-442
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Why is it that many men seem unenthusiastic about discussing body image issues?
We take a deep dive into this topic with Aaron Flores, a Los Angeles-based registered dietician and nutritionist, and one of the few men very active in the space of intuitive eating. Aaron talks about how capitalism ties our weight to our worthiness, and his notion that “our body is not a project.”
In this episode we also discuss:
- What intuitive eating is
- How men experience body image issues, and why they often don’t talk about it
- The relationship between diet culture and capitalism
- What “health at every size” means and why it’s sometimes controversial
- Guidelines for parents
- The role of self-compassion when it comes to food
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/aaron-flores-441
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Collect yourself in the morning to start off on your best foot. If you start collected, you’ll have better luck staying collected.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Get Going with Focus,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=3bd1a8a1-84f8-4be9-8f67-14eb4e0ec5fe
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Many of us find our minds flitting all over the place, in meditation and elsewhere. In today’s episode we’re going to learn practical techniques for boosting concentration on and off the cushion. This is the second episode in a two-part series on focus we are airing this week.
Today’s guest is an Olympic-level concentrator who has tons of tips for staying focused. We also talk about one of the more exotic meditation subjects: The altered states of consciousness called the jhanas that are available to advanced meditators who can attain deep states of concentration.
Shaila Catherine is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay, a meditation group in Silicon Valley. She has been practicing meditation since 1980 and has more than nine years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She’s the author of Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- The basic building blocks of concentration in a meditation practice
- Cultivating the right attitude for meditation
- The difference between concentration and mindfulness
- Whether ‘jhana’ states are attainable for regular people
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shaila-catherine-repost-348
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What is it about modern life that is completely disrupting our ability to focus, and how much of it is our fault?
Turns out, not a lot. A number of factors from technology to our sleep habits, and even air pollution, play a role in what causes us to have about the same attention regulation skills as a kitten. In this first episode of our two-part series on focus, guest Johann Hari breaks down why our ability to pay attention is collapsing, and what we can do about it.
Johann Hari is the author of Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again. His first book, Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs was adapted into the Oscar nominated film The United States Vs Billie Holiday as well as a documentary series.
Johann is also the author of Lost Connections: Uncovering The Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions which was featured in a previous episode. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 80 million times.
In this episode we talk about:
- Johann’s notion that there are twelve factors draining our focus
- His argument for the importance of both collective and individual action to reclaim our attention
- What he learned from a self-imposed three-month internet-free experiment
- How this impacts our children, and what we might do about it
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/johann-hari-439
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Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty.
About Roshi Joan Halifax:
Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is also the Founder, Abbot, and Head teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her books include Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet, and The Fruitful Darkness: A Journey Through Buddhist Practice and Tribal Wisdom.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Strong Back, Soft Front,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=4cfcfe2d-f5fb-4142-9bd0-3fb6b2041324.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What if one of the keys to happiness is how intentional you are with your time?
Ashley Whillans is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book Time Smart. Her groundbreaking research has led her to radically reevaluate how she spends her own time. Her goal is to help you move from time poverty to time affluence.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- How to do a time audit
- Funding time, finding time, and reframing time
- The surprising extent to which prioritizing time over money predicts happiness–and what to do if you usually do the opposite
- How to handle “time confetti”
- The value of canceling meetings
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ashley-whillans-repost-318
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Often, we are our own worst critic.
In this episode, Buddhist monk Ajahn Sucitto explores ways to unseat the inner tyrant and make peace with the nagging voice inside of you that seems to always demand perfection, but never offer praise.
Ajahn Sucitto was raised in the United Kingdom and became a monk in 1975 in the lineage of the Thai forest master, Venerable Ajahn Chah. In 1979, he helped establish Cittaviveka, also known as Chithurst Forest Monastery, in West Sussex, England where he still lives.
In this episode we talk about:
- Strategies for addressing our inner critic
- Why we shouldn’t operate at 100%
- The foolishness of turning our minds into courts of law
- The Buddhist precepts (or ethical guidelines)
- And the essential nature of sangha/community
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ajahn-sucitto-437
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Brené Brown has found that most people are only able to identify three emotions: happy, sad and pissed off.
In this episode we explore how better understanding the full spectrum of your emotions, rather than drowning in them, can become an upward spiral.
Brené Brown is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her latest book is Atlas of the Heart, which is also the name of her new HBO Max series. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston and a visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Her TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with over 50 million views.
We Talk About:
- Why she decided to map the 87 key emotions and experiences
- How she was deeply influenced by the Buddhist concept of the “near enemy”
- Why she no longer believes it's possible to read emotions in other people
- Why meaningful connections require boundaries
Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language, but a clean version of the episode is available at tenpercent.com and on the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/brene-brown-436
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This episode dives into our archives to revisit the notion of communication as a learnable skill. Often some of the most painful situations you encounter are the result of poor communication. The good news is that communication is a skill that can be learned.
Author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer, a leading figure in the field of interpersonal communication, breaks down how communication can be one of the most powerful levers for creating positive change in your life.
Oren Jay Sofer is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. He also teaches mindfulness, meditation and nonviolent communication in secular and Buddhist contexts. He graduated from Insight Meditation Center’s Spirit Rock Vipassana Teacher Training and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto.
In this conversation, we also talk about:
- How to become aware of what motivates you to communicate the way you do
- Strategies for how to have more meaningful conversations
- What it means to lead with presence
- How conflict has the possibility to deepen our relationships and make peace
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/oren-jay-sofer-repost-165
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What role does mindfulness and meditation play when it comes to sex? It may be the key to alleviating sexual distress in your relationships, and in this episode Dr. Lori Brotto talks about scientific evidence that shows how mindfulness can improve your sex life.
Dr. Lori Brotto is a clinical psychologist, the director of the University of British Columbia’s Sexual Health Laboratory, the Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health; the Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute; and the author of Better Sex through Mindfulness.
We talk about:
- Mindfulness practices for individuals and couples who want to improve their sex lives
- The number one cause of sexual distress and how it manifests in different genders
- The importance of “interoception” or awareness of our bodily sensations
- Identifying the most common myths about sex
Content Warning: This episode includes conversations about sex.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lori-brotto-435
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Get comfortable with uncertainty and cultivate trust in life, even in the most turbulent times.
About Sebene Selassie:
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Trust Yourself and Breathe,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=7d6060b0-8c20-4fb0-860b-ed5fd7ef5914.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This episode explores a Buddhist tool for resolving conflict and keeping your relationships on the rails. This tool, known as the Beginning Anew practice, was designed by the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who died back in January, and who we are celebrating this week on the show. On Monday’s episode, we spoke with a long-time student of Thich Nhat Hanh, Brother Phap Dung.
Today’s guest is Kaira Jewel Lingo. She was an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing. She's now a lay dharma teacher based on Long Island. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and an M.A. in anthropology and social sciences. She’s also the author of a recent book called, We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption.
This interview discusses the Beginning Anew practice and:
- The four steps of the practice.
- How even skeptics can see the value in the practice.
- How it can strengthen relationships and resolve conflict.
- Kaira Jewel's own experience with the practice as both a teacher and a practitioner.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kaira-jewel-lingo-repost
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In January 2022, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author passed away. He was the founder of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called him “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thousands of people came out for his funeral.
Brother Pháp Dung is making his second appearance on the show to talk about Thich Nhat Hanh. If you missed it last time he was on, Brother Pháp Dung has an incredible personal story. He was born in Vietnam in 1969 and came to the US at the age of nine. He worked as an architect/designer for four years before becoming a monk. He was very close personally with Thich Nhat Hanh, who he refers to as “Thây,” or teacher, and is now a Dharma teacher himself in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition.
This episode explores:
- The life of Thich Nhat Hanh: his path to Buddhism in the 1960’s and his exile from Vietnam for opposing the war.
- The meaning of “wrong view” or wrong perception.
- What non-separation and inter-being is.
- Thich Nhat Hanh’s view that birth and death are only notions.
- Grief, and why learning how to suffer will help you suffer less.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/brother-phap-dung-432
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It’s super normal to want what feels good and avoid what feels bad. Unlock your unconscious habits to make wiser & more thoughtful choices.
About Dawn Mauricio:
Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, and she teaches extensively in her home-country of Canada, as well as the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Making Conscious Choices,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=dbf8b791-9110-4200-b473-54e9e0872fdb.
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Many, if not all, of us have a nonstop, ambient thought-track running through our minds of: how am I doing? How do I look? Why did I say that? Am I running behind? What do other people think of me?
How did we get this way? And what do we do about it? Ron Siegel has thought a lot about this, and has plenty of practical answers, including the notion that we should lean into our insignificance. Many of us grew up being told how we were special. But Ron argues that the words, “you’re not special,” constitute extremely good news.
Dr. Ron Siegel is a part-time assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and a board member at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. In his private clinical practice, he provides mindfulness-oriented psychotherapy. He is also the author of the new book, The The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are.
The episode explores:
- The notion that we didn’t evolve to be happy.
- Why we self-evaluate
- The downsides and upsides of self-assessment.
- Strategies for dealing with this often irrational self-grading criteria, which include mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude.
- What it means to “lean our ladder against the right wall.”
Content Warning: This conversation includes brief references to mature topics, including sex and addiction.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ron-siegel-431
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Venerable Pannavati is a former evangelical pastor who has been ordained in three separate Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Chan, and Mahayana. She’s the co-founder and co-Abbot of Embracing-Simplicity Hermitage and Meditation Center; Co-Director of Heartwood Refuge and President of the Treasure Human Life Foundation. She teaches around the world, was a 2008 recipient of the Outstanding Buddhist Women’s Award, and currently serves as the Vice President of the US Chapter of the Global Buddhist Association.
This episode explores:
- Why many meditators try to jump over important preliminary steps.
- Why Buddhism isn’t necessarily fun or easy.
- The utility and impact of making vows.
- What Venerable Venerable Pannavati calls healthy shame.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/venerable-pannavati-430
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We’re now entering year three of the pandemic, and even though we’re in a very different stage of the game, there are still so many questions: Is it safe or ethical to return to “normal”? How do you deal with people who have different views on safety and vaccines? What do you do if you’re just bone tired of this whole mess?
Today’s guest is Lama Rod Owens, who was trained in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is the author of the book Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger. Lama Rod has been kind enough to come on to the show during moments of crisis. I spoke with him shortly after the murder of George Floyd and also during the 2020 elections. As you’re about to hear, one of the core arguments he will make is that apocalypse (and he has a broad understanding of what that word means) can present an opportunity.
This episode explores:
- The benefits of having an existing practice in times of heightened anxiety and uncertainty.
- Developing a direct, open relationship with fear.
- Working with regret.
- Why taking care of yourself is not selfish.
- Lama Rod’s take on social media and watching TV as a way to reset.
- The obstacles to empathy.
- A more expansive definition of the word violence.
- A jarring New York Times article that posits that the recent rise in pedestrian deaths could be in part due to social erosion created by the pandemic.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lama-rod-owens-427
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As we enter year three of the pandemic, the psychology of COVID is no less complex or consequential. This episode features one of the most prominent chroniclers of the pandemic, David Leonhardt from the New York Times, who argues that there is irrationality on all sides when it comes to the pandemic. He would also urge you to consider whether you might be over or underestimating the risks of COVID, based on where you stand politically.
This episode also explores: the state of play in the pandemic right now and where we may be headed next; why and how attitudes about the pandemic, at least here in the US, have sorted along partisan lines; whether it makes sense to be angry with the unvaccinated; how a rise in vehicle crashes might speak to how COVID accelerated the fraying of America's social fabric; and David’s argument for why history and human decency can be a source of optimism going forward. David will also respond to his vehement critics who argue that his emphasis on lifting COVID restrictions and returning to some semblance of normalcy callously disregards the needs of the immunocompromised and unvaccinated.
David Leonhardt is a senior writer for The New York Times. He writes The Morning, The Times’s flagship daily newsletter, and also writes for the Sunday Review section. He has worked at The Times since 1999 and has previously been an Op-Ed columnist, Washington bureau chief, co-host of “The Argument” podcast, founding editor of The Upshot section and a staff writer for The Times Magazine. In 2011, he received the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/david-leonhardt-426
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How can we meditate when it seems like the world is falling apart? How do we titrate our news consumption? What do we do with our fears about World War III? How can we do anything constructive to help given how far away many of us are from the action? Why are so many people so upset about Ukraine when they weren’t paying much attention to the wars raging in places like Syria, Yemen, or Ethiopia?
Today’s guest is uniquely qualified to answer these questions, given his experience in combat. Claude AnShin Thomas is an ordained monk in the Japanese Soto Zen Tradition. At 17, he signed up to fight in Vietnam and spent his tour of duty in the theater of war, surrounded by death and destruction. He came home suffering from an undiagnosed case of PTSD and spent years grappling with addiction and homelessness before he was introduced to Buddhism. He says meditation can help all of us look at the roots of war and violence that we all harbor.
Claude Anshin is now the founder of the Zaltho Foundation, dedicated to addressing the causes and consequences of violence in and among individuals, families, and societies. He has served in war zones, hospitals, schools, and prisons. He has also led meditation retreats at sites of war and suffering, and has worked with gang members, guerillas, and refugees. He is the author of the award-winning book At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace, which has been translated into several languages, and Bringing Meditation to Life.
This episode explores the above questions and additionally:
- The narcotic effect of war.
- How Buddhism helped Claude Anshin be at peace with what he calls his own unpeacefulness, and yet, why, to this day, he has to reckon with his impulse towards violence.
- Why he doesn’t believe there is such a thing as a “just war.”
Content Warning: There are discussions of war, violence, suicide, and substance abuse throughout this episode.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/claude-anshin-thomas-427
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Self-compassion may appear soft, but it’s actually the very thing that allows us the strength & resilience to meet the challenges we face.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity -- a style of practice that's particularly useful during our crazy lives. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Three Steps to Self-Compassion,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=cdbc03be-f1e7-48b1-bd7f-ec435dc095a8.
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Dr. Paul Gilbert OBE is a professor of psychology at the University of Derby, Founder and President of The Compassionate Mind Foundation, the founder of Compassion Focused Therapy, and in 2011 was awarded the Officer of the British Empire, or OBE, from Queen Elizabeth II for his continued contribution to mental healthcare. He’s also the author of several books including The Compassionate Mind, Living Like Crazy, Overcoming Depression, and his latest, Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications.
This episode explores:
- What Compassion Focused Therapy actually is.
- Why he says wisdom and courage are key to compassion.
- Some surprising truths about your inner critic.
- How compassion can be used to your advantage, especially if you’re ambitious.
- The relevance of various meditation practices to cultivating compassion.
- How trauma can impact our ability to access compassion, and what we might do about it.
- The importance of the vagus nerve and its relationship to compassion, mindfulness, and friendship.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/paul-gilbert-425
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We don’t think about it this way, but as we move through the day, the various moods we inhabit — excitement, engagement, aggression, fear, dejection — they’re all dictated by, or correlated with, our nervous system, or to be specific, our autonomic nervous system. The guest for this episode explains how you can become an active operator of your own nervous system.
Deb Dana is a licensed clinical social worker, clinician, and consultant who specializes in working with complex trauma — although the advice in this episode can apply to everyone. She is also the author of Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.
This episode explores:
- What polyvagal theory is.
- The case for understanding our nervous system.
- The practical tools and exercises for changing our nervous system and learning to become more regulated.
- The fact that our nervous systems aren’t simply isolated, self-contained phenomena – they are social structures.
- Our responsibilities for our own nervous system and the nervous systems of others.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/deb-dana-424
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Laughter is the best medicine. Use this practice to provoke a little lightheartedness and remember the beautiful ridiculousness of it all.
About Jeff Warren:
Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Keep a Sense of Humor,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=53176e1d-3144-415c-bc61-cdd16dc0d3c1.
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A common denominator among all of the great meditation teachers is a sense of humor. They take the teaching seriously, but they don’t take themselves seriously. So perhaps there’s a link between human flourishing and humor. That’s not to say you have to be hilarious in order to be happy, but it clearly helps a great deal not to take yourself so seriously. And it turns out that humor is a skill.
Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas co-teach a course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, called, “Humor: Serious Business.” They also co-authored a book called, Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (and How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)
Dr. Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business whose work has been published in leading scientific journals and featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Science. Naomi Bagdonas is a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an executive coach. She trained formally at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, teaches improv in San Francisco’s county jail, and performs in comedy venues.
This episode explores:
- Why Naomi and Jennifer say we’ve fallen off a humor cliff
- The four main humor styles and how to figure out which is yours
- When self-deprecation works, and when it doesn’t
- How to conduct a humor audit
- How to sign off your emails
- The relationship between humor and status
- The connection between humor and love
- A taxonomy of workplace humor
- The different types of humor fails, and what to do about them
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jennifer-aaker-naomi-bagdonas-423
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Today’s guest makes an extremely convincing case that there are many self-interested reasons to look squarely at the reality of climate change. Bhikkhu Anālayo, who is originally from Germany, is a renowned scholar-monk, a faculty member at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the author of numerous books on meditation and early Buddhism, including Satipatthāna: The Direct Path to Realization, which has been very influential with many of the teachers you’ve heard on this show, including Joseph Goldstein. This episode focuses on another of his books, called Mindfully Facing Climate Change.
This episode explores:
- The four types of meditation Anālayo recommends for mindfully confronting climate change
- Anālayo’s contention that meditation isn’t about ceasing the flow of thoughts, but rather ceasing our belief in the thoughts
- The question of whether individual actions matter in the face of a global crisis
- Anālayo’s compelling case for a kind of practice called death contemplation
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bhikku-anālayo-422
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Learn to connect with the true home of strength, wisdom, and clarity inside of yourself, a place of safety that no one can take away.
About Kaira Jewel Lingo:
Kaira Jewel Lingo, was an ordained nun of 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, and is now a lay Dharma teacher based on Long Island. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology and Social Sciences. She’s edited a few books by Thich Nhat Hanh, including Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Deeply Accepting Yourself,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=80a32f4a-43bf-4fed-a990-1662eea30848.
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It is very easy to think about your meditation practice as being quarantined to those minutes when you’re dutifully sitting down with your eyes closed. But actually the point is to turn your whole life into a practice. Our guest Jeff Warren has a very broad, capacious understanding of the concept of practice. There’s formal meditation practice, but also: movement practice, work practice, relationship practice, sleep practice, art practice, and more. It’s really about the goal, which few of us will ever fully attain, of turning everything you do into something intentional and illuminating.
Jeff Warren is a frequent guest and good friend to the Ten Percent Happier podcast and app. He co-wrote a book with Dan called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. He’s a longtime meditation teacher, and the founder of the Toronto-based Consciousness Explorers Club. He is also the cohost of an excellent new podcast, called The Consciousness Explorers Podcast. In every episode Jeff, and his co-host Tasha Schumann test out a new practice. Be sure to check it out.
This episode explores: what it might mean to make your whole life a practice; how to connect with your baseline okayness; mindfulness of seeing; Koan practice; running as practice; being your own teacher; how (and why) to make your practice social; and practicing with ADHD, a condition with which Jeff has lived with for many years.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jeff-warren-421
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Today’s episode is the culmination of a long search to find a countervailing force: a Buddhist Trump supporter. This search was born out of the Buddhist impulse to find the other side. What is talked about as cultivating non-attachment to views and also called “beginner’s mind.” As you will hear, after a lot of searching, we finally found our person. Christopher Ford is a longtime Republican who worked for Trump (albeit indirectly) at the State Department. Ford wrote a pair of fascinating and provocative articles for the Buddhist magazine Lion’s Roar. One was entitled, Zen and the Moral Courage of Moderation. The other was called, The Elephant in the Meditation Room.
Christopher Ford is a lay chaplain in the Soto tradition of Zen Buddhism. His teacher is Roshi Joan Halifax, who has been on this show a couple of times and is herself a longtime progressive. From January 2018 until January 2021,he served at the state dept as Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation. He’s also worked at the National Security Council, and as a congressional staffer.
This episode explores:
- Ford’s argument for a Buddhist conservatism
- Ford’s experience in the Trump administration and his assessment of our current political state
- The personal tools Ford recommends using in day-to-day life, some of which go right to the issue of not being attached to our views
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christopher-ford-420
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What is real love, without the trappings? In this reflection, you'll learn how to tap into feelings of love while maintaining clarity.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Real Love in Relationships,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=e1800e19-afab-43c3-b197-690d74c289d0.
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The unavoidable truth is that our skills change as we get older. We invest so much in our professional success, and then at some point, things change. But there’s good news. While certain abilities and mental capacities erode with age, others get stronger. With some foresight, planning, and good habits, you can make the second half of your life way better than the first.
Arthur Brooks is the author of a new book called From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. Arthur has seen the themes of this book play out in his own life. He started his career as a classical French horn player, then got his PhD in public policy analysis, and went on to run a think tank called the American Enterprise Institute. He then left that to be a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. He also does work with The Atlantic , where he writes a column and hosts a podcast called How to Build a Happy Life.
This episode explores: success addiction, and how to avoid it while still being successful; what it means to “live like Bach;” fluid intelligence vs. crystallized intelligence; what investments we can make now to increase the likelihood of more happiness later; the four most important habits of the happiest people; a workable definition of happiness; and how he feels about his own shifting capacities, having researched the subject for many years.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/arthur-brooks-419
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If you care about your long term health and happiness, the quality of your relationships is an area you should focus on. And the good news here is that love – as it applies to friends, family, and romantic partners – is not a factory setting, but instead a skill. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are the perfect guests to talk about how to cultivate good relationships in your life.
World-renowned for his work on marital stability and divorce prediction, Dr. John Gottman has conducted over 40 years of breakthrough research with thousands of couples. He is the co-founder of The Gottman Institute and Affective Software Inc. as well as author of over 200 published academic articles and author or co-author of more than 40 books, including The New York Times bestseller The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.
Dr. Julie Gottman is the Co-Founder and President of The Gottman Institute and Co-Founder of Affective Software, Inc. A highly respected clinical psychologist and author, she is sought internationally by media and organizations as an expert advisor on marriage, domestic violence, gay and lesbian adoption, same-sex marriage, and parenting issues. She is the co-creator of the immensely popular The Art and Science of Love weekend workshop for couples and she also co-designed the national clinical training program in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
This episode explores: how to talk (and listen) to your partner in moments of conflict; what to do before you start trying to solve a problem together; why “there’s no such thing as constructive criticism;” the details of John’s research findings, which have allowed him to predict with stunning accuracy whether a couple will get divorced; how the Gottmans themselves do when it comes to operationalizing their findings/advice; how and why betrayal occurs; when a couple should consider separating; the role mindfulness can play in healthy relationships; and the role of humor in relationships.
Content warning: There are a few mentions of sensitive topics, most notably domestic violence, which Julie discusses for a few minutes towards the end of the interview.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/john-julie-gottman-418
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We all long to be seen and experience connection. Being fully present with your loneliness can actually be a powerful way to feel less alone.
About Oren Jay Sofer:
Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Loneliness and Connection,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=de5f07ba-bb54-400a-9fa7-73757ac29c63.
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This episode features Evan Thompson, author of the book Why I Am Not a Buddhist. Evan Thompson is a writer and professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His work and research focuses on the nature of the mind, the self, and human experience combining cognitive science, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, particularly Asian philosophical traditions.
This episode explores: Thompson’s beef with what he calls “Buddhist exceptionalism,” “Buddhist modernism,” and “neural Buddhism;” why Buddhism is so attractive in the Western world; our culture’s need for validation of meaning through science; McMindfulness and the Western obsession with individualism; the dialogue between science and Buddhism; what the Buddha meant by the word dukkha, or suffering; and Evan lays out his case for an alternative to Buddhist exceptionalism, which he calls “cosmopolitanism.”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/evan-thompson-417
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One of the most consistent requests we get from listeners is to explore non-Buddhist forms of meditation. That’s what we’re going to do with this episode. Our guest is Swami Tyagananda, who has been a Hindu monk since 1976, and is now the Hindu chaplain both at MIT and Harvard.
This conversation explores: the basics of Hinduism, including its history, and its approach to prayer and meditation; letting go; karma; rebirth (and how and why to escape it); the deep connections between the Buddhist and Hindu traditions; Swami Tyagananda’s contention that all prayers are answered; and a recipe for reducing stress and anxiety. Swami Tyagananda also shares his thoughts about how to deal with our sense of not-enoughness or incompleteness and he provides a new way of thinking about the trickiest of all Buddhist concepts: annata, or the idea that the self is an illusion.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/swami-tyagananda-416
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Finding forgiveness can help you feel lighter, freer, and more at peace. Diana says “it's not easy, but powerful, and completely worth it.”
About Diana Winston:
Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center where she also teaches mindfulness practices to the general public.
Her easy-on-the-ears west coast style rests on top of a rigorous scientific mind, and a vast amount of teaching experience. She has developed curriculum and taught mindfulness since the early 90’s in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, non profits, and schools. She has taught mindful awareness to health professionals, leaders, teachers, activists, seniors, and adolescents in the US and Asia. A published researcher and author, Diana has also written for numerous meditation publications, where her daughter, Mira, often makes an appearance in her examples of bringing mindfulness to daily life.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Forgiveness for Others,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=6e200a0e-c93c-442d-8c9d-bb042d6cac0e.
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This episode, with Matthew Brensilver, explores a compelling Buddhist question: does self-hatred, or self-love, make sense if the self is an illusion? Matthew Brensilver, PhD, is a clinical social worker and experienced teacher of meditation retreats. He also worked at an organization called Mindful Schools, which teaches teachers how to teach meditation.
This episode also explores: how and why to view your anger with skepticism; the relationship between self-love and personal ethics; what to do if you think you’re a good person but have no interest in changing your behavior to get better; how to handle a nagging sense of moral un-justifiability; and how Matthew has arrived at a place of relative peace with his own mortality.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-brensilver-415
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Dr. Alison Gopnik is a psychologist at UC Berkeley and one of the world’s leading experts in cognitive development. She is also the author of several books, including The Philosophical Baby and The Gardener and the Carpenter. This episode with Dr. Gopnik explores two big and fascinating themes.
The first is enlightened self-interest. We all want to be happy. Every sentient being has that in common. One of the most successful, although counterintuitive, strategies for getting happier is to get out of your own head and help other people. Alison argues that caring is a skill that we can all develop, and there are ways to scale it so that we can improve our entire society.
The second, and related theme, explores what we can all learn about happiness from babies. In this episode Alison discusses: the “learning trap” common to adults that four-year-olds can help us avoid; the potential role of meditation in helping us see the world and solve problems more like children; the difference between our spotlight attention and children’s lantern consciousness; the strategy of solving problems by not trying to solve problems; and her critique of our modern conception of parenting, and what she thinks should replace it.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/alison-gopnik-414
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All week, we’ve been running “best of” episodes as part of our Taming Anxiety series – and this is the final episode in that series.
Leslie Booker (who goes by Booker) is one of America’s leading dharma teachers. She’s worked with incarcerated and vulnerable youth, she’s done mindfulness and cognitive-based therapy work on Rikers Island, and she’s written about best practices for teaching yoga in criminal justice settings. She’s a graduate of three different training programs at Spirit Rock, including their four-year Retreat Teacher Training Program.
In this conversation, Booker makes the case that one of the most important, even life-saving, tools when it comes to dealing with anxiety is our ability to connect with other people. And - like the three characteristics, Booker argues that the experience of anxiety is inherently impermanent, unsatisfactory, and unreliable (or, in Pali, it has the characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta). Understanding this fundamental truth, she says, can help us see our anxiety with more clarity, and therefore relate to it more skillfully. Booker also explains why bringing awareness to our bodies can help settle us in our most anxious moments.
Just a note: this interview was first recorded in May of 2021, so you may hear a few slightly dated references, but the topic of anxiety, for better or worse, is perennially relevant.
Join Booker next week as we re-launch the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join!
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/leslie-booker-repost
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This week, we’re sharing some of the best episodes in our archives about anxiety. Dr. Judson Brewer is a psychiatrist and deep dharma practitioner who argues that anxiety is a habit, and is one that you can unwind. This interview explores: what is anxiety; why Dr. Brewer views anxiety as a habit; how mindfulness can be harnessed to deal with anxiety; and if there is any level of stress or anxiety that is healthy.
Dr. Jud Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Unwinding Anxiety. He has designed a number of apps that use mindfulness to treat addiction and anxiety, including Eat Right Now, Craving to Quit, and Unwinding Anxiety. You can also find Dr. Brewer on the Ten Percent Happier app where he teaches a mindful eating course.
Just a note: This episode is a rerun from March 2021. There are some references that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant.
We’re re-launching our ten-day meditation challenge, called the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join!
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/judson-brewer-repost
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This week, we're posting some of our best podcasts from the archives on a dragon many of us face internally – anxiety. The first episode of the series features Sara Bareilles.
Sara Bareilles is a singer, songwriter, composer, and actor who earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations for her Broadway musical Waitress. She also stars in the show Girls5eva, which is back for a second season this year on Peacock.
Behind all of Sara's artistic and professional successes, there is a meditator who is fearlessly open and public about her struggles with anxiety and depression. In this conversation, she talks about: her history of anxiety and depression; the relationship between suffering and art; whether meditation might defang somebody's creativity; how she works with anger; and her relationship with social media. She’ll also share some of the backstories behind some of her hit songs.
Just a note: This episode is a rerun from June 2021. There are some references that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant.
Content Warning: This conversation features an exploration of depression and anxiety with one very brief mention of self-harm.
We’re re-launching our ten-day meditation challenge, called the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join!
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sara-bareilles-repost
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Gratitude, like hope, is a skill. Daily cultivation leads to lower stress levels, stronger relationships, and higher emotional resilience.
About Matthew Hepburn:
Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties. Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Daily Gratitude Booster,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=ab981c0f-d353-4c75-a218-42f3255abe75.
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This episode features one of the world’s leading experts in depression and how meditation can help. Dr. Sona Dimidjian is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado, Boulder. This episode explores the seasonal impacts on depression, the research on how meditation can help depression, and what she calls “behavioral antidepressants.”
Content Warning: There are a number of references to suicide in this conversation.
Be sure to check out TPH’s newest show, Childproof, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sona-dimidjian-413
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Psychiatrist Dr. Mark Epstein, discusses his new book The Zen of Therapy, in which he explores how his decades of studying and practicing Buddhism has influenced his work as a therapist.
In this episode, Dan and Mark discuss: the immense value of developing a clear and warm relationship to your own dysfunction; anger; how much people can actually change; how Buddhism has influenced Mark's practice as a psychotherapist; and Mark’s formative relationship with the legendary spiritual teacher and ex-academic Ram Dass.
This interview was recorded live as part of an online benefit for New York Insight Meditation Center and Cambridge Insight Meditation Center – two great institutions, both worth checking out and supporting.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mark-epstein-412
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Being a parent is really freakin’ hard. Of course, it can also be incredibly rewarding and delightful. Either way, it consumes us.
Childproof is a show about us, the parents, and how we can raise kids without losing track of ourselves in the process. Each week host Yasmeen Khan, a journalist and mom, brings us conversations and stories with fellow parents and experts on how to navigate this whole parenting thing — especially the shifts that happen within ourselves. Because parents are growing too.
In episode one, we're diving into one enormous question: how have you changed since becoming a parent? Maybe you've changed in ways you're not comfortable with, or maybe you'd actually like things to be different. Perhaps you've never even considered the question. Today we're digging into all the ways we transform as parents and, more importantly, how to deal with change when it feels really hard.
About Yasmeen Khan:
Yasmeen Khan is the host and managing editor of Childproof, Ten Percent Happier’s podcast focused on parenting. She was a public radio journalist for nearly 15 years, at WNYC Radio in New York and before that at North Carolina Public Radio.
While at WNYC, her award-winning work included coverage of the New York City schools; youth and family life; and policing. She produced in-depth stories on the city’s segregated school system, and dove into the municipal archives to tell the story of a massive 1964 school boycott.
Yasmeen’s 2019 investigation into New York City’s child welfare system showed how the city increasingly used its authority to remove children from their parents without a court order.
Yasmeen has also held jobs as a bartender, toll collector, and dishwasher. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
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Why, from an evolutionary perspective, is it so terrifying for many of us to contemplate challenging our own tribe? How comfortable would you be hopping on social media and questioning the deeply held convictions of your closest friends and colleagues? Even if you don’t want to be public about it, are there ways to have more empathy for somebody whose views are different from yours? Robert Wright believes the future of civilization hinges on our ability to get better at this.
Robert Wright is the author of the bestselling book Why Buddhism Is True. He also writes the Nonzero Newsletter, is host of The Wright Show podcast, and his newest mission is something he calls the Apocalypse Aversion Project. This episode explores: how mindfulness meditation can help us overcome our biases; how we are often manipulated by natural selection; the concepts of confirmation bias and attribution error; the pain and joy of pushing back against the conventional wisdom of your own tribe; the difference between cognitive and emotional empathy; why Robert is a big believer in talking to people with whom he disagrees; and the importance of making friendships across ideological lines.
This episode is the second in our weeklong series about bias. If you missed Monday's episode with the excellent journalist Jessica Nordell, you can listen here.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/robert-wright-411
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Jessica Nordell is a science and culture journalist who has written for the Atlantic and the New York Times. She earned a B.A. in physics from Harvard and an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her new book is called The End of Bias, A Beginning: The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias.
This episode explores: why humans evolved to have biases; what happens physiologically when biases are challenged; why some of the most popular personal and institutional strategies for confronting biases do not work; the role mindfulness and loving kindness meditation can play in reducing bias; and the power of studying history.
This episode is part one of a weeklong series the TPH podcast is doing about bias. Part two features Bob Wright, author of Why Buddhism is True, who has done some interesting work to challenge his own tribal instincts.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jessica-nordell-410
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These potent tools help ease intense frustration through calming breathing, listening to sound, and watching thoughts & feelings come and go.
About Sharon Salzberg:
A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.
Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Frustration Buster,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=ab114638-3fb1-4f24-bed8-01021d2a843b.
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The final episode of our New Year’s Getting Unstuck Series features Emily and Amelia Nagoski. Our goal with this episode, as it has been with all the episodes throughout the series, is to arm you with new ways of thinking about where you might be stuck in your life and to give you new tools for getting unstuck.
Emily Nagoski has a PhD in Health Behavior and is the author of the hit book Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life. Her twin sister, Amelia Nagoski, holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts. Together, Emily and Amelia are the co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
This episode explores:
- How Amelia was hospitalized for stress-related illness twice, and how learning the science behind burnout and emotional exhaustion helped save her life.
- The three characteristics of burnout, and why women in today’s society are particularly susceptible to one of the characteristics: emotional exhaustion.
- The “human giver syndrome,” a term created by Emily and Amelia, which they say is very common among women, and why things can be especially hard for women.
- Why it’s important to understand the difference between addressing stressful circumstances in our lives and dealing with the actual physical experience of stress in our bodies.
- A slew of evidence-based, ready-to-try-today interventions that people of all genders can use to “complete the stress cycle.”
Content Warning: There are some references to sensitive topics, including sexual trauma, self-harm, domestic abuse, and violence.
January 7th is the last day to join and complete the Getting Unstuck Challenge, a free 14-day meditation challenge from Ten Percent Happier to help you push through whatever is holding you back. Click here to get started.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/emily-amelia-nagoski-409
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This is the third episode of our Getting Unstuck Series and we’re kicking off the new year with a giant in the meditation world. Tara Brach holds a PhD in clinical psychology and has been practicing and teaching meditation around the world for more than four decades. She is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and the author of numerous books. She’s here today to talk about her newest, which is called Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness, and features illustrations by Vicky Alvarez.
Tara’s argument is that we too often get stuck in what she calls a “trance of unworthiness,” spiraling into negativity about who we are and how we are in the world. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that we all have an inherent goodness – what is sometimes called “Buddha nature,” and what she in this book calls “the gold.”
In this episode, Tara explains that the boundaries around what we are willing to accept in ourselves mirror the boundaries around our own capacity for happiness, and she offers actionable tools for expanding our ability to accept. She also talks very bravely about how she’s done this work on herself.
Join us today for Getting Unstuck – our free 14-day meditation challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. Click here to get started.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tara-brach-408
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The three most important words in mindfulness are "simply begin again." This meditation focuses on the key to all meditation techniques.
About Joseph Goldstein:
Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Simply Begin Again,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=fa2ec8eb-0480-4328-b0bd-0cbedbd86c0b.
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It’s the second episode of our Getting Unstuck Series. In this episode, Buddhist teacher and TPH fan favorite Matthew Hepburn offers a Buddhist lens on getting unstuck across many facets of our lives: from our relationship with technology to the difficulty we sometimes experience when asking for help.
Matthew Hepburn is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock four-year teacher training program and the host of the Twenty Percent Happier Podcast. In this episode, Matthew will explain why joining a meditation challenge can be useful for anyone, whether you’re booting up, rebooting, or simply seeking to maintain a meditation practice. We also explore how incorporating simple phrases throughout the day can help us rewire our brains and reimagine our existence.
Join us for Getting Unstuck – our free 14-day meditation challenge, featuring Matthew and other great meditation teachers. The challenge starts on January 3, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. Click here to get started.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-hepburn-407
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This is the first episode of our Getting Unstuck Series. This episode, featuring social worker and NYT bestselling author Nedra Tawwab has some incredibly practical advice for various forms of stuckness, and it basically comes down to one word: boundaries. Nedra is a social worker and the New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, which became so popular this past year that she has now followed up with an accompanying workbook. In the book, Nedra lays out a whole taxonomy of boundaries: their levels, their types, and their internal and external manifestations. In this episode, she explains it all, as well as how to summon the bravery to set and maintain boundaries even when it’s difficult and how to respect other people’s boundaries. Over the course of the conversation, she makes the convincing argument that if we can learn to see our world through the lens of boundaries, we can find some of the peace that may be eluding us. In other words, we can get unstuck.
Content Warning: This episode includes brief references to sensitive topics such as sexuality, abuse, and neglect, all in the service of exploring the myriad ways in which learning to set boundaries can help us find peace and get unstuck.
This episode is the first in the Getting Unstuck Series on the podcast. On Monday, January 3, you can join the Getting Unstuck Challenge, a free 14-day meditation challenge over on the Ten Percent Happier app. Click here to get started.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/nedra-tawwab-406
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Relax into a flow of breath sensations, and hone your ability to decrease stress & resistance, and experience a more harmonious happy life.
About Anushka Fernandopulle:
Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka.
Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Breathing, Flow, & Change,” or click here.
Click here to give a gift subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app.
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With the approach of the new year (and perhaps New Year’s resolutions) we’ve decided to replay a very popular episode, featuring one of the most prominent proselytizers for self-love, Karamo from Queer Eye.
Karamo was the first openly gay black man on reality TV when he appeared on MTV's The Real World Philadelphia back in 2004. When he left TV and found out he was a dad, he got custody of his son, adopted his son's half-brother and worked for a decade as a social worker before returning to the media world. He's now the culture expert on the blockbuster Netflix reboot of Queer Eye. Karamo also hosts his own podcast and is the author of a memoir, as well as a children's book, which he co-wrote with his son.
In today’s conversation, we talk about why, for Karamo, learning to love himself started with learning to love his first name; how he overcame negative messages inside his abusive childhood home; why men struggle so much with the concept of self-love; and the areas in his own life where he struggles the most to practice what he preaches.
Click here to give a gift subscription of the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/karamo-repost
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We’re almost at that time of year where we contemplate making New Year’s resolutions. So we decided to rerun an episode about the blazingly obvious fact that creating healthy habits can be infernally difficult. But why? And what are the best strategies for getting around this?
Katy Milkman has spent nearly two decades researching these questions. She's a behavioral scientist and professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She hosts a podcast called Choiceology and has written a book called How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. This episode explores why willpower is such an unreliable inner resource, why making habit change fun is such a powerful technique and key strategies from her quiver, such as “the fresh start effect,” “temptation bundling,” “commitment devices,” “piggybacking” and “giving yourself a mulligan.”
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/katy-milkman-repost
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Being a parent is really freakin’ hard. Of course, it can also be incredibly rewarding and delightful. Either way, it consumes us.
Childproof is a show about us, the parents, and how we can raise kids without losing track of ourselves in the process. Each week host Yasmeen Khan, a journalist and mom, brings us conversations and stories with fellow parents and experts on how to navigate this whole parenting thing — especially the shifts that happen within ourselves. Because parents are growing too.
About Yasmeen Khan:
Yasmeen Khan is the host and managing editor of Childproof, Ten Percent Happier’s podcast focused on parenting. She was a public radio journalist for nearly 15 years, at WNYC Radio in New York and before that at North Carolina Public Radio.
While at WNYC, her award-winning work included coverage of the New York City schools; youth and family life; and policing. She produced in-depth stories on the city’s segregated school system, and dove into the municipal archives to tell the story of a massive 1964 school boycott. Yasmeen’s 2019 investigation into New York City’s child welfare system showed how the city increasingly used its authority to remove children from their parents without a court order.
Yasmeen has also held jobs as a bartender, toll collector, and dishwasher. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
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In this episode, Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett discuss the recent book they co-authored, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again.
Robert Putnam is perhaps best-known for his seminal book Bowling Alone, about the increasing atomization and isolation of American society. He is the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. Shaylyn Romney Garrett is a writer and social entrepreneur who holds a BA in History from Harvard.
Content Warning: There are multiple references to racism and racial violence in this episode.
Click here to give a gift subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/putnam-romney-garrett-405
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If you want to make change in a world filled with all sorts of horrors and obstacles, does it help or hurt to stay cheerful while you go about your business? Robert Thurman argues passionately in favor of cheerfulness, although he will admit to still being miserable in his own way. This is an expansive conversation that covers everything from: what is nirvana to the Buddhist Four Noble Truths to why the Buddha was a scientist.
Robert Thurman is a legend. As a young Harvard student, he got into an accident and lost the use of one of his eyes. He dropped out and went on a spiritual quest that brought him to India, where he became the first Westerner to be ordained as a monk by the Dalai Lama, with whom he remains close friends. Thurman later disrobed, got married, and had a bunch of kids, including the movie star Uma Thurman. He also became an academic. He was a Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University until December 2020 and is the President of the Tibet House U.S., a non-profit in New York City dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization. He and his wife, Nena, also run an affiliated center, called the Menla Retreat, which is north of New York City.
Bob just turned 80, but he is very busy. He has a new book called Wisdom is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life. He also writes a regular newsletter for Substack and hosts The Bob Thurman Podcast.
This is a wide-ranging interview with a fast-moving mind that talks about: bliss-void-indivisible, why we feel unsafe when we’re happy, and why Robert was happy to lose his eye. Robert also offers his frank reflections on the promise and limits of the dharma from someone who has been practicing and studying for sixty years. If you don’t understand every reference, try to let it wash over you because the net effect is pleasantly head-spinning.
Check out the Dalai Lama’s talk – “The Ultimate Source of Happiness,” which is free for everyone in the Ten Percent Happier app.
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Check out this sneak peak into an episode of our new podcast Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
About Matthew Hepburn:
Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties.
Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It’s hard to be a human. No matter how good things are for you, being alive is still hard; whatever your life circumstances are, we’re all subject to impermanence and entropy. This episode dives into a five-part Buddhist list for being stronger in the face of whatever life throws at you. And the person who will be walking us through this list has an enormous amount of standing to talk about strength.
Sister Dang Nghiem, who goes by Sister D, is a nun in the Plum Village tradition and a disciple of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. She was born in Vietnam during the war, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. Sister D experienced an unfathomable amount of loss before relocating to the US, where she became a doctor and later, after experiencing more loss, became a nun. She’s written several books. Her most recent is Flowers in the Dark.
In this conversation, Sister D shares her story, and then walks us through The Five Strengths of Applied Zen Buddhism which include trust, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
Content Warning: This episode covers difficult topics including death, mental illness, and sexual abuse.
The Anti-Diet Challenge has already begun, and today is the last day to join! If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge, along with our entire app. Click here to get started.
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This episode explores how to make the infernally difficult challenge of habit formation a little easier, with guest Richard H. Thaler, who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2017 for his pioneering work in the fields of behavioral economics and finance. Thaler is the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where he also serves as the director of the Center for Decision Research. He is also the co-author, with Cass R. Sunstein, of Nudge: the Final Edition.
In this episode, Dan and Richard discuss what a nudge is as well as its opposite – which Thaler and Sunstein call sludge. They also discuss other fascinating concepts, including: choice architecture, mental accounting, libertarian paternalism, bounded rationality, and how the lessons of behavioral economics can lead to a happier life
The Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off today in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge, along with our entire app. Click here to get started.
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Gratitude practices are transformative. Experiment with gratitude for your own body, noticing the relaxation and ease that results.
About Anushka Fernandopulle:
Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Grateful For Your Body,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=de800c6b-56cc-4e97-ad22-a3b68e74086f.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This episode is the second in our two-part Anti-Diet Series, and features guest Christy Harrison. Christy is an anti-diet registered dietitian and nutritionist, a certified intuitive eating counselor, and a certified eating disorders specialist who has struggled with disordered eating herself. She has come out the other side and written a book called Anti-Diet, and in this episode, she discusses how to transform your relationship with food and your body.
This conversation explores Christy’s personal experience with disordered eating, the problems with and deep historical roots of diet culture, the scientific evidence against dieting, and the principles of intuitive eating.
Content warning: This conversation touches on sensitive topics such as eating disorders and body image, some of which might carry an emotional charge for some listeners.
Christy is also the instructor in our brand-new Anti-Diet Challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app. This seven-day challenge helps you build a better relationship with food and your body and is backed by science and supercharged with meditation.
The Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off on Monday, December 6 in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge, along with our entire app. Click here to get started.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christy-harrison-401
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Our guest for our 400th episode is actor and activist Jameela Jamil, who you may have seen on such shows as The Good Place, The Misery Index, and Legendary. Outside of her acting career, Jameela is known for launching a movement and platform called I Weigh. She's also the host of the I Weigh podcast, where she talks to everybody from Reese Witherspoon to Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, to Gloria Steinem.
This episode explores: how to develop what Jameela calls mental self-defense; how to be ruthless when it comes to personal boundaries; the difference between body positivity and body neutrality; how she handles the scrutiny and toxicity of social media; and how men can play a positive role in a world with profound double standards when it comes to looks.
Content Warning: This episode touches on the topics of suicide, eating disorders, and sexuality. Any profanity has been bleeped out.
This episode is the first in our two-part Anti-Diet Series. In this series, you’ll not only have the chance to reconsider your relationship to food, eating, diet, exercise, and body image–you’ll also learn practical, research-backed tools for approaching all of these things in a healthier, more mindful way. It’s also the subject of our newest Challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app. In the 7-day Anti-Diet Challenge, we are going to help you build a better relationship with food and your body. The Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off on Monday, December 6, in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge–along with our entire app. Click here to get started.
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This meditation will explore an ancient meditation on the classical elements of matter, helping you connect more deeply with your body.
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Four Elements,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=1ba1eb16-2918-4f7d-b4cd-160ecad8e4ab.
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It is a common desire to get out of our heads, to escape the internal noise, the chatter, the Sturm und Drang, the sound and fury, etc. You hear about it in pop songs and poetry, this urge to be blown away, to transcend. But how do you actually do it?
Willa Blythe Baker can help answer this question and is a font of practical advice. She is the Founder and Spiritual Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston, MA and its retreat center Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH. She was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after twelve years of monastic training and two consecutive three-year retreats. She has a doctorate from Harvard University and is the author of the new book, The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom.
This episode talks about Willa’s new book and explores: what somatic mindfulness is; the four levels of your body; specific exercises for getting out of your head; and how to meditate without all the effort. This rangy conversation goes on all sorts of fascinating, esoteric digressions, but always comes back to the practical stuff.
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Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/willa-blythe-baker-399
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Is there a good kind of suffering? Paul Bloom says, yes -- there is a kind of suffering that you choose. This voluntary suffering can reduce anxiety and make your life more meaningful. This episode explores that idea, along with: why we are hardwired to worry about bad things (and why that’s ok); the difference between chosen and unchosen suffering; post-traumatic growth and why it’s not always true that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger; benign masochism and the blurring of pleasure and pain; and cognitive empathy vs. emotional empathy.
Dr. Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. He is the author of six books, the most recent of which is called, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning.
Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.
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Joseph teaches you how to authentically accept difficult emotions to make them more manageable and less overwhelming.
Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “It’s Okay to Feel This,” or click here.
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Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is at the forefront of understanding human emotions: what they are, why humans evolved to have them, how they’re different from feelings, and what science says about how to manage them. She is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She’s written several books, including How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain and Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. This episode explores how we can “deconstruct” our own emotions, and the overlap between her research findings and Buddhism.
Just a note: This episode is a rerun from earlier this year, and the interview was recorded in March 2021. There are some references to COVID that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant.
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Dr. David DeSteno has embarked on a project he calls “religio-prospecting.” In other words, he has been looking at the scientific evidence that many ancient religious traditions can confer all sorts of benefits, whether you’re a believer or not. He points out that many secular people practice mindfulness, even if they’re not Buddhists. His question is - what’s the next mindfulness?
David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Group, and the author of a new book called How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, and is the host of a new podcast on PRX, also called “How God Works.” This episode explores David’s desire to study the benefits of religious practice in a scientific way and the evidence behind such practices as: sitting shiva, gratitude, the Apache sunrise ceremony, and Japanese Shinto rituals around childbirth.
Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/david-desteno-397
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Check out this sneak peak into an episode of our new podcast Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
About Matthew Hepburn:
Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties. Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.
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Work can be one of the most difficult places to apply meditative concepts such as mindfulness, patience, and kindness. But work can also be an amazing testing ground for your attempts at meditation and other forms of self-improvement.
Unlike many meditation teachers, Matthew Hepburn has spent a lot of time in the professional world. He has worked at Apple and in the service industry. He’s also a long time leader at the Ten Percent Happier company and is the host of the new Twenty Percent Happier podcast. In this episode, Matthew talks about how to change your relationship to your thoughts; how to navigate the highs of praise and the lows of blame; how to handle relationships at work, including relationships that require you to give and/or receive feedback; and how to bring your mindfulness practice to your workplace, starting with something as simple as a cup of coffee.
And be sure to join Matthew in the seven-day Work Life Challenge, where you’ll get the chance to practice a meditation related to your work life, led by Matthew or Dawn Mauricio, another TPH meditation teacher and recent podcast guest. Download the Ten Percent Happier app now to join the Challenge for free.
The "Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World," online benefit for the New York Insight Meditation Center is on November 13 and 14. Register here to participate.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-hepburn-396
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It’s been a problem ever since the dawn of humankind: how do we deal with jerks? What do you say to them? And how do you not make everything worse? And what if the jerk is you?
We’re going to get into this and other issues in this episode with a meditation teacher named Dawn Mauricio. This is the fourth episode in our five-part Work Life Series, and it is time to bring in some dharma. It turns out the Buddha had a not-insignificant amount of wisdom to offer that is directly applicable to both our inner and outer work lives.
Dawn Mauricio is an excellent teacher who is making her Ten Percent Happier podcast debut with this episode. Dawn has been meditating since 2005 and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s four-year teacher training program. She is also the author of the book Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners: 50 Meditations to Practice Awareness, Acceptance, and Peace. In this episode, Dawn talks about how to deal with jerks, imposter syndrome, and what the dharma can teach us about the technology that dominates so much of our lives both in and outside of work.
Dawn is one of two phenomenal mediation teachers in the Work Life Challenge in the Ten Percent Happier app. In this free challenge, you’ll get seven days of video interviews, led by Dan, tackling tough work topics. Then, you’ll get a short meditation from either Dawn or Matthew Hepburn, another TPH teacher, so that you can practice what you’ve learned.
Download the Ten Percent Happier app now to join the free Challenge today.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dawn-mauricio-395
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It turns out you can call up Laurie Santos and ask about any conundrum and she will respond with a veritable treasure trove of scientifically-grounded relatable wisdom. In this episode, we ask the question: how do you hit the reset button at work? This question can apply to a variety of contexts - maybe you’re leaving a job, looking for a job, starting a new job, or trying to do your current job more mindfully.
Dr. Laurie Santos is a professor of psychology at Yale University and the host of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab. In this episode, she provides a slew of science-backed strategies for hitting the reset button at work, including: increasing our time affluence; challenging our misconceptions about how much we actually dislike work; leveraging the power of ritual in order to draw firmer boundaries around our work; employing a values-based strategy called “job crafting;” and what to do when someone else at work–someone who is not us–succeeds.
This interview was recorded live on Facebook, and Dr. Santos will be dropping a version of the same conversation over on The Happiness Lab podcast. Be sure to check it out!
This episode is part of the Work Life series we are running here on the show. In conjunction with this series on the podcast, we’re launching a Work Life challenge over on the Ten Percent Happier app. We’ll be dealing with issues such as feedback, imposter syndrome, jerks at work, burnout, productivity shame, and more. You can download the app here, or wherever you get your apps to join the challenge for free.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/laurie-santos-394
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One of the hardest things to do in any relationship is give feedback. It’s always dicey. You don’t want to be too aggressive. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But you also don’t want to be too indirect.
That’s where radical candor comes in. This term comes from Kim Scott, who is the bestselling author of Radical Candor and Just Work. She has coached executives at Dropbox and Twitter, and has led teams at Google. In this conversation she’ll not only talk about how to speak with radical candor, but also how to avoid its evil cousins: ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression. She’ll also talk about how to push for more equitable workplaces at all levels of an organization, how to speak up about diversity issues without ruining your career, and what to do if you’re the person who has created harm. Kim will also talk about the difficult wake-up call that led her from her first book to her second.
This episode is part of the Work Life series we are running here on the show. In conjunction with this series on the podcast, we’re launching a Work Life challenge over on the Ten Percent Happier app. We’ll be dealing with issues such as feedback, imposter syndrome, jerks at work, burnout, productivity shame, and more. You can download the app here, or wherever you get your apps to join the challenge for free.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kim-scott-393
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This episode officially marks the launch of the Work Life Series, a brand-new, five-part series that’s all about how to live better lives at work. In each episode, we’ll be hosting meditation teachers, thought leaders, and top-of-their-field scientists to explore how to better connect with coworkers, boost our on-the-job resilience, and bring mindfulness to our work. And to help you put into action what you learn here on the show, you can join our free Work Life Challenge: a new meditation challenge specifically designed to help you navigate your life at work, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. Download the app here or wherever you get your apps to join the Work Life Challenge for free.
To kick things off in the Work Life Series, we’ve got a longtime TPH fan favorite: Adam Grant. Adam is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of multiple books, including his most recent, Think Again. He is also the host of a hit podcast from TED called WorkLife. In this episode, Adam will talk about languishing, some of his ideas for what to do about it, why and how to rethink flexibility at work, and much more.
Please note: There are brief references to alcohol & substance abuse and multiple references to anxiety and depression in this episode.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/adam-grant-392
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Check out this sneak peak into an episode of our new podcast Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
About Matthew Hepburn:
Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties.
Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The advice to “think like an entrepreneur” can, from a certain angle, come off as the kind of rote, tech-bro guidance you’d get from a millennial lifehacker. But Reid Hoffman makes a good case that all of us, whether entrepreneurs or not, can benefit from having what he calls an “entrepreneurial mindset.” He says this mindset is a trainable skill, and he believes that capitalism and compassion (two words you don’t often hear together) are compatible.
Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, a partner at Greylock, the venture capital company, and the host of Masters of Scale podcast, which is all about how uber-successful people/companies got where they are. And now he has a new book, also called Masters of Scale.
This episode explores: how to train for an entrepreneurial mindset; how to live a life that minimizes the odds of burnout; how to network without it feeling icky; the value of curiosity; the importance of “failing fast”; how to deliver feedback in a stressful environment; and how he thinks we can make capitalism more compassionate and equitable.
Be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/reid-hoffman-391
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We all know that change is inevitable and impermanence is non-negotiable. But somehow it can feel surprising, maybe even wrong, when we personally hit turbulence. The Buddha had a lot to say about this, and so does our guest.
Kaira Jewel Lingo has come back to the show to talk about her new book, We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption. This episode explores a few of those strategies including: waking up to what’s happening right now; trusting the unknown; a Buddhist list called the Five Remembrances; how gratitude helps us in times of disruption; and accepting what is (and why this is different from resignation or passivity).
Kaira herself is no stranger to impermanence: she spent 15 years as a Buddhist nun, and then decided to leave, which caused no small amount of disruption.
Please note: There are brief mentions of domestic violence, abuse, the suffering of refugees, and war in this episode.
To help you find your way during times of upheaval, loss, and transition, Kaira Jewel has recorded a series of meditations in the Ten Percent Happier app. Check it out by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps, tapping on the Singles tab, and searching for the topic called "Made for These Hard Times." Or, you can just click here.
And while you’re there, be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kaira-jewel-lingo-390
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Regather your attention with this short meditation. Afterwards, you can use that newfound focus to make progress on whatever matters most.
About Anushka Fernandopulle:
Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India, and Sri Lanka.
Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Gathering Focus,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=c71121c5-1b01-4e6b-babb-a43ce5f568b3.
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Friendship was important to the Buddha. In fact, there’s a whole passage in the Buddhist scriptures, or suttas, about friendship, with seven strategies for friendship, some of which we will discuss in this episode, with Kate Johnson.
Kate has been meditating for over twenty years and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s four-year teacher training program. She is the author of a new book that has drawn praise from people like Lama Rod Owens, Jack Kornfield, and Ruth King. The book is called Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World. In the book, and in this conversation, Kate draws on an ancient Buddhist text known as the Mitta Sutta to offer actionable strategies for realness, generosity, and other key ingredients for friendship.
Radical Friendship is available on Bookshop, Indiebound, Barnes and Noble or Amazon
To practice cultivating radical friendship, check out some related meditations in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you're already listening to this episode in the Ten Percent Happier app, just scroll down to the "Related" section for meditations on friendship from Sebene Selassie, Oren Jay Sofer, and Joseph Goldstein. If you're not a subscriber, click here or download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps and click on the "Podcasts" tab to get started.
And while you’re there, be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kate-johnson-389
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Distraction is one of the top complaints of meditators -- and of pretty much every human being, in this era that has been dubbed the “info blitzkrieg.” In this episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Amishi Jha, who has spent years studying the impact of meditation on people who work in high stress professions and has collaborated with the military, first responders, and elite athletes. Her new book is about how to, in her words, focus without all the struggle, take back your attention from the pull of distraction, and function at your peak.
Dr. Jha is Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, and author of a new book called Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day.
In this episode, Dr. Jha talks about: peak mind; the neuroscience of attention; how and why meditation works for high stress groups; multitasking vs. task switching; simulation mode vs. mindful mode; and answers the burning question - what is the least amount of meditation minutes one can do and still derive all the advertised benefits?
As Dr. Jha mentioned in the episode, she recorded a meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app to help you practice paying attention to your attention. Check it out by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps, tapping on the Singles tab, and searching for her meditation called "Find Your Flashlight.” Or, click here to play the meditation.
And be sure to check out our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/amishi-jha-388
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Taking a bigger perspective and staying grounded in the body helps us experience life’s inevitable stress without being taken over by it.
About Alexis Santos:
Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity -- a style of practice that's particularly useful during our crazy lives. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Stepping Away from Stress,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=6ab4db4d-eeb9-4f7e-baca-14938ce9d57c.
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In this special episode we’re going to do some mindful eavesdropping. You’re going to get a chance to listen in on a process that rarely, if ever, gets aired publicly. You’re going to hear real students talking to a real meditation teacher about real life issues -- issues in their meditation practice, and issues related to applying meditation to your everyday life.
The meditation teacher for this episode is Matthew Hepburn. Matthew has spent the last decade teaching meditation in schools, prisons, and meditation centers around the country. He’s an incredibly skilled, wise, and funny teacher. He’s also worked for many years at Ten Percent Happier, where Matthew is a stalwart on the content team.
We cover some fascinating issues, including: how meditation can make you braver at work; undercover practices you can do with your spouse or partner; how to find meaning in everyday annoyances; how to handle fear; and the one thing that will break any meditation practice.
You can listen to 20% Happier exclusively on the Ten Percent Happier app and download today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-hepburn-387
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Very few of us relish chaos and disruption, but they are facts of life, given the nonnegotiable nature of change. In this episode with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, we’re going to talk about how to tune into the value of disruption, and learn how to sit with the chaos.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an ordained Zen priest, holds a Ph.D., and worked for decades as a social science researcher and development director for non-profit organizations. She is also a prolific author.
In this conversation we’ll explore: what to do with the unknown and not having any answers; the power of a “sip of silence” (her term); what she means by the phrase “death as a doorway to tenderness;” how she defines tenderness - a word that can easily get bogged down in sloppy sentimentality; and what she meant when she wrote “I'm not advocating love as an answer to all of the ills of the world. Then again, it is just that simple to be love.”
Content Warning: There are brief mentions of assault; spiritual, sexual, and substance abuse; and racism, including a recent incident Zenju experienced herself.
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This session walks you through a guided visualization imagining immersing yourself in a pond of loving-kindness and letting the water infuse you.
About Diana Winston:
Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center where she also teaches mindfulness practices to the general public.
Her easy-on-the-ears West Coast style rests on top of a rigorous scientific mind, and a vast amount of teaching experience. She has developed curriculum and taught mindfulness since the early 90’s in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, non profits, and schools. She has taught mindful awareness to health professionals, leaders, teachers, activists, seniors, and adolescents in the US and Asia. A published researcher and author, Diana has also written for numerous meditation publications, where her daughter, Mira, often makes an appearance in her examples of bringing mindfulness to daily life.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Loving-Kindness Visualization,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=9d970c28-16b8-45df-82de-24d61bde4075.
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We talk a lot on this show about social connection, but in this episode we’re going to get super granular on how to actually do relationships better.
Carole Robin and David Bradford taught the most popular elective course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a combined total of 75 years. Officially, the name of the course is Interpersonal Dynamics, but everybody calls it “Touchy-Feely.” Together they have written the new book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.
We dive into the six hallmarks of what they call “exceptional relationships,” how to be honest and vulnerable without overdoing it, why the questions “how am I feeling?” and “how are you feeling?” are central to improving our communication, the inevitability of risk when you set out to deepen a relationship, and why meditation is helpful in all of this.
Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/carole-robin-david-bradford-385
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In the mental health community, there’s a new term: “Eco-Anxiety.”
Our guest in this episode, Jay Michaelson, has been thinking hard about climate change for many, many years. Michaelson is a meditation teacher, rabbi, lawyer, activist, and journalist. And he is also a core teacher in the Ten Percent Happier app. He’s covered climate change extensively, and has taught environmental ethics at Boston University Law School and Chicago Theological Seminary. He has also been a leading environmental activist in religious communities.
In this conversation, we talk about what Jay thinks some meditation teachers get wrong about climate change, what he calls the “delusion” that individual habit change can make an impact, how we can use meditation to engage more effectively in the kind of politics he says we need to move the needle on a systemic level, and how to use meditation and deep breathing to handle eco-anxiety.
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What if we told you that joy doesn’t have to be an accident? Learn how to develop joy in this guided session from Sebene.
About Sebene Selassie:
Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Joy,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=8ab8948a-d112-423a-bf8b-78f1e6e2b291.
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In this episode we’re talking about increasing happiness by connecting to nature.
Guest Andreas Weber is a renowned philosopher, biologist, and writer based in Berlin. He is the author of many books, including Matter & Desire: An Erotic Ecology. He has a fascinating and surprising approach: calling for an “erotic” relationship to nature. Weber calls it “erotic ecology” and argues that we have been socialized to have an instrumental view of nature and instead wants us to be in a love relationship with nature.
In this conversation, we talk about how to actually practice erotic ecology, what Weber means when he says love is the foundational principle of reality, how and why to make ourselves “edible,” and how Weber manages his own pessimism when it comes to climate change.
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You may have heard about stoicism, in the common parlance, as having a stiff upper lip, sucking it up, grinning and bearing it, suppressing your emotions, etcetera. Or you may have heard of Stoicism, the ancient Greco-Roman philosophy, that has become the de rigeur set of life hacks among millennial self-optimizers. In this episode, guest Nancy Sherman argues that Stoicism is way deeper than any of that. She will argue that, in fact, Stoicism is kind of the opposite of all the above. It’s a way to truly know your patterns of thought and emotion. Nancy is a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. She is an expert in ethics, the history of moral philosophy, moral psychology, military ethics, and emotions. Her most recent book is called Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. In this conversation we cover the basics of Stoicism, how and why capital “S” Stoicism is often misinterpreted, a meditation practice called “premeditation of evils” (which is far more practical than it may sound), and another practice designed to make you feel “at home in the world." Please note: This interview includes a brief reference to suicide. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/nancy-sherman-382
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Free your creativity with this light meditation and see where the momentum takes you. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He has trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author, with Dan, of the NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and is the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver." To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “The Art of Creative Freedom,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=60216495-f77b-491e-b1c5-ad1de8eda6dc.
Here are the steps for sending us a question for our upcoming Work Life Series:
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Email it to us at: listener@tenpercent.com by September 27, 2021.
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In this episode, we’re going to demystify concepts such as: self actualization, personal growth, authenticity, and bringing your “whole self” to the table. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist. He is the founder and director of the Center for the Science of Human Potential at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science. He also hosts the #1 psychology podcast in the world - The Psychology Podcast. And he is the author of a new book called Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. We talk about the meaning of “transcendence” and the difference between transcending in an unhealthy and healthy way; being compassionate, understanding, accepting, forgiving, and perhaps even loving about your foibles and ugliness; and the difference between authenticity and “pseudo-authenticity”. You can download the Ten Percent Happier app here today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Here are the steps for sending us a question for our upcoming Work Life Series: 1. Go to a quiet place and open the default voice memo recording app on your phone. 2. Hold the phone about 8-10 inches from your face, then tap “record.” 3. Tell us your name, where you’re from, and what your question is. Try to keep it to about a minute or so. 4. Stop the recording, then check it to make sure it sounds clear. 5. Email it to us at: listener@tenpercent.com by September 27, 2021. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/scott-barry-kaufman-381
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Michael Pollan has done more than perhaps anybody else in recent history to change the conversation on the use of psychedelic drugs, or plant medicine. He is author of the best selling book called How to Change Your Mind and he recently followed up with another book called This is Your Mind on Plants. Pollan is also the co-founder of the University of California Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, along with another recent podcast guest, Dacher Keltner. In this conversation we talk about whether psychedelics and meditation can mix and the links between psychedelics, meditation and Buddhism; the universal human drive to change consciousness; and his experiences with the three plants that he focuses on in his new book: opium, caffeine, and mescaline. Please note: this episode contains conversations about depression, suicide, and substance use. Here are the steps for sending us a question for our upcoming Work Life Series: 1. Go to a quiet place and open the default voice memo recording app on your phone. 2. Hold the phone about 8-10 inches from your face, then tap “record.” 3. Tell us your name, where you’re from, and what your question is. Try to keep it to about a minute or so. 4. Stop the recording, then check it to make sure it sounds clear. 5. Email it to us at: listener@tenpercent.com by September 27, 2021. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/michael-pollan-380
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Accepting the unpleasant: easier said than done. Joseph demonstrates how to overcome reactivity and build the skill of acceptance. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Accepting the Unpleasant,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=296ad59c-5122-4d9f-b6fd-de245aa50ac0.
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Happiness levels are really high when we’re young. They then steadily dip through our 20s, 30s, and 40s, and bottom out in our early 50s–at which point, they make a sharp and sudden rise. Then, through our 60s, 70s, and 80s, they are way above where we were in our youth. Why is this? Why do we get happier even as our bodies are falling apart? Here’s another question: Why, from the standpoint of evolution, do humans stick around way past the point of reproductive age? The answer to all of these questions, per our guest today, is: wisdom. Dr. Dilip Jeste is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego, and the author of Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion, and What Makes Us Good. In this conversation, we talk about how exactly he defines wisdom, what people of all ages can do to become wiser now, and the relationship between wisdom and loneliness. A quick content warning: this conversation includes references to sensitive topics, including suicide, substance abuse, and depression. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dilip-jeste-379
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Here’s a thought experiment: how would you handle it if you got a terrible diagnosis? Of course, many of us have no choice but to find out. This is the situation Suleika Jaouad faced when she got gravely ill at a very young age. She had to figure out how to have a sense of agency when so much was out of her control, and how to stay awake and present when her life was hanging in the balance. Suleika Jaouad is a journalist, author, speaker, cancer survivor, and the author of a book called Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted. She is also the creator of “Life, Interrupted,” the Emmy award-winning New York Times column and video series that she created from her hospital bed. In this conversation, we talk about: Suleika’s journey from being diagnosed with leukemia as a young adult to her recovery today; managing your emotions in excruciating situations; handling an ocean of uncertainty; feeding your need for creativity and productivity when your body is in mutiny mode; and the immense value of strategically going easy on yourself, especially when you’re an ambitious person. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/suleika-jaouad-378
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Today’s meditation is animated by two profound insights. The first is that we don’t just tend to listen to our inner critic–we tend to believe it. And the second is that the path forward requires us to treat our inner critic with compassion and kindness. About La Sarmiento: La Sarmiento is a meditation teacher and board president at the Insight Community of Washington, and the guiding teacher of its People of Color and LGBTQ communities. They are also a mentor in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program led by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.
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A common problem among type-A people is trying to win at meditation. But the practice doesn’t work like that. If you over-effort, if you try to make something happen, it’s pretty much guaranteed not to happen. What is guaranteed is that you will suffer. Meditation is like a video game where you can’t move forward if you want to move forward too badly. Our guest today is Alexis Santos, who has been practicing meditation for twenty years and was a student of the highly influential Burmese monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Alexis is also a core teacher in the Ten Percent Happier app and the lead teacher of our On the Go course. In this episode, Alexis recounts his time learning from Sayadaw and shares an approach to meditation that is more relaxed than what many of us may be used to. It just might change your practice. Watch Season 2 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To join the Ted Lasso Challenge by midnight tonight, download the Ten Percent Happier app here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/alexis-santos-377
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In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between kindness and what our guest, La Sarmiento, calls “radical kindness,” how to muster the strength to be kind to annoying people while setting appropriate boundaries, the difference between radical compassion and what the Tibetans call “idiot compassion,” and their experience of learning to accept themselves in a culture that is not always so welcoming. Sarmiento, whose pronouns are they/them, has been practicing Vipassana meditation since the 1990’s. They are a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader Training Program and a mentor in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. They serve as the guiding teacher for the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ sanghas at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC, where they are also board president. We are bringing you this Ten Percent Happier podcast series in collaboration with the Apple TV+ Original Series Ted Lasso because kindness is a huge theme in the show, and there are many practical lessons embedded right in the plot. CTA: Watch Season 2 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/la-sarmiento-376
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Deepen your inner strength and learn to draw boundaries and respond to injustice in this powerful loving-kindness meditation for yourself. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Kindness for Inner Strength,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=135d547d-18a1-48a6-a562-e325f74ffe40. About Sharon Salzberg: A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
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In this episode we’re talking about how what you believe— about yourself, or about the world — can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So if you believe the world is a cold and unforgiving place, it can become that way. And if you believe that you have limited capacities for kindness, you can, in effect, make it so. Our guest is Jamil Zaki, who is making his second appearance here on the show. Jamil is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He is a leading expert on empathy and the author of the book The War for Kindness. Jamil discusses three levels of kindness: kindness toward ourselves, kindness in our close relationships, and kindness in our communities. He argues that starting with the self is critical, but also that the kinder we can make our communities, the kinder we will be ourselves. And the more we reorient ourselves to focus on the positive, the more we can create a self-fulfilling prophecy of kindness. We are bringing you this Ten Percent Happier podcast series in collaboration with the Apple TV+ Original Series Ted Lasso because kindness is a huge theme in the show, and there are many practical lessons embedded right in the plot. Watch Season 2 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To sign up for the Ted Lasso Challenge, download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jamil-zaki-375
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Here’s a question: Is there an evolutionary advantage to being kind? Our guest today is Dacher Keltner, an eminent scientist who will make the case that, contrary to popular conceptions of evolution (dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest), and contrary to a lot of what we see on the news, our species is actually uniquely wired for kindness and compassion. Dacher Keltner is the Director of the Social Interaction Lab at the University of California at Berkeley, the Faculty Director of the Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and the author of the book Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life. In this episode, we talk about Darwin’s perspective on human sympathy and selfishness, where he stands on the question of Original Sin versus Buddha Nature, the importance of touch when it comes to communicating compassion, and the relationship between teasing and kindness. We are bringing you this Ten Percent Happier podcast series in collaboration with the Apple TV+ Original Series Ted Lasso because kindness is a huge theme in the show, and there are many practical lessons embedded right in the plot. Watch Season 2 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dacher-keltner-374
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Develop the skill and sensibility of kindness, warmth, and goodwill by bringing your loved ones to mind. We are bringing you this Ten Percent Happier podcast series in collaboration with the Apple TV+ Original Series Ted Lasso because kindness is a huge theme in the show, and there are many practical lessons embedded right in the plot. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Kindness for Loved Ones,” or click the link for the ‘Kindness: Ted Lasso Style’ singles meditation pack: https://10percenthappier.app.link/KindnessTedLassoStyle About Anushka Fernandopulle: Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
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Stress – which many of us despise and try to avoid – does not actually have to be a bad thing. Rather, it’s our relationship to stress, our mindset about stress, that determines whether we are helped or harmed by it. Today’s guest has the science to back this up and the practical tools to help you transfer her insights from the lab to your life. Modupe Akinola is an Associate Professor of Management at the Columbia Business School and host of the TED Business podcast. She is also one of the featured experts in our Stress Better course in the Ten Percent Happier app. In this conversation, Modupe talks about what she’s learned during these extraordinarily stressful last couple of years, what she calls the “stress mindset” (and how to cultivate it), and the vast resources available to us for handling stress (and how to tap them). We also dive into another of Modupe’s areas of expertise: how to have productive conversations around the often stressful–but critical–issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Get ready for the upcoming Ted Lasso Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/modupe-akinola-373
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Friendship might not necessarily be something you’ve considered to be an urgent psychological and physiological issue. On this show, we spend a lot of time exploring how the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives and our health. Sadly, in many ways, it’s harder than ever to make and keep friends. With loneliness and disconnection on the rise, it’s clear that our society just wasn’t constructed for social connection. And recent data suggests we’re in a friendship crisis, with many of us reporting that we have fewer close friendships than ever. Our guest today is Robin Dunbar, an Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Oxford University and the author of numerous books on the development of Homo sapiens. Dunbar is perhaps best known for formulating “Dunbar's number,” which is a measurement of the number of relationships our brain is capable of maintaining at any one time. He is a world-renowned expert on human relationships, and has a ton of fascinating research findings and practical tips for upping your friendship game. In this conversation, we dive into the science behind human relationships, the upsides and downsides of maintaining friendships on social media, the viability of friendships across gender lines, and what science says you can do to compensate if you feel you are currently lacking in close friendships. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/robin-dunbar-372
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Brighten your mind and be a force for good today by practicing intentions of kindness, generosity, and honesty with Jess. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Kind and Generous Intentions,” or click the link for the ‘Kindness: Ted Lasso Style’ singles meditation pack: https://10percenthappier.app.link/KindnessTedLassoStyle. About Jess Morey: Jess Morey is a graduate of the Insight Meditation Society’s 4-year teacher training program and a cofounder of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, which runs in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and the parents and professionals who support them, across the US and internationally. Jess began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), and has maintained a consistent commitment to meditation since. Diving head first into meditation at such a key developmental stage makes the revelatory perspective of mindfulness & compassion her natural home turf, and gives her an easy, conversational teaching style anyone can relate to.
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This great deep-Dharma episode is all about using an ancient, fascinating, and readily-accessible Buddhist concept as a way to improve your interactions with other human beings. The concept in question is called vedana, or “feeling tone.” Our guest, Martine Batchelor, will explain. She was a Buddhist nun in Korea for ten years and is now a lecturer, spiritual counselor, and author of such books as “The Path of Compassion” and “Women in Korean Zen." Two brief notes: First, this episode is a re-run, which we’re doing a few times this summer in order to give the staff a breather, and also to resurface some of our older gems for our newer listeners. Second, this conversation includes some brief references to sensitive topics, including sexual activity and substance abuse. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/martine-batchelor-repost
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A lot of us right now would probably agree that the technologies meant to make our jobs easier are actually stressing us out. (Think: the email and Slack messages that never stop and with which you can never catch up.) The worst part is the dopamine hit that you can get hooked on that comes with getting new information, causing you to check your messages way too often. And all of this has been exacerbated by working remotely. In this episode, our guest Cal Newport says that these technologies have created what he calls “the hyperactive hive mind,” and he has a ton of thoughts about how to stop it. He’s a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work. He’s also the host of the popular Deep Questions podcast. In this conversation, we talk about how to minimize the impact of the hyperactive hive mind, how the way we work is fundamentally broken, how we ended up in our current work situation where we're checking email and Slack all the time, and what this does to our brain. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/cal-newport-371
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You are complex and contain multitudes. Try this refreshing take on loving-kindness and offer love to all the different parts of yourself. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Loving Your Many Sides,” or click the link for the ‘Kindness: Ted Lasso Style’ singles meditation pack: https://10percenthappier.app.link/KindnessTedLassoStyle About Dawn Mauricio: Dawn Mauricio (she/her) has been practicing and studying Insight Meditation since 2005, and has graduated from several Buddhist programs, including Spirit Rock's 4-year Retreat Teacher Training. She teaches with a playful, dynamic, and heartfelt approach in Canada and the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.
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In this episode we’re tackling some thorny dharma questions. For example: How do you love someone without attachment? How do you love yourself when the self is allegedly an illusion? Our guest today is a repeat customer, Kevin Griffin. He joined us a few months ago in an episode about the nature of craving and addiction. This time, Kevin’s back with a semi-skeptical take on loving-kindness -- that venerable, if somewhat misunderstood, Buddhist practice. Our conversation is centered around a book he wrote, called Living Kindness: Buddhist Teachings for a Troubled World. We talk about lovingkindness vs. “living kindness," the dangers of modern metta practice, and the idea that you don't have to feel love all the time (but can still seek to handle situations with non-ill-will). Please note: This conversation includes brief references to addiction and other forms of suffering. If you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, download it for free wherever you get your apps: https://10percenthappier.app.link/download-app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kevin-griffin-370
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It is incredibly common for many of us humans, whatever our gender, to be at war with our bodies -- trying to live up to the people we see in the movies, on social media, or even the versions of ourselves in old pictures. This never-enough-ness can lead to an ambient level of self-loathing that can be incredibly destructive. That's where "radical self-love" comes in. Our guest today is Sonya Renee Taylor. She is the author of three books, including The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love. She is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of The Body is Not An Apology. She has come to this work as a result of her own personal pain, as a Black woman inhabiting a body that she says does not conform to societal norms. In this conversation, we talk about defining radical self-love (and why she believes it's our natural state), tools for cultivating radical self-love, and the connection between being OK with yourself and the larger society. (Also, just a heads up: There is one brief reference to sex.) If you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, you can download it for free wherever you get your apps: https://10percenthappier.app.link/download-app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sonya-renee-taylor-369
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Being kind to ourselves in hard times bolsters our resilience, so we can learn from setbacks rather than getting stuck in rumination. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Self-Kindness for Stress,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=135d547d-18a1-48a6-a562-e325f74ffe40. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
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Modern life has turned many of us into zombies. We walk around with our noses in our phones, constantly on the hunt. We’re not looking to eat people’s brains, per se, but we are looking for mindless hits of dopamine -- from the latest headline, email, text, or “like” on our Instagram post. This has profound consequences, for us as individuals and for the society as a whole. Our guest in this episode argues that we need to wake up to this, and learn how to create human connection. Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen priest, and Jungian psychotherapist. He co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care and is the author of Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up. Ellison dives into his attempts to rescue the cliche of intimacy, how to build meaningful relationships, and what it means to “Find Your Five.” He also discusses how experimenting with what he calls "healthy embarrassment" (or allowing yourself to feel exposed) makes for better relationships. In fact, he’ll model some of that for us, quite bravely. Just a note: This is a re-run from a few years back. We’re re-running a few episodes this summer to give our staff a break, and also to get some of our favorite older episodes into the ears of our many new listeners. Also: This conversation includes references to sensitive topics, including lived experiences of hatred and abuse. That said, it happens in the context of discussions about vulnerability and healing. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/koshin-paley-ellison-repost
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Today’s episode is about finding joy, pleasure, interest, and even gratitude in a surprising source: everyday objects and infrastructure. Our guest Roman Mars is the host and creator of 99% Invisible, a radio show and podcast about design and architecture. It is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Roman is also a bestselling author; he recently co-authored The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design. Roman talks to us about how he got interested in design, how the name “99% Invisible” came to be, his new book about the under-observed aspects of the built world, the importance of reading plaques and utility markers, design as coercion, and a shared love of 90s punk rock. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Show notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/roman-mars-368
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Often we forget to acknowledge the good in our lives. Happiness and well-being can be as accessible as simply recalling moments of kindness. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Recalling Kind Moments,” or click the link for the ‘Kindness: Ted Lasso Style’ singles meditation pack: https://10percenthappier.app.link/KindnessTedLassoStyle About Anushka Fernandopulle: Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.
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This episode is all about secrets. Did you know that there are 38 categories of secrets—and statistically, according to Michael Slepian, you probably have about 13 of them right now? Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He studies the psychology of secrets — and how keeping secrets affects our social life and work life, particularly as it pertains to trust and motivation. In this conversation we dive into common misunderstandings about secrets, the hardest part about having secrets, the toll secrets take (both physically and psychologically), how other people can help us handle our secrets in a healthier way, and the impact of societal systems and structures on our secret keeping. (One thing to note: There are brief references to abuse and other traumatic events that some people keep secret.) If you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, download it for free wherever you get your apps: https://10percenthappier.app.link/download-app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/michael-slepian-367
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Sit in meditation for a few minutes and you’re likely to experience pain, either physical or psychological. Hang around the meditation scene for very long, and you are likely to hear the expression, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” And that’s what this episode is all about -- boosting your pain tolerance through meditation. Because pain really is inevitable, but can you reduce your suffering through mindfulness and compassion? Christiane Wolf argues ‘yes’. She is a physician turned mindfulness and compassion teacher and teacher trainer. She is an authorized Buddhist teacher in the Insight (Vipassana) meditation tradition, teaching classes and retreats worldwide, and she’s also the author of the new book “Outsmart Your Pain”. In this conversation, we talk about meditation techniques that offer us a better relationship to pain, how to work with the physicality of pain, the stories we tell ourselves about our pain, and seeing pain as an opportunity. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christiane-wolf-366
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With guidance from Oren, this session will let you experiment with ways to find a genuine sense of kindness for yourself and for others. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Practicing Kindness,” or click the link for the ‘Kindness: Ted Lasso Style’ singles meditation pack: https://10percenthappier.app.link/KindnessTedLassoStyle. Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Subscription required. Apple TV+ and/or select content may not be available in all regions. About Oren Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
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It can be incredibly frustrating when life-changing, world-changing concepts such as compassion and kindness are often presented as cliches, because scientific research strongly suggests that learning how to practice compassion -- through meditation and other modalities -- can genuinely change your life. And enough of us did it, it could maybe change the world. One of the people who is the best at getting this message out, in new and creative ways, is Thupten Jinpa. He is a former Tibetan monk who went on to go to Cambridge University, where he got a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in religious studies. Since 1985, he has been the principal English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In this conversation, we talk about developing a compassionate meditation practice, building kindness and empathy, the connection between intention setting and compassion, and identifying and regulating negative emotional reactions. A few technical notes: This episode is a rerun. We do reruns when we have episodes that are amazing that we think our newer listeners might enjoy. We also do them to give our staff a break once in a while. We actually recorded this conversation live in front of an audience at the Asia Society in New York City a few years ago. It was the day after the school shooting in Parkland, so you will hear a few references to that. Check out Joseph Goldstein's course on compassion in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/CompassionWithJoseph Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/thupten-jinpa-repost
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The craving, complaining, and comparing voice in our heads can be the source of incalculable suffering, but is it all bad? And are there ways to talk to yourself that can turn your inner voice into a powerful ally? Ethan Kross is a Professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business and the author of the new book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why it Matters, and How to Harness It. In this conversation, we talk about why we have voices inside our head, how they can be either a blessing or a curse, how to access your inner coach rather than your inner critic, how changing our outer environment can impact your inner environment, and how you can use the much-maligned social media for support. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ethan-kross-365
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Too many expectations can lead to disappointment. This meditation helps you avoid preconceived notions and see what is already there. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Be Aware and Don’t Cling,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=9c0526bc-52b3-44f9-b386-61502770cf00. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
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For the uninitiated, Joseph Goldstein is one of the cofounders of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. In this episode Joseph covers strategies for getting over yourself. Every year, Joseph does a three-month retreat by himself at his home in Massachusetts. This year, he emerged with a bunch of thoughts on what’s called “the three proliferating tendencies,” or three “prapancas,” to use the ancient Pali term. These are three ways in which we perpetuate a sense of self -- not a healthy sense of self, but an unhealthy sense of self. You can think about the process of going deeper in meditation as a process of lightening up or getting less self-centered. Now, you’re about to get a master class in doing just that. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-364
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Today’s episode is about a Buddhist tool for resolving conflict and keeping your relationships healthy. Today’s guest, Kaira Jewel Lingo, was an ordained nun of 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, and is now a lay Dharma teacher based on Long Island. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology and Social Sciences. She’s edited a few books by Thich Nhat Hanh, including Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children. In this interview, Kaira Jewel talks about: the Beginning Anew practice (and how even skeptics can see the value in it); how Beginning Anew can strengthen relationships and resolve conflicts; the four steps of the practice; and her own experience with the practice, as both a teacher of it and a practitioner of it. If Kaira Jewel's insights on gratitude within the practice intrigue or inspire you, you might like a fantastic meditation we released recently on the Ten Percent Happier app called "Daily Gratitude Booster" by Matthew Hepburn. It's the perfect way to cultivate a regular practice of gratitude, which, like meditation itself, is a skill that you can improve. Check it out by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps (https://10percenthappier.app.link/install) or click the link in our show notes to be taken directly to Matthew's meditation: https://10percenthappier.app.link/DailyGratitudeBooster. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kaira-jewel-lingo-363
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In this session from Oren, learn how to use meditation to become less reactive and more open in relationships, conversations, and your life. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Curiosity without Judgment,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=26d7d194-8d16-4a6f-91e5-b1f07345abc8. Of course, if you don't have the app, you can download the Ten Percent Happier app today, for free: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
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In a previous interview with Dan, the Dalai Lama said something along the lines of, “everyone’s selfish; that’s the way we’re wired. But if you’re going to be selfish, you should be wisely selfish.” Wise selfishness takes into account the fact that what really makes humans happy is to care for other people. This notion has been a central part of the Buddhist platform for millennia, but is now being borne out in scientific research. Today’s guest is Emiliana Simon-Thomas. She is the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, where she is a co-instructor of its Science of Happiness online course. In this conversation, Emiliana talks to us about the difference between empathy and compassion, how we can be happier by being more compassionate and connected, what we misunderstand about love, and a more scientific definition for that culturally loaded term. Just to note -- this is a re-run of an older episode we pulled out of our vault for a few reasons: 1) It’s summer and we want to give our tireless staff a break; and 2) This is one of our all-time favorite episodes and one that many of our newer listeners may not have heard. For more science-based happiness practices, you can download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/emiliana-simon-thomas-repost
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We’ve been meaning to tackle our relationship to 'stuff' for a while now. This subject can go deep. It’s not just about decluttering (although that can actually be pretty substantial work); it’s about rethinking your whole life. Recently we spoke to a pair of gentlemen known as The Minimalists -- whose names are Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. They’re perhaps best known for their documentaries on Netflix: “Minimalism” and “Less is Now”. They also have a very popular podcast and have written a series of books. Their latest book, “Love People, Use Things”, comes out this month. In this episode, we talk about their powerful and painful personal path to Minimalism; the freedom that they say comes from living with less; how to actually do Minimalism; and the pitfalls of the path. And as a bonus pairing, we’ve brought back a Ten Percent Happier favorite, Oren Jay Sofer. Oren is a renowned Buddhist teacher who has been meditating for nearly a quarter of a century. As part of his training he spent over two years living with less as a Buddhist renunciate, and he makes a compelling case for bringing minimalism into the mindfulness practice, and for letting go. For more from Oren and other great meditation teachers, download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/the-minimalists-oren-sofer-362
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Self-compassion is powerful, but it's not always easy to acknowledge your own pain. This meditation helps you default to compassion. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Self-Compassion,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=0ee0c676-4215-4d7f-9b0d-9129a3d79a5b. If you don't have the Ten Percent Happier app, you can download it today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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Today's episode is a deep dive into the male operating system and how it can be upgraded. Today's guest, Daniel Ellenberg, is a psychotherapist, marriage and relationship therapist, author, and facilitator. He has been leading men’s groups for over 30 years and is the new sitting president of the American Psychological Association's “Division 51: Society for the Psychological Study of Men & Masculinities." In this conversation, Dr. Ellenberg explains: what masculinity actually means; what prevents men from forming bonds with other men; “traditional masculinity ideology”; why men die earlier than women; the importance of self-compassion for men; and how to be a good role model as a dad, friend, and fellow man. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/daniel-ellenberg-361
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There’s a widely held assumption that if you have a warmer, friendlier relationship with yourself, you will not only slack off and be ineffective, but also that you will be a doormat. My guest today says: not true. She’s making the case that self-compassion, when properly understood, can lead to a kind of ferocity. It can help you stand up for yourself and others. Kristin Neff is the central pioneer in the field of self-compassion research and her work has had a massive impact on me and my own work. She is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s the author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, and now she has a new book, called Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive. This conversation is for everyone, whether you identify as a woman or not. These concepts are universal, although, as you will hear Kristen argue, there is special importance for women. And speaking of gender, we are dedicating this week to that subject. Coming up on Wednesday, we’re going to talk about masculinity with a guest named Daniel Ellenberg. In this episode with Kristin Neff, we talk about: tender self-compassion vs. fierce self-compassion; the three main forms of fierce self-compassion; how to take a fierce self-compassion break; destructive vs. constructive anger; why she wrote the book specifically for women, and why you should read it, regardless of your gender socialization; how men can help the women in their lives develop this kind of ferocity; and how self-compassion can help us face our biases. For more resources on self-compassion, you can download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kristin-neff-360
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The struggle to keep up in the era of social media is universal. Bring compassion to your inner critic & release the delusion of perfection. About Leslie Booker: Booker brings her heart and wisdom to the intersection of Dharma, Embodied Wisdom, and Social Justice. Much of her work has been supporting incarcerated and vulnerable youth populations. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Taming Your Inner Critic,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=2789fd7d-8427-4956-9378-0f01d59238c4.
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Today we have some counterintuitive relationship advice. If you’re in a tough spot with your loved one, why would you want to have a deep chat about religion, politics, work, or your eating habits? Wouldn’t that just make everything worse? My guest today says asking these hard questions is exactly what you should do. Susan Piver is a fan favorite in TPH-world. She has been a practicing Buddhist for more than a quarter-century. She’s a graduate of a Buddhist seminary, founder of The Open Heart Project, and a New York Times bestselling author of many books, including How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life. This month, she’s releasing a revised and expanded edition of her blockbuster book, The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say “I Do.” This book started out as a relationship tool for recently engaged couples, but it’s taken on a much broader life. You can use it if your long-term relationship has hit a snag, if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to understand why, or if you’re single and just want to know yourself better. The book originally came out 20 years ago, but a lot has changed since then, so Susan has gone through and done a big rewrite. In this conversation, we talk about: why hard questions are so key to building or rebuilding the foundation for a healthy relationship; the difference between love affairs and long-term relationships (and how failing to see the difference can tank your relationship); why breakups are rarely caused by lack of love, but instead by something else; and Susan will explore, from a Buddhist perspective, what happens when the boundaries between you and another person begin to dissolve – and what to watch out for when this happens. Also, there’s (just barely!) still time to join us in our free Taming Anxiety Challenge. This ten-day meditation challenge will teach you how to understand your anxiety and give you practical tools for coping with the difficult thoughts and emotions that arise when you are anxious. And it’s also a great way to kickstart your meditation practice. You can join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TamingAnxietyChallenge. Be sure to sign up by June 24! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-piver-359
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Taming Anxiety Series - Episode 4: Welcome to the final episode in our Taming Anxiety Series! Today's guest, Leslie Booker – who goes by "Booker" – is one of America’s leading dharma teachers. She began sharing the practice with vulnerable populations back in 2005 and is a graduate of three different training programs at Spirit Rock, including their four-year Retreat Teacher Training Program. In this conversation, Booker will make the case that one of the most important, even life-saving, tools when it comes to dealing with anxiety is our ability to connect with our communities. She also brings our attention to yet another Buddhist list – the “three characteristics.” And she explains how bringing awareness to our bodies can help settle us in our most anxious moments. This, I should say, is something she’s worked on with me personally. If you’d like to see that, you can actually do so, because we filmed it as part of our new Taming Anxiety Challenge, a ten-day meditation challenge which begins today over in the Ten Percent Happier app. Booker is one of the core teachers in the Taming Anxiety Challenge, which features short videos and guided meditations about how to live with anxiety more intentionally. In the app, you’ll see her share strategies with me – and you – for putting into practice everything we talk about on the podcast today — including ways to normalize the experience of anxiety in your community. In fact, by joining the Taming Anxiety Challenge, you'll be part of a community of thousands of meditators learning to cope with anxiety. You can even invite your friends or family to join you in the Challenge – for free! You'll get a notification each time they meditate, so you can be accountable to and supportive of each other. You can join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TamingAnxietyChallenge. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/leslie-booker-358
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Taming Anxiety Series - Episode 3: As we move into summer and more and more vaccines go into arms, your town or city (or state or country) may soon be opening back up, if it hasn’t already. Some of us are ecstatic. A lot of us are anxious. (And by the way, those are not mutually exclusive. It’s totally possible to be both.) If the thought of large crowds or even small dinner parties makes your palms sweat, don’t worry. You’re not alone. (And if this was true for you even before the pandemic, you’re not alone there, either.) Our guest today is here to help. Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety and social anxiety and serves on the faculty at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. She is the author of How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety. In today’s episode she explains how to increase your tolerance for uncertainty; how and why social anxiety has gotten worse since the start of the pandemic; and, what you can do to face your own anxiety around social interactions, especially if you’re in a place that is reopening. She’ll also answer some questions from you, our listeners. In addition to this series on the podcast, we are launching a free Taming Anxiety Meditation Challenge in the Ten Percent Happier app, to help you practice what you’re learning. In this brand-new ten-day meditation challenge, we’ll be pairing a leading anxiety expert and a top-notch meditation teacher together to help you practice what we’re talking about on the show. The free Taming Anxiety Challenge begins on Monday, June 21, and will run for ten days. Each day, you'll receive a video and you'll complete a short meditation. You'll also receive daily reminders to help keep you on track, and you can even invite your friends to join you. Join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TamingAnxietyChallenge. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ellen-hendriksen-357
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Taming Anxiety Series - Episode 2: Anxiety is very common -- but also commonly misunderstood. So today we’re doing a show that you might think of as: Everything You Wanted to Know About Anxiety (But Were Afraid to Ask). This is the second episode in a four-part series we’re calling “Taming Anxiety.” (By the way, if you missed the first episode, with pop-star/Broadway star/sitcom-star Sara Bareilles, I strongly recommend checking that out.) Today, though, we are diving into the science of anxiety with Dr. Luana Marques. Luana is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the author of Almost Anxious: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Worry or Distress a Problem? You might also recognize her from this show, because she was also our very first guest on the topic of Covid, way back in March of 2020, in an episode titled “How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety.” In this episode, Luana will explain, from a scientific perspective, what anxiety actually is; why it isn’t actually a problem in and of itself – instead, it’s our relationship to it that’s (often) a problem; what the "TEB Cycle" is, and how to work with it; the short-term benefits of avoiding things that cause us anxiety – and the long-term consequences of that avoidance; and how to handle anxiety-induced phobias, including, in my case, a pronounced fear of elevators. Plus, we’ll take some voicemails that you, our listeners, have submitted. You can also learn how to actually practice everything we'll talk about in today’s episode by participating in our free Taming Anxiety Challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app, which kicks off next Monday, June 21. Join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You will be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TamingAnxietyChallenge. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/luana-marques-356
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Taming Anxiety Series - Episode 1: Today is a big day here on the podcast, both because we have a fantastic new episode, and because this episode is actually kicking off a series we have been wanting to produce for a long time, called “Taming Anxiety.” Anxiety is a massive issue in our society. Even before the pandemic, it was on the rise. Now, the situation is even worse. Chances are it has afflicted you or someone you love at some point, on some level: maybe you’ve received an actual diagnosis, like generalized anxiety disorder, or maybe you’re prone to symptoms closer to panic, or perhaps you’re just susceptible to a bit too much garden-variety worrying. Maybe your kids are increasingly anxious. Or maybe, like me, you’ve got a few different items on the menu–some low-level professional freakouts here, some panic attacks in elevators (or on live TV) over there… Anyway, the bad news is that anxiety is unlikely to disappear overnight. But the good news is that you can change your relationship to it. Hence this two week series we’re launching today. We’ve got two episodes with scientists and one episode with a meditation expert on deck to help you learn to tame your anxiety. And we’ve even got a free meditation challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app to help you bring these lessons into your practice. But before we get to that, let me introduce today’s guest. We’re kicking things off with a personal story. Sara Bareilles is a fearsome polymath: a singer, songwriter, composer, actor… the list goes on. She earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations for the Broadway musical Waitress, she’s got a new album out called Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl, and she stars in the new Tina Fey-produced series Girls5eva, which is streaming right now on Peacock. Behind all this artistic and professional success is a meditator who is deliberately open and public about her struggles with anxiety and depression. In this conversation, she talks about: her history of anxiety and depression; the relationship between suffering and art, and whether meditation might defang someone’s creativity; how she works with anger; her relationship to social media; and we get an intimate glimpse into the back-stories behind some of her hit songs. This is the first episode in our new “Taming Anxiety” series, and there will be an accompanying meditation challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app. It’s also called “Taming Anxiety,” and it launches next week, on Monday, June 21st. The idea here is that you will be able to use the challenge to integrate everything you’ve learned in the podcast series into your neurons. Join the Taming Anxiety Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TamingAnxietyChallenge. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sara-bareilles-355
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Bring wisdom and compassion alongside difficult emotions by first calming your body & mind and then opening to the feels with acceptance. About Sharon Salzberg: A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield. She is a New York Times best-selling author whose books include Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, Real Love, and Real Change. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Letting Tough Emotions Be,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=2649944e-3c86-4237-9232-ddb9a2437925. Excited about the Taming Anxiety Challenge? Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get ready: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install
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Anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism will know that “delusion” is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a positive way. In fact, the Buddha included delusion (aka: confusion about the way things really are) on his list of “the three poisons.” The whole point of meditation, per the Buddha, is to uproot delusion -- along with greed and hatred. Only then can you be enlightened. My guest today is here to valiantly make the case that delusion -- or self-deception -- has an upside. Many upsides, in fact. While he concedes that self-deception can, of course, be massively harmful, he argues that it also plays a vital role in our success and wellbeing, and that it holds together friendships, marriages, and nations. Understanding this, he says, can make you happier, more effective, and -- crucially -- more empathetic with people with whom you disagree. Shankar Vedantam is the host of the popular podcast and radio show Hidden Brain. His new book is called Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain. In this conversation, we talk about: the many ways our brains filter and alter our perception of reality; why we evolved for a robust capacity to lie to ourselves; and how his research on delusions has colored his view of the chaos and confusion of our modern world. Are you excited about the upcoming Taming Anxiety Challenge? If so, you can download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get ready: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shankar-vedantam-354
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One of the more surprising lessons I’ve learned as an ambitious person is that perhaps the best recipe for success is... keeping your ego in check. For a long time, I subconsciously believed that you needed to be unremittingly selfish to “make it.” But after life delivered me repeated beat-downs, I finally got the message: sometimes what’s best for me is to focus on greater good -- on the team. It’s enlightened self-interest. (For the record, I am not perfect at this.) My guest today has also learned this lesson the hard way. Chris Bosh is an 11-time NBA All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, and he was just recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He says his proudest moments as a player came from defeating his own ego, and you’ll hear him explain how he learned to do this. You’ll also hear him talk about something that anyone who’s ever been born needs to learn how to do (given that we live in a universe where impermanence is a nonnegotiable fact): letting go. In 2016, Chris nearly died from a blood clotting illness that sidelined him. He spent the next couple of years trying to make his way back to the NBA before retiring in 2019. He’s just written a new book, in which he tells his story and compiles some hard-won wisdom. It’s called Letters to a Young Athlete. But you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit; it’s really for anyone who’s interested in excellence. In this conversation, Chris and I talk about the difficult process of letting go of something you love; the in’s and out’s of his journey with his own ego, both during and after his playing career; how to set aside the inner chatter in your mind in order to be in the present moment; and how to play every game–whatever that might mean to you–like it’s your last. Before we dive in, I also want to let you know about a special series of episodes we’ll be launching next week here on the podcast. It’s called “Taming Anxiety.” It will feature interviews with top anxiety researchers and a dynamite meditation teacher. And, as is our wont here in TPH-land, we’ll be launching a free companion meditation challenge on the Ten Percent Happier app to help you put everything you learn in the podcast series into practice in your daily life -- to integrate it into your neurons, as I like to say. Get ready to join the free challenge on June 21 by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/chris-bosh-353
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In this episode from the excellent podcast Meditative Story, recorded a couple of years ago, Dan shares a candid look at his attempts to connect more with his son, Alexander, on their first father-son trip. Meditative Story combines human stories with meditation prompts embedded into the storylines — all surrounded by breathtaking music. You can learn more about it here: https://meditativestory.com/, and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1472106563.
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Covid appears to have brought on a spike in burnout, especially among women, millions of whom have exited the workplace since the pandemic began. So what is burnout, exactly? How do you know if you qualify? How do you fix it? And can meditation help? That’s what we’re tackling today with Leah Weiss, who despite being a longtime meditator herself, has experienced burnout firsthand. Leah is a researcher and author. She was a founding faculty member of the Compassion Institute at Stanford University, and she’s the co-founder of Skylyte - a company that specializes in using the latest science to help organizations prevent burnout. She’s written two books. The most relevant for our purposes is called: How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind. In this conversation, we cover: the differences between anxiety, depression, and burnout; how to detect burnout; how burnout runs along a spectrum, and is a “full body experience;” why meditation can help but also make some people more susceptible to burnout; what can be done to protect women in the workplace; and her argument that burnout isn’t just a personal problem, but also a systemic one. Also: If you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, you can download it for free here: https://www.tenpercent.com/?_branch_match_id=888540266380716858, or wherever you get your apps. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/leah-weiss-352
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These are not hospitable times for the mental skill of patience. Instant gratification has never been more thoroughly scaled. You can order food, taxis, and shampoo from your phone. Streaming services autoplay the next episode of whatever show you’re binging. You can ask Siri or Alexa for the weather, the latest sports scores, or the dating history of Paul Rudd. And on a deeper level, of course, global tumult is trying our patience -- with the pandemic, political polarization, climate disruption, and cultural divides over race, gender, and more. My guest today comes armed with great tools we can all use to exercise a muscle that, for many, is badly atrophied. As you’ll hear him explain, the Buddhist approach to patience goes way beyond grin and bear it; instead it’s about developing a mind that can work positively with whatever is bothering us. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment in Northern India. His father was said to be the third incarnation of a great Tibetan master. His mother was his first teacher -- a renowned practitioner who completed thirteen years of solitary retreat before she got married. Rinpoche now lives in the U.S. -- in southern Colorado, where he has a mountain retreat center called Longchen Jigme Samten Ling. His students include former guests on this show, such as Pema Chödrön, the best-selling Buddhist author, and Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, a teacher and author who is also his wife. Rinpoche has a new book out called Peaceful Heart: The Buddhist Practice of Patience. In this interview we talk about: how to define patience from the Buddhist lens; what practices he suggests for getting better at patience; the difference between patience and passivity; the challenges he still faces in the patience arena; and the role of patience in eating and in enduring physical pain. Also: We're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription for the Ten Percent Happier app until June 1st. Visit https://www.tenpercent.com/may to sign up today. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dzigar-kongtrul-rinpoche-351
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Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty. About Roshi Joan Halifax: Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her most recent book is Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Strong Back, Soft Front,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=4cfcfe2d-f5fb-4142-9bd0-3fb6b2041324.
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Many of us know that meditation can confer benefits such as self-awareness, calm, and compassion, but what about courage? My guest today says, yes. Meditation can boost your courage quotient. And she will talk about exactly how. Her name is Stacy McClendon. She is a teacher at the Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis. She also has a background in social work. This is the second episode in our weeklong series marking the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. Stacy has been organizing and hosting weekly Truth and Justice Vigils online, available to anyone, during and after the trials of the men charged with murdering George Floyd. In this conversation, we talk about: a Buddhist list called the Ten Paramis, and how those qualities can support courage; how white people can step up and be courageous; how compassion is not a weakness; and how to be what she calls a “compassionate agitator.” One technical note, you might hear a little background noise, including church bells, birds, and Stacy’s 20 year old cat, Rain, who happened to share some opinions. We're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription for the Ten Percent Happier app until June 1st. Visit www.tenpercent.com/may to sign up today. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/stacy-mcclendon-350
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There’s a meditation pitfall that’s pretty easy to fall into. In fact, I’ve fallen into it many times. It’s this idea, which we can hold consciously or subconsciously, that meditation is a solo endeavor. “I’m doing it to reduce my stress, or boost my focus, or... make myself ten percent happier.” All of that is fine. It’s actually great. But in my experience, the deeper you go into this thing, the more you see that the self is less stable and more porous than you previously imagined. And you also see that it’s really impossible to be happy in a vacuum; your happiness depends on the well-being of the people around you. We’re going to explore this notion of meditation as a team sport today with Pamela Ayo Yetunde. She’s the co-editor of Black & Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation & Freedom, which just won the Nautilus book award. She’s got a law degree from Indiana University and a theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. She also founded something called Buddhist Justice Reporter: The George Floyd Trials, which you will hear her discuss in this conversation. This is the first of two conversations we’re posting this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. In this chat with Ayo, which is the name she prefers to be addressed by, we cover: a concept she calls "shock protection"; living nobly in a time of ignobility; how we can move toward civility; various interpretations of the Buddhist concept of no-self, including viewing no self as inter-dependence; and how white people in particular can maintain their focus on issues of race, even when we have the option of looking away. Also, one order of business: We're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app until June 1st. Visit https://www.tenpercent.com/may to sign up today. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pamela-ayo-yetunde-349
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Concentration is the backbone of meditation. Strengthen your ability to return to the present with this basic, but essential, technique. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver." To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Concentration 101,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=9da8efcf-5948-4235-bd95-4c719ef5d964. We want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth.
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Living as we do in an era that has been called the info blitzkrieg, staying focused can be extremely difficult for many of us. This can be true when we’re working and trying to stay on task. It can also be true in meditation, when we might find our minds flitting all over the place. My guest today is an Olympic-level concentrator and she has tons of tips for staying focused. We also talk about one of my favorite meditation subjects: the altered states of consciousness called “the jhanas” that are apparently available to advanced meditators who can attain super-deep states of concentration. (I say “apparently” because I clearly have never been in these altered states.) Shaila Catherine is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay, a meditation group in Silicon Valley. She has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than nine years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She’s the author of Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity. In this conversation, we cover: the basic building blocks of concentration in meditation practice; cultivating the “right attitude” for meditation; the difference between concentration and mindfulness and how they support each other; and whether the jhana states are attainable for regular people. We also want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for everything you do. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources, visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth. Finally, there's an online event tomorrow you might want to check out. It's called "Well-Being Is a Skill," and it's being led by Dr. Richard Davidson at the New York Insight Meditation Center. More info can be found here: https://www.nyimc.org/event/well-being-is-a-skill/. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shaila-catherine-348
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We’ve got a provocative but deeply practical episode today. All of us have people in our lives — whether it be our personal lives, our professional lives, or even just people we see on TV — with whom we disagree. So how can we coexist, or even reach a state of mutual understanding, with these people? It’s not an overstatement to say that your personal happiness, as well as the future of the planet, may rest in part in our collective ability to hone these skills. My guest today has done this work in some of the most extreme ways imaginable. She is a reformed neo-Nazi by the name of Shannon Foley Martinez who now works to deradicalize extremists. She’s also a consultant at American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab. In this conversation, we talk about how she got into the white power movement, how she got out of it, her methods for de-radicalizing people who are still in the movement, how she applies those methods to more mundane conversations across the many lines of differences that run through our society—and how you can, too. Just a quick note - you’ll hear some background noise, from a lawnmower and a barking dog— but that’s just the reality of recording podcasts in the middle of a pandemic. Also, as you might imagine, we hit on some pretty sensitive material here, including discussions of hate-fueled violence, racism, sexual assault, and homophobia. We also want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: tenpercent.com/mentalhealth Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shannon-foley-martinez-347
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Practices like meditation help us cultivate habits that help instead of hurt. Here are four of them. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver." To find this talk in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “The Four Most Important Habits in Life,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=6748a2ec-017c-4176-8de6-545df0792793. We want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: tenpercent.com/mentalhealth
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Often on the show, we bring on incredibly accomplished meditation practitioners or influential researchers who have deep things to teach us, based on their personal experience or professional pursuits. And while many of these people talk openly about their personal deficiencies, they are nonetheless speaking to us from the mountaintop, as it were. Today we are doing something entirely different. Over the years, we’ve had many requests to bring on “normal people.” That’s what you’re getting today. Normal people who survived something extreme, with the help of meditation and other modalities, and are here to talk about it in extraordinarily raw and honest terms. Miguel Sancho is the author of a new book called More Than You Can Handle: A Rare Disease, A Family in Crisis, and the Cutting Edge Medicine That Cured the Incurable. We’ve all heard stories about parents of children with serious, and possibly fatal, illness. Often in those stories, the parents come off as saintly. Miguel takes a very different route. His book is both vulnerable and hilarious. His son’s illness forces him to wrestle with his personal demons, his marital difficulties, and his volcanic temper. He even tells us about getting evicted from the Ronald McDonald House. In the end, he lands on what he calls “the gospel of adequacy.” Full disclosure: Miguel is an old friend of mine. We worked together for many years at ABC News, where he was a senior producer at 20/20. Together, we covered stories about Scientology, self-help gurus, and fundamentalist Mormons. Also joining us for this interview is Miguel‘s wife, Felicia Morton, who is the president of her own full-service public relations firm. We start with Miguel solo and talk for quite a while, then take a quick break and come back with both Miguel and Felicia. We talk about: the benefits — and limits —of meditation, what they learned about creating a healthy marriage, finding meaning in suffering, and letting go of ego and control. TPH Mental Health Awareness: We want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: tenpercent.com/mentalhealth Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/miguel-sancho-felicia-morton-346
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To state the blazingly obvious, creating healthy habits can be infernally difficult. But why? And what are the best strategies for getting around this? My guest today has spent nearly two decades researching these questions. Her name is Katy Milkman. She is a behavioral scientist and professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She hosts a podcast called Choiceology and has written a new book called, How to Change. In this conversation, we talk about why willpower is such an unreliable inner resource, why making habit change fun is such a powerful technique, and key strategies such as “the fresh start effect,” “temptation bundling,” “commitment devices,” “piggybacking,” and giving yourself a Mulligan. We also talk about the potentially sensitive subject of getting other people to change. Are you interested in teaching mindfulness to teens? Looking to carve your own path and share this practice in a way that feels real, authentic, and relevant in today’s world? Our friends at iBme are accepting applications for their Mindfulness Teacher Training program - catered towards working with teens and young adults. The last round of applications are due May 15th and scholarships are available. For more information and to apply, check out: https://ibme.com/mindfulness-teacher-training/. We also want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth. We have one final item of business, and it is an invitation for you to participate in this show. In June, we’ll be launching a special series of podcast episodes focusing on anxiety – something I’m sure we’re all too familiar with. In this series, you’ll become intimately familiar with the mechanics of anxiety: how and why it shows up and what you may be doing to feed it. And this is where you come in. We’d love to hear from you with your questions about anxiety that experts will answer during our anxiety series on the podcast. So whether you’re struggling with social anxiety, anxiety about re-entering the world post-Covid, or have any other questions about anxiety - we want to hear from you. To submit a question or share a reflection call (646) 883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 12th. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/katy-milkman-345
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Using the practice of gratitude, you can learn to relax your body and settle your mind. About Anushka Fernandopulle: Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Unwind with Gratitude,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=be9f6e9c-3b3b-4a1b-bdd5-5ef516879189. We want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth.
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When somebody wrongs you, what is the wise way to handle your anger? Is forgiveness possible? What about friendliness? My guest today has a lot of thoughts about how to handle anger and how to respond to people who mean you harm. It might surprise you to hear from a Buddhist teacher who actually isn’t utterly disparaging of anger. In fact, she is proud (somewhat facetiously) of having been called “the original Angry Asian Buddhist.” Her name is Mushim Patricia Ikeda, and she is my kind of Buddhist. She self-describes as “snarky,” and, as you will hear, she loves to laugh. She has doable, down-to-earth strategies, and she makes a compelling, if counterintuitive, case for the pragmatism of sending goodwill to people who want to harm you. Mushim is a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. She is a writer, activist, and diversity consultant. She has trained for decades as both a lay and monastic Buddhist. Aside from anger, we also discuss how to handle uncertainty, and what Mushim calls a “pandemic of self-loathing” in our culture. But we begin with some candid talk about the trauma of being an Asian-American during a time of rising violence against the AAPI community. This is the second in a two-part series on the uptick in anti-Asian violence -- a trend that should be particularly worrisome for this audience, given the Asian roots of meditation and many of the other happiness-producing modalities we talk about on this show. If you missed it, go check out Monday’s episode, where we explore the history of anti-Buddhist and anti-Asian violence in America (which started decades before the pandemic), and the hurt felt by many Asian-American Buddhists about how they can be overlooked by other American Buddhists, including, sometimes, me. Two other items of business: first, are you interested in teaching mindfulness to teens? Looking to carve your own path and share this practice in a way that feels real, authentic, and relevant in today’s world? Our friends at iBme are accepting applications for their Mindfulness Teacher Training program - catered towards working with teens and young adults. The last round of applications are due May 15th and scholarships are available. For more information and to apply, check out: https://ibme.com/mindfulness-teacher-training/. And second, we want to recognize and deeply thank mental health professionals for all you do. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources, visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mushim-patricia-ikeda-344
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If you meditate (or do yoga, for that matter), you may have been taught by a Westerner, but you owe a gigantic debt of gratitude to the giants and geniuses in Asia who developed these practices. This fact can be overlooked or downplayed -- intentionally or otherwise -- by Western practitioners, including, sometimes, me. However, in the midst of a spike of anti-Asian violence, now seems like a very good time to learn more about where these practices came from, and why many Asian-American Buddhists sometimes feel erased. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it can also add depth and perspective and freshness to your practice. In this episode, we have two fascinating guests who will talk about what it’s been like for them to be Asian American Buddhists in the midst of this spate of hate crimes, and walk us through the long and ugly history of anti-Buddhist violence in America. We also talk about: how all meditators (not just people in vulnerable communities) can learn resiliency through meditation; the connection between karma and reparations; and whether it’s possible, or advisable, to generate goodwill towards people who hate you. We also have a frank conversation about how some of my own messaging about Buddhism in America has missed the mark. My guests are: Chenxing Han, who is the author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists. She holds a BA from Stanford and an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. And, Duncan Ryūken Williams, who is the author of American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War. He has a B.A. in Religious Studies from Reed and a Ph.D. in Religion from Harvard. He is currently a professor at the University of Southern California. He’s also a Zen priest. Both Duncan and Chenxing are helping to organize a national ceremony -- which will take place the day after we post this interview -- on the 49-day anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings that took the lives of several Asians and Asian-Americans. (For more on that ceremony, click here: https://www.maywegather.org/) One thing to say before we dive in: we are dedicating this whole week to the spike in hate crimes against members of the AAPI community. On Wednesday, we’ll talk to Mushim Ikeda, a Buddhist teacher, about how all of us can use meditation to deal with anger, uncertainty, and self-loathing. And two more items of business: first, are you interested in teaching mindfulness to teens? Looking to carve your own path and share this practice in a way that feels real, authentic, and relevant in today’s world? Our friends at iBme are accepting applications for their Mindfulness Teacher Training program - catered towards working with teens and young adults. The last round of applications are due May 15th and scholarships are available. For more information and to apply, check out: https://ibme.com/mindfulness-teacher-training/ And second, we want to deeply thank and recognize mental health professionals for your support. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/chenxing-han-duncan-ryuken-williams-343
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Develop the skill and sensibility of kindness, warmth, and goodwill by bringing your loved ones to mind. About Anushka Fernandopulle: Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Kindness for Loved Ones,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=302c268c-6239-492d-8a2b-7c4154d22c20 If you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, you can download it for free wherever you get your apps: https://10percenthappier.app.link/download-app
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The idea of networking can be fraught. For some people, it might, at times, seem either icky or pathetic to deliberately try to make friends, either in a personal or professional context -- especially since so many of us may be feeling a bit socially awkward anyway, after months of Covid restrictions. However, my guest today will argue that there are profound health benefits to building positive relationships, and she has advice about how to actually do it, based on neuroscience and psychology. Marissa King is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Yale School of Management, where she studies social networks, social influence, and team dynamics. She is also the author of a recently-released book, called Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection. In this conversation, we talk about: how your social networks impact your mental health; how, when it comes to social networks, quality and structure are more important than quantity; why you’re not as bad at being social as you may think; the importance of humor; how status and privilege play into networking; the benefits of calling up old friends you haven’t spoken to in a while; and she will ask you to consider whether you are a convener, a broker, or an expansionist. This is actually part two of a two-part series that we're running this week about the hard science and soft skills of social connection. If you missed it on Monday, we had an amazing interview with a researcher named Barbara Fredrickson from UNC Chapel Hill. She has a lot of fascinating things to say about what love actually is and takes a pretty broad view of the concept of love. You don't have to listen to that in order to understand this episode, but I think they work great in concert. One more item of business, and it is an invitation for you to participate in this show. In June, we’ll be launching a special series of podcast episodes focusing on anxiety, something I’m sure we’re all too familiar with. In this series, you’ll learn the mechanics of anxiety: how and why it shows up and what you may be doing to feed it. And this is where you come in. We’d love to hear from you with your questions about anxiety that experts will answer during our anxiety series on the podcast. So whether you’re struggling with social anxiety, anxiety about re-entering the world post-Covid, or have any other questions about anxiety - we want to hear from you. To submit a question or share a reflection call (646) 883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 12th. And if you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, you can download it for free wherever you get your apps or by clicking here: https://www.tenpercent.com/?_branch_match_id=888540266380716858. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/marissa-king-342
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One of our primary missions on this show is to rescue vital ideas that have lapsed into cliches. There are so many important concepts out there that many of us might be tempted to dismiss because they are encrusted with cultural baggage or have been reduced to potentially annoying or sappy slogans. So, for example, we’ve talked a lot on this podcast about things like: hope, gratitude, and “listening to your body.” All of which can sound like the type of empty bromide that your spin instructor yells at you while encouraging you to pedal faster. But, in fact, these are all incredibly important operating principles for a healthy life. And, not for nothing, they are all backed up by hard science. So today we’re going to tackle what may be the oldest and gooieset cliche of them all: love. The word has been ruined, in many ways, by Hollywood and pop songs. For many of us, the mere mention of the word conjures images of Tom Cruise, with tears in his eyes, while the string music swells, declaring, “You complete me.” But in my view, and in the view of my guest today, love needs to be usefully defined down. In other words, we need to knock love off its plinth, and apply it to a much wider range of human interactions. We also need to think of love not as something magical that requires luck or money or looks, but instead as a trainable skill -- one with profound implications for our health. Barbara Fredrickson is the Kenan Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has written two books: one is called Positivity, the other is called Love 2.0. In this interview, we talk about how she defines love, based on her research; how meditation can help build this skill; how taking a few extra minutes to chat with people, even if you feel busy, can have psychological, physiological, and even professional benefits; and how to manage social anxiety as we emerge from our Covid cocoons. This episode is actually part one of a two-part series running this week on social connection. Coming up on Wednesday, we’ll hear from Marissa King, a professor at Yale who studies how to create social networks, even when it feels uncomfortable. And by social network, I don't mean something like Facebook. I mean actual networks of actual human beings that you see in person. She’s got a lot of practical and actionable advice about how to do that, even within the context of Covid. So be sure to listen in on Wednesday. One more item of business, and it is an invitation for you to participate in this show. In June, we’ll be launching a special series of podcast episodes focusing on anxiety, something I’m sure we’re all too familiar with. In this series, you’ll become intimately familiar with the mechanics of anxiety: how and why it shows up, and what you may be doing to feed it. And this is where you come in. We’d love to hear from you with your questions about anxiety that experts will answer during our anxiety series on the podcast. So whether you’re struggling with social anxiety, anxiety about re-entering the world post-Covid, or have any other questions about anxiety - we want to hear from you. To submit a question or share a reflection call (646) 883-8326 and leave us a voicemail with your name and phone number. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 12th. And if you don't already have the Ten Percent Happier app, download it for free wherever you get your apps or by clicking here: https://www.tenpercent.com/?_branch_match_id=888540266380716858. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/barbara-fredrickson-341
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Counteract negativity bias by appreciating the goodness in life: simple acts of kindness, moments of beauty, and even your own good efforts. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
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Today we’re talking to a renowned psychologist who has come up with five strategies for cultivating hope. Dr. Jacqueline Mattis is a clinical psychologist from Rutgers University, where she is also a Dean of Faculty. As you will hear, she did not start her career wanting to study hope. She started out studying spirituality and religiosity, specifically doing lots of field work and interviews in African American and AfriCaribbean urban communities. She wanted to know why people living under high-stress conditions so often choose to be good and compassionate. That research eventually led her to hope. This the final interview in our two-week series on hope. The three previous guests approached the topic from a Buddhist perspective. Today, Dr. Mattis will talk about hope from a scientific perspective. How does hope work? And what are the benefits? What she does have in common with our previous guests is that she sees hope as a skill, not as a complacent state of unfounded optimism. If, after this interview, you find yourself wanting to put hope to work in your own life, and you’ve got the Ten Percent Happier app, then make sure to check out our new talks and meditations from some of our finest teachers about how to cultivate hope as a skill. Click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/HopeIsASkill, or tap on the “Singles” and “Talks” tabs in the app to check them out. And if you don’t have the app, you can try it for free today. Just download the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps, or click here: https://www.tenpercent.com/?_branch_match_id=888540266380716858. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jacqueline-mattis-340
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Buddhism can get a bad rap as being hopelessly pessimistic -- in no small measure because one of the Buddha’s first principal pronouncements was, “Life is suffering.” But if you listen to the rest of his spiel, you will hear that the Buddha acknowledges that life can be hard, but then goes on to say that we can make it better. He then spells out a bunch of practical techniques for doing so, which makes Buddhism essentially hopeful. We’re now in week two of our two-week series on hope, where we’ve been positing that hope isn’t just some vague, rosy state of mind -- it is, in fact, a skill. Today’s guest is Oren Jay Sofer, a Buddhist teacher who has been meditating for nearly a quarter century. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. Oren’s view of hope starts with the Buddhist notion of impermanence. Everything is changing all the time. That doesn’t necessarily mean things are always guaranteed to get better. That brand of hope, Oren says, can lead to a sort of grasping that pulls us out of the present and ultimately feeds our suffering. Instead, Oren makes the counter-intuitive argument that in order to hope effectively, we have to detach from results and outcomes. Oren is also lending his expertise to our Hope is a Skill series in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re already a subscriber, make sure to check out our new meditations to hone your hope skills — including some from Oren. You can find them in the “Hope is a Skill” topic in the Singles tab, or by clicking here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/HopeIsASkill. And if you’re not yet a subscriber and want to check out Oren’s new meditations in our app, now is a great time to give it a go. You can download the Ten Percent Happier app here: https://www.tenpercent.com/ (or wherever you get your apps). Once you subscribe, you’ll have access to all the great resources in the Hope is a Skill series, as well as tons of content – meditations, talks, full-on courses – all designed to help you wherever you are on your meditation journey. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/oren-jay-sofer-339
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Learning to trust life moment-to-moment is a powerful practice. Check it out. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
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As you may know, we are in the midst of a two-week series on hope – a concept we are trying to rescue from the realm of rote cliche and empty bromides. Our belief is that hope, when properly understood and practiced, is not baseless optimism or naivete, but a powerful skill. Today’s guest, Sebene Selassie, has earned her capacity to hope the hard way, surviving multiple rounds of advanced cancer. She is also the author of an excellent book called You Belong, and is one of the most popular teachers on the Ten Percent Happier meditation app. And as part of the work we are doing to train people in the skill of hope right now, she has recorded some brand new meditations for the app. If you’re a subscriber, tap on the “Singles” tab in the app to check those out, or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/HopeIsASkill. You’ll also find a variety of other new meditations and talks – all of which revolve around the theme of hope as a skill. In this interview, Seb talks about: hope as it relates to Buddhist concepts such as karma, impermanence, and the Eightfold Path; what it means to not be in contention with reality; the difference between “let it be” and “let it go;” and what hope means in the context of the climate crisis. We also talk about a private conversation that she and I recently had that was very challenging for both of us, but also gave us both cause for hope. If you enjoy hearing from Sebene and want to try her meditations on the Ten Percent Happier app, but you’re not yet a subscriber, now’s the time! In addition to getting immediate access to Sebene’s meditations in the “Hope is a Skill” topic, there are tons of resources for starting, rebooting, or going deeper into your personal meditation practice. Just click here to get started https://www.tenpercent.com/, or download the Ten Percent Happier app today, for free, wherever you get your apps. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sebene-selassie-338
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Spring is here. Vaccines are entering arms. But for many of us, hope can feel slippery and fleeting. Even with the pandemic seeming to abate, there's still a lot of uncertainty and suffering. That’s why, starting today, we’re launching a special two-week series on hope: what it is, what it isn’t, and how and why to cultivate it. The word “hope” might feel vague, or gauzy–or even, given the current state of the world, misguided. And if you’re using the commonly understood definition of hope, that might be true. Many of us think about hope as wishing for some specific outcome or result: a raise, a promotion, a romantic entanglement, or a return to an exact replica of pre-pandemic living. We can get attached to these outcomes–and then get disappointed when they (inevitably) don’t work out exactly as we’d hoped. But there is a way to hope wisely. And over the next two weeks, both here on the podcast and in the Ten Percent Happier app, we’re going to teach you how. We’ve enlisted an all-star slate of Buddhist teachers, mindfulness experts, and scientists, who will make the case that hope is a skill. One you can get better at. Today on the podcast, we’ve got the perfect guest to kick off our series. George Mumford is a personal friend and a much-loved contributor to the Ten Percent Happier app. Years ago, he overcame a heroin habit to become one of the nation’s leading mindfulness teachers. He’s worked with some of the world’s top athletes, including Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant. In today’s episode, he’s going to talk about his own tumultuous path towards hope, how it relates to the Buddhist idea of right action, and also a list he calls the Four A’s. A quick heads up: in our conversation, George talks frankly about his aforementioned substance abuse, which might be a sensitive topic for some listeners. If you’re a subscriber to the Ten Percent Happier app, you're going to want to check out our exclusive new "Hope is a Skill" content. We’ve got fresh meditations and talks on the subject -- just tap on the “Singles” and “Talks” tabs in the app to check them out, or click here (https://10percenthappier.app.link/HopeIsASkill). If you’re not a subscriber, now’s the time. In addition to the “Hope is a Skill” meditations, there are tons of resources for starting, rebooting, or deepening your meditation practice. Just download the Ten Percent Happier app today, for free, wherever you get your apps to get started: https://10percenthappier.app.link/download-app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/george-mumford-337
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In this guided meditation, Joseph unpacks what restless energy is all about, showing you how to go from restless to restful. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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To inject a little sunshine, perspective, and wisdom, we thought it might make sense to repost one of our favorite conversations of the last year. This is a straight up meat-and-potatoes meditation talk from the one and only Joseph Goldstein. In this chat, we explore three profoundly useful meditation strategies: mindfulness of thinking, awareness of rushing (a deeply ingrained habit for many of us), and the genuine insight that can emerge from everyday activities. For the uninitiated, Joseph is one of the founding teachers on the Ten Percent Happier app. He's a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, and is the author of several books, including the recently reissued The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Also: Next Monday, April 12, we're launching a two-week series about hope. As we head into spring and vaccines go into arms, we’re going to argue that hope is a skill – one you can get better at. And not only are we exploring hope on the podcast, we will also have bespoke meditations from our podcast guests dropping in the Ten Percent Happier app so that you can actually practice hope as a skill. If you don't already have it, get the app now. Download the Ten Percent Happier app, for free, wherever you get your apps to get started. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-repost
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Today’s guest is at the forefront of understanding human emotions: what they are, why humans evolved to have them, how they’re different from feelings, and what science says about how to manage them (rather than get yanked around by them all the time). Dr. Lisa Feldman-Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She’s written several books, including How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain and Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain. In this conversation, we talk about how we can “deconstruct” our own emotions, and the overlap between her research findings and Buddhism. And one more order of business: Next Monday, April 12, we're launching a two-week series about hope. Hope was perhaps one of the cruelest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. As we start to inch our way into a vaccinated world, there are ways we can skillfully engage with hope without setting ourselves up for disappointment. And not only are we exploring hope on the podcast, but we also have new bespoke meditations from our podcast guests and teachers dropping in the Ten Percent Happier app so that you can actually practice hope as a skill. If you don't already have it, get the app now so that you're ready to practice. To get started, download the Ten Percent Happier app, for free, wherever you get your apps. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lisa-feldman-barrett-336
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Counteract negativity bias by appreciating the goodness in life: simple acts of kindness, moments of beauty, and even your own good efforts. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
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Learn to use mindfulness of your natural breath as a way to create relaxation for yourself, any time, any place. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.
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The great meditation teacher Ram Dass once said, “If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” My guest today comes with tools to help you keep your cool when interacting with family -- or anyone else. We’re going to talk about a kind of meditation practice known as “relational dharma,” or “insight dialogue.” It’s a way of taking meditation off the cushion and into the crucible of conversation. My guest is Bart van Melik, who teaches veterans and children in juvenile detention centers. He’s co-author of a book called Still, in the City: Creating Peace of Mind in the Midst of Urban Chaos. He graduated from the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training and Community Dharma Leader Program. He’s based in New York City, but he’s currently in his country of birth, The Netherlands. In this conversation, you will hear lots of tips about how to actually practice relational meditation and insight dialogue, which Bart calls a “pressure cooker for insight.” Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bart-van-melik-335
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People in the mindfulness meditation world often note that what we’re teaching is not a breathing exercise; the goal is to just feel the breath as it naturally occurs (if you’ve chosen the breath as the thing you want to focus on). However -- and this is something we haven’t spent much time exploring on the show -- there is a ton of evidence to suggest that actual breathing exercises can also have powerful benefits, physiologically and psychologically. That’s one of the things we’re going to talk about today with Emma Seppälä, who is a Lecturer at the Yale School of Management and Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and the author of a book called The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success. As the title of today’s episode suggests, we’re going to talk about three big takeaways from happiness research. One has to do with breathing exercises. The second has to do with the power of nature to impact your mind. And the third has to do with social connection, something many of us are badly missing in this pandemic. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/emma-seppala-334
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Is your mind racing to the past or future? Practice bringing awareness to the body and breath as a way to reconnect to the present. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
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Too often, the process of looking at your biases can be presented like eating your vegetables. But one of the most fascinating and rewarding things I have attempted to do in recent years is to take a good, hard look at my own prejudices and conditioning, especially as a white man. I still screw up all the time. However, one thing that I think is often underplayed is that doing this work can be deeply enjoyable–and can also pay profound dividends. One of my most important role models here has been John Biewen, host of a podcast called Scene on Radio. The show has had four seasons, but the seasons that have most impacted me are Seasons 2 and 3. Season 2 is called “Seeing White,” in which he explores white people and whiteness. Season 3 is called “Men,” in which he looks at sexism. I was not surprised to learn that John is a meditator, a practice which, he explains, has helped him as he’s done his work. Also: We're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription to our companion meditation app–also called Ten Percent Happier–for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to https://www.tenpercent.com/march. And here’s a link to this weekend's Love & Resilience Summit, where I'll be presenting: https://promo.lionsroar.com/contemplative-care-summit-register/ Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/john-biewen-333
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There is a powerful scene in a novel called Lincoln In the Bardo, where President Abraham Lincoln has come to the cemetery where his young son, Willie, is soon to be buried. Willie had passed away at the White House where he had gotten sick. Lincoln is so distraught that he goes to the graveyard to get one last glimpse at his boy’s dead body. As the President is leaving, and in the grips of perhaps the worst psychic pain available to any human, he has an insight. His suffering, he realizes, comes from viewing his son as solid, when, in fact, they are both just “energy bursts” or “two passing temporarinesses.” There is a reason this insight will be familiar to anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism, and that is because the author, George Saunders, is a practicing Buddhist. Lincoln in the Bardo won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for best work of fiction in English. Saunders has written ten other books, including the newly released A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, which is about how to become a better reader and that can tell us about how to live. This was an enormously valuable conversation for me, both as a meditator and as an author (because he has many, deeply useful thoughts about the craft). We talk about many things here, including: the “unified theory of brain,” how writing resembles meditation, his speculations about the afterlife, and a speech he gave on kindness that went viral. Another order of business: In response to our ever-changing reality, we’ve done our best to use this podcast to help you figure out how to navigate our world. And as you know, the practice of meditation undergirds nearly all of the practical takeaways you hear us discuss on this podcast. Many of our podcast guests have also contributed to our companion meditation app, which is also called Ten Percent Happier. Our app helps you understand both how to practice meditation and how meditation can help you navigate our ever-changing world. We hope that you'll subscribe to our app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to https://www.tenpercent.com/march. And here’s a link to Love & Resilience: The Contemplative Care Summit (March 25 - 29). And finally, be sure to check out The Science of Happiness podcast, available here and wherever you get your podcasts. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/george-saunders-332
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When we're busy, we can get caught up in thoughts about what we're doing. Instead, you can practice bringing your attention to the doing itself. About Alexis Santos: Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity -- a style of practice that's particularly useful during our crazy lives. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine. We hope that you'll subscribe to our app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to www.tenpercent.com/march
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Today we’re diving into a concept that is simultaneously one of the oldest contemplative cliches and one of the most profound head scratchers — oneness. Can you be one with everything if you don’t really exist? And, even if we manage to grok this idea, what are the practical ramifications? Actually, this is just one of the many riddles and paradoxes we’ll be exploring today. My guest is Roshi Norma Wong. She was recommended to us by frequent guest and friend of TPH, The Reverend angel Kyodo Williams. Roshi Norma is a Zen Master, a life-long resident of Hawaii, a former State legislator, and abbot of a Zen temple called Anko-in. In this conversation, we talk about: • Understanding -- and experiencing -- oneness • Removing the binary between relaxation and focus • Why she thinks we need to cultivate pride and humility simultaneously • Why she thinks that before we try to solve the world’s problems, we need to become better people • And why our current moment of compounding global catastrophes presents us with an unprecedented opportunity Speaking of transformation in the face of crisis, we’ve always done our best to use this podcast as a place to figure out how to navigate our ever-shifting world. Over the last year, for example, we’ve spoken with experts about how to cope with the coronavirus, from dealing with anxiety and grief to parenting in a pandemic to worries about money. The practice of meditation undergirds all of the practical takeaways you hear us discuss on this podcast–and many of our podcast guests have contributed to our companion meditation app. Our app helps you understand both how to practice meditation and how meditation can help you navigate our ever-changing world. We hope that you'll subscribe to our app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to www.tenpercent.com/march, for 40% off your subscription. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/roshi-norma-wong-331
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We all remember that fateful week, almost exactly a year ago, when it all seemed to sink in for so many of us–when Tom Hanks got sick, the NBA suspended games, and the (now former) President addressed the nation in primetime. The big question now is: When and how will this plague end? My guest today has a clear vision for how things are likely to play out from from here. His name is Dr. Nicholas Christakis. He’s a physician, sociologist, and director of the Human Nature Lab at Yale University. He’s written a number of books, but there are two that we will discuss in this episode. His latest is called Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live. The other book we’re going to talk about is on a related subject. It’s called Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. In it, Christakis argues that human beings are fundamentally good. In fact, as you will hear, it is our goodness that the virus exploits. One more order of business: when COVID began affecting our lives, most of us were in immediate crisis, wondering about the answers to very basic questions: How do I get food safely? How do I care for my children and/or do my job under less-than-ideal circumstances? Will my loved ones and I be safe? In response to our changing reality, we’ve used this podcast to help you figure out how to navigate our new world. We’ve spoken with experts about how to cope with this crisis, from dealing with anxiety and grief to parenting in a pandemic to worries about money. As you know, the practice of meditation undergirds all of the practical takeaways you hear us discuss on this podcast–and as you may or may not know, many of our podcast guests have contributed to our companion meditation app. We hope that you'll subscribe to the Ten Percent Happier app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to to https://www.tenpercent.com/march for 40% off your subscription. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/nicholas-christakis-330
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Feeling let down is hard. We can’t control others, but practicing equanimity will help you feel more ease and acceptance. About Diana Winston: Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, where she also teaches mindfulness practices to the general public. Her easy-on-the-ears West Coast style rests on top of a rigorous scientific mind and a vast amount of teaching experience. She has developed curriculum and taught mindfulness since the early 90’s in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and schools. She has taught mindful awareness to health professionals, leaders, teachers, activists, seniors, and adolescents in the US and Asia. A published researcher and author, Diana has also written for numerous meditation publications, where her daughter, Mira, often makes an appearance in her examples of bringing mindfulness to daily life.
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To mark the first anniversary of the week in March 2020 when Covid fundamentally altered our lives, we’re launching a special two-part series. Today, we’re going to be talking about anxiety, which has been spiking during the pandemic. My guest is Dr. Jud Brewer, a psychiatrist and deep dharma practitioner who argues that anxiety is a habit–one that you can unwind. Then, next Monday, we’ll talk to Nicholas Christakis, who is not only a doctor but also the head of the Human Nature Lab at Yale, about when the pandemic will end, and what this ordeal has revealed about our species. But today it’s anxiety with Jud Brewer. Some of you may know Jud from the Ten Percent Happier app, where he teaches a mindful eating course. He’s also been on this show several times. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. He’s got a number of apps that use mindfulness to treat addiction, including Eat Right Now, Craving to Quit, and Unwinding Anxiety. He also has a brand new book, called Unwinding Anxiety. In this interview, we talk about: how exactly mindfulness can be harnessed to deal with anxiety; what is anxiety anyway, and why does he view it as a habit? And we publicly debate something we have been privately discussing: Is there any level of stress or anxiety that is healthy? One more thing: We are looking for a podcast marketer. If you love this show, marketing, and building relationships, we would love to have you on the team to help us grow Ten Percent Happier and our future shows. Please apply at https://www.tenpercent.com/careers. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/judson-brewer-329
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Before we dive in, a warning: this conversation includes descriptions of abuse and violence. As you may know, March 8th, the day we’re dropping this episode, is International Women’s Day. We have a story today about intimate violence, which has long been a problem for women around the world, and has only intensified during the pandemic. My guest is Tanya Selvaratnam, a writer and artist who I’ve known socially for many, many years. I was truly shocked when Tanya’s name surfaced in the media three years ago, in connection with the case of Eric Schneiderman. Eric was the celebrated Attorney General of New York State. He was also a regular on the local meditation scene. I knew Eric and Tanya were dating. What I did not know was that, behind the scenes, Eric was allegedly physically and emotionally abusing Tanya. She has now come out with a book, called Assume Nothing, which goes into searing detail about not only the alleged abuse, but also about how she flipped the script, regained her agency, helped bring her alleged abuser down, and how she has healed subsequently -- in no small part through meditation and therapy. Please note: If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, you can find resources curated by Tanya at the “full shownotes” link below. We’d also like to provide more context about the allegations Tanya shares in this interview: When the allegations of abuse against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman by Tanya and three other women were first made public in The New Yorker in May 2018, Schneiderman quickly resigned. In a statement at the time, he said, “serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me.” He also said, “While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this critical time. I therefore resign my office.” After a six-month investigation, prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against Schneiderman, citing legal impediments, including statutes of limitations. But the district attorney assigned to the case by Governor Andrew Cuomo also said that she “believed the women who shared their experiences” with investigators. In response, Schneiderman said, "I recognize that District Attorney Singas' decision not to prosecute does not mean I have done nothing wrong. I accept full responsibility for my conduct in my relationships with my accusers, and for the impact it had on them." I should also note that our team reached out to Eric Schneiderman and that he declined to comment for this episode. Two more items: First, remember to check out “In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson,” a new podcast from ABC News, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/ladybird), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3ukYgoq), or wherever you’re listening now. Finally, we are looking for a podcast marketer at Ten Percent Happier. If you love this show, marketing, and building relationships, we would love to have you on the team to help us grow Ten Percent Happier and our future shows. Please apply at https://www.tenpercent.com/careers. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tanya-selvaratnam-328
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Coming into balance is about accepting that balancing is a process, not a destination. Sebene will help you make the most out of the process. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
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I know you guys, and it is pretty clear you love deep dharma episodes. Today we’ve got a dharma episode that is quite timely. As you all know, we live in a time when most people are getting their news from carefully curated information silos. As a result, we often create very specific views— about public figures, current events, our fellow citizens — and we can cling pretty tightly to those views. Today we’re gonna talk about how useful and even pleasurable it can be to dig into the roots of these biases and dismantle them— to pop our bubbles of delusion. It can be a relief. It can be eye-opening. It can change the way you relate to yourself and to other people. My guest is Andrea Fella. She is the co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center and the Insight Retreat Center in Redwood City, California. She has been practicing Insight Meditation since 1996, and teaching Insight Meditation since 2003. She is particularly drawn to intensive retreat practice, and has done a number of long retreats, both in the United States and in Burma. During one long practice period in Burma, she ordained as a nun. Also: We are looking for a podcast marketer! If you love this show, marketing, and building relationships, we would love to have you on the team to help us grow Ten Percent Happier and our future shows. Please apply at https://www.tenpercent.com/careers. And don’t forget to check out the new ABC podcast In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson, which you can find here: https://abcaudio.com/podcasts/in-plain-sight/ Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/andrea-fella-327
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We’re all creatives, whether we think of ourselves that way or not. In so many aspects of your life, from planning your future to planning a meal to curating your social media, you need to be able to both envision and then execute. And how you work with your mind in these moments is key. Today, we are going to hear from a master creator -- the mind behind brilliant Pixar movies such as Inside Out, Up, and the recently-released Soul -- about how to run a creative process at the highest possible level. (I have a six-year-old, and, in my opinion, one of the worst parts of the job of being a dad is sitting through insipid children's entertainment. But the aforementioned films have been both thrilling and moving to consume, for both me and my son.) My guest today is Pete Docter, who directed all three of those films. He is the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar. He is also a meditator and a practicing Christian whose films are each motivated by a big, pressing question he is posing to himself about his own life. In this conversation, he takes us inside the making of his films, most notably Soul, for which he and his team had to invent a coherent metaphysical scheme to explain both the afterlife -- and the before. We also talk about how his spiritual practices support his storytelling endeavors, and how to power through the pain, frustration, and embarrassment of trying to make something truly original. One more thing: We would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast. Our team here cares deeply about you, our listeners, and we are always looking for ways to improve. Please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. And thank you. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pete-docter-326
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In this guided meditation (which you can do anywhere), Joseph helps you relax the habit of personalizing everything, so you can live with more ease. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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The stereotypical depiction of fighting addiction makes it seem highly unpleasant: White knuckling, sweating it out, detoxing, going cold turkey–you get the picture. This applies to classical addiction, and also to the less dangerous (but nonetheless nettlesome) unhealthy habits and compulsions that we all wrestle with. My guest today takes a very different approach. She aims to harness the pleasure centers of the brain as a way to handle addictive habits—and, controversially, she doesn’t believe you need to go cold turkey on alcohol, which is the main intoxicant she has targeted. Her name is Annie Grace, and she is the author of a very popular book called This Naked Mind. (Shout out to my friend and colleague Steve Baker, the executive producer of Nightline, who has gotten a lot out of Annie’s work, and turned me on to her.) This episode is the second in a two-part series we’re doing this week on addiction. If you missed it, go check out Monday’s episode with Buddhist teacher Kevin Griffin, who has worked to combine the dharma and the 12 steps. Speaking of the 12 steps, many people in the AA community are quite critical of Annie Grace, and she will address that in our conversation. We also cover: Her personal story, and why she now drinks as much alcohol as she wants to–which is none at all; the connection between her approach and Evelyn Tribole’s “intuitive eating”; and her thoughts on working with other addictions, including nicotine, gambling, shopping, pornography, and video games. Also: We would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a new survey about your experience with this podcast. We want to hear about your experience with our show, because we care deeply, and we are always looking for ways to improve. Please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/annie-grace-325
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This is an episode about our craving, grasping minds. Whether you have struggled with a classic addiction or not, we all have addictive tendencies; we all wrestle with desire. I often think about a provocative question once posed by my friend, Dr. Jud Brewer, a Buddhist practitioner and addiction specialist: Are we all addicted? The implied answer is yes. My guest today thinks about addiction in a similarly broad and compelling way. He talks about addictions to substances like drugs and alcohol, but also addiction to self and addiction to racism. Kevin Griffin is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and 12 Step participant, and is one of the founders of the Buddhist Recovery Network. He has trained with many of the legendary teachers we have interviewed on this show, including Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. He has written many books, including One Breath at a Time: Buddhism & the Twelve Steps. His latest is Buddhism & the Twelve Steps: Daily Reflections: Thoughts on Dharma and Recovery. This is the first in a two part series we’re doing this week on addiction. During the pandemic, we’ve seen alcohol use go up and drug overdose deaths rise. On Wednesday, we’re going to talk to a woman named Annie Grace, who has come up with what she believes is a powerful alternative to AA. But today, it’s Kevin Griffin. We cover a lot of ground here, including: How he connects the dharma to the 12 Steps, and a Buddhist list called the three refuges. But we start with what he calls the foundational addiction: addiction to the self. Podcast Survey - We would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a brand-new survey about your experience with this podcast. We want to hear about your experience with our show, because we care deeply, and we are always looking for ways to improve. Please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kevin-griffin-324
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Sometimes we get stuck in yesterday’s mistakes. Reset by using the freshness of each new breath and start your morning with ease. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer.
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Today we’re going to talk about a massively useful acronym, which can be used both on the cushion and in your free-range living. The acronym is RAIN -- R-A-I-N -- and rather than explaining it myself, I will leave that to my guest, who has become one of RAIN’s primary proponents. Tara Brach is an author, therapist, and meditation teacher. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, she founded the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, and she has written several books, including her latest, which is called Radical Compassion. We first posted this interview in January 2020, shortly after that book came out. In this conversation, we talk about: What RAIN is and how to apply it in many areas of your life, including relationships; a Buddhist list called The Eight Worldly Winds; and whether most people harbor a suspicion that there's something fundamentally wrong with us. But we start and end the conversation with a touchy subject. In my first book, I made fun of Tara a little bit, which didn’t go down that well with her, although I didn’t know that until this chat. I really respect how warm and open she was during this tricky discussion. Stay tuned until the very end, when we fully wrap that subject up. Also: We would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a brand-new survey about your experience with this podcast. Our team here cares deeply about you, our listeners, and we are always looking for ways to improve. Please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tara-brach-repost
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We’re now almost a full year into the era of Covid restrictions, and I suspect that many of you, as I am, are starting to internalize the fact that, notwithstanding the vaccines, there’s likely a ways to go yet. And the mental health issues are piling up: The depression, anxiety, and addiction. Moms, people of color, and elderly people who can’t see their families are among those getting hit especially hard. To inject a little sunshine, and perspective, and wisdom, we thought it might make sense to re-post one of our favorite conversations of the last year. Pema Chödrön has seemingly been trying to prepare us for this pandemic for years, through a series of popular books, with titles such as When Things Fall Apart, Welcoming the Unwelcome, and The Wisdom of No Escape. But as you will hear, she is anything but gloomy. Like all of the great meditation teachers I’ve met, she has a lightness and a sense of humor about her. She was born Deirdre Blomfield in Connecticut. She lived a conventional life, going to UC Berkeley, becoming a school teacher, and having a pair of kids. But after a rough divorce, she found herself adrift. During this time, she discovered Tibetan Buddhism, shaved her head, and became a nun. Now in her mid-eighties, she lives in rural Nova Scotia, where she is the director of Gampo Abbey. We connected with her — back in May — on an old-school landline. I was recording my half of the conversation from a closet in our erstwhile apartment in New York City, which at the time was the epicenter of the outbreak in America. We talked about how to actually welcome the unwelcome. We also discussed how to befriend your demons, sympathize without being stupid, lighten up in the face of fear, and embrace chaos as “extremely good news.” One other thing: we would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a brand-new survey about your experience with this podcast. To do so, please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. And thank you! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pema-chodron-repost
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Use meditation to connect to how you’re feeling and to unlearn the habit of abandoning yourself when you most need to feel connected. About Joanna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy can talk about meditation to pretty much anybody. She not only teaches in traditional environments like retreat centers, but also in both schools and jails. JoAnna has been studying meditation for nearly two decades and she's done some amazing work ensuring that the practice is available to people who might not otherwise have access to it. JoAnna teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, at Spirit Rock, and is a Founding Member of The Meditation Coalition.
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How do you relate to the more difficult— and even ugly— aspects of your personality? How do you feel about yourself when you are, say, in a judgmental or vengeful or jealous mode? Is that an opportunity for self-laceration? My guest today agrees with me that one of the healthiest possible inner moves is to learn how to hug your dragons, instead of attempting to slay them (which is only likely to make them stronger). Dr. Richard Schwartz is a psychotherapist with a Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy. He founded something called the Internal Family Systems model of therapy, often referred to as IFS. His basic idea is that our consciousness is broken down into several parts. These parts can become rebellious and troublesome when traumatized or unattended. In this conversation, we talk about: how to relate to your parts more successfully; the overlap between IFS and Buddhism; and why meditation isn’t enough, in his view. We also attempt to dive in and do some IFS therapy work together. I’m not sure I was a particularly good patient, but you can judge for yourself. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/richard-schwartz-323
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We have talked a lot on this show about how perfectionism can have pernicious impacts on your psyche. Today we’re going to talk about how, by contrast, a certain kind of perfection is very much worth aiming for. We’re diving into another Buddhist list in this episode: the six paramitas, or the six perfections. These are six mental skills that you will never perfect, most likely. But simply working on them can confer massive benefits. My guest is Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. She was born Diane Perry in England, but 55 years ago, she traveled to India, where she ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. At one point, she quite famously spent 12 years living and practicing in a cave in the Himalayas. She’s now the Founding Director of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in India. We start by discussing her extraordinary life. Then we dive into the six paramitas. We talk about: why patience is a kind of armor, why we need other people to push our buttons, the importance of dissolving the small self to get to the perfection that lies beyond, how to convince your ego to walk this path, and why she thinks a sense of humor should be the seventh paramita. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jetsunma-tenzin-palmo-322
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Is meditation the last thing you want to do right now? This one’s for when closing your eyes and watching your breath sounds like torture. About Matthew Hepburn: Matthew Hepburn is a straightshooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats in his early twenties, and for the last 5+ years he has been teaching meditation at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center in Boston, MA. Matthew is currently a participant in the four-year Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program, where he studies with renowned teachers including Joseph Goldstein.
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My guest today makes a fascinating and potentially life-changing case. He argues that we need to reconsider how we view intelligence. He says that instead of viewing intelligence as the ability to think and learn, we should view it as the ability to rethink and unlearn. My guest, whose name is Adam Grant, says there is evidence that, in a fast-moving world, what he calls the “critical art of rethinking” can “position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.” Not for nothing, in a world where many of us are stuck in our own information silos, the ability to rethink and open our minds may be one way we can dig ourselves out of our current societal divisions. Some of you may know Adam. He’s been on the show before. He’s an organizational psychologist, a TED speaker, a professor at Wharton, and the author of four New York Times bestselling books, including one that has had a big influence on me, called Give and Take, which is all about how generosity can contribute to professional success. I am happy to report that Adam has done it again: He has written a compelling and timely book. In this conversation, we talk about how to build the skill of rethinking; how the people who speak the most confidently are often the least competent; and what he calls the surprising upsides of imposter syndrome. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/adam-grant-321
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Today we’re talking about one of the Buddha’s first and most important lists: the Eightfold Path. I’m kinda surprised we’ve never done a deep dive into this list on the show before, but better late than never. Some context before we dive in: The Buddha, as many of you know, was a congenital list maker. His first and foundational list was the Four Noble Truths. This is the list that begins with “life is suffering” -- which is something of a mistranslation; it basically means that life will be unsatisfying if you are constantly clinging to things that will not last, given the nonnegotiable fact of relentless impermanence. The second noble truth is that the cause of our suffering is thirst or clinging. The third is that there is a way out of this mess. And the fourth is a sort of manual for waking up and suffering less. That fourth noble truth is the Eightfold path. It’s a list within a list. And to help us unpack it all is a fascinating person named Brother Pháp Dung. He was born in Vietnam, came to the US with his family as a child refugee, and was raised in LA. He later trained in architecture at USC before becoming a monk under his teacher, a towering figure in modern Buddhism named Thich Nhat Hanh. Phap Dung has a fascinating critique of our capitalist, consumerist culture. He’s not saying that we should opt out, just that we can use the Eightfold Path to create a different relationship to it all. So we dive into all of that in this chat -- but we begin with his personal story, which involves family strife and a lot of skepticism. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/brother-phap-dung-320
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Take a moment to pay attention to the good things that are already here, and get in touch with the basic satisfaction of being alive. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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For an audience of meditators (or aspiring meditators), the idea of doing nothing shouldn’t be foreign. But, speaking from personal experience, it is very possible, especially for Type A people, to approach meditation with an agenda. In which case, sitting on the cushion can be very far from truly doing nothing. Enter Jenny Odell, who makes a very compelling case for truly… doing… nothing. In her work, she is challenging what for many of us, myself included, is a deep-seated and sometimes subconscious reflex: to constantly optimize and constantly be “productive.” She is a Lecturer in the Stanford Department of Art and Art History and author of the bestseller How to Do Nothing, which just came out in paperback. She comes to the subject of time from a very different perspective than our guest on Monday, Ashley Whillans. (If you haven’t listened to that episode, go do it; these two make a fascinating pairing.) In this conversation, Jenny and I talk about: letting go of our constant demand for productivity and learning to simply look around; the thrilling phenomenon of observing something so deeply that you actually cease to understand it; why moments of disgust, or even existential despair, can actually be quite instructive; and how to divest from what she calls “the attention economy”–and where to reinvest instead. Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit http://www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jenny-odell-319
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For many of us, in this pandemic, our relationship to time has become particularly fraught. You may be noticing that, with no limits on your work time, you are going into overdrive and feeling more crazed than ever. Or you may be feeling like you have too much time and are bored out of your mind. Or you may be feeling both. My guest, Ashley Whillans, is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book Time Smart. She was recommended to us by a former guest, Laurie Santos, a professor from Yale and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Ashley has a radical approach to managing your time -- or taking your time, to put a new spin on an old cliche. Her goal is to get you from a state of "time poverty" to "time affluence." In this conversation, we talk about: how to do a time audit; funding time, finding time, and reframing time; the surprising extent to which prioritizing time over money predicts happiness -- and what to do if you usually do the opposite; how to handle "time confetti"; and the value of canceling meetings. This is the first of a two-part series we are doing this week on time. On Wednesday, we’re going to talk to someone with a rather different approach. Her name is Jenny Odell and she wrote a bestseller called How To Do Nothing. Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit https://www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ashley-whillans-318
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Today, expert meditation teachers Jeff Warren and Susan Piver return to respond directly to the questions that you, our listeners, have been submitting to us about self-compassion. It’s a tricky concept, so it’s no surprise that you’ve sent in more than a few humdingers. So strap yourself in as Jeff and Susan bring on the wisdom to help you make sustainable, healthy change in your life. Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit https://www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He has trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. About Susan Piver: Susan Piver is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Hard Questions, the award-winning How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart, and Start Here Now: An Open-Hearted Guide to the Path and Practice of Meditation. Her newest book is The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships.
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We’re diving in on another Buddhist list today. One of the many things I like about the Buddha is that, as far as I can tell, he pretty much always aims his messages, even the hard-to-swallow ones, at the pleasure centers of the brain. Even when he’s talking about ethics, which could come off as preachy or overly abstemious. Today, we’re going to talk about the Five Precepts. The Precepts are kind of like the Buddhist version of the Ten Commandments. Except, as you will hear, there is, by design, an enormous amount of flexibility in how you can interpret and apply these precepts. And undergirding it all is, as mentioned, self-interest. The reason not to steal or lie or kill is that, in the end, it protects your mind. My guest is Jozen Tamori Gibson, who has trained in the Sotō Zen and Theravada traditions, is on the Teacher’s Council for New York Insight Meditation Center, and teaches in a variety of other settings, including the Insight Meditation Society. Jozen’s pronouns are they/them. Quick note before we dive in: Jozen lives on a busy street, so you will sometimes hear a little bit of background noise. Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. Where to find Jozen Tamori Gibson online: Website: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/jozen-tamori-gibson/ Social Media: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jozentamorigibson/?hl=e Book Mentioned: • “Experience of Insight” Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Experience-of-Insight-Audiobook/1645470377 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jozen-tamori-gibson-317
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On this Martin Luther King day, it’s tempting to fear that America, and the world, may never have been further away from the kind of inclusive society that Dr. King called for so eloquently. So today, we are, I hope, going to give you a little hope -- and perhaps also some ideas for how you can be an engaged citizen without losing your mind. My guest is Loretta Ross, who describes herself as a radical Black feminist, activist, and public intellectual. She’s a Visiting Associate Professor at Smith College, and she also teaches an online course that caught our eye. It’s called, “Calling in the Calling Out Culture.” She believes that “calling out,” which is quite common on social media these days, is adding way too much toxicity to the discourse and alienating people who might otherwise be allies. Instead, she believes in “calling in,” which steadfastly insists on a large measure of grace, and rejects the impulse to dehumanize. As you will hear, she is a longtime leftist, but no matter where you stand politically, she is modeling a compelling mode of engaging that is insistently open-minded and large-hearted. And, as you will hear, it is one she has personally put the test, as a Black woman who has worked with white supremacists, and a rape survivor who has worked with incarcerated rapists. Where to find Loretta Ross online: Website: https://lorettajross.com Social Media: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/LorettaJRoss • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorettaross • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2FxbqwV3BEhDpnAihWKqQ Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/loretta-ross-316
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Nothing compares to now. Let Jeff help you find freedom and ease from constant comparing by embracing this very moment. Take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey about your experience with this podcast! The team here is always looking for ways to improve, and we’d love to hear from all of you, but we’d particularly like to hear from those of you who listen to the podcast and do not use our companion app. Please visit www.tenpercent.com/survey to take the survey. Thank you. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
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This is exactly what I needed right now: a huge, helpful dose of perspective in the midst of the political crisis gripping America -- a crisis which, of course, has ripple effects for the whole world. Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, India, and Burma. He went on to co-found the Insight Meditation Society and then its sister center, Spirit Rock. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband and activist. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. They include, A Wise Heart, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, and his most recent book, No Time Like the Present. You may ask: what’s the point of meditating when the world is on fire? Jack has extremely satisfying and practical answers. We talk about how to deal with anger and fear, how to talk to our kids, and whether people can feel it when we send them compassion or friendliness. Two quick notes before we dive in: you may hear a little ticking noise on Jack’s audio for the first ten minutes; it goes away after we discover that a wristwatch was placed near the mic. Second, he leads a quick guided meditation in the middle of our chat. Don’t close your eyes if you’re driving! Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Experience 2021 - Check it out here http://bit.ly/3bgeBn4 and use promo code HAPPIER2021 to save over $100. Where to find Jack Kornfield online: Website: https://jackkornfield.com/bio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackKornfield Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkornfield/ Instagram: @jack_kornfield Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jack-kornfield-315
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If you’re either seething or scared — or both — in the aftermath of the attack on the US Capitol, this one’s for you. In times of national and international strife, we’ve made it a habit of turning to Lama Rod Owens. Rod was officially recognized as a lama by the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism after doing a three-year retreat. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard. And he has written several books, including his newest, which is called Love and Rage. In this conversation, which we recorded just yesterday, we talk about how to work with the anger and fear many of us are feeling right now. We also talk about how to communicate with people with whom we disagree; how to strategically divest from people and technologies that are depleting us (rather than self-medicating with distraction); and why the most important way to play a constructive role right now — although this may be counterintuitive for some people — is to start with yourself. Where to find Lama Rod Owens online: Website: https://www.lamarod.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/LamaRod1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/ Book Mentioned: Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger by Lama Rod Owens https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lama-rod-314
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I don't know about you, but I felt a lot of anger, fear, and sadness while watching those horrifying images from the United States Capitol on Wednesday. So how do we handle this with some degree of equanimity? That's what we're going to talk about today. It's Friday, which is when we usually post bonus meditations or talks, but given the collective trauma we are living through -- both in the US and around the world -- we wanted to post a special episode. I'll be honest... as a journalist and as a meditation evangelist, I can't sit here and guarantee that everything's going to be alright. I suspect it will be, but -- really -- I don't know. What I do know, though, is that meditation -- taking care of your own mind -- will help you navigate this moment more skillfully. And if enough of us do this, it might impact the course of events. You know who agrees with me? Jon Kabat-Zinn. He's a towering figure in the world of meditation and mental health. He created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a way of teaching meditation that brought the practice into the secular mainstream and resulted in an explosion of scientific research demonstrating the benefits of the practice. He's written such books as Wherever You Go, There You Are and Full Catastrophe Living. And he's a Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. How to join the New Year’s Challenge: Join the New Year's Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app : https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NewYearsChallenge21 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jon-kabat-zinn-313
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New Year’s Series Episode 4. Today we’re going to dive into the science behind why so many of us get New Year's resolutions so wrong -- and how we can do better. My guest is Dr. Laurie Santos. As you may remember, she made her debut on this show just over a month ago, in an episode about how to handle the pandemic winter blues. She was such a font of practical wisdom that we almost immediately invited her back. Laurie is a tenured psychology professor at Yale, where she teaches a massively popular course on happiness. She also hosts an excellent podcast called The Happiness Lab, where right now, she’s doing a series of episodes along a very similar theme--what she’s calling “anti-resolutions”--so I definitely recommend checking that out. In today’s conversation, we talk about why resolutions are a thing in the first place; why they so often go pear-shaped; and common pitfalls and misunderstandings in our attempts to lose weight, exercise more, or make more money. As we’ve been stressing in our New Year’s series, Laurie argues that one powerful antidote to our resolution morass is self-compassion. As we’ve been saying throughout our series, the research shows that self-compassion is much better fuel for habit change than our usual mode of shame. I have been referring to it as a kind of uber-habit, out of which all other habits can flow. Join Laurie Santos in the New Year’s Challenge: https://challenges.tenpercent.com/?challenge=new-years-2021&challenge_invite=gDTcpTfZgSdFXZvhtG6u3sSe&challenge_title=New%20Year%27s%20Challenge How to join the New Year’s Challenge: Join the New Year's Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app : https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NewYearsChallenge21 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/laurie-santos-312
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New Year’s Series Episode 3. We talk with Karamo about how to practice self-love--and why doing so is the opposite of selfish. Karamo was the first out gay Black man on reality TV when he appeared on MTV’s The Real World: Philadelphia in 2004. But then he left TV and found out he was a father. He got custody of his son, adopted his son’s half-brother, and worked for a decade as a social worker before returning to the media world. He’s now the Culture expert on Netflix’s blockbuster reboot of Queer Eye. He also hosts his own podcast and is the author of a memoir as well as a children’s book, which he co-wrote with his son. In today’s conversation, we talk about why, for Karamo, learning to love himself started with learning to love his first name; how he overcame negative messages inside his abusive childhood home; why men struggle so much with the concept of self-love; and the areas in his own life where he struggles the most to practice what he preaches. How to join the New Year’s Challenge: Join the New Year's Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NewYearsChallenge21 Where to find Karamo Brown online: Website: http://karamobook.com Social Media: · Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karamo · Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Personal-Blog/Karamo-Brown-Page-227323621184576/ · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karamo · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Karamobrown · Podcast: https://luminary.link/PPiQNuwwicb Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/karamo-311
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New Year’s Series Episode 2. We talk with Chris Germer about the scientifically-proven benefits of self-compassion; how to practice self-compassion in your life; the disutility of shame; and the connection between self-compassion and compassion for others. Oh, and we also take some listener voicemails. Chris Germer is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also co-developed a highly impactful program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which has been taught to over 100,000 people across the world. How to join the New Year’s Challenge: Join the New Year's Challenge by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app : https://10percenthappier.app.link/install. You should be prompted to join the Challenge after registering your account. If you've already downloaded the app, just open it up or visit this link to join: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NewYearsChallenge21 Where to find Chris Germer online: Website: https://chrisgermer.com Social Media: · Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenterForMSC · Chris’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophergermerphd/ · Center for Mindful Self Compassion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerformindfulselfcompassion/ · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCObLXaQeAfuhSLPf3IW5Adw Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/chris-germer-310
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New Year’s Series Episode 1. We talk with expert meditation teachers Susan Piver and Jeff Warren about a radical approach to the new year: self-compassion. Susan and Jeff help introduce the New Year’s Meditation Challenge launching in the Ten Percent Happier app. And we respond to listener voicemail questions about how to operationalize self-love in our everyday lives. That’s right, we’re going all-in on self-love: leaning into the cheese, diving into the fondue, surfing the brie (a phrase that you’ll hear one of our guests today coin in real time). But I want to be clear: this is not sap for the sake of sap -- this is sap for the sake of science, and sanity. As tens of millions of us go about the annual, humiliating ritual of making and then abandoning New Year’s resolutions, there is ample evidence that you are more likely to achieve your long-term goals if you pursue those goals not out of self-loathing or shame (which is the not-so-subtle subtext of the whole ‘New Year, New You’ slogan) but instead with self-love -- or self-compassion. So we have a whole bonanza of programming for you. First, our New Year’s Series starts today here on the podcast. Over the next few weeks, we’ve got a blockbuster lineup, including scientists, meditation teachers, and Karamo, star of the hit Netflix show Queer Eye and a vocal proponent of self-love. How to join the New Year’s Challenge: · Download the Ten Percent Happier app directly in the Apple App Store (for iPhone/iPad): http://apple.co/1V7sqo9 or the Google Play store (for Android phones): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.changecollective.tenpercenthappier · If you are new to Ten Percent Happier, tap Get Started to register an account. (If you already have an account you’ll need to tap Sign In at the bottom of the screen.) · You should be prompted to Join the Challenge after registering your account. Just tap on the Join Challenge button and follow the prompts. · If you don’t join the Challenge during registration, within the app tap the Join Challenge banner at the bottom of the screen and follow the prompts. · If you don’t see Join Challenge in the app you can also join on a mobile device by tapping this link: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NewYearsChallenge21 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/newyear-challenge-kickoff-309
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Feel the sweet happiness of gratitude for those who have helped you over the years, the kind benefactors in your life. Excited about our upcoming New Year's Challenge? Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get ready: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install About Jay: Dr. Jay Michaelson is the Editor of Wisdom Content at Ten Percent Happier and the author of six books on meditation, including his newest, Enlightenment by Trial and Error. In his “other career,” Jay is a columnist for The Daily Beast, and was a professional LGBTQ activist for ten years. Jay is an ordained rabbi and has taught meditation in secular, Buddhist, and Jewish context for fifteen years.
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I, like many people, have the potential to get pretty dysregulated around food and body image. A lot of men don’t talk about this stuff, but there is plenty of evidence that this is a unisex issue. Especially during the holidays, when we’re surrounded by treats and stress-eating because we can’t see our family, or we can -- and they’re making us crazy. This interview you’re about to hear changed my life. That’s an overused phrase, but in this case, it happens to be true. I came into this conversation with a rather hostile attitude toward my own body, filled with unrealistic expectations and unsustainable restrictions. Over the course of this encounter, you will hear my mind start to change. And ever since this interview was recorded, about a year ago, I have been working one-on-one with my guest, Evelyn Tribole, on these issues. Evelyn is the co-creator of something called “Intuitive Eating,” which you can think of as kind of the anti-diet. Diets, she argues, do not work. Worse, they lead us to mistrust our bodies, so we misread their signals and don’t even know when we’re hungry or when we’re full. Her approach is backed by science, and powered by mindfulness. Where to find Evelyn Tribole online: Website: https://www.evelyntribole.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/etribole Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evelyn.tribole Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyntribole/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfkldY3O0ly3XRh9B8Wt9A Excited about our upcoming New Year's Challenge? Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get ready: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/evelyn-tribole-repost
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Vulnerability is not something I ever personally considered to be a valuable skill to cultivate. That is, until I met today’s guest, Brené Brown-- who helped me understand that being vulnerable is not about weakness, nor is it about sloppy oversharing. Instead, she argues, vulnerability is about honesty, realness, risk, and courage. All qualities that are very relevant for these turbulent times in which we are living. Brené is a speaker, author, podcaster, professor, and researcher who has spent 2 decades studying vulnerability and courage, along with shame and empathy. She’s written 5 number 1 New York Times best sellers. She’s had a special on Netflix. And she’s spoken to a lot of high-achieving people about the importance of vulnerability, from executive suites to the CIA to the Seattle Seahawks. We recorded this conversation in 2019, during a simpler time… but her insights are evergreen. Where to find Brené Brown online: Website: https://brenebrown.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/BreneBrown Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenebrown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenebrown Excited about our upcoming New Year's Challenge? Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get ready: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/brene-brown-repost
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Being kind to ourselves in hard times bolsters our resilience, so we can learn from setbacks rather than getting stuck in rumination. About Sebene: Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in Washington, D.C, Seb has been drawn to explore the intersection of different cultures. She was a self-professed "really bad dharma student," until she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer at age 34. Then she says she became "a really good dharma student." Selassie has now survived breast cancer three times and is a meditation teacher, transformational coach, and community advocate in New York City. For a quick and meaningful gift, send a gift subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app to your friends and family! We're offering gift subscriptions at a discount through the end of this month. No shipping required - your gift will be delivered directly to your email inbox. Get a gift subscription by visiting www.tenpercent.com/gift
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I don’t know about you, but there have been many times during this wrenching year where I have made my pain even worse by adding on layers and layers of self-criticism. There’s a notion that is deeply ingrained in our culture that the only way to succeed -- or even to survive -- is to liberally apply an internal cattle prod. But there is research that strongly suggests that this approach simply leads to extra anxiety, and that there is a more successful approach, called self-compassion. My guest today has been at the very forefront of this research. Kristin Neff has empirically demonstrated the value of self-compassion; she has shown that it doesn’t have to lead to passivity, self-absorption, or cheesiness; and, as you will hear, she has practiced what she preaches in extremely difficult circumstances in her own life. All of this makes her, in my opinion, a figure of incalculable importance. We recorded this interview back in 2019, and it contributed to a major turning point in my meditation practice and in my life. We are reposting it now because as we head into the new year, a time when many of us embark on self-improvement projects based in self-loathing, we could all use a little kryptonite for the inner critic. Where to find Kristin Neff online: Website: https://self-compassion.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/self_compassion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selfcompassion At this point in the holiday season, mail delivery and shipping timelines are not on your side. For a quick and meaningful gift, send a gift subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app to your friends and family! We're offering gift subscriptions at a discount through the end of this month. No shipping required - your gift will be delivered directly to your email inbox. Get a gift subscription by visiting www.tenpercent.com/gift. That’s tenpercent (one word, all spelled out) dot com slash gift. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kristin-neff
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The notion of transmuting the difficult stuff in your life into something positive has become a cliche. Turning lemon into lemonades, making your mess your message, etcetera. But, as I have said many times on this show, there is a reason cliches become cliches: they’re true. And it is extraordinarily helpful, in my experience, when someone can re-language and revivify an ancient truth that has been ground into platitude through rote repetition. My guest today does just that. Fleet Maull spent many years in prison on serious drug-related charges. He used that time to fuel a deep meditation practice and public service career. He’s practiced for nearly five decades in the Zen, Tibetan, and Vipassana Insight traditions. He’s also written a book called Radical Responsibility. In this episode, we talk about how to, in his words, turn the gnarly stuff in your life into a gift (or, as an old Buddhist expression has it, how to use your struggles as “manure for enlightenment”). On that note, midway through the interview, you’ll hear Fleet reveal, in real time, and to my surprise, that he is actually in the throes of acute anguish at this very moment-- and he will talk about how this experience is fueling his practice. We also talk about: what he learned in prison about whether human nature is fundamentally good; the value of adding breathing exercises onto your meditation practice; what he means by “neurosomatic mindfulness.” Where to find Fleet Maull online: Website: www.fleetmaull.com Social Media: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleetmaull • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleetmaull/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleetmaull/ • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_AqFCn3m6lvQTJPIx_uLg Books Mentioned: • Radical Responsibility: How to Move Beyond Blame, Fearlessly Live Your Highest Purpose, and Become an Unstoppable Force for Good by Fleet Maull: www.radicalresponsibilitybook.com • Mindfulness and Psychotherapy edited by Christopher K. Germer, Ronald D. Siegel, Paul R. Fulton: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781593851392 People are sending more virtual gifts this holiday season to avoid putting themselves (and essential delivery workers) at risk. If you're one of them, consider helping your loved ones care for their minds by giving them a subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app. We're offering gift subscriptions at a discount through the end of this month. No shipping required - your gift will be delivered directly to your email inbox. Get a gift subscription by visiting www.tenpercent.com/gift. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/fleet-maull-308
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Caring about others' well being actually enhances our own. Practice and see how this beautiful quality begins to transform your experience. About Joseph Goldstein: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher. Many Ten Percent Happier users have written in over the past few months to tell us how vital their meditation practice has been to helping them cope with this dumpster fire of a year. If you know someone who could use a bit more balance, send them a gift subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app! We're offering gift subscriptions at a discount through the end of this month. Take advantage of the discount by visiting www.tenpercent.com/gift
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How much would your relationships improve if you could up your emotional intelligence game? That phrase -- emotional intelligence -- entered the lexicon 25 years ago, when my friend Daniel Goleman wrote a book by the same name. And so on this episode, to mark the 25th anniversary edition of Emotional Intelligence, we’re having Danny on the show. By way of background, he is a Harvard-trained psychologist who, along with other contemplative luminaries such as Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and others, went to Asia and discovered meditation in the 1960s, and then made it a huge part of their lives and careers. In this conversation, we talk about: the four components of emotional intelligence, how to develop them, and why these skills matter so much during the middle of a pandemic. We also discuss: empathy and relationship management in the age of zoom; the “marshmallow test” and impulse control; a phenomenon he calls “amygdala hijacks”; and why so many Jewish kids in the sixties and seventies got turned on to Buddhism. Where to find Daniel Goleman online: Website: http://www.danielgoleman.info Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanielGolemanEI Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danielgoleman Books Mentioned: Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Richie Davidson https://www.richardjdavidson.com/altered-traits Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://bookshop.org/books/man-s-search-for-meaning-9780807014271/9780807014271 A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World by Daniel Goleman https://bookshop.org/books/a-force-for-good-the-dalai-lama-s-vision-for-our-world/9780553394894 How much could your relationships improve if your loved ones practiced mindfulness together? For a limited time, if you buy yourself a subscription to Ten Percent Happier, we'll send you a free gift subscription to share with whomever you'd like. Note that nothing is permanent, and this offer is no exception: get it before it ends by going to www.tenpercent.com/december. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/daniel-goleman-307
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Sam Harris (no relation to me, by the way -- although I wouldn’t mind it) has had a formative impact on my contemplative development. He was one of the first “normal” (at least that’s how I computed it, back when I was still a rather judgmental skeptic) people I met who was really into meditation, which gave me a lot of courage and inspiration to pursue the practice myself. He later helped me get into my first meditation retreat with his old friend Joseph Goldstein, which was a massively important event in my life and the beginning of a deep relationship with Joseph. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sam, he is a neuroscientist, philosopher, author, podcaster, and app founder. I first heard of him in the mid-aughts, when he wrote a book called The End of Faith, which was a jeremiad against organized religion. I was surprised to learn that he had spent, cumulatively, several years on meditation retreats. He later wrote a book which touched on those subjects, called Waking Up. That is also the name of his meditation app. But while he has one foot firmly in the contemplative world, he is also very much in the arena, mixing it up on Twitter and on his wildly popular podcast, called Making Sense, with his controversial views on hot-button issues from Trump to race to Islam. Sam really believes that the future of civilization depends on our ability to have rational conversations on thorny issues. And he has a new book called Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity, in which some of his podcast conversations are revised and extended. I wanted to have him on to talk about the book, and to explore with him how somebody who is so fiercely engaged in the public square uses meditation to guide and sustain him. I suspect many of you may disagree with him on key issues -- I often wrestle with his ideas quite a bit, personally -- but no matter where you stand, I think you’ll find his answers to these questions fascinating. Take Part in the New Year’s Series To submit a question or share a reflection dial 646-883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday December 7th. Where to find Sam Harris online: Website: https://samharris.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamHarrisOrg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Samharrisorg/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samharrisorg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNAxrHudMfdzNi6NxruKPLw Books Mentioned: Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris: https://bookshop.org/books/waking-up-a-guide-to-spirituality-without-religion/9781451636024 The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris: https://bookshop.org/books/the-end-of-faith-religion-terror-and-the-future-of-reason/9780393327656 On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious by Douglas E. Harding: https://bookshop.org/books/on-having-no-head/9781908774064 If you're looking for a sign that you're supposed to start actually meditating - this is it. And, you can bring a friend or family member along for the ride. For a limited time, if you buy yourself a subscription to Ten Percent Happier, we'll send you a free gift subscription to share with whomever you'd like. Note that nothing is permanent, and this offer is no exception: get it before it ends by going to www.tenpercent.com/december. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sam-harris-306
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What is happiness? Investigate how happiness is created, what it’s really like, and learn to access the simple happiness of right now. About Jay Michaelson: Dr. Jay Michaelson is the Editor of Wisdom Content at Ten Percent Happier and the author of six books on meditation, including his newest, Enlightenment by Trial and Error. In his “other career,” Jay is a columnist for The Daily Beast, and was a professional LGBTQ activist for ten years. Jay is an ordained rabbi and has taught meditation in secular, Buddhist, and Jewish context for fifteen years. You can always share these Friday bonuses with your friends, but we're also running a sale to help you and a friend kickstart your meditation practices. For a limited time, if you buy yourself a subscription to Ten Percent Happier, we'll send you a free gift subscription to share with whomever you'd like. Note that nothing is permanent, and this offer is no exception: get it before it ends by going to www.tenpercent.com/december
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2020 has already sucked extremely hard, but we may now be entering even more difficult months ahead, as winter sets in. So we asked Professor Laurie Santos to come on. She is overflowing with science-based strategies for navigating this difficult time. This is the second episode in our 2-part series that we’re semi-facetiously calling Winter is Coming. If you missed last week’s episode with Zindel Segal, a pioneer in mindful treatment for depression and anxiety, go check it out. Laurie is a tenured professor at Yale, where she teaches a blockbuster course on happiness. She’s also now the host of a podcast called the Happiness Lab. In the conversation, we talk about how to handle the holidays in a pandemic; how to have hard conversations with your family; combating pandemic fatigue in your own mind; the need to double down on self-care; why the things we think will make us happy probably won’t; and the cultivation of JOMO and “time affluence.” Take Part in the New Year’s Series To submit a question or share a reflection dial 646-883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday December 7th. Where to find Laurie Santos online: Website: https://psychology.yale.edu/people/laurie-santos Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauriesantos Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/laurie-santos-305
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The women around the Buddha dropped a ton of useful wisdom, but I suspect you haven’t heard much about that. Why? Why have these women been largely written out of history? And what do these hidden figures have to teach us? We’re diving in on that today with Pamela Weiss, dharma teacher in the Zen and Theravada traditions and author of A Bigger Sky. Last week, we had on Bhikkhu Bodhi, who talked about the words of the Buddha. You might think of this episode as a follow-up to that one—part compelling history, part injection of approachable wisdom. In this conversation, we talk about Pamela’s research into the Buddha’s wife, mom, and aunt; how and why Buddhism became tilted toward the masculine; and the benefits both Pamela and I have experienced from bringing more feminine energy to our practice and life. Where to find Pamela Weiss online: Website: https://pamelaweiss.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamelaWeissAuthor/ Books Mentioned: A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism by Pamela Weiss https://pamelaweiss.com/publications2 Therigatha: Selected Poems of the First Buddhist Women translated by Charles Hallisey https://bookshop.org/books/therigatha-selected-poems-of-the-first-buddhist-women/9780674427730 The First Free Women: Poems of the Early Buddhist Nuns by Matty Weingast https://bookshop.org/books/the-first-free-women-poems-of-the-early-buddhist-nuns/9781611807769 2020 has been a doozy, so this year we’re offering Ten Percent Happier subscriptions at a 40% discount. Get this deal before it ends on December 1st by going to www.tenpercent.com/november. Take Part in the New Year’s Series To submit a question or share a reflection dial 646-883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday December 7th. Full Show Notes & Resources: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pamela-weiss-304
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Is it possible--or even wise--to stay generous and open right now, given the perennial stresses of the holiday season and the unique stresses of 2020? In today’s bonus talk, Norman Fischer helps us answer that question. He will talk you through how to investigate your own small-mindedness and relax into a more generous, spacious version of yourself--a practice he calls “emotional yoga.” Norman is a Zen priest, a poet, and the author of several books, including The World Could Be Otherwise. Ten Percent Happier Discount 2020 has been a doozy, so this year we’re offering Ten Percent Happier subscriptions at a 40% discount. Get this deal before it ends on December 1st by going to to www.tenpercent.com/november. Take Part in the New Year’s Series To submit a question or share a reflection dial 646-883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday December 7th.
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Winter is coming. Not to get all Game of Thrones on you, but... while there are some optimistic signs on the horizon in the form of vaccines, it looks like we could be heading into some dark months of rising caseloads and restrictions on our lifestyle. Consequently, we are launching a 2-part series to help you ride this out. Next week, we will talk to happiness researcher Laurie Santos (host of the Happiness Lab podcast). Today, my guest today is Zindel Segal, a clinical psychologist from the University of Toronto and a pioneer in developing and studying ways to use mindfulness for depression and anxiety. While not all of us will experience clinical depression or anxiety in the coming months, we may well experience significant doses of sadness and worry. In this conversation, we talk about: what the science shows about the benefits of meditation for depression and anxiety; the importance of establishing and maintaining routines as a form of antidepressant; the differences between depression and anxiety; and how to treat depression like an old friend. Where to find Zindel Segal online: Website: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/psych/person/zindel-segal Twitter: https://twitter.com/zindelsegal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zindel-Segal-955303284518859/ Book Mentioned: Lost Connections by Johann Hari: https://thelostconnections.com 2020 has been a doozy, so this year we’re offering Ten Percent Happier subscriptions at a 40% discount. Get this deal before it ends on December 1st by going to www.tenpercent.com/november. Take Part in the New Year’s Series To submit a question or share a reflection dial 646-883-8326 and leave us a voicemail. If you’re outside the United States, you can email us a voice memo file in mp3 format to listener@tenpercent.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday December 7th. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/zindel-segal-303
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When I first got interested in meditation, all the talk of the Buddha that I encountered in the various books I was reading and lectures I was attending seemed like more of a bug than a feature. I was looking for science-backed stress relief, not religion. But the more I learned, the more interested I became in the Buddha. He was, after all, not a god or a prophet. He was, based on the available evidence, a mortal man who made no claims about the creation of the universe. In fact, to the extent that he did make metaphysical claims, he explicitly told people: don’t believe anything because I tell you. Meanwhile, he laid out a set of meditation instructions and an approach to the human situation that, in my experience, are extraordinarily practical and valuable. And yet, many of today’s meditators don’t know much about who the Buddha was or what he actually taught. Hence today’s guest, the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. He was born Jeffrey Block in Brooklyn, became a Buddhist monk as a young man, and then went on to become one of the premier translators of Buddhist scripture. In this conversation, we talk about: why it can be so helpful for meditators to know what the Buddha taught; how these teachings survived for centuries before they were ever written down; how he makes sense of the teachings on karma and rebirth; the Buddha’s daily schedule; what kind of person the Buddha was; and what the Buddha taught about staying engaged in politics. Before we started rolling, I asked Bhikkhu Bodhi how I should address him, and he said many people call him “Bhante,” which is a term that is used in Buddhist circles to address monks, and translates into something like “venerable sir.” Where to find Bhikkhu Bodhi online: Website: https://bodhimonastery.org/ven-bhikkhu-bodhi.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bhikkhu.bodhi.1 Books Mentioned: • The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi http://www.noblepath.org/audio.html?fbclid=IwAR3dAFyckLujaBuYe1y8v0arh9UTq6XLsS_bQHq-layEdGVoA_cfoqVfODg • Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives by Dr. Jim B. Tucker: http://www.jimbtucker.com/return-to-life.html • What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula Thero http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/What%20the%20Buddha%20Taught_Rahula.pdf • The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin https://bookshop.org/books/the-foundations-of-buddhism/9780192892232 Other Resources Mentioned: • Dr. Ian Stevenson’s research on Perceptual Studies (apparitions, past lifetimes, and near death experiences) - https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/who-we-are/dr-ian-stevenson/ • Buddhist Global Relief - https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/ Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/Bhikkhu-Bodhi-302
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Release the grip of stress by playing with perspective, zooming in and waaay out, and feeling into the wild weather patterns of life. We hope you enjoyed this meditation. If you're thinking, "You know, I could've kept going for another five or ten minutes," I encourage you to check out the Ten Percent Happier app, where you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription cost directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. About Jeff Warren: Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
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What to do if you find yourself marooned at your Thanksgiving meal, facing a voluble uncle who is spewing political ideas you find abominable? Our guest today is overstuffed (see what I did there?) with practical ideas. I first met Bill Doherty several years ago, when I was doing a story for Nightline about a group called Braver Angels. The group was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 election, with the idea of bringing reds and blues together to create some mutual understanding and trust. As I watched the man moderating these seemingly incredibly successful discussions (ie no shouting, no rote recitations of slogans), I was really impressed. I later learned that he was both a marriage counselor and a meditator. So I invited him to come on the show. In this conversation, we discuss: why trying to change people’s minds or get them to abandon their core values is unlikely to be a winning strategy; the value of sticking with so-called “I” statements; and how to reach what he calls “accurate disagreement.” Please note: this interview was recorded before most of the tumultuous events of 2020, but it remains immovably relevant. Where to find Bill Doherty online: Website: https://braverangels.org Website: https://dohertyrelationshipinstitute.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/billdoherty Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bill-doherty-301
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It feels like the right time to drop a deep Dharma episode. And this one has a twist. Bonnie Duran is a professor in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington, where she also directs the Center for Indigenous Health Research. She has spent decades studying and teaching Buddhist meditation, and also exploring the connections between the dharma and the indigenous wisdom of her forbears. In this conversation, we talk about: the connections between meditation and native ceremonies such as the sun dance; we explore a Buddhist list that I had never heard of, called the Seven Spokes of Sathipatthana; and she lays out a six word reflection for getting through crappy days. Where to find Bonnie Duran online: Website: https://socialwork.uw.edu/faculty/professors/bonnie-duran Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonniemduran Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonnie.duran Full Shownotes & Extra Resources: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bonnie-duran-300
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Take the edge off out-of-control overwhelm and gain some agency in how you respond when everything feels like it’s crashing down. About Oren Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. We hope you enjoyed this meditation. If you're thinking, "You know, I could've kept going for another five or ten minutes," I encourage you to check out the Ten Percent Happier app, where you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription cost directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support.
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My guest today does a fantastic job of speaking in a not-at-all-annoying way about the inarguably important yet potentially very cheesy concept of self-love. Haemin Sunim is a Korean “mega monk” who has developed a massive online following and has written huge bestsellers. He’s also earned degrees from Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton, and is the founder of South Korea’s School for Broken Hearts. In this conversation, we talk about how perfection resides only in your mind, how a celibate monk learned to give great relationship advice, and how he manages his own relationship to ambition. We also have a fascinating exchange about enlightenment. Where to find Haemin Sunim online: Website: https://www.haeminsunim.com/en Twitter: https://twitter.com/haeminsunim Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haeminsunim/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haemin_sunim/?hl=en Other Resources Mentioned: • Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim - https://www.haeminsunim.com/books • Haemin Sunim’s School for Broken Hearts - https://www.haeminsunim.com/school • Song of Myself by Walt Whitman - https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-4 • Ash Wednesday by T.S. Eliot - http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/t__s__eliot/poems/15133 Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/haemin-sunim-299
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Kindness and empathy are loaded propositions right now. When you hear those words, you might think: Eh, those are soft skills that won’t help me get ahead. Or: If I’m too nice, I will get trampled. Or: I need my anger to be effective. Or: I am plenty nice -- it’s other people who need to up their game. My guest today will push back on all of these reservations, and tell us how -- and why -- to, as he says, “hack your empathy.” Jamil Zaki is a psychologist and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He wrote a book called, The War for Kindness. In this conversation, we talk about how our modern culture is suffering from an “empathy deficit”; why he believes selfishness is a sickness; how to avoid empathy burnout; and the academic criticism that empathy is actually an outmoded and unreliable human capacity. Where to find Jamil Zaki online: Website: https://www.warforkindness.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/zakijam Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warforkindness/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warforkindness/ Full shownotes and list of other resources mentioned: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jamil-zaki-298
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During this wild moment of uncertainty, join Oren to ease your anticipation anxiety and soothe the troubling tumult of the unknown. We hope you enjoyed this meditation. If you're thinking, "You know, I could've kept going for another five or ten minutes," I encourage you to check out the Ten Percent Happier app, where you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription cost directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
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In the wee hours of election night, we consult Lama Rod Owens on uncertainty, anxiety, rage, and self-care. Join Dan and Rev. angel Kyodo williams today, Wednesday, November 4 at 3 PM for a live conversation (and guided meditation) on the Ten Percent Happier YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/INrdKfw8YrU Full shownotes for this Special Post-Election episode: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lama-rod-owens-297
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Given that social media has been blamed for rising levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and political polarization, is it possible to use this technology wisely? That’s the question we dive into today with Randy Fernando, who is featured in a new Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma, which is all about the many alleged pernicious impacts of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, et al. Randy is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Humane Technology, and a longtime meditator. We start by talking about what he sees as the dangers of social media, but then get into a fascinating discussion, where he ticks off a ton of techniques -- informed by his knowledge of Buddhism -- to use social media that won’t cause you to lose your mind. Where to find Randy Fernando online: Website: http://www.randima.com Other Resources Mentioned: • Center for Humane Technology - https://www.humanetech.com/ • The Ledger of Harms: The Facts about Social Media's Harms - https://ledger.humanetech.com/ • AllSides - https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news • Your Undivided Attention Podcast - https://www.humanetech.com/podcast • Tips for Taking Control of Your Tech - https://www.humanetech.com/take-control • Resources for Families & Educators - https://www.humanetech.com/families-educators Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/randy-fernando-296
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Use Roshi Joan’s GRACE tool to not just engage with difficult people in your life, but genuinely know your personal integrity along the way. We hope you enjoyed this meditation. If you're thinking, "You know, I could've kept going for another five or ten minutes," I encourage you to check out the Ten Percent Happier app, where you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription cost directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus
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In the face of the seemingly unremitting horrors of 2020, is it possible -- or wise -- to generate gratitude? My guest today argues: yes. DaRa Williams is a longtime practitioner and teacher of meditation. She is one of the guiding teachers at the Insight Meditation Society. She’s also had a clinical mental health private practice in Manhattan for many years. DaRa Williams says, only semi-facetiously, that she believes gratitude can be considered the fifth Brahma Vihara. As you know, we’ve just wrapped up our special Election Sanity series here on the podcast, where we explored the ancient Buddhist list called the Four Brahma Viharas: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Speaking of Election Sanity, we’re also running a special meditation challenge on the Ten Percent Happier app. Technically, it started yesterday, but it’s not too late to join. It’s only a week long, and it will help you stay engaged in this bananas election season without losing your mind. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to get started. But back to gratitude, let’s dive in now with DaRa Williams. Where to find DaRa Williams online: Dharmaseed: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/611/ IMS: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/dara-williams/ Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dara-williams-295
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294: Vitamin E: How To Cultivate Equanimity Amidst Political Chaos | Election Sanity Series | Roshi Joan Halifax
It’s part four in our Election Sanity series. Throughout October, we have been trying to help you stay engaged in current events without losing your mind. As you know, we’ve been drawing on an ancient Buddhist list called The Four Brahma Viharas, which are four mental skills that can be enormously useful. Over the last three episodes, we’ve taken deep dives into loving-kindness (or friendliness), compassion (or giving a crap), and sympathetic joy (the opposite of schadenfreude). This week, it’s equanimity, the secret sauce that allows you to apply to aforementioned skills in difficult times. Our guest this week is perfect for this subject, precisely because she freely admits that equanimity -- which she calls “vitamin E” -- doesn’t come easily for her. Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She’s been passionately politically engaged for much of her life-- and, as you will hear, she doesn’t hold back on her own personal views, even as she calls for extending respect to people with whom we disagree. Wherever you stand politically, this interview is filled with practical advice for cultivating equanimity without going dull. Quick reminder before we dive in: our Free Election Sanity meditation challenge starts in the Ten Percent Happier app TOMORROW, you can join the challenge right now by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app and be ready for day 1 of the challenge tomorrow. We're really excited about this Challenge. We designed it specifically to meet you in this moment and help you lean into the commotion of the election, without getting burnt out or overwhelmed. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today. See you in there. This interview was recorded on October 7, 2020. Where to find Roshi Joan Halifax online: Website: https://www.upaya.org/about/roshi/ Social Media: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/jhalifax • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joan.halifax Other Resources Mentioned: • Shantideva: https://www.shambhala.com/authors/o-t/shantideva.html • Thich Nhat Hanh: https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/biography/ • Angela Davis: https://www.biography.com/activist/angela-davis • Eli Pariser: https://www.elipariser.org/ • Kazuaki Tanahashi: https://www.brushmind.net/ • Eight Worldly Winds: https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism-by-the-numbers-the-eight-worldly-concerns/ • Uchiyama Roshi: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/506986.Kosho_Uchiyama Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joan-halifax-294
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Find resilience and self-regulate by connecting with physical sensations that evoke the universal elements of fire, earth, & wind. Quick reminder: our Free Election Sanity Meditation Challenge starts in the Ten Percent Happier app in a few days. We're really excited about this Challenge. We designed it specifically to help folks face the commotion of the election, without getting burnt out. Another bonus: you don't have to do the Challenge alone. You can invite a friend who you think could benefit from a bit of Election Sanity, and root each other on every day. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today. See you in there.
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We’ve backed away from celebrity interviews on the show of late, because we got a lot of feedback from listeners saying they had trouble relating to some of our more famous interviewees. I am confident that is not going to be the case with today’s guest. Brett Eldredge may be a big country star -- with six #1 hits -- but he is no dilettante when it comes to tackling mental health challenges. You are about to listen to someone who is truly digging in and doing the work. By way of background, I have never personally been a country fan, but I first met Brett when he came on this show a few years ago to talk about his on-stage panic attacks and general anxiety, and after that we struck up a friendship. I have been so impressed by the rigor with which he has committed to his mental wellbeing. In this interview he really goes there -- speaking in utterly unguarded ways about how ambition and perfectionism have fueled his anxiety (as well as some of his romantic challenges); describing a special kind of therapy designed to address his panic attacks. Best of all, he told me enthusiastically that meditation and loosening up in general has greatly impacted his creativity, as evidenced by his new album Sunday Drive. Enjoy. Where to find Brett Eldredge online: Website: https://www.bretteldredge.com/ Social Media: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/bretteldredge • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bretteldredge • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretteldredge/ • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrettEldredge Other Resources Mentioned: • Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport: https://bookshop.org/books/digital-minimalism-choosing-a-focused-life-in-a-noisy-world/9780525536512 • Ten Percent Happier episode with Cal Newport on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-minimalism-cal-newport/id1087147821?i=1000468718411 • Ten Percent Happier episode with Cal Newport on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tfnjUGrszzqwR713hBGU2?si=OWWuDnizRrOmKvJPwQ2Xjg • Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties by Ajahn Brahm: https://bookshop.org/books/who-ordered-this-truckload-of-dung-inspiring-stories-for-welcoming-life-s-difficulties/9780861712786 Additional Resources: • Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live • Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide • Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/brett-eldredge-293
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There’s an old expression: “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little bit.” I love that saying, because it speaks to how hard it can be to take pleasure in other people’s happiness. That said, while it may be difficult, it is not impossible -- and moreover, as our guest today will argue, it’s a massively useful skill, especially as we endure this bonkers election. Welcome to week three of our special Election Sanity podcast series. Every Monday in October, we’re tackling a mental skill drawn from an ancient Buddhist list known as the Four Brahma Viharas, or the Four Heavenly Abodes. Don’t be fooled by the high falutin’ name; these skills are eminently achievable, and massively helpful. I can say this based on both personal experience, and also a significant amount of scientific research. In the previous two episodes, we explored loving-kindness (also known by the less gooey moniker of “friendliness”), and also compassion. This week it’s “sympathetic joy,” or “mudita.” You can think of this skill as the opposite of Schadenfreude; instead of reveling in the suffering of other people, you’re celebrating their happiness. Our guest today calls it “borrowing joy.” Her name is Tuere Sala. She’s a guiding teacher at Insight Seattle. She’s no pollyanna; she doesn’t sugarcoat how challenging mudita can be, but she does have a strategy that I think you will find appealingly doable. Where to find Tuere Sala online: Seattle Insight Meditation Society: https://seattleinsight.org/Teachers/Teacher/TeacherID/102 Just a reminder, our Free Election Sanity meditation challenge starts next week. We're super excited about this one—we've worked with our very wise meditation teachers from this Election Sanity podcast series to create a really unique set of daily lessons and meditations, all geared toward helping you keep your cool during the 2020 Election. If you'd like to join the Challenge, Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to start meditating your way through this Election season, and see you in the Challenge with thousands of other meditators. It starts on Tuesday, October 27th! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/tuere-sala-292
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In this potent meditation on one point, hone your capacity to direct your attention where you want without shutting out the rest of the world. Good News everyone, our Free Election Sanity meditation challenge starts in the Ten Percent Happier app on Tuesday, October 27th. You've probably heard me mentioning this challenge throughout our election sanity podcast series. The plan is to take what we've learned from the podcast and do a meditation challenge based off of all the wisdom bombs our teachers have been dropping here. Download the Ten Percent Happier app today to join the challenge. And starting on October 27th, you'll literally be meditating with thousands of other people who have chosen to sit down with us for a few minutes a day and inject some sanity back into this bananas election season. About Rev. angel Kyodo williams: Rev. angel Kyodo williams is the author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace. She’s the Founder of the Center for Transformative Change in Berkeley and credited with developing fearlessMeditation, fearlessYoga and Warrior Spirit Training. Rev. angel is the world's 2nd female Zen teacher of African descent. For over 20 years, she has been putting into practice her unwavering belief that the key to transforming society is transforming our inner lives.
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There will be no talk of election or pandemic on this episode. This is a straight-up, meat-and-potatoes meditation talk from the one and only Joseph Goldstein. In this chat, we explore three profoundly useful mindfulness strategies, including: mindfulness of thinking, awareness of rushing (a deeply ingrained habit for many of us), and the genuine insight that can emerge from everyday activities. For the uninitiated, Joseph is one of the founding teachers on the Ten Percent Happier app; he is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society; and he is the author of several books, including the recently reissued The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Where to find Joseph Goldstein online: Insight Meditation Society: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/ Joseph Goldstein Courses & Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/x9Q0TCy36Z Books: https://bookshop.org/contributors/joseph-goldstein-3a8b7f33-05c3-49df-94e9-3700b68fec76 In case you missed it, we're running a podcast series to help you stay sane and engaged during this election season — without burning out. Every Monday in October, we'll discuss four tools from ancient teachings to help guide you through this especially challenging time. You can check out Monday's podcast episode for a taste of the Election Sanity Series. You can also visit https://tenpercent.com/guide to sign up for our limited-time email guide. Other Resources Mentioned: Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree: The Buddha's Teaching on Voidness: https://bookshop.org/books/heartwood-of-the-bodhi-tree-the-buddha-s-teaching-on-voidness/9781614291527 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-291
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Do you remember that band, The Shins? They had a popular song that appeared on the soundtrack for that Zach Braff movie Garden State. Anyway, they also had a song called “Caring is Creepy.” I always thought that was kinda funny. In this episode, however, we’re going to establish that not only is caring not creepy, it’s also not — as many people fear— a sign of weakness. Caring, or having compassion, for other people— or for yourself— is a baller move. It takes courage, and it gives you courage. Particularly during this dumpster fire of a presidential election. This is part two of our special “election sanity” series. The series is built around a classic Buddhist list, called the Four Brahma Viharas. These are four allegedly heavenly states of mind. Don’t worry about the seeming grandiosity; it’s all, as I said last week, very down to earth. You can think of these four mind states as mental skills that are powerful correctives against the vitriol that characterizes the modern political scene. Last week, we talked about the first Brahma Vihara, called metta, or loving kindness— or, as I prefer, friendliness. This week, it’s compassion. My guest is the Rev. angel Kyodo williams. She’s the second black woman to be recognized as a teacher in the Japanese Zen lineage and author of such books as Radical Dharma and Being Black. Where to find Rev. angel Kyodo williams online: Website: https://angelkyodowilliams.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zenchangeangel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenchangeangel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenchangeangel/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZenChangeAngel To help you get the most out of this series, we're launching an email guide. It will recap all of the podcast episodes each week. It’ll include helpful tidbits such as key terms and concepts; highlights from the immense wisdom our guests bring us around concepts like compassion, equanimity, kindness... and we’ll link to relevant meditations and talks in the TPH app. Just like the podcast, this guide is free. You can sign up for it at tenpercent.com/guide. May you find it fruitful. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rev-angel-290
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If you enjoyed this meditation, sign up for our Election Sanity Series email guide. It will recap all of the podcast episodes each week. It’ll include helpful tidbits such as key terms and concepts; highlights from the immense wisdom our guests bring us around concepts like compassion, equanimity, kindness… and we’ll link to relevant meditations and talks (like this one!) in the TPH app. Just like the podcast, this guide is free. You can sign up for it at tenpercent.com/guide. Again, you can get this special newsletter for our election sanity podcast series at tenpercent.com/guide. About JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy can talk about meditation to pretty much anybody. She not only teaches in traditional environments like retreat centers, but also in both schools and jails. JoAnna has been studying meditation for nearly two decades and she's done some amazing work ensuring that the practice is available to people who might not otherwise have access to it. JoAnna teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, at Spirit Rock, and is a Founding Member of The Meditation Coalition.
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At a time like this, fun may seem frivolous. But our guest today is going to argue — convincingly, in my opinion — that fun is absolutely essential to a well-lived life. She has thought deeply about what actually constitutes fun, and how we can best live a life that is conducive to fun. In other words, she argues that fun is a trainable skill. You may have heard of Catherine Price. She’s been on the show before. She wrote an excellent book called How To Break Up With Your Phone, which had a significant influence on me. We start our conversation by talking about ways to achieve what she calls “screen/life balance” during a time of pandemic and political upheaval, and then we flow directly into fun, which is something you can only have when you put your phone down. Where to find Catherine Price online: Website: http://catherineprice.com/ Sign up for the #FunSquad: https://mailchi.mp/screenlifebalance/funsquad Resources for Screen//Life Balance including a 3-day challenge and social media detox course: screenlifebalance.com Catherine's writerly social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherine_price Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_catherineprice/ Social Media "intervention feeds" (designed to help you catch you while you're mindlessly scrolling and help you re-direct your attention): Instagram: @screenlifebalance / https://www.instagram.com/screenlifebalance Twitter: @screenlifeblnce / https://twitter.com/screenlifeblnce Facebook: @slbalance / https://www.facebook.com/slbalance/ Books: http://catherineprice.com/books In case you missed it, we're running a podcast series to help you stay sane and engaged during this election season — without burning out. Every Monday in October, we'll discuss four tools from ancient teachings to help guide you through this especially challenging time. You can check out Monday's podcast episode for a taste of the Election Sanity Series. You can also visit tenpercent.com/guide to sign up for our limited-time email guide. We would appreciate it if you can take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey. The team here is always looking for ways to improve. Please go to www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you. Other Resources Mentioned: Freedom (App Blocker): https://freedom.to/ Designing Your Life: https://designingyour.life/ The Book of Delights by Ross Gay: https://bookshop.org/books/the-book-of-delights-essays/9781616207922 Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: https://bookshop.org/books/flow-the-psychology-of-optimal-experience/9780061339202 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Center for Healthy Minds Join the Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations for a week-long series of well-being events and discussions. Learn about the innovations and science behind creating a better world from mental health experts and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Oct. 5-9. Don't miss out – register now! https://mailchi.mp/centerhealthyminds.org/twwm-2020 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/catherine-price-289
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In an election season characterized by misinformation, mistrust, and now a positive covid test from the President-- we’ve been plunged headlong into a black hole of uncertainty. So here at the Ten Percent Happier podcast, we’ve decided to serve up some deep counter-programming. Unlike the campaign coverage you’ll get everywhere else in the universe, in this special “Election Sanity” series we won’t have arguments and we won’t talk polls. We’re going to help you navigate all of this tumult and toxicity in a way that allows you to be both engaged and calm. We’re building this series around an ancient Buddhist list (the Buddhists love listicles, as we’ve discussed on the show) called The Four Brahma Viharas. That phrase, Brahma Viharas, translates, literally into “divine abodes.” At first blush, the notion of divine abodes -- or heavenly mind states -- may sound a little grandiose. But I promise you this whole thing is actually very much down-to-earth. These are four mental skills that we can train through meditation. In Buddhist circles, the four skills are commonly referred to as: lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy (which means taking joy in the happiness of others), and equanimity. I like to make them a little more user-friendly by calling them: friendliness, giving a crap, the opposite of schadenfreude, and staying cool. The proposition here is radical; instead of defaulting to hatred or indifference at this fraught moment in human history, can you cultivate the opposite? Science suggests the meditation practices designed to help you build these skills can have all sorts of physiological and psychological benefits. In this special series of episodes, we’ll show you how to practice, and also how to operationalize these skills in your life at a time when we— and the world— need them most. We’ll be dropping new episodes, with a different teacher, every Monday in October. Today we’re kicking off the podcast series with insight meditation teacher JoAnna Hardy. She’s been on this show before, and she’s also featured on the app, where she teaches guided meditations, and a whole course about using meditation to help you live an ethical life. She also recently co-wrote the handbook Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents, and is a founding member of the Meditation Coalition. In our conversation, JoAnna starts by giving us a user-friendly overview of the Four Brahma Viharas, and then we do a deep dive on the first of these mental skills: friendliness. And if this concept -- or the thought of applying it to a person you can’t stand -- makes you squirm...great. JoAnna’s here to argue that metta is an edgy-- and not at all corny-- practice. Where to find JoAnna Hardy online: Website: https://www.joannahardy.org/ Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannahardy65/ Dharma Seed: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/549/ To help you get the most out of this series, we're launching an email guide. Just like the podcast, this guide is free. You can sign up for it at https://tenpercent.com/guide. It will recap all of the podcast episodes each week. It’ll include helpful tidbits such as key terms and concepts; highlights from the immense wisdom our guests bring us around concepts like compassion, equanimity, kindness… and we’ll link to relevant meditations and talks in the TPH app. May you find it fruitful. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joanna-hardy-288
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When you’re stuck in fear and other strong emotions, intentionally feeling what’s happening with acceptance can be a game changer. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/FeelingFearPod In the Ten Percent Happier app, you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/extra We would appreciate it if you can take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey. The team here is always looking for ways to improve. Please go to www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you. About Sharon: A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West. Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
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There’s no shortage of fear these days -- the virus, the climate, racial injustice, political tumult… I could go on. But can you change the way your brain reacts to fear? Moreover, can you train courage? Abigail Marsh says yes; overcoming fear is a trainable skill. She’s an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She’s also the author of the book Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, and Everyone In-Between. This is a classic TPH podcast conversation: an ace scientist whose area of expertise illuminates key aspects of the human condition. Enjoy. Where to find Dr. Abigail Marsh online: Website: http://www.abigailmarsh.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aa_marsh Book Mentioned: Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, and Everyone In-Between by Abigail Marsh: https://bookshop.org/books/the-fear-factor-how-one-emotion-connects-altruists-psychopaths-and-everyone-in-between/9781541697195 We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/reward We would appreciate it if you can take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey. The team here is always looking for ways to improve. Please go to www.tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you. Other Resources Mentioned: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: https://bookshop.org/books/the-goldfinch/9780316055420 Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg: https://bookshop.org/books/lovingkindness-the-revolutionary-art-of-happiness/9781611808209 The Overstory by Richard Powers: https://bookshop.org/books/the-overstory/9780393356687 Clara Barton: https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history/clara-barton.html Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dr-abigail-marsh-287
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Today we’re going to get a deep take on the old cliche, “You are what you eat.” Usually that expression speaks to the impact of food on our bodies, but what is often overlooked is the impact nutrition has on our minds. Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of a book called Food Fix. He studied Buddhism in college and then went on to become a practicing family physician and a leader in the field of Functional Medicine. He’s written thirteen New York Times Bestselling books, including his new one, and is also the host of a podcast called The Doctor’s Farmacy. In this episode, we talk about the impact of food on our mental health, and Dr. Hyman’s view that food is a social justice issue that impacts everything from chronic diseases to climate. Where to find Dr. Mark Hyman online: Website: https://drhyman.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmarkhyman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmarkhyman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmarkhyman/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ultrawellness Books: Food Fix by Mark Hyman, MD: https://foodfixbook.com/ Other Books: https://drhyman.com/about/#section-6 We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/reward We would appreciate it if you can take a few minutes to help us out by answering a survey. The team here is always looking for ways to improve. Please go to tenpercent.com/survey. Thank you. Other Resources Mentioned: Robert Thurman: https://religion.columbia.edu/content/robert-f-thurman Suzuki Roshi: https://www.lionsroar.com/remembering-shunryu-suzuki/ Jon Kabat Zinn: https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/ Paul Farmer - Partners in Health: https://www.pih.org/paul-farmer Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH: https://hcp.hms.harvard.edu/people/nicholas-christakis Pastor Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/ The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren: https://bookshop.org/books/the-purpose-driven-life-what-on-earth-am-i-here-for-expanded/9780310337508 The Biggest Little Farm: https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/ Grocery Manufacturers Association: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-grocery-manufacturers-assoc-pay-18m-largest-campaign-finance-penalty-us Sustainable Food Policy Alliance: https://foodpolicyalliance.org/ Vanguard Renewables: https://vanguardrenewables.com/ Sam Kass: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/sam-kass Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dr-mark-hyman-286
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Happiness doesn't have to be an accident. In this session from Diana, train your mind to become more and more joyful. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/OpeningToJoyPod About Diana: Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center where she also teaches mindfulness practices to the general public. Her easy-on-the-ears west coast style rests on top of a rigorous scientific mind, and a vast amount of teaching experience. She has developed curriculum and taught mindfulness since the early 90’s in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, non profits, and schools. She has taught mindful awareness to health professionals, leaders, teachers, activists, seniors, and adolescents in the US and Asia. A published researcher and author, Diana has also written for numerous meditation publications, where her daughter, Mira, often makes an appearance in her examples of bringing mindfulness to daily life.
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In my opinion, purveyors of joy can come off as oily and unctuous, even in the best of times. Like walking impersonations of Rainbow Brite. But in hard times, arguing for joy can seem pollyanna-ish or downright clueless. Our guest today reframes joy as supremely relevant and eminently doable. His name is James Baraz. He is the co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, and author of the book Awakening Joy. We talk about: why joy gets a bad rap; why it’s not a feel-good project, but instead a “feel-everything” project; and the role of meditation in taking on pressing issues such as climate and race. Also, stay tuned for a cameo from our producer, Marissa, who weighs in with a personal question. Where to find James Baraz online: Website: https://www.awakeningjoy.info/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/baraz415 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakeningjoy10/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcjQ-YTKDv18nT6t3Abq1g Books: Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to Happiness by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander: https://bookshop.org/books/awakening-joy-10-steps-to-happiness/9781937006228 Awakening Joy for Kids by James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna: https://bookshop.org/books/awakening-joy-for-kids-a-hands-on-guide-for-grown-ups-to-nourish-themselves-and-raise-mindful-happy-children-9781941529287/9781941529287 James Baraz leads the Awakening Joy course each year which people take from all over the world. You can go to awakeningjoy.info for more information. Other Resources Mentioned: A sorority of mothers in Mexico search mass graves in hopes of finding missing children's bodies: https://abcnews.go.com/International/sorority-mothers-mexico-search-mass-graves-hopes-finding/story?id=67639741 EAARTH by Bill McKibben: http://billmckibben.com/eaarth/eaarthbook.html Dianne Bondy: https://diannebondyyoga.com/ Why mindfulness matters during a pandemic: https://mashable.com/video/mindfulness-tips-coronavirus/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/james-baraz-285
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“Narcissist” is a word that gets thrown quite a bit, including by me -- often, semi-facetiously, about myself. But until this conversation, I didn’t actually know what the word meant. My guest today is Keith Campbell, who’s been researching narcissism for more than 30 years. He’s got a new book called The New Science of Narcissism. In this episode, we talk about the difference between garden variety narcissism and the diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, the difference between grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism, what to do with if you’re married to a narcissist, how to identify your own narcissism, and what he calls the CPR method for narcissism control. Where to find Keith Campbell online: Website: https://wkeithcampbell.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wkeithcampbell Book Mentioned: The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement by Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell: https://bookshop.org/books/the-narcissism-epidemic-living-in-the-age-of-entitlement/9781416575993 The New Science of Narcissism by W. Keith Campbell: https://bookshop.org/books/the-new-science-of-narcissism-understanding-one-of-the-greatest-psychological-challenges-of-our-time-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/9781683644026 Other Resources Mentioned: Chelsea Sleep: https://psychology.uga.edu/directory/people/chelsea-sleep Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche: https://shambhala.org/teachers/chogyam-trungpa/ Sigmund Freud: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sigmund-Freud Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kieth-campbell-284
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During major life transitions your emotional and mental world can kick into overdrive. Learn how to stay in the eye of the hurricane. In the Ten Percent Happier app, you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/extra New York Insight & Cambridge Insight Meditation Center Benefit Event: https://www.nyimc.org/event/living-the-dharma-in-a-challenging-time/ To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/CalmInBigTransitionsPod About Joseph: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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Way before Buzzfeed, the Buddha was creating listicles: The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, The Three Jewels, The Eight Worldly Winds... I could go on. He wasn’t using these lists as clickbait, obviously; they were teaching tools -- ways to understand how the mind works, and how we can work with the mind. The first and, many believe, most important list promulgated by the Buddha was the Four Noble Truths. And today, we're going to take a stroll through this list with Phillip Moffitt. He’s got an interesting resume. He’s a deep dharma teacher who studied in the Thai Forest tradition for years, and was a Co-Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center for most of the last decade. But he’s also a former editor of Esquire Magazine who has run workshops and done one-on-one counseling on the subject of personal life changes and transitions. As I mentioned in the last episode, we’re dedicating this whole week to the subject of managing change in a chaotic world. Monday, we spoke to Bruce Feiler, who takes a more journalistic approach to the subject. Today, it’s a Buddhist approach. Not only does Phillip walk us through the ways in which the Four Noble Truths can help us manage transitions, but he also layers in another list -- a listicle within a listicle. Don’t worry, it’s not confusing or complicated; it’s incredibly interesting. So interesting that Phillip actually wrote a whole book about the combination of these lists, called Dancing With Life. Where to find Phillip Moffitt online: Website: http://dharmawisdom.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dharmawisdom Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealphillipmoffitt/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Phillipmoffitt1?feature=watch Book Mentioned: Dancing With Life by Phillip Moffitt: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594863530 Other Resources Mentioned: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield: https://www.amazon.com/After-Ecstasy-Laundry-Heart-Spiritual/dp/0553378295 Ajahn Sumedho: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/10/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/phillip-moffitt-283
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We have another themed week for you, with two episodes about how to navigate major life changes-- clearly a resonant theme, given the various dumpster fires that are raging in our world right now. Coming up on Wednesday, we’re going to get a deep dharma take on this subject, but today, we’ve got a guest who takes a more journalistic/scientific approach. His name is Bruce Feiler. He has a new, bestselling book called Life Is In the Transitions. In it, he offers seven tools for navigating what he calls “lifequakes,” which can range from divorce to job loss to addiction. Bruce has written a series of bestselling books, including Walking the Bible, and Council of Dads, which became a TV show on NBC. He didn’t mean for this new book on transitions to come out during a pandemic, but the timing is perversely perfect. In this conversation, we talk about: the events in his own life that got him interested in this subject; why “lifequakes” are a feature, not a bug; and why the word “resilience” makes Bruce grumpy. Where to find Bruce Feiler online: Website: https://www.brucefeiler.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brucefeiler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BruceFeilerAuthor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brucefeiler/ Book Mentioned: Life Is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler: https://www.brucefeiler.com/books-articles/life-is-in-the-transitions/ Other Resources Mentioned: Jean Piaget's Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development: https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development: https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.html Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development: https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html Daniel Levinson on Midlife Crisis: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5e75/2a77fb59cc48e9eea4b1ef4c53056b0f140e.pdf Elliot Jock on Midlife Crisis: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-23-me-jacques23-story.html The Rites of Passage by Arnold van Gennep: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Rites_of_Passage.html?id=kJpkBH7mB7oC William James: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bruce-feiler-282
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Go from "seeing red" to seeing the value in anger without being carried away by it and doing or saying things you'll regret later. About Jessica Morey: Jess Morey is the executive director and lead teacher of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education which runs in-depth mindfulness programming for youth, and the parents and professionals who support them across the US, and internationally. She began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), and has maintained a consistent commitment to meditation since. Diving head first into meditation at such a key developmental stage makes the revelatory perspective of mindfulness & compassion her natural home turf, and gives her an easy, conversational teaching style anyone can relate to. To hear Jess’s meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TransformingAngerPod
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When you first encounter Bhante Buddharakkhita, the wise and affable Abbot of the Ugandan Buddhist Center, you might be tempted to think: this guy’s been a meditator since shortly after exiting the womb. But his story of finding the dharma -- and then trying to integrate it into his life -- is straight-up wild. It starts with a childhood of devout Catholicism, then veers into India, a scuba-diving stint in Thailand, and a sojourn with a venerable Buddhist teacher in West Virginia. When he finally lands back in Africa as one of the first monastics on that continent, he is mocked as a wizard and then nearly assasinated. In this chat, we talk about: how that incident led to a deep dive into the treatment of trauma; how he integrates African wisdom into his Buddhist teaching; and his motto, “More dharma, less drama.” Where to find Bhante online: Dharma Seed: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/203/ IMS: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/bhante-buddharakkhita/ We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/reward. Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/bhante-buddharakkhita-281
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How do you strike work/life balance when you feel overwhelming pressure to provide for your family? How do you balance gender roles in a modern marriage? How close should we live to our parents when they retire? These are questions many, if not most, of us struggle with. But Ravi Patel does so in public. Not just in public -- but on camera, all over the world. Ravi is an actor who has been in TV shows such as Master of None and American Housewife and movies such as Transformers and the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984. He is perhaps best known for starring in a hilarious documentary called Meet the Patels, in which he travels around America and India egged on by his parents, looking for a bride. Now he has a new TV show on HBO Max called Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness, where in each episode, he and someone in his life -- his wife, his parents, his best friend -- go on a global adventure to address a major life issue. He’s very funny, and unusually an open book. I think you will enjoy this. Where to find Ravi online: IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm2201027/ Twitter: @showmetheravi / https://twitter.com/showmetheravi Instagram: @showmetheravi / https://www.instagram.com/showmetheravi YouTube: Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRHRJMf6lJE&feature=youtu.be We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/reward. Other Resources Mentioned: The Ezra Klein Show / https://www.vox.com/ezra-klein-show-podcast The Michelle Obama Podcast / https://open.spotify.com/show/71mvGXupfKcmO6jlmOJQTP Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ravi-patel-280
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Following on from our episode with Sharon Salzberg on Wednesday we’re dropping a bonus meditation from the set of new meditations she has within the Ten Percent Happier app related to her new book Real Change. This meditations is a Lovingkindness practice for Social Change. A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West. Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world. Want more of this meditation? I encourage you to check out the Ten Percent Happier app, where you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription cost directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/extra.
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In the heat of an election that is both incredibly nasty and hugely consequential, it might be tempting to try to shut out all the feelings of anger, frustration, and powerlessness. But my guest today makes a compelling argument for engagement -- and for the notion that nothing should be excluded from your meditation practice, not even politics. Sharon Salzberg has a new book, called Real Change, which is about how to stay socially, civically, and politically engaged without losing your mind. We talk about how to develop patience when it seems there’s no light at the end of the tunnel; why it’s wise to cultivate compassion, even for people you find deeply objectionable; and ways to limit our Twitter doomscrolling, something Sharon struggles with herself. Loyal listeners will know Sharon well. She’s a towering figure on the American meditation scene, the cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, the author of several books, including Real Love, Real Happiness and Real Happiness at Work, and a founding teacher on the Ten Percent Happier app. Where to find Sharon Salzberg online: Website: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ Podcast: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/metta-hour-podcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharonsalzberg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharonSalzberg/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonsalzberg/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SharonSalzbergVideo Book Mentioned: Real Change by Sharon Salzberg: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/realchange/ To find meditations and courses guided by Sharon Salzberg in the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/SharonSalzberg Other Resources Mentioned: Jay Michaelson / https://www.jaymichaelson.net/ Real Change: Sharon Salzberg in conversation with Anu Gupta / https://asiasociety.org/new-york/events/real-change-sharon-salzberg-conversation-anu-gupta Oren Jay Sofer / https://www.orenjaysofer.com/ Mudita Nisker and Dan Clurman / http://www.comoptions.com/ Bell Hooks / http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com/ Maillka Dutt / https://mallikadutt.com/about/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sharon-salzberg-279
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Angel Collinson is a badass in every sense of the word. She’s one of the world's best extreme skiers, a meditator, and a climate activist. In this conversation we explore Angel's mindfulness practice and how it helps her stay centered even when she’s skiing off a cliff, her work on Capitol Hill, and a tricky and raw conversation with her dad. This is another one of the episodes we recorded pre-pandemic, but which remains relevant. Where to find Angel Collinson online: Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelcollinson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelCollinson/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelcollinson/?hl=en We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/august Other Resources Mentioned: Waking Up with Sam Harris - https://www.wakingup.com/ George Mumford - https://georgemumford.com/ Citizens Climate Lobby - https://citizensclimatelobby.org/ Protect Our Winters - https://protectourwinters.org/ Jay Michaelson - https://www.jaymichaelson.net/ Ten Percent Happier Newsletter - https://www.tenpercent.com/newsletter What if We Stopped Pretending the Climate Apocalypse Can Be Stopped? - https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-if-we-stopped-pretending Angel Collinson Annihilates Alaska: The Rowdiest Women’s Skiing Segment To Date? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNrOI94nSTw
TGRwinterland: Angel Collinson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOIM2pQ7ekk
Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/angel-collinson-278
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Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer. In the Ten Percent Happier app, you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus
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I grew up with that famous Groucho Marx joke, “I wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.” It always resonated with me. As my grandfather would say, “I resemble that remark.” We all know that belonging -- to a tribe, a family, a group of any sort -- is a key part of human happiness; science bears this out. But my guest today, Sebene Selassie, is taking this concept of belonging to a much, much deeper level. To the “oneness with the universe” level. That’s obviously one of the world’s greatest spiritual cliches, but in her new book, Seb unpacks and defends the concept incredibly effectively. The book is called “You Belong.” Seb is a writer and teacher based in Brooklyn. She is a regular on the Ten Percent Happier app. And she is a great and valued friend. Where to find Sebene Selassie online: Website: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sebeneselassie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebeneselassie Book Mentioned: You Belong by Sebene Selassie: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/youbelong We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/august Other Resources Mentioned: Coach Chela Davison - https://www.cheladavison.com/ The Four Elements Meditation - https://10percenthappier.app.link/FourElementsPod Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sebene-selassie-277
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It’s a human urge to return to normalcy after a cataclysmic event. But if we rush back to normalcy without taking a beat, without metabolizing what we’ve all been going through, that can create profound psychological issues. Dr. Pat Ogden is an expert in trauma and a pioneer in what’s called “somatic psychology” (which I will let her explain). In this interview we talk about whether we’re all traumatized by what we’ve been through in recent months; the impact of trauma on the brain and body; how to handle and heal from our trauma; and we also branch out into her fascinating views on productivity. There’s a lot here. Where to find Pat Ogden online: Website: https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/ Book Mentioned: Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy by Pat Ogden, Kekuni Minton, Clare Pain - https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Body-Sensorimotor-Psychotherapy-Interpersonal/dp/0393704572 We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/august Other Resources Mentioned: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo - https://www.amazon.com/White-Fragility-People-About-Racism/dp/0807047414 Kimberlé Crenshaw - https://aapf.org/kimberle-crenshaw Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - https://www.joydegruy.com/post-traumatic-slave-syndrome Dr. Mark Epstein - http://markepsteinmd.com/ The Theory of Structural Dissociation - https://did-research.org/origin/structural_dissociation/ Naropa University - https://www.naropa.edu/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pat-ogden-276
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Joseph Goldstein is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher. In the Ten Percent Happier app, you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/extra
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This episode is a mix of the technical, the practical, and the delightful. We’re talking about a meditation technique that can impact relationships, your biases, and how you handle things such as lying, sex, alcohol, and social media. The key word here is the ancient term "vedana." And it involves, literally, any feeling state we experience. Basically, everything that comes up in your mind has one of at least three feeling tones: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. When you’re mindless, a pleasant feeling tone can lead to overindulgence or clinging; unpleasant can lead to aversion; and neutral can lead to numbing out. Unchecked, this unfolding process can have disastrous results, as it pertains to your reactions to food, other people, you name it. My guest today is going to tell us about how to bring mindfulness to this aspect of our experience. Martine Batchelor was a Buddhist nun in Korea for 10 years. She’s written a number of books, including The Path to Compassion and Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits. She lives in France, with her husband Stephen Batchelor, who was a guest on the show not long ago. Where to find Martine Batchelor online: Website: https://martinebatchelor.org/ Martine Batchelor's Dharma Talks - https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/119/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinebatch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martine.batchelor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinebatch/ We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/august Other Resources Mentioned: More on Vedana Understanding the Five Aggregates Can Help You Get Out of Your Head: https://tricycle.org/magazine/five-aggregates/ Meditation Month 2019: Feeling Tone and Noting Sensations: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/meditation-month-feeling-tone/ Deconstructing the "Self": https://www.lionsroar.com/deconstructing-the-self/ To learn more about and practice with feeling tone, check out Joseph's meditation on Feeling Tone in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/FeelingTonePod Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/martine-batchelor-275
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The virus has exploited so many weaknesses of our culture. But having exposed the weaknesses, such as inequities and reckless individualism, could the current crisis lead to a fundamental shift for humankind? That may sound utopian, but our guest today believes it’s genuinely possible. Dr. Jonathan Salk is an adult and child psychiatrist at UCLA. He’s been thinking about the future of the species for about 40 years, starting when he co-authored a book called A New Reality with his father, Dr. Jonas Salk. You might’ve heard of him. He invented the polio vaccine 65 years ago. Where to find Dr. Jonathan Salk online: Website: https://www.anewrealitybook.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ANewRealityBook Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ANewRealityBook/ Book Mentioned: A New Reality: A Vision of Hope for a World in Transition - https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781947951044 We care deeply about supporting you in your meditation practice, and feel that providing you with high quality teachers is one of the best ways to do that. Customers of the Ten Percent Happier app say they stick around specifically for the range of teachers, and the deep wisdom they impart, to help them deepen their practice. For anyone new to the app, we've got a special discount just for you. If you're an existing subscriber, we thank you for your support. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/august Other Resources Mentioned: Yunus Centre - Global Hub for Social Business - https://www.muhammadyunus.org/ Why the Pandemic Is So Bad in America - https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jonathan-salk-274
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About Sebene: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. Sebene is a three-time cancer survivor of Stage III and IV cancer. Additional Info: In the Ten Percent Happier app, you'll find this same meditation in different lengths to suit your practice. Your subscription directly supports our wonderful teachers and allows them to dedicate their time to teaching the life-changing skill of mindfulness. As an added incentive, we've got a special discount for anyone new to the app. To claim your discount, visit tenpercent.com/bonus
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Today we have a master class in resilience. My guest is George Mumford, who has overcome some towering difficulties in his own life, including an addiction to drugs. He went on to become a legendary meditation teacher who has worked with athletes such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. We talk about how we can all develop the skill of resilience through meditation. Just like the Buddha did, George loves to teach using lists. You’ll hear him discuss the Three C’s, the Four A’s, and the Five Super Powers. You will also hear him talk about how he has had to apply these skills afresh in the past few months, when he has experienced death in his family, as well as the death of his friend Kobe Bryant. As you may have heard me mention in Monday’s episode, we are dedicating this whole week to the interrelated themes of resilience and grit. If you missed it, go check out Monday’s episode with psychologist Angela Duckworth, who wrote a whole book on grit. One last note: George has a fantastic course in the Ten Percent Happier app all about learning how to face high-pressure situations, such as the one we are in right now. See details on links within the show notes below. Where to find George Mumford online: Website: https://georgemumford.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gtmumford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MINDFULATHLETE/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/george.mumford/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfAqkXr3IpLgiNw88qjLKtA To listen to George Mumford's course in the Ten Percent Happier app (available only to app subscribers), visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/GeorgeMumfordPerformancePod. Other Resources Mentioned: The Way of Man by Martin Buber: https://www.amazon.com/Way-Man-According-Teaching-Hasidism/dp/0806500247 Maya Angelou: https://www.mayaangelou.com/ The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011AE5OY6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Overcoming Adversity / "At Home with George" April 23rd Edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-Ie8nB-qQ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/george-mumford-273
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This week on the show, we’re exploring the interrelated themes of grit and resilience -- both massively resonant and relevant issues in the era of Covid and BLM. Today, my guest is Angela Duckworth. She’s a psychologist who was deemed a “genius” by the MacArthur Foundation, and she is perhaps best known for popularizing the term “grit,” which she defines as “a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal.” She’s written a bestselling book called Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, and has a new podcast called “No Stupid Questions.” In this episode, we talk about the secrets of gritty people, how to cultivate grit when it seems like the world is falling apart, and the possible downsides of grit. She’s quite candid about a number of sensitive issues, including the recent passing of her dad, and the sharp criticisms her work on grit has received in light of America’s racial reckoning. Where to find Angela Duckworth online: Website: https://angeladuckworth.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/angeladuckw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angeladuckworthgrit Book Mentioned: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - https://bookshop.org/books/grit-the-power-of-passion-and-perseverance/9781501111112 If you want help developing grit and resilience to cope with the fear, stress, and anxiety caused by the pandemic, try our free collection of meditations called Coronavirus Sanity in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/CoronavirusSanity Other Resources Mentioned: No Stupid Questions Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-stupid-questions/id1510056899
215: What's Your Motivation? | Thubten Chodron: https://podcasts.apple.com/zw/podcast/215-whats-your-motivation-thubten-chodron/id1087147821?i=1000457992635
230: Work Less, Get More Done | Alex Soojung Kim-Pang: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/230-work-less-get-more-done-alex-soojung-kim-pang/id1087147821?i=1000468074697
K. Anders Ericsson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Anders_Ericsson Catherine Cox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharine_Cox_Miles The Apples in Stereo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apples_in_Stereo Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/angela-duckworth-272
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Joseph Goldstein is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher. To listen to this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/DreamingMyselfIntoExistencePod You can always get started with the Ten Percent Happier app with our flagship course, The Basics. In The Basics, Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris discuss the fundamentals of mediation and dispel common myths about meditation in a seven-day meditation series. Visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/TheBasicsPod to get started.
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At a time when work has become more challenging than ever, we’re going to explore one myth and one revelation. The myth -- which many of us, myself included, have consciously or subconsciously incorporated into our lives — is that we need to grind ourselves into dust through faux “productivity” in order to achieve professional success. The revelation is that the more effective -- and cleaner burning -- fuel is that potentially sappy notion of finding your purpose. My guest is Leah Weiss, who has impressive bona fides on both the professional and contemplative fronts. She teaches Compassionate Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and she wrote a book called How We Work. She’s also done four 100-day retreats and one 6-month retreat. This conversion was recorded pre-pandemic, but is deeply relevant nonetheless. And toward the end of the conversation, she drops some words that have been rattling around in my head for months. Where to find Leah Weiss online: Website: https://leahweissphd.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/leahweissphd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahweissphd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahweissphd/ You can always get started with the Ten Percent Happier app with our flagship course, The Basics. In The Basics, Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris discuss the fundamentals of mediation and dispel common myths about meditation in a seven-day meditation series. Visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/TheBasicsPod to get started. Other Resources Mentioned: The Stanford Prison Experiment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment Christina Maslach - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Maslach#:~:text=Known%20for,her%20research%20on%20occupational%20burnout. Kelly McGonigal - http://kellymcgonigal.com/ Thupten Jinpa - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thupten_Jinpa The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) - http://ccare.stanford.edu/ Steve Cole, UCLA Researcher - https://people.healthsciences.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=45359 The Guest House by Rumi - https://gratefulness.org/resource/guest-house-rumi/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/leah-weiss-271
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In this episode, we take a simple, useful, and down-to-earth stroll through one of the most confounding -- but liberating -- concepts in Buddhism. On the one hand, Buddhists tell us the self is an illusion: “You don’t exist!” On the other hand, they tell us, “Well actually, on some level, you do, of course, exist.” So which is it? The answer is: both. But this concept -- call it not-self, selflessness, egolessness, or emptiness -- doesn’t have to be some hopelessly esoteric riddle; it is actually a game-changer that we can all apply in our own lives. Here to tell us how is Guy Armstrong, who has been a meditation teacher in the insight tradition for decades. He’s written a book called Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators. He is the husband of Sally Armstrong, who appeared on the show just a few weeks ago. I actually conducted the interviews back-to-back last fall. But even though this was recorded before the wretched events of 2020, the concepts herein are, I assure you, perennially useful. Where to find Guy Armstrong online: Website: https://www.spiritrock.org/guy-armstrong Book: Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators - https://bookshop.org/books/emptiness-a-practical-guide-for-meditators/9781614295266 You can always get started with the Ten Percent Happier app with our flagship course, The Basics. In The Basics, Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris discuss the fundamentals of mediation and dispel common myths about meditation in a seven-day meditation series. Visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/TheBasicsPod to get started. Other Resources Mentioned: Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation by Bhikkhu Anālayo - https://bookshop.org/books/compassion-and-emptiness-in-early-buddhist-meditation/9781909314559 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/guy-armstrong-270
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Today (7/31) is the last day to join the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To join the challenge, you can visit tenpercent.com/challenge If you’re getting into bed with a revved up nervous system, this session on calm, pleasure, and gratitude will help you gently wind down. To hear Matthew's meditation on the Ten Percent Happier app, visit https://10percenthappier.app.link/SootheAnxietyToSleepPod About Matthew Hepburn: Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats in his early twenties, and for the last 5+ years he has been teaching meditation at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center in Boston, MA. Matthew is currently a participant in the four-year Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program, where he studies with renowned teachers including Joseph Goldstein.
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Buddhists don’t tend to shy away from talking about body parts -- but usually it’s more along the lines of meditating on things like spittle, defecation (otherwise known as poop) and the inevitable decay of the body. So where do sex and sexuality fit into this mix? Bottom line: how can we use sex to wake up? In this episode, I talk with dharma practitioners Devon and Craig Hase. They’re not sexperts by any stretch, but as a married couple who recently emerged from a year of monastic vows (which included celibacy), they’ve spent a lot of time exploring the intersection of mindfulness, meditation and sex. In fact, their new book How Not to Be a Hot Mess includes a whole chapter called, “Make Sex Good.” We start with a fascinating discussion about their own experimentation with esoteric, Tantric sex practices, but then veer directly into garden variety sex issues. It’s a fascinating chat, and I appreciate Devon and Craig being so open and honest on an intensely personal issue. Where to find Devon & Craig Hase online: Website: http://devonandcraighase.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devonandcraighase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devonandcraig/ Book: How Not to Be a Hot Mess by Craig & Devon Hase: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781611807981 There's still time to join and complete the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To join the challenge, you can visit tenpercent.com/challenge. Other Resources Mentioned: Mentoring page: http://devonandcraighase.com/mentoring Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century by Barbara Carrellas: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781587612909 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/devon-craig-hase-269
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I don’t know about you guys, but my sleep has suffered quite badly during the last few months. Today’s guest really got me thinking about this issue in a whole new way. First, he normalizes the sleep problems many of us are having. If you’re sleeping poorly right now, he says, don’t freak out; it is natural and normal. Second, he has a bunch of tips for how to deal with insomnia, some of which I had never heard before and am already starting to operationalize in my own life. His name is Donn Posner. He’s one of the leaders in the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. His titles are: Founder and President, Sleepwell Consultants, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. Not only did he answer all of my questions, but we also played him some listener voicemails. One last thing to say before we dive in: our episodes this week have a theme: primordial needs. Today we’re doing sleep; Wednesday it’s sex. So it’s a fun week here on the show. Where to find Donn Posner online: Website: https://www.sleepwellconsultants.com/ Books: https://www.sleepwellconsultants.com/publications Today is the first day of the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To join the challenge, you can visit tenpercent.com/challenge. Other Resources Mentioned: Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine: https://www.behavioralsleep.org/ American Academy of Sleep Medicine sponsored site to search for local accredited sleep centers: http://sleepeducation.org/find-a-facility Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/donn-posner-268
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On July 27, we're launching the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To join the challenge, you can visit tenpercent.com/challenge. About Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
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How do you optimize your performance when life is utterly disrupted by a pandemic? Are optimism and confidence trainable skills? Can we get over our fear of other people’s opinions? These are some of the questions we tackle in this episode. We have two guests. Pete Carroll is our first interviewee who has a Superbowl ring. He’s been the coach of the Seattle Seahawks for ten seasons. He’s also the co-author and co-founder of Compete to Create, which is many things: a firm that works with companies to create high-performing teams, an online course that anyone can take, and a new Audible Original audio book. Coach Pete’s partner in all of this is our other guest. Michael Gervais is a high performance psychologist who has worked with MVPs from every major sport and Fortune 100 CEOs. He’s also the host of a podcast called Finding Mastery. Where to find Pete Carroll online: Website: https://petecarroll.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeteCarroll Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachpetecarroll/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petecarroll/ Book Mentioned: Compete to Create Audible Origional: https://www.amazon.com/Compete-Create-Approach-Leading-Authentically/dp/B08911JMJX Where to find Michael Gervais online: Website: https://findingmastery.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelGervais Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MichaelGervais/ Podcast Mentioned: Finding Mastery: http://smarturl.it/finding-mastery On July 27, we're launching the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To join the challenge, you can visit tenpercent.com/challenge. Other Resources Mentioned: Compete to Create: https://competetocreate.net/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pete-carrol-michael-gervais-267
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At a time of multiple, mutually-reinforcing dumpster fires, meditation can seem counterintuitive. Instinctively, many of us might prefer to rush to the barricades, or Twitter, or the fetal position. But there is immense value in “doing nothing,” and we are going to explore that theme in this special episode. We’re bringing on two amazing meditation teachers, Jeff Warren and Sebene Selassie, to take your questions about the value of meditation in this difficult time. We discuss: how to work with a wandering mind; how to navigate the social anxiety many of us feel as we start to reopen; whether it’s possible to be mindfully depressed; and we explore the potential for gratitude at a time when it seems like everything sucks. The reason for this special edition of the show is that we at the Ten Percent Happier company are about to launch the Summer Sanity Challenge. It’s a free 21 day meditation challenge, starting July 27. Every day you'll get a short video followed by a free guided meditation to help you establish -- or reboot, or reinvigorate -- your meditation habit. You can do it solo, or you can invite your friends and family and see one another's progress. To receive updates on the challenge, visit tenpercent.com/challenge Where to find Sebene Selassie online: Website: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sebeneselassie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebeneselassie Book Mentioned: You Belong by Sebene Selassie: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/youbelong Where to find Jeff Warren online: Website: https://jeffwarren.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jeffwarren_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffwarren.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jeffwarren1001 Summer Sanity Challenge On July 27, we're launching the Summer Sanity Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge. The goal here is to help you build resilience so that you are less buffeted by circumstances you can’t control -- and are therefore calmer, happier, and better prepared to show up the way you want to for your family and your communities. To receive updates on the challenge, visit tenpercent.com/challenge Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/summer-challenge-266
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Learn how to become mindful of desire, creating more room for choice instead of automatically reaching for the thirtieth cookie. You can find Joseph's meditation and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. About Joseph: Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.
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In Buddhism/meditation circles, desire or wanting is often considered a no-no. But is this line of thinking sometimes taken too far — or simply misunderstood? Can we turn our desires — for food, sex, etcetera — into areas to apply our meditation practice? Today we’re going to explore that notion with Cara Lai. She is a mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, and artist. She is also a coach on the Ten Percent Happier app. (Side note: shout-out to all the coaches on the app. The fact that we have these highly trained individuals standing by to take your questions is yet another reason to subscribe!) Anyway, back to Cara. I first encountered her when I was on a retreat last year, and she was one of the teachers. She gave a dharma talk that was incredibly funny and shockingly honest. And, as you will hear, she brings that same spirit to this conversation. Where to find Cara Lai online: Website: http://www.caralai.org/ On the Ten Percent Happier app, you can chat directly with living, breathing meditation coaches (including Cara), about your meditation questions. Once you've downloaded the app at tenpercent.com, you can navigate to your profile, then click "Ask A Question" under the coaching section to be connected with one of our experienced coaches. Other Resources Mentioned: Dukkha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%E1%B8%A5kha Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/cara-lai-265
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Today we’re going to nerd out about what enlightenment (or, if that word is triggering, let’s just call it “high doses of meditation”) can do to your brain — and, more practically, how we can derive these benefits even if we don’t plan to spend decades living in a cave. My guest is Rick Hanson, Ph.D., psychologist and author of the new book Neurodharma. We go into the deep end, yes, but we also get very down-to-earth, talking about how anyone, including you, can “reverse engineer enlightenment,” and have “Nirvana operationalized in your nervous system.” Quick note that this was recorded right before the pandemic, but enlightenment is evergreen. Where to find Rick Hanson online: Website: https://www.rickhanson.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drrhanson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickhansonphd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickhansonphd/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickHanson Book Mentioned: Neurodharma by Rick Hanson: https://www.rickhanson.net/books/neurodharma You can find meditations from our world-class teachers and more wisdom from Rick Hanson on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: Hippocampus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus U Pandita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Pandita Enlightenment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism Nirvana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(Buddhism) Robert Thurman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Thurman Mark Epstein: http://markepsteinmd.com/ Joseph Goldstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goldstein_(writer) Jhanas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhy%C4%81na_in_Buddhism Stephen Batchelor: https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/ Neurodharma Online Program: https://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/neurodharma-online-program/ More Books: https://www.rickhanson.net/books/ Being Well Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-well-with-dr-rick-hanson/id1120885936 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rick-hanson-264
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You can find meditations on relaxation and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Listen to Joanna's meditation on the app here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/BodyRelaxation About JoAnna: JoAnna Hardy can talk about meditation to pretty much anybody. She not only teaches in traditional environments like retreat centers, but also in both schools and jails. JoAnna has been studying meditation for nearly two decades and she's done some amazing work ensuring that the practice is available to people who might not otherwise have access to it. JoAnna teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, at Spirit Rock, and is a Founding Member of The Meditation Coalition.
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"Mindfulness" has become a buzz phrase. There are books on mindful parenting, mindful lawyering, even mindful sex. But what does the word even mean? And how do you actually do it? In one of his most famous and foundational discourses, the Buddha was said to have laid out, in great detail, four ways to establish mindfulness. In today's episode we’re going to walk through these four "foundations" of mindfulness with Sally Armstrong, who started practicing in 1981, began teaching 15 years later, and now leads retreats all over the world. Before we start, I should note that we recorded this interview shortly before the pandemic and the racial justice protests, but we thought it might be a good time to drop a good, old-fashioned, meat and potatoes, stick to your ribs dharma episode to help us get back to basics. Where to find Sally online: Spirit Rock Profile: https://www.spiritrock.org/sally-armstrong Sally Armstrong on Dharmaseed.org: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/153/ You can find meditations from our world-class teachers and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: S.N Goenka / https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/goenka The 3 Characteristics / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_marks_of_existence The Four Noble Truths / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths Ajahn Sumedho / https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/10/ Insight Meditation Society / https://www.dharma.org/ Joseph Goldstein’s Book Mindfulness / https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Practical-Awakening-Joseph-Goldstein/dp/1622036050 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sally-armstrong-263
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It’s easy to think of racism as a virus that lives in your head. But my guest today makes a compelling case that it also lives, in very profound and often unseen ways, in your body. Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist based in Minneapolis. He’s also the author of an excellent book called My Grandmother’s Hands, which people in my life have been recommending to me for years. Resmaa’s work is all about healing our bodies -- and, by extension, our nation -- from racialized trauma. And in Resmaa’s philosophy, racial trauma lives on in bodies of all colors, including white bodies such as mine. Resmaa gives voice to a new lexicon -- terms like “white body supremacy” and “somatic abolitionism” -- and don’t worry, he’ll explain it all as the interview progresses. He will also share practices that bring you into your body. And he has very provocative thoughts about how white people can do their part way beyond the current news cycle. Where to find Resmaa Menakem online: Website: https://www.resmaa.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResmaaMenakem Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resmaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmaamenakem/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/rmenakem Book Mentioned: My Grandmother’s Hands: https://www.resmaa.com/store/my-grandmothers-hands-hardcover Check our our new, free collection of meditations called Relating to Race in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RelatingToRace Other Resources Mentioned: Malcolm X: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X Stamped from the Beginning By Ibram X Kendi: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped-from-the-beginning Cherry Blossom Experiment: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190326-what-is-epigenetics Resmaa’s courses: https://www.resmaa.com/courses Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/resmaa-menakem-262
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You can find meditations on compassion and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Listen to Diana's meditation on the app here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/CompassionForOthers About Diana: Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center where she also teaches mindfulness practices to the general public. Her easy-on-the-ears west coast style rests on top of a rigorous scientific mind, and a vast amount of teaching experience. She has developed curriculum and taught mindfulness since the early 90’s in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, non profits, and schools. She has taught mindful awareness to health professionals, leaders, teachers, activists, seniors, and adolescents in the US and Asia. A published researcher and author, Diana has also written for numerous meditation publications, where her daughter, Mira, often makes an appearance in her examples of bringing mindfulness to daily life.
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Faith is a loaded word in some circles, but in this episode, Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel makes her case for it - in ways that might surprise you. We also discuss: what she means by the phrase "being realistic," the power of exploring open questions, and how sitting like a log is the new activism. She's been practicing for 35 years in the Tibetan tradition. She is the retreat master of Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado and has spent over six years in silent retreat. She’s the author of The Power of an Open Question and The Logic of Faith, and host of the new podcast Open Question. Where to find Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel online: Website: https://www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMattisNamgyel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMattisNamgyel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmattisnamgyel/ Books: The Power of an Open Question - https://www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/the-power-of-an-open-question The Logic of Faith - https://www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/the-logic-of-faith Other Resources Mentioned: Thinley Norbu Rinpoche - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinley_Norbu Faith by Sharon Salzberg - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG0BRCE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Shantideva - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantideva Mahayana - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana The Way of the Bodhisattva - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006L8SE58/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche - https://www.mangalashribhuti.org/VDKR Open Question podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/open-question/id1507249383 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/elizabeth-mattis-namgyel-261
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In this episode, at this fraught moment in history, we're bringing on a leading scientist to help us tackle one of the most pernicious misconceptions that humans have ever fostered. The very roots of the word "happiness" reflect our assumption that happiness is something that happens to us, rather than something we can cultivate. "Hap" is the same root of words such "hapless," or "haphazard." It implies luck. But again, happiness is a skill that we can cultivate. Emiliana Simon-Thomas helps people learn this skill for themselves. Her online course - The Science of Happiness - has reached over half a million people worldwide. She's the science director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. And in this interview, we discuss how to make ourselves happier through generosity, which is literally part of our biology; how the pleasure of caring for others means we'll do it again. How empathy fatigue is real - and I debate with Emiliana about the meaning of selfishness. And, how we've got love wrong. Before we dive in, I want to flag that this is a conversation we recorded late last year, prior to the pandemic and recent racial justice protests in America, but the insights are as vital as ever. Where to find Emiliana Simon-Thomas online: Website: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/emiliana_simon_thomas Course: https://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-happiness-3 You can find meditations on compassion and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: Tania Singer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tania_Singer Bill Harbaugh - https://harbaugh.uoregon.edu/ Darryl Cameron, compassion collapse - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_compassion Tonglen practice - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen Love 2.0 by Barbara Fredrickson - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BM0LMG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/emiliana-simon-thomas-260
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You can find Oren's meditation on emotional awareness and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Listen to Oren's meditation in the app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/EmotionalAwarenessPod About Oren Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
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What can you, as an individual, do to help break the cycles of rage, pain, fear, and violence that continue to grip America - and many other parts of the world - relating to the issue of race? Even though our guest this week was shot at by white police officers at the age of 11, and later had his house firebombed by racists, he is hopeful that now is a moment of true potential- an opportunity to transform what he calls "America’s racial karma," and, by extension, ourselves. Dr. Larry Ward is a lay minister in the lineage of the great Vietnamese Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh. He's an advisor to the Executive Mind Leadership Institute at the Peter F. Drucker School of Management. He has done consulting work with Fortune 500 companies around the world. And he has a PhD in religious studies with an emphasis on Buddhism. His forthcoming book is called America's Racial Karma. Where to find Dr. Larry Ward online: Website: https://www.thelotusinstitute.org/ Book Mentioned: America's Racial Karma Pre-order: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/651864/americas-racial-karma-by-larry-ward/ Blog Post Mentioned: America, The Business That Tried to Become A Country: https://www.thelotusinstitute.org/blog/thebusinessthatbecameacountry Other Resources Mentioned: Margaret Mead: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mead 8:46 - Dave Chappelle: https://youtu.be/3tR6mKcBbT4 Outliers by Malcom Gladwell: https://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930 Carl Jung: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung Tricycle Article: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/racial-karma/ Lions Roar: https://www.lionsroar.com/race-reclamation-and-the-resilience-revolution/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/larry-ward-259
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Do you find yourself overeating during this stressful time? Maybe drinking or smoking more than you would like? What about shopping or gambling? And how's your relationship to your phone these days? Our guest this episode, Dr. Judson Brewer, is an addiction psychiatrist - with a special interest in how mindfulness can help. He says we all sit somewhere on the spectrum of addiction. And when you add stress into the system- in this time of pandemic, recession and racial strife- many of us move the wrong way along the spectrum, toward hardcore addiction. And of course, for people who already have full blown addictions, the current conditions can be an utter disaster. But again, Jud has good news. He's used mindfulness and meditation to treat people with addictions to cigarettes, food, and opioids. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the School of Medicine at Brown University. He has written a book, called The Craving Mind, and founded three apps to help people with eating, smoking cessation, and anxiety. Before we dive in, I want to mention that we recorded this episode a few weeks ago - right before the recent protests. As you will hear, though, this conversation is still fully relevant. With that said, here we go with Jud Brewer. Where to find Jud Brewer online: Website: https://drjud.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/judbrewer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judson.brewer.9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi6bQu-Df7Wh2x3gFT5a8aw Other Resources Mentioned: Borkovec's model of GAD - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3073849/#:~:text=Borkovec's%20model%20of%20GAD%20 Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Addictive Behaviors: A Clinician's Guide - https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Based-Relapse-Prevention-Addictive-Behaviors/dp/1606239872 New Research Shows Results for Smartphone Intervention for Obesity - https://osher.ucsf.edu/news/new-research-shows-results-smartphone-intervention-obesity Eat Right Now - https://goeatrightnow.com/ Craving to Quit - https://www.cravingtoquit.com/ Unwinding Anxiety - https://www.unwindinganxiety.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jud-brewer-258
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You can also directly access this meditation in the app through this link: https://10percenthappier.app.link/AntidoteToFear Where there is fear, there are seeds for compassion. Learn how to sit with fear, not lose yourself, and act with a clear mind in this guided meditation from George Mumford. About George Mumford: George is a world-renowned meditation teacher and the author of "The Mindful Athlete." He has worked with some of the best professional athletes in the world, including Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant during their championship runs. In the early nineties, George collaborated with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn to create the Inner City Stress Reduction Clinic, a free meditation program for lower-income, inner-city participants. In more recent times, George has worked as the meditation coach of the New York Knicks and consults with professional athletes around the world.
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I had always known Harriet Tubman as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, repeatedly risking her own life to lead slaves out of the South. But in this episode, my friend, the great meditation teacher Spring Washam, draws the link between Tubman and the Buddha, who also made it his business to lead people to freedom. Spring is teaching a new, five-week, online course called The Dharma of Harriet Tubman, through the East Bay Meditation Center. In the course, and in this interview, she uses stories from Tubman's life to teach the kind of meditation that will equip us with both the ferocity and warmth that we need in these trying times. Spring is one of the most important teachers for me in my own personal practice. We are an odd couple - she freely uses words such as "heart" and "soul." She likes to get all ooey-gooey and touchy-feely, with a giant side dish of shamanism. In fact, I often suspect that, since she knows this kind of talk makes me a little uncomfortable, she triples down on it when I'm around. But make no mistake, Spring is hardcore - both in terms of her meditation practice and her personal background. You can go back and listen to some of the prior episodes with her (we will put links in show notes), but the short version is that, in her upbringing, she experienced divorce, poverty, addiction, abuse, and racism - and emerged to be a meditation teacher and author (her book is called "A Fierce Heart"), and one of the most impressive human beings I have personally encountered. So if someone as badass as Spring is drawing inspiration from Harriet Tubman, so can we. Quick note: this conversation was initially scheduled just to be a personal phone call, but when I saw an email from Spring announcing the Harriet Tubman course, I asked her to let us use our scheduled time to record a podcast. Where to find Spring Washam online: Website: https://www.springwasham.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/springwasham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teacher.springwasham/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoIv70jZKKXT2-ctKGhr7A Book Mentioned: A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Heart-Finding-Strength-Courage/dp/1401959393?tag=smarturl-20 Check our our new, free collection of meditations called Relating to Race in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RelatingToRace Other Resources Mentioned: Register to Spring's course, The Dharma of Harriet Tubman & The Underground Railroad: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dharma-of-harriet-tubman-and-the-underground-railroad-tickets-107495600234 Samsara: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra The Eightfold path: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path Siddhartha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha Harriet (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqoEs4cG6Uw Bodhisattva: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva The Underground Railroad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad Mahayana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Bodhicitta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/spring-washam-257
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In this episode, we go there. All the way there. All those horrifying little thoughts that white people might have - eg: Have you ever felt superior to, or suspicious of, black people? - let's drag them out of the subconscious and look at them. We don't need to submerge them or swat them away. But here's the thing: can we do it with some semblance of mindfulness and even friendliness? This isn't an exercise in ritual shaming; guilt and shame are just self-centeredness cul-de-sacs. After all, we didn't summon these thoughts; they were injected into us by the culture. So fellow white people, instead of just looking at the race discussion as something supremely discomfiting, let's also look at it as an opportunity to do what we’ve been attempting to do in meditation all along: to know our minds better so that we don’t blindly act out all of our conditioning. Our guest this week is the magnificent Shelly Graf. Shelly was recommended to me by my TPH colleague, Matthew Hepburn. Shelly is a social worker and a staff dharma teacher at the Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis. To be clear, Shelly doesn't pretend to be an expert who has it all figured out - simply a meditation teacher who has committed to deeply engaging on the issue of race. So in that spirit, here we go: Shelly Graf. Where to find Shelly Graf online: Website: https://commongroundmeditation.org/ STwitter: https://twitter.com/cgmed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommonGroundMeditation/ Check our our new, free collection of meditations called Relating to Race in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RelatingToRace Other Resources Mentioned: Refuge (Buddhism) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refuge_(Buddhism) Karma in Buddhism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Buddhism Maitr? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitr%C4%AB Ruth King - https://ruthking.net/ Episode 164: Ruth King, Being Mindful of Race - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5p3BTgqKgke7PYSUbzvPrR Three Marks of Existence: Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_marks_of_existence M?na - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81na Common Ground Meditation Center - https://commongroundmeditation.org/ The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture - https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html Detour-Spotting for White Anti-Racists - https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/olson.pdf List of resources from Resmaa Menakem - https://www.resmaa.com/resources Racial Affinity Group Development Program - https://ruthking.net/learning-with-ruth/ra-gdp/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/shelly-graf-256
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Listen as Sebene helps you cut through patterns of self-judgement and prejudice toward others with the simple tools of curiosity & kindness. If you enjoyed this meditation, check our our new, free collection of meditations called Relating to Race in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RelatingToRace You can also directly access this meditation in the app through this link: https://10percenthappier.app.link/SeeThroughUnconsciousBiasPod About Sebene Selassie: Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in Washington, D.C, Seb has been drawn to explore the intersection of different cultures. She was a self-professed "really bad dharma student," until she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer at age 34. Then she says she became "a really good dharma student." Selassie has now survived breast cancer three times and is a meditation teacher, transformational coach, and community advocate in New York City.
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We have spent the past few episodes talking with black and white Americans about race. But for this episode I wanted to get the view from outside. So I called up a man on the other side of the planet who is widely recognized to be one of the world's greatest living meditation masters. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is the author of such books as The Joy of Living and In Love with the World. He’s only in his mid-forties - which is young by my standards - but as the child of another great meditation master, he began doing long retreats in his teens. He now teaches all over the world, with centers on five continents. He's known for his candor and humor. We cover an enormous range of topics here, including: love, hate, panic, boredom, relationships, death, and whether we humans are fundamentally good. And as a bonus, he guides a brief meditation toward the end. Quick audio note: Mingyur Rinpoche spoke to us from his busy home in Kathmandu, Nepal, so you'll occasionally hear some background noises, including barking dogs. Try to use your practice to just let it go. Where to find Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche online: Website: https://tergar.org/about/mingyur-rinpoche/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mingyurrinpoche Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mingyur.rinpoche/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mingyurrinpoche/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MingyurRinpoche Book Mentioned: In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying: https://www.amazon.com/Love-World-Journey-Through-Bardos/dp/0525512535 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mingyur-rinpoche-255
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Many, if not most, white people don't think of themselves as racialized. Race, we might tell ourselves, is an issue for people who have different skin colors than ours: black people, Hispanic people, Asian people, indigenous people, etcetera. But, of course, white is a racial category. (Important side note: race, for the record, is not a biological thing; it's socially constructed.) Sadly, the white people who seem to have most clearly grasped that white is a race are white nationalists. But now it's time for white people to see whiteness, to talk to one another about it. This, many people in the racial justice world argue, is the key first step towards white people engaging fully in creating a more equitable society. My guest is Eleanor Hancock, who is the Executive Director of a group called White Awake, which employs "educational resources and spiritual practices" to engage white people "in the creation of a just and sustainable society." Eleanor was recommended to me by Sebene Selassie, who is one of the core teachers on the Ten Percent Happier app. Eleanor and I talk about why this work is so important, why so many white people resist it, the barriers white people face when they begin the work, the role of meditation, and the problematic aspects of white wokeness in these discussions. Where to find Eleanor Hancock & White Awake online: Website: https://whiteawake.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/White-Awake-325759947539605/ For updates on upcoming courses from White Awake, check our their website and social media pages. Other Resources Mentioned: Assata Shakur / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assata_Shakur COINTELPRO / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO Kara Dansky / https://www.shambhalamountain.org/teacher/kara-dansky/ Anne Braden / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Braden Ann Atwater / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Atwater C. P. Ellis / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Ellis 7 thoughts on “Roots Deeper than Whiteness” / https://whiteawake.org/2018/10/27/roots-deeper-than-whiteness/ Neoliberalism / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism Bacon's Rebellion / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon%27s_Rebellion Jacqueline Battalora / https://www.speakoutnow.org/speaker/jacqueline-battalora Down Home NC / https://downhomenc.org/ What is white supremacy? By Elizabeth 'Betita' Martinez / http://www.pym.org/annual-sessions/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/06/What_Is_White_Supremacy_Martinez.pdf Ian Haney López / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Haney_L%C3%B3pez Solidarity for Survival / https://www.davidbfdean.com/ian-haney-lopez Defund Police: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Says Budgets Wrongly Prioritize Cops Over Schools, Hospitals / https://www.democracynow.org/2020/6/1/keeanga_yamahtta_taylor_defund_us_police Birth of a White Nation / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riVAuC0dnP4 Who Invented White People? / http://uuwhiteness.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/READING_-Who-Invented-White-People.pdf Handout 2: Not Somewhere Else, But Here | Building the World We Dream About | Tapestry of Faith / https://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/btwwda/workshop7/handout2 White Awake Summer Study & Action Group / https://mailchi.mp/whiteawake/study-support-action-summer-2020 Resources to support: List of Bail Funds for Protestors across the Country / https://bailfunds.github.io/ National Bail Fund Network / https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory The Bail Project / https://bailproject.org/ Color Of Change / https://colorofchange.org/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/eleanor-hancock-254
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If we were to walk past the fires of oppression, we would be walking past one of the widest gateways to liberation. About Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an author, poet, Zen Buddhist priest, teacher, artist, and drum medicine woman. She holds a Ph.D. and worked for decades for arts organizations and those serving women and girls, cultural arts, and mental health. Her books include The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender. You can find Zenju's Talk in the Ten Percent Happier app at this link: https://10percenthappier.app.link/AttendingToTheFiresOfRacism.
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Many of us come to meditation for comfort. But, especially for white people, right now is a time to embrace our discomfort. Lama Rod Owens encourages me to step way out of my comfort zone in this conversation, and I am grateful to him for it. Owens is the author of the soon-to-be-released book, Love and Rage. As it says in the bio on his website, his story sits at the "cross sections" of so many aspects of American life "as a Black, queer male, born and raised in the South." He was officially recognized by the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism after he completed a three-year silent retreat, during which time he says he dealt with years of past pain and trauma. As you will hear him say in this interview, he "worked his butt off to feel ok." After retreat, he completed a Master of Divinity at Harvard. I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did. Where to find Lama Rod Owens online: Website: https://www.lamarod.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en Books: Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095 Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982 Ten Percent Happier Challenge Update We've decided to postpone the Pandemic Resilience Challenge while we recalibrate it to better meet the needs of this moment. We want to make sure we're supporting you in coping with our current social crisis as well as the pandemic. We're not cancelling the challenge, just postponing - if you signed up for updates, you'll continue to receive information. Thank you for your patience and for giving us the time to get this right. You can find updates on the challenge at tenpercent.com/challenge Other Resources Mentioned: Narrative 4 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lama-rod-owens-253
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There is fury in America's streets - and we, as meditators, have the opportunity to use our practice to do the hard work of seeing things clearly (including the ugliness in our own minds), and responding wisely. I'm incredibly grateful to my guest, meditation teacher Sebene Selassie, for agreeing to come on this show on short notice (like, two hours beforehand) to discuss such a painful subject. This episode is in response to the protests that have broken out nationwide in the wake of the case of George Floyd, a black man who died after nearly nine minutes with his neck under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Our conversation is personal and raw. Most of all, we hope it is useful. Where to find Sebene online: Website: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/ Instagram @sebeneselassie // https://www.instagram.com/sebeneselassie/ Other Resources Mentioned: W. E. B. Du Bois // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._B._Du_Bois KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR L,A Times Op-ED // https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-05-30/dont-understand-the-protests-what-youre-seeing-is-people-pushed-to-the-edge The 1619 Project by New York Times // https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html Seeing White - Scene on Radio // https://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/ Well Read Black Girl // https://www.wellreadblackgirl.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Challenge: https://www.tenpercent.com/challenge Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sebene-selassie-252
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How do we handle pandemic-induced anxiety or grief? What does a spiritual guru do to relax while on lockdown? We put those questions - and more - to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The man needs little introduction. He's the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, and a global cultural icon who has been featured in an Apple ad, a Martin Scorsese biopic, and in a classic Bill Murray scene from Caddyshack. We spoke to His Holiness from his home in Dharamsala, India. Also on the line: Richard Davidson from the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Richie (that's what everyone calls him) is an old friend of the Dalai Lama's. They’ve been collaborating for decades on scientific research into the effects of meditation on the brain. After we hear from the Dalai Lama - who makes a series of surprising statements - we'll unpack it all in a separate convo with Richie. Where to find The Dalai Lama online: Website: https://www.dalailama.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DalaiLama Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DalaiLama Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalailama/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/gyalwarinpoche Ten Percent Happier Pandemic Resilience Challenge: On June 10, we're launching the Pandemic Resilience Challenge: a free 21 day meditation challenge to help all of us cope with the anxiety, uncertainty, loneliness, boredom and all the other fun emotions we're experiencing during this pandemic. To join the waitlist and receive updates, visit https://tenpercent.com/challenge. Where to find Richie Davidson online: Healthy Minds Innovations // https://hminnovations.org/hmi/about Center for Healthy Minds // https://centerhealthyminds.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthyminds Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforhealthyminds/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthy.mind Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide We want to deeply thank and recognize healthcare workers, teachers, warehouse workers, grocery and food delivery workers for the essential role that they play in our lives. For FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/the-dalai-lama-251
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Pema Chodron has seemingly been trying to prepare us for this pandemic for years, through a series of popular books, with titles such as When Things Fall Apart, Welcoming the Unwelcome, and The Wisdom of No Escape. But as you will hear, she is anything but gloomy. Like all of the great meditation teachers I've met, she has a lightness and a sense of humor about her. Notwithstanding her chipper demeanor, she has worked hard to point out to her readers and students that groundlessness and uncertainty are fundamental facts of life - which are becoming increasingly salient in our current crisis. Pema Chodron was born Deirdre Blomfield in Connecticut. She lived a conventional life, going to UC Berkeley, becoming a school teacher, and having a pair of kids. But after a rough divorce, she found herself adrift. During this time, she discovered Tibetan Buddhism, shaved her head, and became a nun. Now in her mid-eighties, she lives in rural Nova Scotia, where she is the director of Gampo Abbey. We connected with her on an old-school landline. We talked about how to actually welcome the unwelcome. We also discussed how to: befriend your demons, sympathize without being stupid, lighten up in the face of fear, and embrace chaos as "extremely good news." Where to find Pema Chodron online: Website: https://pemachodronfoundation.org/about/pema-chodron/ Twitter: Pema Chödrön (@AniPemaChodron) / https://twitter.com/AniPemaChodron Facebook: Pema Chodron / https://www.facebook.com/Pema.Chodron/ Instagram: AniPemaChodron (@anipemachodron) / https://www.instagram.com/anipemachodron/ Books Mentioned: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron / https://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-Difficult-ebook/dp/B00BBXJH2C Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chodron / https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V77TZ33/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 Emotional Awareness by The Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman / https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Awareness-Overcoming-Psychological-Compassion/dp/0805090215 Other Resources Mentioned: Theravada Tradition / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_meditation#Contemporary_Therav%C4%81da Tonglen Practice / https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-tonglen/ For a limited time, we're offering a 40% discount on a year-long subscription to the app. Visit tenpercent.com/podcast40 to get your discount and get support for your meditation practice today. This promotion is only available to users without a current Ten Percent Happier app subscription. Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide We want to deeply thank and recognize healthcare workers, teachers, warehouse workers, grocery and food delivery workers for the essential role that they play in our lives. For FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pema-chodron-250
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Sometimes when you get stressed, you say dumb stuff and that is still happening to me, even after having meditated for over a decade. But in Buddhism, there's a way to deal with this. They call it right speech or mindful speech. In this bonus TPH Live session, the great Susan Piver (previous guest on the show), a meditation teacher based in the Boston area, joins me for a discussion on how to be mindful of our speech during these stressful times. During the session Susan offers a guided meditation and we take some questions live from the audience. You can find Susan Piver's Ten Percent Happier LIVE session and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Susan Piver's TPH Live session: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RightSpeech
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Roshi Joan Halifax is definitely not arguing the pandemic is a good thing, but she also believes we shouldn't let this crisis go to waste. It's a wake-up call, she says - a chance for us to really take a beat and ask ourselves what actually matters, both individually and as a culture. Roshi Joan Halifax is a buddhist teacher, zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is founder, abbot, and head teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And her motto for this crisis, as you will hear, is: strong back, soft front. Where to find Roshi Joan Halifax online: Website: https://www.upaya.org/about/roshi/ Twitter: Joan Halifax (@jhalifax) / https://twitter.com/jhalifax Facebook: Joan Halifax / https://www.facebook.com/joan.halifax For a limited time, we're offering a 40% discount on a year-long subscription to the app. Visit tenpercent.com/podcast40 to get your discount and get support for your meditation practice today. This promotion is only available to users without a current Ten Percent Happier app subscription. Other Resources Mentioned: Glassman Roshi / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Glassman Arnold van Gennep / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_van_Gennep What is Jukai? / https://www.lionsroar.com/what-is-jukai/ Biography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography Malala - Girls' Education / https://malala.org/advocacy?sc=header Heather McTeer Toney / https://www.momscleanairforce.org/team/heather-mcteer-toney/ The Sun My Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh / https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Heart-Thich-Nhat-Hanh/dp/0712654224 Aldo Leopold / https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/ Robert Bly / http://www.robertbly.com/ Stanislav Grof / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Grof Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App Access for Journalists, Teachers, Healthcare, Grocery and Food Delivery, and Warehouse Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joan-halifax-249
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Rest assured, this is not an episode where we're going to argue about politics. Instead, it's about how to maintain our happiness, calm, sanity, generosity, and compassion in the face of an increasingly ugly political dynamic that impacts all of us during this pandemic. Ezra Klein is the founder and editor-at-large of Vox.com, host of the Ezra Klein Show podcast, and author of the new book, Why We're Polarized. In this episode, we talk about the roots of what he calls the "Coronavirus culture war," the role of mindfulness in depolarizing ourselves, and the limited benefits of varying your media diet (and why podcasts are better than Twitter in this regard). As you'll hear, Klein acknowledges his own struggle to remain un-polarized but as a journalist he is committed to providing dispassionate analysis. Towards the end, Ezra speaks candidly about his anxiety and his struggles with his own meditation practice during this crisis. For a limited time, we're offering a 40% discount on a year-long subscription to the app. Visit tenpercent.com/podcast40 to get your discount and get support for your meditation practice today. This promotion is only available to users without a current Ten Percent Happier app subscription. Where to find Ezra Klein online: Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/ezra-klein Twitter: Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) / https://twitter.com/ezraklein Facebook: Ezra Klein - Home / https://www.facebook.com/ezraklein/ Book Mentioned: Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein / https://www.amazon.com/Why-Were-Polarized-Ezra-Klein/dp/147670032X Other Resources Mentioned: Better Angels / https://www.thebetterangelssociety.org/ Weather Underground / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_Underground Civil Rights Act / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964 Ross Douthat / https://www.nytimes.com/by/ross-douthat Twitter's Flawed Solution to Political Polarization / https://dupri.duke.edu/news-events/news/twitters-flawed-solution-political-polarization The Weeds Podcast / https://www.vox.com/the-weeds Morning Joe / https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe Pod Save America /https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/ The Federalist / https://thefederalist.com/ The Ben Shapiro Show / https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show The Argument / https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-argument Ethan D. Hersh / https://www.eitanhersh.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App Access for Journalists, Teachers, Healthcare, Grocery and Food Delivery, and Warehouse Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ezra-klein-248
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Discomfort with the unknown is a natural human response. This meditation will help you relax as you practice allowing the rhythm of life to unfold. Link to meditation in app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/FacingUncertaintyPod Ten Percent Happier app offer: For a limited time, we're offering a 40% discount on a year-long subscription to the app. Visit tenpercent.com/podcast40 to get your discount and get support for your meditation practice today. This promotion is only available to users without a current Ten Percent Happier app subscription. A little about Alexis Santos: https://www.alexissantos.io/ Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity - a style of practice that's particularly useful during our crazy lives. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.
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Why are so many of us having such weird dreams these days? How do we successfully interact with family members while on lockdown? Are we all experiencing some sort of trauma? These are just some of the questions with which we grapple during this discussion with Dr. Mark Epstein. It is no exaggeration to say that Mark has played a pivotal role in my life. My then-fiancé (and now wife), Bianca, gave me one of Mark's books (called Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart) back in 2009, and it genuinely changed my life. It was my first introduction to Buddhism. And to hear someone with actual medical experience (Mark is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist) extol the virtues of meditation made me reconsider a practice I had long considered ridiculous. In this chat, we also talk about blurring the line between meditation and therapy, and the profound value of not taking yourself too seriously. Enjoy. Where to find Mark Esptein online: Website: http://markepsteinmd.com/ Twitter: @Mepstein108 / https://twitter.com/Mepstein108 Facebook: Mark Epstein, MD / https://www.facebook.com/markepstein108/ Book Mentioned: The Trauma of Everyday Life / https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Everyday-Life-Mark-Epstein/dp/0143125745 Other Resources Mentioned: Joseph Goldstein / https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/ Roberth Thurman / https://bobthurman.com/ Ram Dass / https://www.ramdass.org/ Samuel Beckett / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Beckett Jack Kornfield / https://jackkornfield.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App Access for Teachers, Healthcare, Grocery and Food Delivery, and Warehouse Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Get more focus and clarity by bringing mindfulness to your company with a team subscription to Ten Percent Happier! Visit tenpercent.com/work to learn more. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mark-epstein-247
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This pandemic is a colossal test of our patience - from dealing with family to interminably long wait times on calls with the unemployment office to just wanting this whole nightmare to evaporate so we can go back to the movies. We've got a special, two-part episode this week. In the first part, we bring on a pair of researchers who study patience. The good news: they have found that patience is a quality we can train and develop through meditation and other strategies, including cognitive reappraisal, transcendence, or just learning how to fake it until you make it. (Side note: we also fall into an interesting chat about the benefits of defensive pessimism versus strategic optimism.) After the researchers, we bring on legendary meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg for a deeper dive into how to use meditation to increase our patience, especially when it comes to interpersonal stuff (which, let's be honest, includes other people and ourselves). Our patience experts are Dr. Sarah Schnitker from the Psychology and Neuroscience Department at Baylor University, and Dr. Kate Sweeny from the Psychology department at the University of California, Riverside. Where to find our guests online: Dr. Kate Sweeny / http://www.katesweeny.com/ Dr Sarah A. Schnitker / https://www.baylor.edu/psychologyneuroscience/index.php?id=950614 Sharon Salzberg / https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ Other Resources Mentioned: Wendy Wood University of Southern California (Habits Research) / https://www.marshall.usc.edu/personnel/wendy-wood Richie Davidson Research on Pain and meditation / https://news.wisc.edu/meditation-expertise-changes-experience-of-pain/ Walter Mischel Marshmellow Test / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App Access for Teachers, Healthcare, Grocery and Food Delivery, and Warehouse Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Get more focus and clarity by bringing mindfulness to your company with a team subscription to Ten Percent Happier! Visit tenpercent.com/work to learn more. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/patience-246
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Three best practices for coping and resilience, based on neuroscientific and psychological research from Rick Hanson. You can find Rick Hanson's talk, titled "We Will Get Through This" and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. You can go directly to Rick's talk in the app here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/u1uV5jt1e6 To learn more about Rick and his new book, Neurodharma, go to https://www.rickhanson.net/
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What will we be like when this thing is finally over? Will we be even more fearful and divided? Or is there a realistically rosier scenario? This is just one of the subjects we explore in a wide-ranging conversation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams. We also talk about the disutility of guilt in the face of all the horror we’re witnessing in the time of COVID, and how to reclaim the word "love" from the land of hopeless cliché. I really enjoyed this conversation, especially how it warmed up as it went. By way of background, Reverend angel is the author of such books as Radical Dharma and Being Black. She is the second black woman to be recognized as a teacher in the Japanese Zen lineage. One of her main areas of interest is how to apply meditation to social issues such as race, climate, and economic inequality. A lot of people think meditation and activism are two separate things, but Rev. angel argues that "without inner change, there can be no outer change." In this chat, we start with big-picture issues, and increasingly move toward more personal stuff. She's one of those people who gets even more fascinating the more time you spend with her. Where to find Rev. angel Kyodo williams online: Website: https://angelkyodowilliams.com/ Twitter: angel Kyodo williams (@ZenChangeAngel) / https://twitter.com/zenchangeangel Facebook: Rev. angel Kyodo williams / https://www.facebook.com/zenchangeangel Instagram: angel Kyodo williams (@zenchangeangel) / https://www.instagram.com/zenchangeangel/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZenChangeAngel We've been nominated for two Webby awards. If you love and want to support our work, please vote for us via links in the episode description. Vote for us in the health & fitness app category / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/apps-mobile-sites-general/health-fitness Vote for us in the voice category / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/general-voice/health-fitness-lifestyle Other Resources Mentioned: Tonglen Practice / https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-tonglen/ James Doty / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Doty_(physician) All About Love by bell hooks / https://www.amazon.com/All-About-Love-Visions-Paperback-ebook/dp/B078GL796R Loving Kindness Practice / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitr%C4%AB Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide We want to deeply thank and recognize teachers, warehouse workers, grocery and food delivery workers, and healthcare workers for the essential role that they play in our lives. For FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rev-angel-kyodo-williams-245
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I call Gretchen Rubin the "Swiss Army Knife for Happiness." Present her with a problem, and she will flood you with practical, customized solutions. I love having Gretchen on this show not only because she's smart and funny and we're friends, but also because she provides some compelling counterprogramming. Most of our guests come from the meditation world, but Gretchen approaches happiness from a very different angle. She's a lawyer by training - she began her career clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - who went on to write a series of books that examine small, doable ways to boost our happiness in everyday life. Her books include her breakout memoir The Happiness Project, and then follow-on bestsellers such as The Four Tendencies (which is a fascinating look at how different kinds of people form habits). In this interview, we explore a bunch of ways to improve your day-to-day life in this pandemic. We talk about: family relationships, decluttering, setting priorities, managing your relationship to technology, treating yourself without overindulging, and going easy on yourself versus expecting more from yourself. Where to find Gretchen Rubin online: Website: https://gretchenrubin.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchenrubin/ Book Mentioned: Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin / https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/about-the-book We've been nominated for two Webby awards. If you love and want to support our work, please vote for us via links in the episode description. Vote for us in the health & fitness app category. / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/apps-mobile-sites-general/health-fitness Vote for us in the voice category. / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/general-voice/health-fitness-lifestyle Other Resources Mentioned: Susan Kaiser Greenland / https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/ Some Good News / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug The Four Tendencies Quiz / https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide We want to deeply thank and recognize teachers, warehouse workers, grocery and food delivery workers, and healthcare workers for the essential role that they play in our lives. For FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/gretchen-rubin-244
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Stressed about the economy? You're not alone. Sebene offers tools to help see the abundance we all have in our lives in this guided meditation. You can find Sebene's Money Worries meditation and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice.
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On this episode, a bad news / good news situation. Let's start with the bad news: human beings are not wired for uncertainty. It short circuits our system. The mind wants to plan, to work things out - and, in a pandemic, that is basically impossible. The good news: meditation is perfectly designed to take the edge off, if not more. Our guest this week is Jack Kornfield, a pioneering meditation teacher, prolific author, a former Buddhist monk, and a clinical psychologist. We talk about: how to use meditation to embrace uncertainty, the importance of getting in touch with your own "tainted glory," and why we shouldn't fear the schmaltz. (That last one was mostly for me.) Where to find Jack Kornfield online: Website: https://jackkornfield.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackKornfield Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkornfield Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_kornfield/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5JayBKk-Bynk6XnUnU7vLA Other Resources Mentioned: Lady Gaga Kicks Off ‘One World: Together at Home’ With Performance of ‘Smile’ / https://variety.com/2020/music/news/lady-gaga-smile-together-at-home-1234584282/ Spring Washam / https://www.springwasham.com/ Ram Dass / https://www.ramdass.org/ Neem Karoli Baba / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem_Karoli_Baba Wangari Maathai / https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai Preah Maha Ghosananda / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preah_Maha_Ghosananda Dolly Parton’s Poem / https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xdJu6FCR9/ Insight Meditation Society / https://www.dharma.org/ Jack Kornfield’s Meditations / https://jackkornfield.com/meditations/ Tara Brach / https://www.tarabrach.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers, Grocery Store & Food Delivery Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jack-kornfield-243
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No matter what your economic situation is, you have likely experienced some money worries during this pandemic. I know I have- and I say that as someone who is in an extremely fortunate position. So many people have lost businesses, lost jobs, had salaries cut- or we are worried about one of these things happening to us. Given the massive insecurity and uncertainty abroad in the land, we wanted to explore a Buddhist approach to financial concerns. It's not like the Buddha never said anything on this matter. He wasn't expecting all meditators to live in caves with shaved heads. There's a ton of useful stuff in Buddhism on the issue of money, and there are a lot of meditative techniques for handling our financial anxieties. So we brought on a great Buddhist teacher by the name of Ethan Nichtern. He's been on the show before. He has written a few books, including one called The Road Home. He also hosts a podcast by the same name. We had a great chat, and I'm excited to bring it to you. Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Where to find Ethan Nichtern online: Website: https://www.ethannichtern.com/ Social Media: Twitter: Ethan Nichtern (@ethannichtern) / https://twitter.com/ethannichtern Facebook: Ethan Nichtern / https://www.facebook.com/EthanNichtern/ Book Mentioned: The Dharma of the Princess Bride, by Ethan Nichtern / https://www.amazon.com/Dharma-Princess-Bride-Buddhism-Relationships/dp/0865477760 Other Resources Mentioned: Sharon Salzberg / https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ Bodhisattva / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva The Eight Worldly Winds / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Buddhism#Eight_Worldly_Conditions Joseph Goldstein / https://10percenthappier.app.link/TEXKruciQ5 Buddha’s Brain, by Rick Hanson / https://www.rickhanson.net/books/buddhas-brain/ The Road Home podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-road-home-with-ethan-nichtern/id1392813061 Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright / https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment/dp/1439195455 Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives by Adam Grant / https://www.amazon.com/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/0143124986 Invisible Hands / https://www.invisiblehandsdeliver.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ethan-nichtern-242
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In this meditation Sharon helps you navigate the feelings and sensations of grief safely, using the breath as a neutral landing place for your attention. Meditation available on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/SzpXSLqDV5 Sharon Salzberg on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NOCqrWwik0 Sharon Salzberg & Joseph Goldstein - Online Retreat April 27th - May 1st: https://www.dharma.org/joseph-goldstein-sharon-salzberg-shelter-for-the-heart-and-mind-an-online-retreat/ About Sharon: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West. Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Real Love. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.
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Jeff Warren is someone for whom I have a special affection. We chronicled our friendship in a book we co authored, called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, in which we took a gonzo cross-country bus trip to help people overcome various obstacles to establishing a meditation practice. On that trip, I started calling him "Meditation MacGyver," because he is a loveable, excitable meditation nerd who can seemingly come up with practices for any person in any circumstances. He even got my wife meditating (after years of refusing to do so because I had been so annoying when I pestered her to practice). So, who better to turn to in this crisis? By way of background, Jeff is a meditation teacher, based in Toronto, where he helps run a group called the Consciousness Explorers Club. He is also featured in many of the courses and guided meditations on the Ten Percent Happier app. He is brilliant and hilarious and, as you will hear, very open about his own personal struggles. Where to find Jeff Warren online: Website: https://jeffwarren.org/ Jeff on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/jeff-warren Social Media: Facebook: Jeff Warren / https://www.facebook.com/jeffwarren.org/ Instagram: Jeff Warren (@_jeffwarren_) / https://www.instagram.com/_jeffwarren_/ YouTube: Jeff Warren / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUOpVNy60LTCmAwfZ6zOroQ Resources Mentioned: Shinzen Young / https://www.shinzen.org/ A Common Language / https://jeffwarren.org/articles/a-common-language/ A Night Practice / https://jeffwarren.org/articles/a-night-practice/ Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace / https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Jest-David-Foster-Wallace/dp/0316066524 Consciousness Explorers Club / http://cecmeditate.com/ Watchmen Sharon Salzberg & Joseph Goldstein Retreat: https://www.dharma.org/joseph-goldstein-sharon-salzberg-shelter-for-the-heart-and-mind-an-online-retreat/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jeff-warren-241
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Most, if not all, of us are experiencing a cocktail of challenging emotions these days - whether in the background or in the foreground of our psyche. Speaking personally, I thought my primary issue was anxiety, but I had a vague sense that maybe it was more than that. Then I read an excellent, widely-circulated article that put a name to at least one aspect of my nameless, miasmatic dread. The article was from the Harvard Business Review, and the headline was, "That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief." The article featured an interview with a grief expert named David Kessler, who explained that there are many flavors of grief. Some of us are grieving people we've lost, but millions more are grieving a way of life or a sense of security that seems lost - or we're experiencing anticipatory grief about an uncertain future. Not only was it helpful for Kessler to name this phenomenon, but he also had a bunch of excellent thoughts about how to manage it, including the exhortation to find meaning in this mess. In fact, that's the name of his new book: Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. So we invited him on. Here he is: David Kessler. Where to find David Kessler online: Website: https://grief.com/ Social Media: Twitter: @IamDavidKessler / https://twitter.com/iamdavidkessler Instagram: @iamdavidkessler / https://www.instagram.com/iamdavidkessler/ Facebook: David Kessler / https://www.facebook.com/IamDavidKessler/ Books Mentioned: Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief / https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Meaning-Sixth-Stage-Grief/dp/1501192736 On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss / https://www.amazon.com/Grief-Grieving-Finding-Meaning-Through/dp/0743266293 Other Resources Mentioned: David's Online Grief Group / https://www.facebook.com/groups/DavidKessler David's Harvard Business Review Article / https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief Paul Denniston & Grief Yoga / https://griefyoga.com/ Bessel van der Kolk / https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/ Elizabeth Kubler Ross / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_K%C3%BCbler-Ross Elizabeth Kubler Ross Foundation / https://www.ekrfoundation.org/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/david-kessler-240
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In times of loneliness, there are practices that can help. Oren offers words and wisdom to help you rekindle a sense of belonging. Find more meditations and courses from Oren on the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/qO7LcUJxJ5 A little about Oren Jay Sofer: Oren Jay Sofer teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication. He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University and is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care
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It's easy to add insult to injury in this pandemic by beating ourselves up. Why are we not exercising more? Eating less? Or boosting our productivity? Kristin Neff, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, says we need to give ourselves a break. To be clear, that does not mean relinquishing our high standards. Neff is one of - if not the - world’s leading experts on self-compassion. That's a squishy-sounding term, but there is a lot of hard-nosed evidence behind it. Per Neff, not beating yourself up does not equate to being lazy. It's about knowing the difference between healthy perfectionism and maladaptive perfectionism. It's about going easy without going soft. The smart, sparing use of the inner cattle prod. This was exactly the conversation I needed to have right now. Where to find Kristin Neff online: Website: https://self-compassion.org/ Social Media: Twitter: @self_compassion / https://twitter.com/self_compassion Facebook: Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff, Ph.D. / https://www.facebook.com/selfcompassion Other Resources Mentioned: Richard Schwartz, Internal Family Systems / https://ifs-institute.com/ Evelyn Tribole, Intuitive Eating / https://www.evelyntribole.com/ Chris Germer / https://chrisgermer.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kristin-neff-239
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Our guest this week gives a bracingly candid account of loneliness - one made all the more remarkable by the fact that he is a former surgeon general. Even before the current coronavirus pandemic, we were in the midst of another, quieter pandemic: loneliness. The term sounds somewhat unpleasant, but make no mistake: loneliness is, in fact, a deeply pernicious and insidious state, both psychologically and physiologically. And now, with all the social distancing we're doing, the loneliness problem is on steroids. This problem touches those not only people who live alone, but also those of us who may be surrounded by family. Loneliness doesn't require you to be alone. As you will hear, it's more about the quality of your relationships. Our guest, Dr. Vivek Murthy is, as mentioned, the former surgeon general. He has just published a book about loneliness, called "Together." We're doing this episode in a bit of a different way. We actually interviewed Vivek twice. The first time I spoke to him was right before the pandemic truly took off in the U.S.. He gave an incredible interview that we were excited to post. But then things really went haywire with the virus, so we wanted to have him on to talk about that. So we'll do this episode in two parts. First, you'll hear the newer interview - which is more topical. Then you'll hear the earlier interview, where he goes into greater depth. Where to find Dr. Vivek Murthy online: Website: https://www.vivekmurthy.com/ Book: https://www.vivekmurthy.com/together-book Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/vivek_murthy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrVivekMurthy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvivekmurthy Other Resources Mentioned: RULER at YALE http://ei.yale.edu/ruler/ruler-overview/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/vivek-murthy-238
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Stress doesn't have to be contagious. This session will guide you through staying boundaried, calm, and kind when stress is in the air. Meditation Available on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/Umgwk77ly5 Jeff Warren on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/jeff-warren About Jeff Warren Website: https://jeffwarren.org/ Jeff is an incredibly gifted meditation teacher. He's trained in multiple traditions, including with renowned teacher Shinzen Young. Jeff is the co-author of NY Times Bestseller "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics," and the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club, a meditation adventure group in Toronto. He has a knack for surfacing the exact meditation that will help everyone he meets. "I have a meditation for that" is regularly heard from Jeff, so we've dubbed him the "Meditation MacGyver."
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Even in the middle of a pandemic, it's still OK to experience delight. That's per legendary meditation teacher, Sylvia Boostein. In fact, she says, moments of happiness can fortify you to deal with the difficulties we are all facing. In other words, joy is a necessity, not a luxury right now. That is just one of many wisdom bombs Boorstein drops in this conversation. We also discuss how to cultivate "inner cordiality" and the quality of mind that has become her "savior" in these dark days. Boorstein is a genuine contemplative O.G., part of the vanguard of teachers who introduced mindfulness into the American mainstream. She is still going strong in her mid-eighties, after having lived a colorful life. Not only is she one of America's most respected teachers, but she is also a psychotherapist, peace activist, and grandmother. As you'll hear, when she is not meditating, she is a gifted storyteller. She self-deprecatingly refers to it as "boundless talk-aremia," but I suspect that, for you, listening to Sylvia will, in itself, be a source of delight. Where to find Sylvia Boorstein online: Website: http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/ Social Media: Twitter: @SylviaBoorstein https://twitter.com/sylviaboorstein Facebook: Sylvia Boorstein - https://www.facebook.com/sylviaboorstein/ Book Mentioned: Pay Attention, for Goodness' Sake by Sylvia Boorstein - http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/books Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sylvia-boorstein-237 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care
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The coronavirus outbreak may pose one of the greatest challenges to romantic relationships in modern memory. For those of us living in close quarters with spouses or partners, how do we live our day to day without resorting to hollering, stony silence, or violations of local and federal statutes? For those of us living alone, what are the rules around online dating? Esther Perel is on the front lines of this battle. She is a renowned psychotherapist who continues to do couples counseling even as the pandemic rages. Much of this work can be heard on her popular podcast Where Should We Begin? She’s also the author of the awesomely-entitled, bestselling book Mating in Captivity. In this episode, we cover the benefits of sex (even if you’re not in the mood), humor, and a specific kind of "thank you." She also holds forth on anticipatory grief and a concept I found particularly compelling: "ambiguous loss." Where to find Esther Perel online: Website: https://www.estherperel.com/ Podcast: https://whereshouldwebegin.estherperel.com/ Podcast: https://howswork.estherperel.com/ Upcoming Live Broadcasts with Esther: "The Art of Us: Love, Loss, and Loneliness Under Lockdown” - https://events.estherperel.com/april-2020-webinar/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstherPerel Other Resources Mentioned: Tanya Selvaratman: Where Can Domestic Violence Victims Turn During COVID-19? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/opinion/covid-domestic-violence.html Pauline Boss - Ambiguous Loss - https://www.ambiguousloss.com/ John Gottman - The Gottman Institute - https://www.gottman.com/ Megan Flemming - https://greatlifegreatsex.com/ Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Show Notes: https://tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/esther-perel-236
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Bring yourself down from a level 10 to a level 2—stimulating the calming parasympathetic nervous system with validated timeless practices. Matthew Hepburn is a straightshooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats in his early twenties, and for the last 5+ years he has been teaching meditation at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center in Boston, MA. Matthew is currently a participant in the four-year Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program, where he studies with renowned teachers including Joseph Goldstein.
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A statement of the blazingly obvious: we are living in stressful times. A statement of the slightly less obvious: meditation, while not a panacea, can help. In this episode, we're bringing you one of the western world's greatest living meditation masters: Joseph Goldstein. I'm biased, of course, because he is my meditation teacher. I have known him for many years, and he has had an incalculably positive impact on my life. In fact, he has already come to my rescue once during this pandemic, at a moment when I was personally struggling. And now, I'm excited to unleash him on all of you. In this chat, he lays out a meditative toolkit for navigating the current crisis. His advice is actionable for absolute beginners as well as longtime meditators. Towards the end of the conversation, he proposes one approach that some of you may find deeply challenging, but I find to be extremely compelling. Plug Zone: Insight Meditation Society: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/ Joseph Goldstein Courses & Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/x9Q0TCy36Z Joseph Goldstein Books: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Goldstein/e/B00DPSACUW Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-235
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So many of us have people in our lives who we feel are not taking this pandemic seriously enough. How do we handle them? Yell, lecture, call them out on Twitter? What about flooding them with articles? Or is there a saner course of action that is likely to be more effective? In this episode, we have two experts in ethics to sort through this and other ethical dilemmas in the age of COVID. JoAnna Hardy is a meditation teacher with a special interest Buddhist ethics. Greg Epstein is the humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT. Issues we tackle include: Is it ever ok to break social distancing? What are the ethical implications of moving your family out of the city to the country? And, what about stocking up on toilet paper? Episode Resources: JoAnna Hardy: https://www.joannahardy.org/ JoAnna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannahardy65/ Greg Epstein: https://chaplains.harvard.edu/people/greg-epstein Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregmepstein Full Episode Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/joanna-hardy-greg-epstein-234 Ten Percent Happier Live: Website: www.tenpercent.com/live In the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TenPercentHappierLIVE YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb3AWCFuxotrXmgqUHQdwyg
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If, given the deeply suboptimal circumstances in which we find ourselves right now, you are cycling through anxiety, depression, anger, and apathy, I suspect this conversation with legendary meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg may elevate your mood. It certainly worked for me. I was in a little bit of a dark place when I hopped on the line with her- stuck in a story about how this pandemic is a waking nightmare with no expiration date. But there is something powerful about talking to someone who has spent 50 years dedicated to meditation and Buddhism. She provides a reframing, a dose of perspective, and practical, science-backed skills. Plus, like many of the best meditation teachers, she is quite funny. Enjoy. Full Show Notes: http://tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sharon-salzberg-232 Sharon Salzberg's Resources: Website: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ Books: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/books-audio/ Podcast: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/metta-hour-podcast/ Ten Percent Happier LIVE: Website: www.tenpercent.com/live In the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TenPercentHappierLIVE YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb3AWCFuxotrXmgqUHQdwyg
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In times like these, we need practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. Hence my new project -- Ten Percent Happier Live. Every weekday, we'll offer a free live sanity break, featuring some of the world's best meditation teachers, streaming from our homes to yours. We'll start with a five minute meditation, and then take questions from the audience. Today we're posting a bonus episode to the podcast feed from my session on Friday, March 20th with meditation teacher and author Jack Kornfield. Join us at www.tenpercent.com/live at 3pm ET every weekday. How to access Ten Percent Happier Live: Website: www.tenpercent.com/live In the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/TenPercentHappierLIVE YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb3AWCFuxotrXmgqUHQdwyg Organizations in need of support: Placer Food Bank: http://placerfoodbank.org/ Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org/
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We are in the middle of a giant, global experiment in remote work. Even in the best of times, working from home is tricky. You're surrounded by distractions: pets, laundry, Netflix. But in the midst of this pandemic, WFH (as the millennials call it) is even harder, given that many of us are cooped up with our children, cut off from our coworkers, and overwhelmed by anxiety. Our guests, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, from Potential Project, are experts in bringing mindfulness into the workplace. In this episode, we explore solutions to four major problems: distraction, isolation, virtual collaboration, and balancing family life. Plugzone: Website: https://www.potentialproject.com/ Books: https://www.potentialproject.com/books/the-mind-of-the-leader/ Rasmus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasmushougaard/ Jacqueline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinecarter1/ Other Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: We’ll be streaming live on YouTube at 3PM ET every weekday. If you miss us live, you can catch the episode here at www.tenpercent.com/live or on the Ten Percent Happier app. Full show notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rasmus-hougaard-jacqueline-carter-232
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We're in the middle of one of the greatest tests for parents in modern memory. Tens of millions of us, cooped up in our homes with our kids, as a consequence of the coronavirus. Susan Kaiser Greenland can help. She's a former corporate attorney who transformed herself into one of the world's leading experts in meditation for kids, teens and parents. In this episode, she delivers tons of practical tips for formal and informal meditation practices -- for all age groups. She also talks about practices that can help parents not turn on one another in this excruciatingly stressful time. Plugzone: Website: https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/ Previous episode with Susan Kaiser Greenland & Annaka Harris, episode #121 Teaching Mindfulness to Kids: https://radiopublic.com/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harr-WwE9m8/s1!e8765 Other Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: We'll be streaming live on YouTube at 3PM ET every weekday. If you miss us live, you can catch the episode here at www.tenpercent.com/live or on the Ten Percent Happier app. Email address for health care workers who want free access to the app: care@tenpercent.com Full Show Notes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-kaiser-greenland-231
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We're all being inundated with unsettling news about the new coronavirus, but there isn't a lot of information out there about how to stay sane, balanced, and calm in the midst of this pandemic. So that's what this special episode is all about. We've brought in two highly qualified experts: Dr. Luana Marques, an anxiety specialist from Harvard, and Jay Michaelson, a meditation teacher (who also happens to be a lawyer, journalist, and rabbi). We discuss practical tips for handling the fear, uncertainty, and denial that is arising for so many of us right now. Dr. Luana Marques' website: http://www.luanamarquesphd.com/ Jay Michaelson's website: https://www.jaymichaelson.net/ Email address for health care workers who want free access to the app: care@tenpercent.com Buzzfeed article: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/coronavirus-prevention-what-to-do-how-to-help
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Many of us can feel burnt out, tired or stretched too thin. It can be hard to balance everything on our plates, especially in work environments that require long hours and multi-tasking. But Alex Soojung-Kim Pang says that overworking can actually hinder productivity, and that working less can help you get more done. After struggling to deal with the pressure of numerous projects as a technology forecaster and consultant, Pang took a sabbatical at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. He realized that he had accomplished more in just a few short months than he typically did at work. Now, Pang challenges the relationship we have with work, claiming that cramming in all those overtime hours is not beneficial to the mind and body. He says working too hard blocks creative flow and has negative effects on quality. Pang discusses how he came to this realization and how it can be applied to your life. Plug Zone Website: http://www.askpang.com/ Website: http://www.strategy.rest/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Soojung-Kim-Pang/e/B001KHJ91I Twitter: https://twitter.com/askpang Yung Pueblo featured on ABC's Nightline https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/yung-pueblo-instagram-people-heal-happier-life-69352620 Full Show notes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/Alex-Soojung-Kim-Pang-230 Jeff Warren Retreats: https://jeffwarren.org/event/fidgetyskeptics-california/ https://jeffwarren.org/event/how-to-guide-meditation/ https://jeffwarren.org/event/omegaretreat/ Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist teacher who takes an unconventional approach to the practice. He was more of a scholar, studying logic and philosophy rather than mantras and deities. In his early life, Stephen traveled to India and met the Dalai Lama, which led him to become a monk who practiced Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Throughout his practice, Stephen felt torn between reason and faith, which ultimately resulted in his secular approach to Buddhism. He follows it as an ever-changing awakening rather than as a religious belief. Stephen eventually transitioned from Tibetan to Zen practice, as he was drawn by the meditation and existential questions of the world. He says keeping an open and questioning mind is key to the practice, and Zen frees the mind from what holds it back, allowing creativity and the ability to embark on the arts. Stephen says that though it’s important to have a sense of where the Buddhist teachings come from, we shouldn’t get stuck trying to preserve or replicate something that has survived for hundreds of years already. Instead, we should take the risk of translating the insights of these traditions into new forms of language, expression and art form that engage with our modernity. Plug Zone Podcast Audience Survey: www.tenpercent.com/survey Dan’s Documentary: Guardians of the Amazon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdTAbgPQuNI Stephen Batchelor Website: https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/ The Art of Solitude: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300250932/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Batchelor/e/B000ARBI4K Mara Opera: Santa Fe New Mexico, Thursday 5th of March with Stephen Batchelor https://santafevipassana.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Mara-flyer.pdf Full Show Notes: http://tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/stephen-batchelor-229 Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Valerie Brown grew up in poverty in Brooklyn, New York. When she was a teenager, her mother passed away and her father left her to fend for herself. Valerie was forced to become an adult before anyone should have to. She put herself through school, becoming a successful lawyer and lobbyist before realizing that she had been running away from something her whole life. She had been trying to escape her past. Even with all of her success and overcoming hardships, Valerie still found herself unhappy and unfulfilled. That’s when she found mindfulness and meditation. With a new clarity in life, she no longer felt the need to run away because she could now happily live in the present. Valerie is now a leadership coach, educator and retreat leader, helping those in need of clarity in their lives. Though she loves to help everyone, Valerie focuses on people of color who face adversity. Plug Zone Website: www.leadsmartcoaching.com Books: www.amazon.com/Valerie-Brown/e/B00MDBD72M El Camino de Santiago in Spain Pilgrimage: https://www.leadsmartcoaching.com/services/pilgrimage-art-sacred-travel/ Ten Percent Happier Plugs Podcast show-notes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/valerie-brown-228 Podcast Survey: www.tenpercent.com/survey Event with Dan at New York Press Club: https://www.nypressclub.org/in-conversation-with-10-happiers-dan-harris-on-march-4-2020/ Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and an internationally-recognized thought and practice leader focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law and social change work. Born in North Carolina in 1967, Rhonda experienced a childhood of significant trauma and challenge. Yet, she was gifted with the insight that through a life of caring engagement, self-development, and service with others, she could find a way up and out. She has dedicated her life to healing and teaching in ways that support others in a journey to wholeness and justice. A student of a variety of Buddhist and other wisdom teachers, including Norman Fischer, Joan Halifax and Jon Kabat-Zinn, she trained as a mindfulness teacher through the Oasis Teacher Training Institute of the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. She teaches mindfulness-based interventions, awareness, and compassion practices from a range of traditions. Plug Zone Website: https://www.rhondavmagee.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Work-Racial-Justice-Transforming-ebook/dp/B07PLDQFYR Twitter: @rvmagee Show Notes Page https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rhonda-v-magee-227 Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Yung Pueblo (Diego Perez) grew up in poverty after his family immigrated from Ecuador to Boston, Massachusetts. He fell into heavy drugs in his college years, consumed in misery and sadness, before going on his first Vipassana meditation retreat. There, he learned how to accept and embrace change in one’s self, be present in the moment and find joy in both the ups and downs of life. Now a well-known meditator, writer and public speaker, Yung Pueblo uses a plethora of social media platforms to help others on their own journeys towards a free life. Plug Zone Website: http://yungpueblo.com/ Book - Inward: https://www.amazon.com/Inward-Yung-Pueblo/dp/1449495753 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yung_pueblo Twitter: https://twitter.com/YungPueblo Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Sonja Lyubomirsky has been studying human happiness for 30 years. As a professor at the University of California Riverside, her research has centered around things people can do to become happier. In this episode she talks about her findings, including the power of social connection and how that might just be the key ingredient to happiness. She also talks about how we can increase our level of social connection. Show notes: www.tenpercent.com/podcast Sonja’s Website: http://drsonja.net/about-sonja/ Sonja’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/Sonja-Lyubomirsky/e/B001JP269S/ Sonja at UC Riverside: https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/sonja Sonja on Ten Percent Happier: https://10percenthappier.app.link/0E69lbTsH3 Check out the new Ten Percent Happier course on Health Habits with Kelly McGonigal and Alexis Santos: WWW.TENPERCENT.COM/HABITS In the App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/gAd07mXoo2 References in the show: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Susan Cain https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153 Nick Epley, research on talking to strangers on the train https://www.nicholasepley.com/publications Liz Dunn - UBC Barrista researcher https://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/curriculum-vitae-2/publications/ Ed Dieiner - https://eddiener.com/ Barb Frederickson - Love 2.0 https://www.positivityresonance.com/ Dacher Keltner - UC Berkley https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/dacher-keltner Ken Sheldon https://psychology.missouri.edu/people/sheldon Susan Nolen-Hoeksema https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Nolen-Hoeksema/e/B001H6IJH2 Martin Seligman - UPenn Positive Psychology https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/martin-ep-seligman Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061339202 Lisa Walsh - Expressing gratitude on the other person https://www.lisacwalsh.com/ Nial Bolger - Columbia (visible versus invisible social support) https://psychology.columbia.edu/content/niall-bolger Ezra Klein’s Podcast with Allison Gopnick https://www.vox.com/podcasts/2019/6/13/18677595/alison-gopnik-changed-how-i-think-about-love) Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Being open to the feelings of anxiety and fear can be terrifying, but Tara Brach, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC, has a method to guide us through our most difficult emotions. In this episode Brach details how her method, which goes by the acronym R.A.I.N., provides steps to help us face and process our own emotions. She has made strides within the meditation community by weaving together western psychology insights with meditation to begin the emotional healing process. Brach received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and completed a five-year Buddhist teacher training program at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She leads silent meditation retreats, has numerous publications and a weekly podcast. She is the author of Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and her most recent publication, Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of R.A.I.N. Plug Zone Website: https://www.tarabrach.com/ Podcast: https://www.tarabrach.com/talks-audio-video/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/l/B001KE8BHO?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Radical Compassion Challenge: https://www.tarabrach.com/calendar/radical-compassion-challenge-free-10-day-online-event/ Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Jon Kabat-Zinn has been a key player bringing mindfulness meditation to the mainstream. In 1979, he introduced the now world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, a meditation therapy used to treat a variety of illnesses. In this episode, Kabat-Zinn talks about the importance of awareness and why now, more than ever, having awareness and being present in each moment is vital. He says meditation doesn't end when you get off the cushion. Rather, we should view every moment in life as a meditative practice. Plug Zone Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Website: https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/ Books: https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/books-by-jon-kabat-zinn Previous podcast: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jon-kabat-zinn-75 Podcast References Spaceship Earth by Buckminster-Fuller: https://www.amazon.com/Operating-Manual-Spaceship-Buckminster-Fuller/dp/3037781262 Calmer Choice on Cape Cod: https://calmerchoice.org/ MIT Study of mindfulness with middle school children: http://news.mit.edu/2019/mindfulness-mental-health-benefits-students-0826 Jon Kabat-Zinn Forward for “Current Opinion in Psychology”: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X19300211?via%3Dihub Ram Dass: https://www.ramdass.org/ Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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While in medical school in the mid-90's, Alexis Santos found himself in the midst of a spiritual crisis. At one of the top medical schools in the country, he felt unfulfilled and disillusioned by the stress and unhappiness around him and in his fellow students. After two years, he changed course and travelled to India, where he was first introduced to insight meditation on a 10-day retreat in the S.N. Goenka tradition. Interested to deepen his meditation practice, he happened across Sayadaw U Tejaniya, an unknown meditation teacher in Burma at the time. Recognizing his good fortune, Alexis decided to stay on, where he ordained as a Buddhist monk for two years. At the encouragement of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Alexis began teaching and in 2016 he completed the Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society teacher training program with Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield and others. He now teaches meditation retreats at centers throughout North America, Europe and Australia. In this episode, the conversation gets an interesting start with Alexis sharing his views on sleepiness and meditation, and then moving on to his time in Burma with Sayadaw U Tejaniya, the masculine and feminine approach to meditation and habit formation and how to use all our waking hours to practice meditation in daily life. Website: https://www.alexissantos.io/about Alexis courses in the app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/Alexis-Santos Alexis Santos on Dharma Seed: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/525/ Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Ten Percent Happier Discount: www.tenpercent.com/2020 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Dr. Matthew Walker is a sleep scientist with a PhD in neurophysiology. His research investigates the impact of sleep on human health and diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cancer. In this episode, Dr. Walker shares significant findings on what happens to us when we do not get enough sleep. He also offers practical tips on how we can get more, quality sleep and how meditation can help. Join the New Year's Meditation Challenge: https://10percenthappier.app.link/IpETZ7CAX1 Plug Zone-- Book: Why We Sleep, https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501144316 Website: https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleepdiplomat?lang=en Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Dan shares four best practices to help you build and keep up the meditation habit. Join the Free New Years Meditation Challenge: https://10percenthappier.app.link/IpETZ7CAX1 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Award-winning registered dietitian Evelyn Tribole inspires people to rethink their relationship with food and enjoy eating. In today's diet culture, people have stopped trusting their bodies and are ignoring its cues. In her nutrition counseling practice, Evelyn helps people tune in to what their bodies are trying to tell them through awareness and intuitive eating. In this episode, Evelyn describes how her meditation practice has deepened her passion for her career. She further explains the ten principles detailed in her new book, "Intuitive Eating," about rejecting the diet mentality and making peace with all food. Join the New Years Meditation Challenge: https://10percenthappier.app.link/IpETZ7CAX1 Plugzone: Website: https://www.evelyntribole.com/ New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-4th-Anti-Diet-Revolutionary/dp/1250255198/ Work book: https://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-Workbook-Principles-Relationship/dp/1626256225/ Books: https://www.evelyntribole.com/evelyns-books/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyntribole/ Mentioned on the show: - Crazy Wisdom - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/209-kryptonite-for-inner-critic-self-compassion-series/id1087147821?i=1000453700663 Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4
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For as long as she can remember, Kelly McGonigal has felt motivated to understand the causes of pain and suffering and find ways to relieve them. This motivation led her to pursue a career in psychology and cultivate a meditation practice. In this episode Kelly talks about the types of meditation that have the biggest impact for her and how she integrates them into her daily life. She also discusses her new book, "The Joy of Movement," which she hopes will help change the negative perceptions some have about exercise. Calling her book a love letter to movement and human nature, she believes movement can help us access the positive states of bliss, joy, hope, and connection. She also offers practical tips for building healthy habits. Check out the new Ten Percent Happier course on healthy habits with Kelly McGonigal: http://www.tenpercent.com/habits (App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/gAd07mXoo2) Plugzone: - Website: http://kellymcgonigal.com/ - "The Joy of Movement": https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Movement-exercise-happiness-connection-ebook/dp/B07Q4LY2CV - Previous Books: http://kellymcgonigal.com/books - TED Talk: How to make stress your friend https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellymariemcgonigal/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellymcgonigalauthor/ Books mentioned: "Fearless Heart": https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Heart-Courage-Compassionate-Transform/dp/1101982926 Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Nikki Mirghafori has been an Artificial Intelligence scientist for nearly three decades. She never intended to become a Buddhist teacher, but after establishing herself in her AI career, she devoted her time to extensive meditation training. She now teaches Dharma internationally. In this fascinating discussion, Nikki details her extraordinary life experiences. From growing up in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, to writing a thank you letter to a tick that gave her Lyme disease. She talks about her meditation practice today and how it has evolved from when she first started. And she dives into the process and benefits of one of her more challenging teachings, the Mindfulness of Death. Plugzone: Nikki's Website: https://www.nikkimirghafori.com/ The Most Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw Bhaddanta Acinna: https://www.paaukforestmonastery.org/about-us Podcast Episode #10 Leigh Brasington: https://podcasts.apple.com/my/podcast/10-leigh-brasington/id1087147821?i=1000367352158 Ten Percent Happier Gift: https://www.tenpercent.com/gift Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Norman Fischer is a poet, writer, and Zen priest who has dedicated his life to studying, practicing and teaching Zen Buddhism. After graduating from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he moved to San Francisco to learn how to practice meditation in the Soto Zen tradition. He spent decades studying the practice and serving the temple at the San Francisco Zen Center, where he went on to serve as the co-abbot from 1995-2000. After retiring as co-abbot, he founded the Everyday Zen Foundation where he continues to offer teachings and lead retreats. In this episode, Norman discusses with Dan the importance of expanding the way we think about ourselves and the world we live in because, he says, we are drowning in the limitations we've collectively set for ourselves and the ways we live in the world. The theme of the reflections in this episode come from Norman's new book titled "The World Could Be Otherwise." Plugzone: Website: https://www.normanfischer.org/ Everyday Zen Foundation: http://www.everydayzen.org/ The World Could Be Otherwise: Imagination and the Bodhisattva Path: https://www.amazon.com/World-Could-Otherwise-Imagination-Bodhisattva/dp/161180504X Other books mentioned in this conversation: The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli: https://www.amazon.com/Order-Time-Carlo-Rovelli/dp/073521610X Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Elizabeth Stanley has a long history of stress and trauma. In this episode she talks about the adversities she has suffered, which include a near death experience and losing her eyesight for extended periods of time from contracting Lyme disease while serving in the military. After decades of "powering through" and not dealing with her difficult emotions, she reached a breaking point. That's when her healing journey began and she found meditation, sitting multiple long retreats. Stanley has since created a resilience training program, called Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training, that she has taught to military troops and to people working in high-stress situations. Her book, "Widen the Window," offers tools on thriving during stress and recovering from trauma. Plugzone: Website: https://elizabeth-stanley.com/ "Widen the Window": https://www.amazon.com/Widen-Window-Training-Thrive-Recover/dp/0735216592 Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Thubten Chodron was born in Chicago and grew up near Los Angeles. She felt her life's calling was to help others, so she became a teacher, landing her first job in the inner-city schools of Los Angeles. Looking for something to do during summer break, she saw a flyer for a meditation course being taught by two Tibetan Lamas. Little did she know, taking this course would change the trajectory of her life. The teaching that resonated with her most was about setting motivations. She realized that though she was doing good things in her life, the motivations she had for doing them were self-centered. Chodron wanted to dedicate her life to living selflessly and with altruistic intentions. She felt the only way she could do that was to let go of her worldly attachments, including her marriage, and become a Buddhist nun. She believes we all have the potential to be happy and live altruistically, but we get in our own way. In this episode, Chodron offers her thoughts on how to set selfless motivations as we live our everyday lives. Plugzone: Personal Website: https://thubtenchodron.org/ Sravasti Abbey: https://sravastiabbey.org/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/sravastiabbey Books: The Compassionate Kitchen: Buddhist Practices for Eating with Mindfulness and Gratitude https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Kitchen-Practices-Mindfulness-Gratitude/dp/1611806348 Other book titles by Thubton Chodron: https://www.amazon.com/Thubten-Chodron/e/B000APM652
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Kittisaro graduated from Princeton as a Rhodes Scholar and went on to Oxford before going to Thailand to ordain with Ajahn Chah in 1976. He was a monk for 15 years. Thanissara started Buddhist practice in 1975, decided to ordain after meeting Ajahn Chah and spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun. They had known each other for years when they fell in love in 1991. They decided to leave the order so they could be together and were married the following year. They have gone on to become co-founders of Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat in South Africa and co-authors of Listening to the Heart: A Contemplative Guide to Engaged Buddhism. They are Guiding Teachers of Sacred Mountain Sangha, on the Spirit Rock Teacher Council, and are Core Teachers at Insight Meditation Society. In a wide ranging interview, they discuss their practice and how their monastic lives have prepared them for their life in a relationship. Plug Zone Website: http://sacredmountainsangha.org/ Books Listening to the Heart: A Contemplative Journey to Engaged Buddhism: https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Heart-Contemplative-Journey-Buddhism/dp/1583948392 Time to Stand Up: An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth -- The Buddha's Life and Message through Feminine Eyes https://www.amazon.com/Time-Stand-Up-Buddhist-Manifesto/dp/158394916X Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Perel provides her insight on such topics as: how to make a relationship work in today’s society, the real reasons why we cheat, and how political or economic shifts can affect our relationships. Her celebrated TED talks on relationships have garnered more than 28 million views and her international bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 25 languages. Plug Zone Website, Newsletter and Blog: https://www.estherperel.com/ Podcast: Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-should-we-begin-with-esther-perel/id1237931798 Podcast: How’s Work? With Esther Perel: https://open.spotify.com/show/0P13JasQfVZ1RiDCMZMYNU Book: Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence: https://www.amazon.com/Mating-Captivity-Unlocking-Erotic-Intelligence/dp/0060753641 Book: The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity: https://www.estherperel.com/store/the-state-of-affairs TED Talk: Rethinking infidelity… a talk for anyone who has ever loved https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_rethinking_infidelity_a_talk_for_anyone_who_has_ever_loved?language=en TED Talk: The secret to desire in a long-term relationship: https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_the_secret_to_desire_in_a_long_term_relationship?language=en The Future of Love, Lust, and Listening: SXSW 2018: https://www.sxsw.com/interactive/2018/esther-perel-interactive-keynote-at-sxsw-2018-video/ Relationship Skills and Workplace Dynamics at SXSW 2019: https://www.sxsw.com/interactive/2019/esther-perel-on-relationship-skills-and-workplace-dynamics-at-sxsw-2019-video/ Instagram: @estherperelofficial Twitter: @EstherPerel Facebook: @esther.perel, https://www.facebook.com/esther.perel/ Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Our guest this week is Alicia Menendez, an award-winning journalist, who finds herself in a common position for many women: caring way too much about what others think of her. Be nice, but not too nice. Be successful, but not too successful. Just be likeable, whatever that means. In the workplace strong women are often criticized for being cold, while warm women may be seen as pushovers. In her just released book, The Likeability Trap, and in our conversation, she discusses this issue and explains how and why both men and women should combat it. Plug Zone The Likeability Trap: https://www.amazon.com/Likeability-Trap-Break-Free-Worth/dp/0062838768 Website: http://aliciamenendez.com/ Twitter: @AliciaMenendez Instagram: @aliciamenendezxo Facebook: @AliciaMenendezTV An Evening with Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris: Staying Sane in a Crazy World https://www.nyimc.org/event/an-evening-with-joseph-goldstein-and-dan-harris-staying-sane-in-a-crazy-world/ Episode References Psychological Safety / What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html THE FIVE INVITATIONS: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully https://fiveinvitations.com/the-book/ WeCroak: https://www.wecroak.com/ Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Brian Grazer is a Hollywood giant! He’s made more than 100 films including Splash, Apollo 13 and the best-picture-winning A Beautiful Mind. He tells Dan this week how he has used his own curiosity in others to build powerful relationships. He takes us back to when he was a law clerk at Warner Bros. delivering papers to the biggest names in Hollywood and how he was able to overcome personal obstacles to strike up conversations he would turn into connections. Grazer also discusses how he uses transcendental meditation to calm feelings of anxiety and fear. We also discuss his latest book, Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection, his secrets on how to engage with others, and the importance of eye contact is when it comes to building relationships. Plug Zone Face to Face: https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Contact-Power-Personal-Connection/dp/1501147722 A Curious Mind: http://www.grazeriscurious.com/ Social: @BrianGrazer An Evening with Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris: Staying Sane in a Crazy World https://www.nyimc.org/event/an-evening-with-joseph-goldstein-and-dan-harris-staying-sane-in-a-crazy-world/ Dan’s Book Recommendations: https://www.tenpercent.com/reading Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group: https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Dr. Susan Pollak found refuge in meditation at a young age, introduced to it by a family member. Describing herself as an anxious and neurotic kid, she noticed how meditation offered her some relief. Pollak has remained fascinated with meditation ever since. She earned degrees in comparative religion and psychology, becoming a psychologist, and for decades she has been integrating the practice of mediation into psychotherapy. In her new book, “Self-Compassion for Parents,” she explains why parents need to care for themselves first in order to provide the best care for their children. For those short on time, she’s created meditation practices that take just a few minutes and she explains how even small moments of mindfulness can make a big difference. Plug Zone The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy: http://meditationandpsychotherapy.org/ Center for Mindfulness and Compassion: https://www.chacmc.org/ The Art of Now Blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-now Website: https://www.drsusanpollak.com/ Self-Compassion for Parents: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Compassion-Parents-Nurture-Caring-Yourself/dp/1462533094 Additional Books: https://www.drsusanpollak.com/books.php Addiction-Related Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (Habit Change): https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/people/judson-brewer-md-phd G. Alan Marlatt (Addictive Behaviors): http://depts.washington.edu/abrc/marlatt.htm Jessica Morey Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme): https://ibme.com/ Ten Percent Happier Podcast Insiders Feedback Group https://10percenthappier.typeform.com/to/vHz4q4 VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Self-compassion may not be your strong suit, but with this introductory training, you’ll develop more resilience, kindness, and ease in life. Plug Zone https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations
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Life can be challenging. It’s comforting to have kind, supportive people around you to help you through it. Dr. Kristin Neff believes it’s equally important to cultivate a kind, supportive inner voice. In her last year of graduate school Neff was going through what she calls a messy divorce. Looking for a way to alleviate the strong feelings of stress and shame she was experiencing, she found meditation. Drawn to the integration of mindfulness and compassion practices, she was able to work through her emotional turmoil. She came to the realization that she deserved kindness and encouragement and she didn’t need to rely on anyone other than herself to fulfill those needs. That epiphany inspired her to spend the next several years of her life doing self-compassion work. Neff believes self-compassion is a trainable skill anyone can learn, even those who are not naturally inclined to be kind to themselves. She recently co-created a workbook that guides the reader through the practices of mindful self-compassion, hoping to help others experience the life-changing benefits of being kind to ourselves. Plug Zone Website: https://self-compassion.org/ Workbook: https://self-compassion.org/mindful-self-compassion-workbook/ Twitter: @self_compassion TED Talk: https://ed.ted.com/on/zhq011AI VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Self-Compassion may not be your strong suit, but with this introductory training, you’ll develop more resilience, kindness and ease in life. Plug Zone See Yourself Compassionately: https://10percenthappier.app.link/ZHqOD1TNv0 Jessica Morey Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/weTJGm1Nv0
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Dr. Sydney Spears is a professor at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and holds a PhD in Clinical Social Work from Smith College. As a woman of color, she tells us she has experienced layers of oppression and discrimination. Looking for a way to make sense of these experiences, and the difficult emotions she felt because of them, she became interested in meditation. Through her mindfulness practice she realized her identity did not need to be defined by the social constructs society often uses to discriminate. She found comfort in knowing that while she may not be able to control her external experiences, no one could affect her internal peace. Now she teaches the concept of mindful self-compassion to help others come to this same realization. Plug Zone Website: https://midlifeateasecounseling.com/ Twitter: @MidlifeAtEase Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness: https://mindfulness-alliance.org/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Bonus Meditation with Sharon Salzberg, Self-Compassion Plug Zone Self-Compassion Meditation: https://10percenthappier.app.link/pRxEZhPgk0 Sharon Salzberg Courses & Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/NOCqrWwik0
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We are all guilty at times of taking on too much. Our guest this week, Jocelyn K. Glei, explains some of the benefits of taking a step back. She discusses the importance of slowing things down to prevent burnout and boost creativity. She’s written about maximizing potential and managing each day. Her most recent book is Unsubscribe: How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done. Plug Zone Website: https://jkglei.com/ Hurry Slowly Podcast: https://hurryslowly.co/ Course: https://reset-course.com/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Jocelyn-K-Glei/e/B00BSX6EJE/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 Twitter: @jkglei VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Life is already complicated enough. Meditation doesn’t have to be, if we learn to be simple and easy. Plug Zone Be Simple & Easy: https://10percenthappier.app.link/6WVKqYJV6Z Joseph Goldstein Courses & Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/x9Q0TCy36Z
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One of the first American Vipassana teachers and the co-founder of Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein, is a highly recognized name to many in western meditation. He has studied and practiced various forms of Buddhist meditation under world renowned teachers from India and he has led, and continues to lead, numerous insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide. Goldstein shares his abundance of knowledge on insight meditation, the confusion between attention and mindfulness, ethical frameworks and provides clarity on various terms such as the awakened mind, checking the attitude of the mind, in-order-to mind and more. Currently, Goldstein is a meditation teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts as well as on the Ten Percent Happier app. He is also the author of numerous publications such as Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening and One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism. Plug Zone Insight Meditation Society: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/ Joseph Goldstein Courses & Meditations on the Ten Percent Happier App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/x9Q0TCy36Z New York Insight December 5th Event: https://www.nyimc.org/event/an-evening-with-joseph-goldstein-and-dan-harris-staying-sane-in-a-crazy-world/ Bonus Meditation: Be Simple & Easy: https://10percenthappier.app.link/6WVKqYJV6Z Jeff Warren November Meditation Retreat: https://jeffwarren.org/event/fidgetyskeptics-northcarolina-2/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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David Fajgenbaum, a young, promising medical student, could not have imagined he would become a patient in the same hospital he was serving his residency. After being diagnosed with a very rare illness, he came close to death on multiple occasions. In the throes of one encounter, he promised himself that if he survived, he would make a difference in the fight against this disease. Through his research, he found a drug that he believes has helped him into remission. In the wake of his bouts, he has chosen to live his life "on overtime," time that he is extremely lucky to have, gifting him a unique perspective on living we can all learn from. Fajgenbaum is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network and leads the Castleman Research Program at Penn Medicine. He is the author of Chasing My Cure which details his journey of going from a college athlete, living a healthy life to being diagnosed, and the hurdles he had overcome with love, determination and faith. Plug Zone Actively Moving Forward (AMF): https://healgrief.org/ The Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN): https://cdcn.org/ Book: https://chasingmycure.com/ Twitter: @DavidFajgenbaum Facebook: @davidfajgenbaum, https://www.facebook.com/davidfajgenbaum/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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As far as meditation teachers go, they don't come more highly regarded than our guest this week, Jack Kornfield. Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. You might think this meditation master is unflappable, but you would be mistaken. Kornfield discusses how he, one of the preeminent teachers in the field, still encounters difficult times, including how his marriage ended in divorce. He also delves into the role psychedelics play in the mindfulness movement. Plug Zone Website: https://jackkornfield.com/ Books: https://jackkornfield.com/books-audio-programs/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heart-wisdom-with-jack-kornfield/id923017416 Twitter: @JackKornfield Facebook: @jkornfield, https://www.facebook.com/jkornfield/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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For Christine Porath, meditation was one way of coping with a toxic work environment. Her own experience, paired with watching her father suffer a serious health scare tied to his own harmful workplace atmosphere, led to her interest in researching civility in the workplace. She shares with us her findings, such as how working with uncivil co-workers can drive down morale as well as performance, and she presents data on the real-world financial consequences of incivility in the workplace. Porath is the author of "Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace" and co-author of "The Cost of Bad Behavior." Plug Zone Website: http://www.christineporath.com/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Christine-Porath/e/B01NCOGEER%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Twitter: @PorathC Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/christine_porath_why_being_nice_to_your_coworkers_is_good_for_business VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Peter Attia is the founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice focusing on the applied science of longevity. In other words, his practice aims to increase the length of one's life, while simultaneously improving the quality. He explains how happiness, or emotional well-being, can help accomplish both and he recommends meditation as one way to achieve that emotional well-being. He knows this first hand; emotionally describing the personal struggles he overcame to transform himself into the person he is today. Discussing both his personal and professional beliefs he tells Dan, "Even If being happier didn't extend your life one day, even if it shortened your life a day, wouldn't it be worth it?" Plug Zone Website: https://peterattiamd.com/ The Peter Attia Drive Podcast: https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @PeterAttiaMD VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Bonus Meditation with Sharon Salzberg, Walking Meditation
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At 43 years old, Byron Katie was unhappily married, suffered from depression and agoraphobia and was addicted to codeine and alcohol. In fact, she felt so much self-hatred, she slept on the floor believing she did not deserve a bed. Yet in the midst of her crisis, she awoke one morning in a halfway house, with a sense of pure joy. A switch had been flipped and all her suffering disappeared. It had become evident to her that her thoughts were causing all her emotional pain and she had finally broken free. Katie believes she has been given a gift and now spends her life trying to help end suffering for others. Plug Zone The Work of Byron Katie: https://thework.com/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Byron-Katie/e/B001H6S8B4 Twitter: @ByronKatie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theworkofbyronkatie/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8dvufocK9zM6KnkronGbzA The Work App: https://thework.com/the-work-app/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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World-renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg recently faced a very serious health scare and a true test of her decades of practice. In this very candid conversation Sharon tells us what happened to her, how her mindfulness training took over to help her get through the crisis and the lessons she learned coming perilously close to death. Plug Zone Website: https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/ Social Media: @sharonsalzberg Ten Percent Happier Resources Loving-kindness + Walking meditation: https://10percenthappier.app.link/cnjzzwHvhX VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Patrick Dempsey is not just a pretty face. Sure he's widely known for playing McDreamy, aka Dr. Derek Shepherd, on ABC’s Grey's Anatomy, but that hardly scratches the surface. A meditator since the 1980's, he's used the practice to find the right state of mind for both his acting and professional race car driving. He's even traveled to India to further his practice. His mental training proved valuable during his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer, and he has since been inspired to start the Dempsey Center, which "makes life better for people managing the impact of cancer." In this enlightening conversation, he explains how mindfulness is a driving force in every aspect of his life. Plug Zone The Dempsey Center: https://www.dempseycenter.org/ The Dempsey Challenge: https://www.dempseycenter.org/dempsey-challenge/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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On March 19th of last year, Dean Valoras' life changed forever. That is the day he lost his teenage daughter Alexandra to suicide. Alexandra was an intelligent, successful, highly-motivated high school student. Externally she appeared happy and excited for the future, but that did not match how she felt internally. Alexandra kept secret journals where she wrote about feeling like a failure. In this episode, Dean shares the story of Alexandra in hopes of helping others and he discusses his meditation practice and other tools he’s using to help him move forward. Suicide Prevention Resources: http://www.bethe1to.com/ If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK], or text TALK to 741-741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org - for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it – you are not alone. If a person says they are considering suicide: Take the person seriously Stay with them Help them remove lethal means Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Text TALK to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7 Escort them to mental health services or an emergency room Plug Zone Dean Valoras Blog: https://rocktherisingblue.wordpress.com/ CBS Sunday Morning Special: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-lost-girls-diary-alexandra-valoras/ Ten Percent Happier Meditation Joseph Goldstein's Self Compassion: https://10percenthappier.app.link/rl7xRtFOiX VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Human beings are wired for social connection. Sadly, thanks in large part to the internet, mobile phones and social media, we are seeing an increase in social isolation. Zen teacher and psychotherapist Koshin Paley Ellison refers to this diminishing of social interaction and intimacy with other individuals as Zombieland. In our conversation, and in his book "Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up," he hopes to help others rediscover their values and discover a way to truly live life to the fullest. Plug Zone Web: https://zencare.org/ Books: Wholehearted: https://www.amazon.com/Wholehearted-Slow-Down-Help-Wake/dp/1614295255/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KDFHIQH761J0&keywords=wholehearted+slow+down%2C+help+out%2C+wake+up+by+koshin+paley+ellison&qid=1563975290&s=gateway&sprefix=wholehearted%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1 Awake at the Bedside: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1614291195/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 Zencare Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zencare-podcasts/id369948549 Instagram: @koshinpaleyellison Twitter: @koshinpaley Facebook: @koshinpaley VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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We all encounter stress, but what we sometimes overlook is that stress can be useful, it is, after all, built into us by evolution. Our guest this week teaches how to distinguish between good and bad stress and how to make it work for us. Modupe Akinola is Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School where she conducts research on how certain environments can induce stress and how this stress can impact performance both positively and negatively. It was her own emotional stressors which led her to explore meditation. Quickly recognizing its benefits, Akinola took the plunge and traveled to India to further her practice. Modupe talks about her meditation journey, embracing emotions, unconscious bias and details her research dealing with police officers and bias and the link between depression and creativity. Plug Zone Website: https://www.modupeakinola.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/modupe-akinola-5300b735 Twitter: @ProfAkinola Ten Percent Happier Resources: The new Stress Better course with Modupe Akinola Web: https://www.tenpercent.com/stress App: https://10percenthappier.app.link/stress-better-sms VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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If there was such a thing as a mind-ectomy or a mind transplant, our guest this week, Sylvia Boorstein, tells us she would have had it, confiding, "I need a mind that doesn't make up worries about something that didn't even happen yet." She calls herself "a life-long worrier, an inveterate fretter." Yet this very same person is an accomplished author, psychotherapist, Buddhist teacher, co-founding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and a senior teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Years ago, on her first meditation retreat, she received news that her father had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. She remembers feeling devastated, but not hysterical or overwhelmed. It was in that moment she realized how meditation had prepared her to deal with life's challenges differently. Through her captivating story-telling, Boorstein explains how she has achieved “poise of mind” and is able to manage life more gracefully. Plug Zone Website: http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/ About: http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/about Books: http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/books VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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An athlete as a kid, a devastating sports injury would change James Clear's life forever. While a sophomore in high school, a baseball bat struck Clear in the face, resulting in massive head trauma. He would need to relearn very basic skills to function as himself again. Bit by bit, he started forming small habits which over time resulted in big changes. Today, he is the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Plug Zone About: https://jamesclear.com/ Book: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Most kids are not spending their time in solitude exploring the abilities of the mind. In that way, Narayan Liebenson was not like most kids. Fascinated with the mind since a young age, she has led a life studying meditation in different traditions. Her training over the past forty years includes study with meditation masters in the Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan traditions. In 1985, Liebenson co-founded the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, which describes itself as "an urban refuge and teaching center for all who seek inner peace through the liberating practice of Insight Meditation." She is also the author of the recently released book, "The Magnanimous Heart: Compassion and Love, Loss and Grief, Joy and Liberation." In it, and in our discussion, she describes how to move from the "constant squeeze" of suffering to a direct experience of what she calls "enough-ness." We also discuss how that concept relates to the Buddhist teaching of "Hungry ghosts," creatures with huge stomachs and tiny mouths, who always remain hungry. Plug Zone New Book "The Magnanimous Heart: Compassion and Love, Loss and Grief, Joy and Liberation" https://www.amazon.com/Magnanimous-Heart-Compassion-Grief-Liberation/dp/1614294852 Cambridge Insight Meditation Center: https://cambridgeinsight.org/about/teachers/ To donate to the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center: https://cambridgeinsight.org/generosity/unrestricted-gift-dana/ Ten Percent Happier Meditation – Oren Jay Sofer's Practicing Kindness: https://10percenthappier.app.link/3nu2IRiOiX VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Jerry Colonna is the CEO and co-founder of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm committed to the notion that better humans make better leaders. For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, executive, and board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity. Colonna is a certified professional coach, who draws on a wide variety of experiences to help clients design a more conscious life and make needed changes to improve their performance and satisfaction. Plug Zone Company: https://www.reboot.io/ Book: Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up: https://www.rebootbyjerry.com/ Event at the Rubin Museum with Dan Harris & Jerry Colonna 7/10 https://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/jerry-colonna-dan-harris-07-10-2019 Twitter: @jerrycolonna Ten Percent Happier Meditation - Sharon Salzberg's Dressing Up The Inner Critic: https://10percenthappier.app.link/2sFkPUVNiX VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Chris Ruane has been a member of the British Parliament for more than 20 years. As a meditation and mindfulness practitioner, he wanted to share the benefits of these practices with his colleagues in government. In 2013, he set up free mindfulness classes in the UK Parliament. Since then, more than 150 British Members of Parliament and peers have received mindfulness training, along with 250 members of their staff. Jamie Bristow serves as Director of The Mindfulness Initiative, which was founded in 2013 to support British politicians in forming the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness (MAPPG), a cross party group dedicated to developing public policy on mindfulness in health, education, criminal justice and the workplace. Ruane and Bristow have joined forces to bring mindfulness techniques to legislators around the world, hoping it will lead to more thoughtful decision-making and constructive dialogues between opposing political parties. Plug Zone Chris Ruane Bio: http://oxfordmindfulness.org/people/chris-ruane/ Chris Ruane Email Address: ruanec@parliament.uk Chris Ruane Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chris_RuaneMP Jamie Bristow Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamiebristow The Mindfulness Initiative: https://www.themindfulnessinitiative.org/ Ten Percent Happier Meditation - Jeff Warren's Training the Mind: https://10percenthappier.app.link/Sx7HisBOiX VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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As a child Annaka Harris suffered from migraines. Searching for ways to cope with that pain, she became curious - wondering "what is this pain" and "where is it coming from?" The line of questioning shifted her perspective and propelled her into a quest of understanding the mystery of consciousness. Harris takes us with her on this quest in our interview and in her book Conscious, which looks at the many definitions of consciousness and challenges long-held assumptions about this complicated concept. The Plug Zone Website: https://annakaharris.com/about/ Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind: https://annakaharris.com/conscious/ I Wonder: https://annakaharris.com/i-wonder/ Twitter: @annakaharris Meditation From Joseph Goldstein on Ten Percent Happier "Turbo-Charge Your Meditation" aka, Busy Life Meditation: https://10percenthappier.app.link/o431sZ4XWW VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Experiencing bliss is easy - so easy you might miss it.
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Diana Winston first learned about meditation as a kid, but it wasn’t until she traveled to Asia following college that her practice really took off. She has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1989, including a year as a Buddhist nun in Burma! Thankfully for us, she has returned to mainstream society where we can learn from her teachings. She’s been called one of the nation’s best-known teachers of mindfulness and has taught mindfulness for 20 years at hospitals, universities, corporations, non-profits, and schools in the US and Asia. Currently she is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA Semel Institute’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) and the co-author of Fully Present, the Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness. She is also the author of Wide Awake for teens, and has published numerous articles on mindfulness. In our conversation, Winston shares stories from her own practice, including her time as a Buddhist nun, as well as what she calls her most challenging and rewarding practice - trying to mindfully parent her nine-year-old daughter. The Plug Zone Website: http://www.dianawinston.com/about_me.html The Little Book of Being: http://www.dianawinston.com/ UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center: www.uclahealth.org/marc Twitter: @dianawinston “Just This” Talk by Diana Winston in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/EPje4jnDXW VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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It’s hard to deny our society’s increasing dependence on, if not addiction to, email, apps and social media. If we recognize it as a problem, then how do we fix it? Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and the author of the New York Times bestseller: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Newport writes about our growing dependency on technology and its negative consequences. From deleting apps on your phone to spending time alone with your thoughts, Newport provides valuable steps to break away from our increasing digital dependency. The Plug Zone Website: http://www.calnewport.com/ Digital Minimalism: http://www.calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Daniel M. Ingram sparked controversy in the Buddhist world when he declared himself to be an arahat, the term commonly used for a person who has reached the final stage of enlightenment. In this week's episode, Ingram responds to his critics and details what he experienced during the course of this journey. He also talks about his book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, which aims to help people navigate their path to enlightenment, which he insists is an attainable goal for any of us. The Plug Zone Website: http://integrateddaniel.info/ Book: https://www.mctb.org/ Twitter: @danielmingram Additional sites: https://firekasina.org/ https://www.dharmaoverground.org VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Helen Tworkov first encountered Buddhism in Nepal during the 1960's and has studied in both the Zen and Tibetan traditions. She has also studied with Mingyur Rinpoche, a well-known Tibetan Buddhist meditation master. Together they have written the book "In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying." The book details Rinpoche’s intimate account of his three year journey away from his monastery and the near-death experience that allowed him to gain life-changing wisdom. The Plug Zone Tricycle: https://tricycle.org/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-World-Journey-Through-Bardos/dp/0525512535 VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston and has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is also the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her TED Talk "The power of vulnerability" has been viewed nearly 40 million times and Netflix has just released her special, "Call to Courage." In these speeches, and in our conversation, Brown explains why you can’t have courage without vulnerability. The Plug Zone Website: https://brenebrown.com/ TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en Netflix Special: https://www.netflix.com/brenebrown VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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At just 21 years old Marc Lesser took a year-long leave from his education to explore meditation. His one year leave would turn into 10 when he became the director of the first Zen monastery in the western world. He’s a Zen priest, an avid meditator and teacher, the author of several books and has been the CEO of several companies including his current company, which aims to integrate business practices with mindfulness - also the focal point of his new book Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen. The Plug Zone Website: https://www.marclesser.net/ VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Suffering from his own long battle with depression, social scientist and author Johann Hari yearned for a greater understanding of what caused it and what might help combat it. Hari set out on a journey to not only meet the leading experts on depression, but to observe how other parts of the world treat it. He breaks down his research into the biological, psychological and social causes of depression and presents several fascinating studies from around the world. The Plug Zone Website: https://2018.johannhari.com/ Twitter: @johannhari101 VOTE Please vote for your favorite Health & Wellness podcast in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards. Vote Here: http://bit.ly/10webby VOICEMAILS Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail: 646-883-8326
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Our guest this week, Jay Michaelson, wears many hats. He is the author of six books and over three hundred articles on religion, sexuality, law, and contemplative practice. He is a columnist for The Daily Beast and is a frequent commentator on NPR and MSNBC. In his 'other' career, Jay is an affiliated assistant professor at Chicago Theological Seminary, teaches meditation in Jewish and Theravadan Buddhist lineages, and holds nondenominational rabbinic ordination. And for a decade, he was a professional LGBT activist. Michaelson also holds the special title of Chief Editor in Wisdom Content on the 10% Happier app. Our conversation touches many topics from the overlap of politics and spirituality, to the usefulness of meditation as the parent of a toddler. ***Please vote for your favorite Health & Wellness podcast in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards. Vote Here: http://bit.ly/10webby The Plug Zone Website: https://www.jaymichaelson.net/ Books: https://www.jaymichaelson.net/books/ Twitter: @jaymichaelson
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With suicide being the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, the likelihood is that nearly every person in this country knows someone who has died by suicide. In just the last couple of weeks, we learned of the suicides of three people linked by American tragedies - two survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the father of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Jeremy Richman, a recent guest on our podcast. ABC's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton has witnessed firsthand the impact of a loved one's suicide. When her ex-husband killed himself soon after their divorce, her world - and that of her children - was shattered. In a quest to provide comfort and solace to the countless others who have had to face the aftermath of suicide, Dr. Ashton joins us this week, not as a medical professional, but as a person whose family has been rocked by suicide, who found the courage, community and grit to move on with her life. The Plug Zone Website: https://jenniferashtonmd.com/# Book: https://jenniferashtonmd.com/book/life-after-suicide/ Social: @DrJAshton
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We all have biases, and only by acknowledging them can we make a conscious decision to not act on them. That's one of the teachings of our guest this week, award-winning psychologist Dolly Chugh, who studies the psychology of human bias. She's also the author of the book, "The Person You Mean To Be: How Good People Fight Bias." Chugh also discusses the role meditation can play in helping to combat acting on our biases. The Plug Zone Website: http://www.dollychugh.com/ Book: http://www.dollychugh.com/book
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Our guest this week, Anuradha Bhagwati, is a writer, activist, yoga and meditation teacher, and Marine Corps veteran. She founded the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN), which brought national attention to sexual violence in the military and helped repeal the ban on women in combat. In our conversation, she details her lifelong journey of rebellion, the obstacles she's faced along the way and how she has found peace. The Plug Zone Website: https://anuradhabhagwati.com/ Social: @AnuBhagwati Author: Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience
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Gretchen Rubin describes herself as a writer who relentlessly explores human nature to understand how we can make our lives better. Through her bestselling books and her award-winning podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, she shares strategies that help people understand themselves and create a happier life. In this week's episode she sits down with Dan to discuss the connection between happiness and decluttering, which is also the topic of her latest book, "Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness." Rubin provides insight on what clutter is doing to our minds, and how cleaning up can improve our outlook. The Plug Zone Website: https://gretchenrubin.com/ Social: @gretchenrubin
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This week's guest, Mirabai Bush, has co-written a book with spiritual teacher Ram Dass entitled "Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying. In the book, and in our conversation, Bush explores how death can help us cultivate gratitude, compassion, mindfulness, and an abiding joy in the simple beauty of living. The Plug Zone Website: http://www.mirabaibush.com/ Website: https://www.ramdass.org/
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Social scientist, author and podcast host Arthur C. Brooks believes America has developed a "culture of contempt." He feels we increasingly view people who disagree with us not as merely incorrect or misguided, but as worthless, which is warping political discourse, tearing us apart as people, and even wrecking our health. In this week's episode, Brooks discusses his meditation practice, his relationship with the Dalai Lama and how we can bridge national divides and make progress as a society, all while becoming happier and more effective people. The Plug Zone Website: https://arthurbrooks.com? Podcast: https://arthurbrooks.com/podcast/
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Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter from the Potential Project discuss their mission of enhancing performance for leaders and large organizations through mindfulness. Potential Project believes we can cocreate a more peaceful and kinder world by helping others reach a calmer and more focused mindset. Hougaard and Carter have deep roots in the practice of meditation and mindfulness and have written books about what kind of mental qualities are needed for leaders in today's society along with what will effectively drive great work performance. Hougaard and Carter provide insight on how they have achieved this with large organizations such as Microsoft and Google. The Plug Zone Website: https://www.potentialproject.com/ Books: https://www.potentialproject.com/books/the-mind-of-the-leader/
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Having dreamed of space since she was a little girl, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides wants to use the power of space to shift our perspectives, connect us with each other and our home planet and become the kind of species we would be proud to send to the nearest star. She studied astrobiology at Stanford and Caltech, and has done research on plant life in the Canadian Arctic with NASA, dove to the bottom of the ocean with Titanic Director James Cameron and floated weightless hundreds of times as a Flight Director for Zero Gravity Corporation. She currently teaches leadership and development, as well as mindfulness, to the staff at Virgin Galactic. She believes space and mindfulness have the power to bring the world together in a way that will help expand our minds and grow as a species. The Plug Zone Website: http://lorettawhitesides.com/ Website: https://www.thenewrightstuff.com/ Twitter: @lorettahidalgo
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Neuroscientist, philosopher, best-selling author and podcast host Sam Harris teams up with Dan this week for a special podcast recorded in front of a live audience. Dan and Sam discuss a variety of topics including what meditation is and what it isn't, different types of meditation and they offer insight on meditation retreats. They also answer an array of questions from their live audience. This special program took place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on May 4th, 2018. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: https://samharris.org/
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If it were not for this week's guest, Dan Harris may never have found meditation. Mark Epstein, M.D. is a psychiatrist and the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy. Dr. Epstein discovered Buddhism at a young age and says he saw therapy as very Buddhist, making it a natural transition. He explains how the traditions, when used together, can lead to spiritual and psychological growth. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: http://markepsteinmd.com/ Books: http://markepsteinmd.com/?cat=2
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Frank Ostaseski experienced death at a young age, losing his mother as a teenager and his father just a few years later. In his search for healing, he found meditation. With this as his foundation, Ostaseski would go on to become a pioneer in end-of-life care. He co-founded the Zen Hospice Project, the first Buddhist hospice in America, establishing a model for mindful and compassionate care and he founded the Metta Institute training countless healthcare clinicians and caregivers treating those facing life-threatening illness. He explains what he's come to learn about death, and life, through his experiences. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Bio: https://fiveinvitations.com/about-frank-ostaseski/ Author, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully https://fiveinvitations.com/
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You remember that old commercial where the guys says, "I'm not only the Hair Club President, but I’m also a client."? That's kind of how Ellen Hendriksen sees herself. She's a clinical psychologist who helps millions calm their anxiety and be their authentic selves through her award-winning Savvy Psychologist podcast, and at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. But she doesn't just help others, she too has suffered from social anxiety. Hendriksen explains the techniques she has developed to combat social anxiety. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: https://www.ellenhendriksen.com/ Twitter: @EllenHendriksen Podcast: The Savvy Psychologist's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Mental Health Author, How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety
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Oliver Burkeman writes about social psychology, self-help culture, productivity, and the science of happiness in This Column Will Change Your Life for The Guardian. In his writings, he challenges "The Power of Positive Thinking," and in fact argues for the benefits of contemplating worst-case scenarios. His new book, "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking," explores the benefits of negativity, uncertainty, failure and imperfection. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Twitter: @oliverburkeman Columns: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/oliverburkeman The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking https://www.amazon.com/Antidote-Happiness-People-Positive-Thinking/dp/0865478015
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With the new year upon us, it's the perfect time to help you make those resolutions stick. This week Dan Harris and his "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" co-author, meditation instructor Jeff Warren, listen to and answer your questions about how to begin a meditation practice, make it stick, and many other queries which may arise during the course of your practice. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: http://jeffwarren.org/ Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Fidgety-Skeptics-Happier-How/dp/0399588949
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Ben Feder was the CEO of a tremendously successful company, but it was coming at great personal cost. Returning home from his worldwide business travels, he greeted his family, only to realize how disconnected he felt from them. For years he had sacrificed time with his family to focus on his work, but at this moment he decided something needed to change. He embarked on a year-long sabbatical, in a very big way. He gave up his job, pulled his kids out of school and moved his family from New York to Bali. He explains how that journey changed all of their lives. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: https://benfederauthor.com/ Author: Take Off Your Shoes https://benfederauthor.com/product/take-off-your-shoes Twitter: @BenFederAuthor Facebook: @BenFederAuthor
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You may know Paula Faris as the former co-host of ABC's The View or Dan's former co-anchor on ABC's Good Morning America weekend edition. What you don't know is why she decided to leave these TWO dream jobs, and the role that meditation and her faith played in that life-altering decision. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Check out Paula's podcast: Journeys of Faith http://abcn.ws/journeys
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In every conversation we have, from mundane to serious, our personal motivations drive what we say. But most of the time we are not aware of what our personal motivations are and we can end up mindlessly saying something that causes conflict with someone else. Oren Sofer has spent years studying this and has written a how-to guide to help people apply mindfulness techniques to have more meaningful conversations. He describes the importance of learning to communicate better as a "life hack" that will have a positive effect on every area of your life.
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For many years it was Ruth King's job to work with large corporations, making them aware of racial bias within their company and helping them rectify it through diversity training and leadership development programs. Over time, for a variety of reasons, she decided it was time for a change. However, just as she was about to move in a new direction, she met a woman who would introduce her to meditation, which in turn would revolutionize how she approached the challenges of her career from that point forward. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone https://ruthking.net/
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Michael Gelb found his calling during a tumultuous time in American history. It was during the polarized 1970s Gelb decided he wanted to look for ways to help people clearly think through and debate real issues. He found meditation to be a good starting point, which eventually led him to England, where he studied the spiritual traditions of the world and how they're interconnected. Gelb explains how he took these studies of consciousness and self-awareness and translated them into practical techniques to help people think more clearly and creatively. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326. The Plug Zone Website: https://michaelgelb.com/ Twitter: @MichaelJGelb
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Musician Amos Lee started meditating in college as a way to cope with his mother's breast cancer diagnosis and his own Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For two years, he was going on retreats and meditating two hours a day. Lee knows what it's like to face personal hardships, so he views his music "as a service," a way to reach out and comfort people who may also be suffering. He talks about how working on his new album, "My New Moon," was therapeutic for him, writing about some very personal experiences. Finally, Lee performs a song he wrote after witnessing his grandmothers passing, in this touching episode. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326.
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ABC News Senior National Correspondent Matt Gutman is, unfortunately, no stranger to tragedy, both in his career as a journalist and his personal life. He learned the practice of meditation at just 12 years old, mere months before his father would be killed in a plane crash. And now, nearly 30 years later he's reporting on how meditation played a role in the miraculous rescue of 12 boys trapped in a cave in his new book, "The Boys in the Cave: Deep Inside the Impossible Rescue in Thailand." He opens up about his own personal tragedy and gives a riveting account of that rescue in this week's conversation. Have a question for Dan? Leave us a voicemail at 646-883-8326.
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Tal Rabinowitz was a top executive at NBC, developing some of the network's high profile comedy programs, but after nearly 20 years in the business she was let go. And then, SHE let go. Rabinowitz found herself burned out and ready to take her career in a new direction. She tells Dan how and why she decided to open up her own meditation studio, what her meditation practice looks like and how she's introducing meditation to her two-year-old daughter.
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Kindness has a bad rap, often being viewed as a sign of weakness. But Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton's highest-rated professor, tells Dan Harris good guys don't have to finish last. In fact, Givers, those willing to help others, are often the top performers in their field of choice. Later in the interview, Dan and Adam engage in a thoughtful debate about the benefits of meditation.
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While so much of science is dedicated to finding the causes and cures for depression, anxiety and stress, Shawn Achor studies the opposite. He is a happiness researcher. Achor looks at the science of happiness and uses research-based techniques to make us more optimistic and help us lead happier lives.
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At just 32 years old Strauss Zelnick became the president and chief operating officer of 20th Century Fox. He was young, successful and appeared to have it all, but internally he was struggling. Zelnick says he was unhappy, anxious all the time and drinking every night. Now, nearly 30 years later, Zelnick remains super successful and thanks to his daily physical and spiritual practice he's become the picture of health. Zelnick reveals his secrets in his new book Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever and discusses them with Dan in this interview.
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Susan Piver was a tough girl. Like, crime-fighting, head of the Boston chapter of the Guardian Angels tough. After nearly being killed by a drunk driver, her path led her to yoga, meditation and Buddhism -- which, by her own admission, made her "soft." But, only by softening toward herself, was she able to soften toward others. Having learned she could apply her teachings to relationships, in the midst of marital troubles and fearing divorce, she was inspired to apply the four noble truths of Buddhism to save her marriage.
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Platinum-selling country artist Brett Eldredge has the headlining tour, the sold-out venues, the number one hits and an Insta-famous dog named Edgar, but through all his successes, the singer/songwriter says he has long struggled with panic attacks and anxiety. Eldredge has recently picked up gratitude-journaling as a way to help him slow down, reflect and give himself a break from being so hard on himself. He puts his own vulnerabilities on vivid display in this candid interview with Dan.
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While working on a difficult case with some particularly difficult opposing council, Scott Rogers said he had a moment during a mindfulness sitting when he realized the way he was dealing with the matter of litigation wasn't reducing that quality of dissatisfaction with that experience, it was contributing to it. Rogers, who has written several books, now serves as the director of the Mindfulness in Law program at the University of Miami School of Law, working with law students and faculty to embrace mindfulness as a way to be less stressed, but still competitive in the field.
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Comedian and writer Dan St. Germain has earned laughs on "The Break with Michelle Wolf," "Superior Donuts," The White House Correspondents Dinner, his stand-up routines and many more, but behind it all, he has struggled with substance abuse, anxiety and panic attacks, and uses meditation to ground himself.
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Mallika Chopra calls meditation "a great gift" to her life, not only because she said it causes a dramatically positive change in her father, Deepak Chopra, but also because it has helped her through her own parenting journey of raising two daughters with her husband. - Nightline debate, "Does God Have a Future?" https://abcn.ws/2Nv5OPw - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @mallikachopra - Website: http://www.mallikachopra.com/ - Books: http://www.mallikachopra.com/books-2/
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Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, whose most recent book is "Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on Tsewa, the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World," believes it's possible for all humans to develop compassion towards each other, but it starts with realizing the motivation behind ones own desires. - Website: http://www.mangalashribhuti.org/VDKR - Book: "Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on Tsewa, the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World" and others: http://www.mangalashribhuti.org/VDKRbooks
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Having been raised in the Mormon faith, Thomas McConkie was feeling a little lost after he had a falling out with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his family and his faith-based community. When he started going to a Zen meditation center in Salt Lake City, Utah, a daily practice became "a lifeline," McConkie said, and it eventually helped him make his was back to Mormonism, start a meditation center called Lower Lights School of Wisdom and launch his "Mindfulness+" podcast.
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After having two kids, Elizabeth Cutler had a friend suggest she try spin classes as a way to lose weight and less than a year later, she and her business partner Julie Rice launched SoulCycle. After the pair sold the multimillion-dollar company in 2016, Cutler decided to take her family on sabbatical, pulling her kids out of school so they could take classes online as they traveled all over the world, and all the while she tried to keep a regular morning meditation routine.
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For a long time, Culture Abuse's 31-year-old frontman David Kelling didn't want to perform in public. As all five members of the San Francisco-based punk band opened up about things they've tried to work through, Kelling, who has Cerebral palsy, said he felt that the frontman is "supposed to be good looking, in shape and this and that ... and so it is hard" when he "didn't really have any examples" of lead singer/songwriters who played with disabilities, and now that the band goes on tour, he added that "it's also hard to be the person now that is an example."
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"There was more snowstorms than meditators in Alabama when I was growing up," said Light Watkins, who started a career as a working model before switching gears to become a yoga teacher and then dove into the world of Vedic meditation. With his newest book, "Bliss More, How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying," Watkins, who is now a meditation teacher and lives as a nomad, said his mission is to "simplify the approach" to meditation "and help people start something that they can get excited about."
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Spring Washam was on a meditation retreat when she felt herself falling apart, so much so that she picked up "the red phone," screamed out "HELP." That moment launched Washam onto a "whole other journey" to work through her past and find sources of her suffering, which she details in her book, "A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Wisdom, and Courage in Any Moment."
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Spiritual leaders often have great influence over their followers but there are times, author Scott Edelstein says, when some leaders will use their position of power to manipulate, shame and abuse others. Edelstein discusses how spiritual leaders can "stray," even become predatory, and suggests ways for a healthy student-teacher relationships, which he lays out in his book, "Sex and the Spiritual Teacher."
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Jeremy Richman remembers his daughter Avielle as a fun spirit with "this unbelievable smile that she would just give out to anybody," who was as happy playing dress-up as a fairy at a ball as she was practicing Kung Fu and shooting a bow and arrow outside. Avielle was killed with 19 of her classmates and six educators in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and in her memory, the Richmans started The Avielle Foundation, which funds research on brain health and causations for violent behaviors.
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Her body badly broken in a horrific bus crash in Laos, Alison Wright was still trying to breathe as she realized that she may not make it out alive. But not only did she survive, the award-winning National Geographic photographer called upon her years of meditation practice to keep breathing as she re-learned how to walk, overcame months of debilitating pain, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and even got back on a bus in Laos, all of which she details in her memoir, "Learning to Breathe: One Woman's Journey of Spirit and Survival."
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Since invading the condiments market with Sir Kensington's, a line of ketchup, mustard and other spreads, company co-founder Scott Norton said meditation has helped him slow down and have better self-assessment under the stress of managing a start-up.
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Author and religion scholar Diana Butler Bass has tried on many forms of Christianity, from growing up Methodist to becoming an Evangelical Christian for years and then joining the Episcopal Church, where she started exploring Centering Prayer and eventually meditation. Though her 10 books span a range of facets on Christianity, Bass says writing her most recent book, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks," saved her life.
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Stephanie Sarkis, an author and expert in ADHD, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder and chronic pain, brings a unique perspective to her work because she herself struggles with ADHD and anxiety. Working mostly with adults, from college-age on up, Sarkis said she began recommending mindfulness meditation to her clients and then began a practice herself when she read about the possible benefits and saw positive changes in those she treated.
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Roshi Joan Halifax came to New York City by way of New Orleans in the '60s with a thirst to engage in social justice, protesting "everything related to discrimination," she said, and the Vietnam War. Halifax, whose latest book is called "Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet," went on to become a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist and a pioneer in the field of end-of-life care who has brought her work into psychiatric programs, penitentiaries and refugee camps.
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It was around the time she decided to go on her second meditation retreat that Sally Kohn, a gay, Jewish, community organizer turned political commentator, took a job as a commentator for Fox News. In her TV career -- she's now a commentator for CNN -- Kohn has experienced hateful personal attacks from online trolls and recently faced some backlash over her first book, "The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide To Repairing Our Humanity," but with her book she has lead a conversation around finding compassion for those who trumpet hate.
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Comedian Paul Gilmartin was the host of TV's "Dinner and a Movie" for 16 years, but smiling and acting happy on-screen often "felt like lifting 500 pounds," he said, as he struggled behind the scenes with depression and even contemplated suicide. When the show ended, Gilmartin launched "The Mental Illness Happy Hour" podcast, which he said has been a valuable outlet that allowed him to work through his claims of being sexually abused by his mother and helping others with their own personal struggles.
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Dan Harris leads a conversation with Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama's longtime English-language translator and a monk for over 25 years, about the uses for compassion meditation in today's culture in front of a live audience at the Asia Society in New York City. Their conversation was recorded on Feb. 15, 2018, one day after 17 people were killed when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
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It was an "out of body moment," Catherine Price said, when she realized her newborn daughter had been looking up at her but she had been looking down on her phone, scrolling through antique door knobs on eBay. It led the "How To Break Up With Your Phone" author to redefine her connection to her device and she now offers her advice on how we can go from an "obsessive relationship" to a "friends with benefits" situation with our phones that's still enjoyable but establishes boundaries.
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George Haas has worked as a filmmaker, an artist, a doorman at "every major nightclub in New York City" in the '80s, and now he's a meditation teacher in Los Angeles, but even his meditation journey has many turns. "What can I tell you, I'm a seeker," Haas said, as he described how a regular practice helped ease the psychological trauma of a "crappy childhood," got him sober and now he guides others through his attachment theory-based healing practices.
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Vox's editor-at-large and journalist Ezra Klein, formerly of The Washington Post, has made a name for himself as a political commentator, finding context within the chaos of our political scene and exploring the idea of what a political system would look like if created amidst tribalism. Klein, who hosts the popular podcast, "The Ezra Klein Show," also argues in our interview that it's important to take a step back from social media - Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat and others - and be mindful enough to ask if these things we are obsessed with checking are good for us.
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Janice Marturano was a vice president at General Mills working on the Pillsbury merger deal in 2000 when she lost both her parents, and began a regular meditation practice as a way to soothe stress at work and in her personal life. Noticing the relief a daily practice brought her, and wanting to lead by example, she sought out a way to introduce mindfulness to her coworkers, and by the time she left General Mills to start the Institute for Mindful Leadership, she said more than 700 employees had completed mindfulness leadership training.
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"All of us in our lives make decisions about when to do things. 'When should I work out? When should I do this kind of work, when should I do that kind of work? When should I start a project, when should I abandon a project?' ... and the best time of day to do something depends on what that something is," said Daniel Pink, a New York Times bestselling author whose new book is called "When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing." Pink, who was trained as a lawyer and now runs his own company as an organizational management expert, argues that doing certain tasks either during the "peak, trough or recovery" periods of our energy levels, can be more effective, whether it's when to hold a meeting to get the best ideas or when to exercise to get a fulfilling workout.
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When author and Wall Street Journal reporter Andrea Petersen was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at age 20, she was relieved to finally have a name for the thing that had controlled most of her life to the point where she feared walking up a flight of stairs or standing in line at the store. But understanding and overcoming her anxieties was a different odyssey, one she describes in "On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety," a memoir she was inspired to write after interviewing college students about their mental health struggles.
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As a former pro-football player and two sport All-American, world-record holding athlete, Lewis Howes built his life around being the tough, "get back up and play" jock, and it took him a long time to learn how to shed "The Mask of Masculinity," to realize that stamping out emotion was causing him great suffering. The 34-year-old entrepreneur and best-selling author had a breakthrough a few years ago when he opened up for the first time about a horrific childhood trauma and now Howes shares inspiring stories from brilliant business minds, athletes and influential celebrities on his podcast, "The School of Greatness."
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The WeCroak app, which sends reminders that you're going to die -- five times a day, is not meant to be morbid, founder Hansa Bergwall said, but to make us stop and appreciate the moment we're living in. "Remembering that you're going to die is really important," said Bergwall, a publicist, writer and meditation teacher in Brooklyn, who was 11 years old when his mother died. "Sometimes that's all it takes to take a deep breath, change the program and do something different, feel something different."
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Dr. Jannell MacAulay, a lieutenant colonel and flight instructor in the United States Air Force with over 3,000 flying hours as a combat veteran, sees mindfulness meditation as national security asset. A former commander of the 400-member joint 305th Operations Support Squadron, MacAulay teaches mindfulness to her fellow commanders and other Airmen in order to improve their leadership and mission-focused performance, as well as change the culture within a high-stress military organization.
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"Part of what I have decided for myself - it's a decision - I don't want to be part of the pain, creating more pain in the world, for myself or for others," said Rhonda Magee, a law professor at University of San Francisco. "So it's that capacity with mindfulness to get a sense into ... what my own experience of feeling vulnerable, feeling afraid, what it does to me, how I start to look at the world through the lens of that ... now [I'm] at a place where I'm not reacting from a place of fear." A law professor for 20 years and a mindfulness teacher for lawyers and law students, Magee argues that mindfulness can be a solution to combating bias and discrimination.
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Brad Katsuyama's blood pressure levels were "out of control" and he decided to make a significant change in his life. The Canada native left his job at Royal Bank of Canada, began a regular meditation practice and started IEX, a stock exchange that took on predatory high-speed trading and was the subject of Michael Lewis' best-selling book, "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt."
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Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and David Letterman are just some of the dozens of celebrities who sought out Bob Roth to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM), a mantra-focused meditation practice. Roth, who has been a meditation teacher for over 40 years and has a new book out called, "Strength in Stillness," talks about how he found TM and addresses the criticism and suspicions some former members have raised around TM.
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Susan Kaiser Greenland, an author and former corporate attorney, and Annaka Harris, an author and editor, work together to teach mindfulness meditation to children and their families through Greenland's Inner Kids Foundation. They offer advice for parents on introducing meditation to their kids and starting group sessions with other families, but they also share their views on the controversial topic of teaching meditation in schools and how they tackle concerns many parents have about teaching kids a practice that evolved from Eastern spiritual traditions.
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Tim Ferriss, the host of "The Tim Ferriss Show" podcast and the author of several best-selling books, including "The 4-Hour Workweek" and "Tribe of Mentors," has built an entire empire around offering life-hacking advice, but when someone suggested he try meditation, he resisted for a while. He tried various forms, then eventually dove head first into doing a 10-day silent retreat, where he came face-to-face with a long-buried childhood trauma that made him re-evaluate how he cared for himself.
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Yael Shy, the author of "What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond," says she came to meditation from "a lot of suffering" as a student at New York University in 2001 -- the same year the World Trade Center towers fell near her New York City dorm during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, Shy helps college students tackle stress, anger and FOMO (fear of missing out) around academics, relationships, sex and social media in her role as the senior director of NYU Global Spiritual Life and the founder and director of MindfulNYU.
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Danica Patrick is one of the most successful female drivers in racing history, having been the first and only woman to win an IndyCar race. Since becoming a staple on the race track, Patrick has expanded her repertoire to include owning a winery, launching a clothing line and writing a new lifestyle book called, "Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan," which she developed after changing her own diet and exercise routine while going through the process of freezing her eggs.
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James Altucher, an entrepreneur, writer and host of "The James Altucher Show" podcast, is a master of reinvention, so much in fact that the title of one of his 18 books is "Reinvent Yourself." Altucher has built and sold numerous companies (and made and lost a few fortunes in the process), once gave up all of his possessions and was homeless for a time, dabbles in stand-up comedy, and all the while has maintained his long history with meditation.
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Manoush Zomorodi, the host of WNYC's "Note to Self" podcast, is an advocate for boredom because allowing our minds to wander, she says, can lead to problem solving and fresh ideas. Her book, "Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self," stems from an experiment in which she convinced more than 20,000 listeners to try to disconnect from their phones, just be bored for a moment and jump-start their creativity.
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We close out the year by hearing from you, our loyal listeners! We recently set up a voicemail where listeners left questions for our host Dan Harris and he answers a selection of them that range from how to start a practice, how to tell your friends it's not "weird" to meditate and how to afford retreats. Dan's new book, "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book," is on sale Dec. 26.
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Dan interviews his wife, Bianca Harris, who is a big part of the storyline in his new book, "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book." She resisted starting a meditation practice for years, but has recently made a change. The book is on sale Dec. 26 and available for pre-order now.
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Meditation teacher and writer Jeff Warren and our host Dan Harris reflect on their January 2017 road trip, in which they traveled from New York City to Los Angeles to talk with people about what keeps them from meditating, and in the process, the two friends discuss how meditation has helped them work through their own personal struggles. Their new book on their journey, written with Carlye Adler, is called "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book," which is on sale Dec. 26 and available for pre-order now.
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There has been an explosion of research in recent years on what meditation does to the brain, but as neuroscientist Dave Vago points out, the science of putting meditation under neuro-imaging is still quite young. Vago, the research director for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, studies brain scans of meditators to analyze changes in brain activity, blood flow, size and function of certain areas in the brain, and he was part of a group of scientists who published paper aiming to define "mindfulness" and its neurological impacts.
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On "Good Morning America," Ginger Zee is known as ABC News' bright, always-smiling chief meteorologist, but now she is sharing that, in reality, she has long battled storms within herself. Zee, who was born Ginger Zuidgeest, discusses her new memoir, "Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I Am One."
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Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the head of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage and Shambhala International, has a new book out called, "The Lost Art of Good Conversation: A Mindful Way to Connect with Others and Enrich Everyday Life" -- poignant for this time of deep divisions in the U.S. and abroad. Born in Bodhagaya, India but bought up in the West, Sakyong Mipham who talks about how conversation is powerful because it begins with recognizing that "there's another person" with you, and he says, as a married father of three, getting frustrated with your kids is just "part of the path."
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With the holidays (and shopping season) upon us, we asked our friends The Minimalists (Ep. #32) for a short meditation to help us focus on what's truly important.
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Author, motivational speaker and former pro-skier Bonnie St. John had her right leg amputated at age 5, but that has never slowed her down. The San Diego native made a Paralympics run in 1984 and became the first African-American to win medals in Winter Olympics competition. A Rhodes Scholar, St. John went on to serve on the White House National Economic Council and has written seven books, including one with her husband called "Micro-Resilience," which outlines five frameworks for small "life hacks" to help boost focus and energy.
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Chuck Raison, a psychiatrist and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and Vlad Maletic, a clinical professor of neuropsychiatry and behavior science at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, wrote a book together called, "The New Mind-Body Science of Depression," in which they offer research on the mind-body connection, such as looking at the immune system, as a way to tackle depression. But their conversation also delves into the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of tummo, psychedelics and "dark" retreats.
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Andrew Scheffer's decision to try meditation after his freshman year of college launched him on a journey where he traveled the world, spent over a year training as a Buddhist monk and worked with the famed Buddhist master, Sayadaw U Pandita, before going on to earn an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School of Business. After working in finance, Scheffer founded and leads "Mindfulness Matters," a corporate training program that applies meditation practices to leadership skills, teaching all sorts of groups from hotel workers to financial managers.
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Growing up in a post-9/11 Pakistan, Shiza Shahid had what she called an "activist childhood," where she volunteered in prisons, refugee camps and disaster relief efforts after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. When the Taliban issued an edict banning girls from going to school, the then-Stanford University sophomore created a secret summer camp in Pakistan for girls, one of which was a 12-year-old Malala Yousafzai. When Malala was shot in 2012 by a Taliban gunman, Shahid co-founded the Malala Fund to promote Malala's story of perseverance and advocacy for girls' education.
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Leslie Booker was working as a wardrobe stylist, dressing models for a living, and was looking for a way to transition out of the industry and her winding path -- she lives a nomadic lifestyle -- eventually brought her to becoming a meditation teacher. A Navy brat who grew up in Virginia and Japan, Booker is also an activist who was involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement and has worked with incarcerated youth, and she shared her thoughts on how the Dharma has changed the way she approaches activism.
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As the X Ambassadors' fame grew, drummer Adam Levin noticed he was always waiting for something to go wrong. With more success, came more anxiety, "and that's not a fun way to live," he said. Levin talks about how the rock star life drove him to meditation, as well as how the band works together, what lead singer Sam Harris goes through to care for his voice, and why Levin thinks the band's next album is "the best work" they've "ever done."
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When author and journalist Sally Quinn needs a moment of peace or clarity, she said, "I walk the labyrinth." A labyrinth walk has long represented a journey or pilgrimage and Quinn uses it for walking meditation -- her late husband, legendary Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, even built one for her at their Maryland estate. Quinn, who launched the Post's 'On Faith' website as a self-proclaimed atheist, talks about her new memoir, "Finding Magic," her notorious D.C. dinner parties and discovering meaning in her life through the years she spent caring for Bradlee as he suffered with dementia, their son, who had heart defect and severe learning disabilities, and her ailing parents.
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Anderson Cooper, a 23-year news veteran, is the anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" and a contributor to CBS News' "60 Minutes." His reporting for a "60 Minutes" piece on mindfulness led him to start his own meditation practice, and he talks at length in our interview about how it has brought him some peace and perspective after dealing with the deaths of his father and brother, being "incredibly introverted" and being a good journalist in the age of Twitter.
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The new biopic about reclusive author J.D. Salinger explores his formative years, from struggling writer, to serving in World War II, to publishing his famous and controversial 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," to using meditation to deal with PTSD. Actor Nicholas Hoult, who plays Salinger, and Danny Strong, who wrote and directed the film, are both meditators themselves and talk about diving into this tortured author's mind to bring his story to the big screen.
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On a live show, anything can happen, but Tom Bergeron trusts he can handle it. The host of ABC's hit dancing competition show, "Dancing With the Stars," has been meditating for over 35 years and credits his years of TM practice for keeping his cool and "responding appropriately" on the fly in front of judges, contestants and a live studio audience, as well as managing "a really bad temper."
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In her new book, "The Four Tendencies," best-selling author and speaker Gretchen Rubin breaks down what she denotes as four different personality profiles -- Upholder, Questioner, Obligor and Rebel. Rubin, who is also the host of the popular podcast, "Happier with Gretchen Rubin," and calls herself an "Upholder," says "The Four Tendencies" help explain how we form or break habits, how we respond to "inner" expectations of ourselves, such as keeping a New Year's resolution, and how we meet "outer" expectations from others, such as making a work deadline.
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Dan Goleman and Richie Davidson, both titans in their respective fields and best-selling authors, have co-written a new book out now entitled, "Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body." Goleman, a renowned psychologist and science journalist, and Davidson, a prominent neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds, talk about their cutting-edge research in this new book, comparing brain activity of "Olympic level" meditators (such as monks) to meditation beginners and how mindfulness can be restorative for brain health.
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Justin von Bujdoss was working as a hospice chaplain in New York City, traveling all over the five boroughs and greater metropolitan area to visit patients, when he began volunteering at the city's notorious Rikers Island Jail. Von Bujdoss started out teaching meditation to groups of female inmates, but now he's the first ever staff chaplain for the city's Department of Corrections, providing spiritual and emotional support for officers, and he talks about seeing suffering on both sides of prison life.
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Being out on a surfboard, when it's just you and the ocean, is "a meditative space," Jaimal Yogis said, "There's a certain amount of solitude that's just built into the experience." The longtime surfer and meditation teacher talks about his first memoir, "Saltwater Buddha," a coming-of-age story about running away at 16 and buying a one-way ticket to Maui to surf, joining a monastery and almost becoming a Zen monk and then launching a journalism career, and his second memoir, "All Our Waves Are Water," which is out now.
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"Progress on the meditation path tends to involve moral progress. You tend to become a better person as well as a happier person... I personally think that you should not be allowed to call yourself enlightened if you're a jerk," said Robert Wright, a best-selling author with extensive knowledge on philosophy and religion. Wright, whose new book out now is titled, "Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment," offers his thoughts (and skepticism) on what it means to achieve true enlightenment and whether mindfulness meditation could change the world.
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LeAnn Rimes has been making a name for herself and her powerful voice since her early teens -- she's the youngest person ever to win a Grammy -- and the country music star's career includes writing books and appearing in TV series and movies, including the new film, "Logan Lucky." In our interview, Rimes opens up about another side of her life: How meditation has changed how she feels about herself and interacts with others.
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"I don’t claim that ['The Princess Bride'] is a Buddhist story, but I do think it has some Buddhist elements," Ethan Nichtern said. "It's a deconstructed fairytale that's... really about trying to navigate relationships from this space of compassionately not knowing." Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, uses moments from the cult-classic movie in his upcoming book, "The Dharma of The Princess Bride," out Sept. 12, to illustrate his personal life -- he says his father's best friend is actor Christopher Guest, who plays the notorious "six-fingered man" -- and to discuss having compassion when figuring out relationships.
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In the final installment from the "10% Happier" road trip, Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren ended their cross-country tour at a Wanderlust Hollywood event in February, where they hosted a live discussion and Q&A with recording artist Moby and Bill Duane, the Superintendent of Well-Being at Google. The guys offered their advice on how to overcome meditation frustrations.
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Anurag Gupta, who immigrated to the U.S. from India at age 10, has devoted much of his adult life to helping reduce racial inequality and transform bias into awareness and understanding with mindfulness techniques. An attorney and mindfulness expert, Gupta founded BE MORE America, a non-profit that works with various organizations, including hospitals, banks, tech firms and police academies, to train professionals on how to eliminate bias in hiring and decision making.
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Shortly before his 40th birthday, Rich Roll was walking up a flight of stairs when he suddenly felt like he was about to have a heart attack. That terrifying moment led the former entertainment attorney, who had already been through rehab for alcohol abuse, to overhaul his lifestyle and now he is a dedicated vegan who has completed some of the world's most grueling and extreme endurance races.
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At a time when there have been controversial police shootings of unarmed civilians and many officers risking their lives to protect their communities feel under siege, one potentially constructive element being introduced into this highly-charged atmosphere is mindfulness. Richard Goerling, a police lieutenant in Hillsboro, Oregon, who has served in law enforcement for 20 years, works with police departments around the country to teach officers how reduce stress, combat unnecessary use of force and make smarter decisions in the field through mindfulness training.
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It's easy to become addicted to the constant stream of information coming at us from the 24-hour news cycle, social media, and our own desire to be informed. Led by Sebene Selassie (Podcast Ep. #42), this meditation helps us take a break from information overload. This meditation is part of a new Mindfulness in an Age of Polarization series on the 10% Happier app. Whether your personal politics lean left or right - top teachers have been enlisted to create bipartisan meditations that can help us navigate the challenges of our increasingly polarized world.
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Virginia Heffernan, who has written for several major publications including as a television and Internet culture columnist for the New York Times, opens up for the first time about her addiction to prescription drugs and her decision to get sober. The author of "Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art" and a co-host for Slate's "Trumpcast" podcast, Heffernan talks about the turmoil she was facing in her work and personal life, her relationship with religion and her Twitter persona @Page88.
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In another installment from the "10% Happier" road trip, Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren sat down with Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, at the congressman's office on Capitol Hill in January shortly after President Trump's inauguration. Ryan, who has been meditating for years, talks about bringing in teachers to host meditation sessions for members of Congress and their staffs, and why he believes meditation should be taught in public schools.
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VanyerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk got his start as "the wine guy" when he launched one of the first wine e-commerce websites in the U.S. He began making a wine video blog as YouTube was coming up and went on to build an entire social media-focused empire. Vaynerchuk was skeptical of trying meditation, so Dan brought in mindfulness teacher Cory Muscara (Ep. #82) to help.
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Renowned mindfulness teacher Mark Coleman, founder of Awake in the Wild and The Mindfulness Institute, has led wilderness meditation retreats from Alaska to Peru. Coleman talks about making peace with our "judging thoughts" and how nature can "open the heart" and relieve stress, even if you're stuck on a cross-country flight and taking notice of the landscape below or just taking a moment to feel the wind on your face.
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James Gimian, who has been in publishing since the '70s, started covering the emerging mindfulness movement for a small magazine years ago when he said it became clear that secular mindfulness was taking root in "a big and significant way." In 2011, he spearheaded the launch of Mindful, a mission-oriented non-profit organization and magazine dedicated to bringing secular mindfulness to the masses, offering community building, profile pieces, advice and guidance.
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This a special pre-Tony Awards episode of the podcast with multi-platinum recording artist and actor Josh Groban, who is nominated for best lead actor in a musical for his role in Broadway's "Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812." Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren sat down with Groban at the start of their cross-country meditation bus tour back in January to teach this Broadway first-timer how to meditate.
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Cory Muscara, 27 years old, admits he first tried meditation because he wanted to impress his college girlfriend -- but it changed his life forever. Muscara, an econ major who considered a finance career, switched gears and spent six months practicing mindfulness meditation as a Buddhist monk, completed numerous meditation training programs and eventually became the founder and head teacher of the Long Island Center for Mindfulness, bringing meditation into school, health care and corporate settings.
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In conjunction with Sharon Salzberg's new book, "Real Love," the folks at the 10% Happier app recorded a series of six audio meditations that can be used as a complement to the book or as standalone. The first of this series is being made available right here on the 10% Happier podcast and is about connecting with your own goodness. If that sounds gooey, Sharon breaks it down for us in her inimitable style, showing us how recognizing the good is a healthy counter to habits of self-criticism and negative thinking. This meditation and five more from Sharon are available on the 10% Happier app.
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"I think people do things motivated by love, certainly more strongly sometimes, and more successfully, than when motivated by hate... I think love is actually the force that keeps us going," said renowned meditation teacher and best-selling author Sharon Salzberg. A regular on the "10% Happier" podcast, Salzberg talks about her new book, "Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection," out June 6, which explores how we can change the way we feel about having self-compassion, love for all beings and love for life itself.
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ALERT: This episode contains "Scandal" spoilers! Bellamy Young, best known for playing Mellie Grant on ABC's hit show, "Scandal," said making meditation part of her daily routine has helped improve her sleep and process her character's heavy, emotional narratives. And she dishes on what was changed in the original "Scandal" season 6 plotline.
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Many of us get into meditation because we want to be calmer, less stressed and less yanked around by our emotions, but sometimes there are unwanted effects. Brown University researchers Willoughby Britton, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, and Jared Lindahl, a visiting assistant professor of religious studies, published a new study today on the wide range of difficult experiences and challenges meditators they interviewed said they faced in their practice.
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Buddhist meditation teacher Lodro Rinzler, who had been meditating for most of his life, found himself dealing with multiple, heartbreaking tribulations in his 20s and he fell into despair for a while. After working through his experience, Rinzler, who has written six books and co-founded MNDFL in New York City, focused on having conversations about how Buddhist teachings can help others cope with devastating life events.
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Stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman was introduced to meditation at a young age and over the years has tried a bunch of different outlets, from 'body scan' practice to mantra to meditation classes, to help her deal with panic disorder, depression, anxiety and the chaos of a hectic schedule in the entertainment industry. Kirkman, who even includes a whole bit about her practice as part of her stand-up routine, offers a very interesting take on meditation, not only as it pertains to everyday life but also as it pertains to someone trying to be creative and funny.
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Jeffrey Walker served 25 years as the CEO and cofounder of CCMP Capital, the $12 billion successor to JPMorgan Partners, JPMorgan Chase & Co's global private equity group, the vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and chairman of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and said he was "always pretty open" with his coworkers about practicing mindfulness -- even taught meditation to his fellow executives. Walker, who now holds leadership roles in a number of non-profits and has an investor group called Bridge Builders Collaborative, puts a huge emphasis on teamwork and building better relationships to do good in the world.
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Jon Kabat-Zinn was on a meditation retreat in the late '70s when he had an idea to marry science with mindfulness and bring the practice into hospitals, which then led to his redefining an important element of patient care. Kabat-Zinn is the founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founding director of its renowned Stress Reduction Clinic, who created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs that are used in hundreds of hospitals, clinics and labs all over the world.
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Want to give meditation a try? Here's a great place to start. It's a free, guided meditation from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of mindfulness-based stress reduction. When you're done, make sure to listen to Dan's full interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn, in Episode #75.
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Def Jam music label founder Russell Simmons had his first experience with stillness at a yoga class -- which he admits he took because girls were there. “I went to class because of a lot of hot chicks. It's true,” Simmons says in our interview. Simmons, who practices and teaches Transcendental Meditation, has worked to bring meditation to schools to help lower their violence levels and increase students’ learning abilities. He explains why being a vegan has dramatically changed his health for the better and what his relationship with President Donald Trump is like today.
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In a special edition of the "10% Happier" podcast, Dan Harris leads a discussion with David Leite, author of "Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love and Manic Depression," in front of a live audience in New York City. Leite talks at length about struggling with bipolar disorder for decades -- and going undiagnosed for much of that time -- but also shares funny stories about navigating relationships and his passion for food.
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Life is always changing, and so are our thoughts. In this free guided meditation, Anushka helps us become aware of our ever-changing thoughts, and helps us watch the turbulence of our inner mind. Check out this latest meditation here on the podcast, and the find the rest of them in Anushka’s new course “Stop Ruining Your Own Day” in the 10% Happier app.
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"The human central nervous system and brain is designed the same around the world... and there probably is a lot of spontaneous rediscovery in different areas of different ways you can play with the mind," Dan Goleman, renowned psychologist and author of the best-selling book, "Emotional Intelligence," says in our interview. Goleman has helped spread the concept of "emotional intelligence," or "EQ," and its four parts -- self-awareness, self-management, social awareness (empathy) and relationship management (social skills) -- across the globe and explains why it matters a great deal in leadership.
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Sam Harris, who has no relation to our beloved host, is a scientist, a controversial skeptic and the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including "The End of Faith," "The Moral Landscape" and "Waking Up" (also the title of his popular podcast). During our interview, Harris hosts a clinic on deconstructing "consciousness and its contents" with the help of meditation, and recognizing how getting lost in thought can be tied to suffering.
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Clair Brown, an economics professor at UC-Berkeley and a Tibetan Buddhist, was teaching an introductory course when she asked herself, "How would Buddha teach Econ One?" Brown went on to write the book, "Buddhist Economics: An Enlightened Approach to the Dismal Science," and advocates for a more mindful approach to how we contribute to society, for example, that as consumers, we should work to simplify our lives by focusing on what matters most to us, buying less and reducing our carbon footprint.
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Jewel, whose poetic songs about relationships and heartache dominated the airwaves in the '90s, used writing as an outlet to deal with anxiety through a tough childhood and later, homelessness. She began looking for ways to "re-wire" her brain, change her life for the better, and came to Mindfulness. The Grammy-nominated recording artist wrote a memoir, "Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story," and stars in the upcoming Hallmark movie, "Framed for Murder: A Fixer-Upper Mystery," airing Sunday, April 2.
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Jerry Colonna was working as a venture capitalist in New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and as he walked by wreckage of the World Trade Center towers, he said he felt like his "world was falling apart." Colonna went on to become a practicing Buddhist and in 2014 he founded Reboot.io, a CEO-coaching company where he serves as a certified professional coach for the heads of some of the most dynamic start-ups in the United States.
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In his famous book and documentary film project, "No Impact Man," Colin Beavan, a senior Dharma teacher in the Zen tradition, chronicled a year of his life as he tried to have minimal impact on the environment while living in the bustling metropolis of New York City. He followed it up with a book called, "How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness that Helps the World," a sort of twist on the self-help genre that he calls "each other help."
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Virginia Military Institute, a military college in Lexington, Virginia, was another stop on the cross-country meditation tour, where our host Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren spoke to Profs. Holly Richardson and Matt Jarman, as well as a few cadets who have taken their classes. Jarman, a psychology professor who leads a "Modern Warriorship" course with meditation, and Richardson, a physical education professor who teaches a mindfulness class, both talk about how they teach cadets in a military environment that meditation can help them be more mentally efficient.
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Here's a meditation from one of Dan's favorite teachers on the planet, Jeff Warren. In this simple practice, Jeff guides us in using the center-line of the body as an object of focus. The goal is to inch closer to that illusive feeling of fulfillment. Get more content like this from Dan and Jeff's "Two Meditators in a Car" journey on the "10% Happier" app.
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During their cross-county meditation bus tour in January, our host Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren stopped in Tempe, Arizona, to talk with Sylvia Moir, who has been the head of the Tempe Police Department for the past year. Chief Moir says her mindfulness practice has not only helped her during high-stress police calls but also in how she engages with and leads her fellow officers.
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Want to give meditation a try? Here's a great place to start. It's a free, guided meditation from Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher Shinzen Young. When you're done, make sure to listen to Dan's full interview with Shinzen Young, in Episode #64.
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Shinzen Young first became fascinated with Asian culture as a Jewish teenager growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950s. Now a renowned meditation teacher, Shinzen is deeply involved in scientific research into what meditation does for the brain and has a new book out called "The Science of Enlightenment."
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We're offering a special pre-Oscars edition of the podcast this week with actor Billy Crudup. Best known for his role as 70s rock star Russell Hammond in "Almost Famous," Crudup stars in two Oscar-nominated films this year, "Jackie" and "20th Century Women." A Broadway star as well as a movie actor, Crudup said he began practicing mindfulness as a way to help "triage" anxiety and panic attacks he experienced, including at three separate times while performing on stage.
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Hannah Hart is best known for her bubbly personality and boozy cooking mishaps on her mega-popular YouTube series, "My Drunk Kitchen," so many fans were surprised to learn about her life-long private struggle of dealing with her family's mental health issues, as detailed in her memoir, "Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded." Hart said she turned to meditation while she was fighting to get conservatorship of her mother, who suffers from psychosis. (( Links and more info below... ))
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Psychiatrist and addiction expert Judson Brewer was researching better treatment options for alcohol and cocaine addiction patients and found, through clinical studies, that meditation could significantly help break these behaviors or "habit loops" and prevent relapses. Brewer, who is now the director of research at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine's Center for Mindfulness, founded a company called Claritas MindSciences, which uses neurofeedback techniques combined with mindfulness exercises for several conditions, from eating disorders to smoking addiction.
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Tibetan Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, who is originally from France, earned the moniker "world's happiest man" after brain scans taken during a neurological study on meditation (led by Dr. Richie Davidson) showed excessive activity in his brain as he meditated on compassion. A staunch vegetarian, Ricard talks about the importance of extending compassion to all beings, including animals, which he lays out in his new book, "A Plea for the Animals: The Moral, Philosophical, and Evolutionary Imperative to Treat All Beings with Compassion."
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Mary Karr has shared many dark pieces of her past in her memoirs, from a painful childhood, to a long struggle with alcoholism and depression, to living her entire life as an agnostic before becoming a Roman Catholic. It was when she said she found herself "sober in a mental institution" that she first began to pray and meditate, both of which are practices she continues today to stay centered.
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The host of the mega-popular Top 40 radio show, "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show," has never shied away from dishing out "real talk" to his millions of listeners, not even when it comes to his dramatic weight loss after "gastric sleeve" surgery. Duran is a longtime meditator and talks about keeping up with the practice while also trying to maintain his edge.
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Canada native Jeff Warren was a "chronic over-thinker" who got into meditation sort of by accident while working as a science journalist and now he's an established meditation teacher. Warren and our host Dan Harris are hitting the road this month on a cross-country bus tour to host meditation sessions with folks from all walks of life from New York City to Los Angeles.
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The recent election has elicited strong emotions from people across the political spectrum. In this guided meditation from Dan's "10% Happier" app, Jeff Warren helps us all find perspective on these strong emotions and provides us with a few techniques for navigating the upcoming inauguration. A Canadian and so-called MacGyver of meditation (having a technique to help anyone with their practice), he brings both the right skills and a nonpartisan view to this American stressor.
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George Stephanopoulos, the co-anchor of "Good Morning America" and the host of ABC News' Sunday morning political affairs show, "This Week," first started practicing meditation in the '90s when he was serving as a senior advisor in the Clinton administration. Stephanopoulos talks about how Transcendental Meditation has helped him deal with anxiety over the years and offers his thoughts on Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration.
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Soren Gordhamer is the founder and host of the Wisdom 2.0 conference, which is lauded as one of the largest gatherings of meditators in the world, but it also has been the target of controversy. Raised in Lubbock, Texas, Gordhamer grew up as one of five kids in a Buddhist-friendly household and said he was drawn to meditation in high school as a way to deal with pain and suffering.
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Vince Horn, the co-founder of Buddhist Geeks, says when he reached nirvana, he found it "disappointing" and "anti-climactic," which set him on a new journey to map his experience. A practicing meditation teacher from Asheville, N.C., Horn's latest project is called Meditate.io, a free course on aiming to make in-depth meditation training more approachable.
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Josh Radnor, best known for playing Ted Mosby on TV's "How I Met Your Mother," started practicing meditation over a decade ago after he went through a break-up and never really stopped. Radnor's career extends beyond TV -- though he stars in PBS's "Mercy Street" -- to include acclaimed indie film work, Broadway roles, his current role in "The Babylon Line," and he credits meditation for helping him navigate it all.
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Andrew Olendzki is a Buddhist scholar of the Pali canon, the original, authentic teachings of the Buddha that have been passed down for centuries. He even speaks Pali, the ancient Indian language the Buddha spoke and taught in. Olendzki started the Integrated Dharma Institute as a way to bring these teachings to the masses.
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From the pressures of buying and receiving gifts to surviving awkward office parties, the holidays can be a stressful time of year. On a special edition of the "10% Happier" podcast, our host Dan Harris leads a roundtable discussion with two meditation teachers, Sharon Salzberg and Kate Johnson, as well as David Gelles, an author and New York Times business reporter who covers the meditation scene, on how meditation can help us get through the holidays.
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We all have urges that are hard to resist this time of year. Dan's got a little tool for you to SURF these urges without reacting to them during the holiday season. (Additional Holiday Stress meditations from Sharon Salzberg and Jeff Warren are available in the 10% Happier app.)
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Joe DiNardo, a businessman and attorney from Buffalo, New York, was married to his wife Marcia for 15 years when she was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. DiNardo used to his years of meditation practice to help get through the grief of losing her and in his new book, "A Letter to My Wife," he shares anecdotes about the relationship they had and the love he found.
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Bob Thurman, the father of actress Uma Thurman, was one of the first Americans to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk. He later gave up his robes and is now one of the most famous Buddhist scholars around, having worked with the Dalai Lama for over 50 years and traveled the world lecturing on Buddhist teachings.
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John Mulaney, known for his stand-up comedy and his work on "Saturday Night Live," first turned to meditation while filming a short-lived sitcom that bore his name, "Mulaney." He now has a daily meditation practice, which he often practices in a dark dressing room before he goes on stage for "Oh, Hello," the two-man Broadway show he co-wrote and stars in with fellow comedian Nick Kroll.
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Jessica Morey has turned what some may see as the impossible -- teaching teenagers how to meditate -- into her life's work. Morey, who attended her first meditation retreat at age 14, is the co-founder and current executive director of Inward-Bound Mindfulness Education, or iBme. It’s a non-profit organization that takes teens to residential retreat centers and out into the woods for hiking and meditation across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
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Born and raised in India, Sadhguru says he spent his childhood and adolescence as a "super skeptic" who didn’t grow up "with anything spiritual or religious." He spent his days crisscrossing the country on his motorcycle, he launched successful businesses, but then he had an experience in his 20s that changed the direction of his life forever. Sadhguru is now a world renowned yogi and mystic who talks about how ancient yogic practices can be relevant and helpful in contemporary times. He's the founder of the Isha Foundation and the author of "Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy."
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Fewer than 50 people have accomplished the Explorer's Grand Slam, a challenge of summiting the highest peaks on each of the seven continents and completing treks to the North and South poles. Colin O'Brady not only completed the EGS this summer, he shattered the world record for it, finishing in just 139 days. O'Brady also set the world record for climbing the seven summits -- summiting Kilimanjaro in just 11.5 hours. Five years ago, a friend suggested he try mediation and recommended a 10-day silent vipassana retreat. At first O'Brady said he looked at meditation like an elite athlete, hoping to train his body and mind for peak performance, but soon discovered meditation gave him a much greater benefit for his daily life.
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Duncan Sheik first made a name for himself in the mid-90s with the hit song, "Barely Breathing," and has since reinvented himself as a Broadway composer. He won two Tonys and a Grammy Award for music he composed for the smash Broadway hit, "Spring Awakening," and he also composed music for Broadway's "American Psycho." But when Sheik first started out, performing on stage made him very nervous and it wasn't until he was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism, which involves the practice of a form of mantra meditation, that he got over his fears.
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This election has been brutal on the American psyche (on both sides of the aisle). In this meditation from Dan's "10% Happier" app, Jeff Warren leads us in a guided practice to gain perspective and find a bit of balance. Jeff delivers with the candor and hilarity that only a Canadian could bring to this uniquely American stressor.
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It can be tough to carve out time for meditation. That's why we recruited Alexis Santos to teach us how to apply mindfulness 'On The Go.' In this meditation, Alexis Santos guides you in a mindfulness practice while driving (eyes open, of course).
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About 20 years ago, Judge Jeremy Fogel was serving as a superior court judge in California. But when he felt that it was causing him a lot of stress, he started looking for a way to center himself, and found meditation and yoga. Shortly after he started practicing, he was nominated to become a federal judge and said meditation became a refuge for him. Today, Judge Fogel continues to practice regularly and touts mindfulness as a powerful tool judges can use to help with their decision-making. He is currently serving as the director of the Federal Judicial Center.
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Sebene Selassie's career has taken her all over the world. An Ethiopian immigrant, Selassie grew up in the Washington, D.C., area. Her father left her family in the '70s to go back to Ethiopia and became a guerrilla fighter in the Eritrean independence movement. Her brother became a "Hare Krishna" devotee. Selassie, however, found meditation, and started practicing in high school. She studied Comparative Religious studies at McGill University and went on to work with not-for-profits in international development, including in refugee camps in Guinea. She was a self-professed "really bad dharma student," until she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer at age 34. Then she says she became "a really good dharma student." Selassie has now survived breast cancer three times and works as a meditation teacher and transformational coach in New York City.
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"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts has more than 30 years of experience in the radio and television business and said it was her "GMA" colleagues, George Stephanopoulos and our host Dan Harris, who first perked her interest in meditation a few years ago. Today, she says she can't remember not meditating because it's become so much a part of her daily routine. A devout Christian, Roberts also finds comfort in her faith and has overcome major health challenges, first survived breast cancer and then a battle with a blood and bone marrow disease called myelodysplastic syndrome. She's written about her experiences in her book, "Everybody's Got Something," which is also the name of her new podcast.
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In the midst of what some are calling the ugliest election ever, millions of Americans say they're feeling more stressed, anxious and just plain exhausted from it. One therapist even coined a term for this: "election stress disorder." As a remedy, many doctors are recommending meditation. On a special edition of the "10% Happier" podcast, we present a one-of-a-kind roundtable discussion led by our host Dan Harris about best practices for handling stress during the election. Dan is joined in-studio by two meditation teachers, Sharon Salzberg and JoAnna Harper, as well as David Gelles, an author and New York Times business reporter who covers the meditation scene.
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Jason Stirman went to his first meditation class when he was working at Twitter. An early employee there, he eventually quit Twitter with founder Ev Williams with the intent of starting a new company with a “mindful culture.” When they started the publishing platform Medium, Stirman said they practiced Holacracy, meaning they ran the company without management, and they held guided meditation sessions in the office three times a week, which led him to a regular meditation practice. This past spring, Stirman launched a meditation app aimed at athletes called Lucid. And this Texas native once owned an auto repair shop.
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Eileen Fisher weaves mindfulness and social consciousness throughout her multimillion-dollar clothing company and in her personal life. After being in business for over 30 years, her collections are sold in 65 EILEEN FISHER shops across the country, as well as department stores, and her company backs several initiatives focused on using sustainable fabrics, human rights for garment workers and EILEEN FISHER employee health. But even with the daily stress of managing a clothing empire, Fisher still begins each day with meditation.
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Tony Wright spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. This past August, a Philadelphia jury acquitted Wright of the 1991 rape and murder of an elderly woman after his lawyers, including two from Innocence Project, presented DNA evidence that supported his innocence. He was just 20 years old when he was arrested. During his time in prison, one of Wright's lawyers gave him Dan Harris' book, "10% Happier," and Wright started practicing meditation and yoga. He's now learning to readjust to life on the outside.
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Spring Washam was selling timeshares and struggling with depression when she decided to embark on a journey to work on her mind. After looking into psychology texts, self-help books and various forms of meditation, she eventually attended a 10-day meditation retreat that she says changed her life forever. Washam is now a well-known meditation and dharma teacher who started the East Bay Meditation Center, bringing mindfulness meditation practices to the diverse communities in the Oakland, California, area. She also has a somewhat controversial project involving trips into the Amazon jungle and the drug Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant-based tea mixture.
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Alan Cumming is an award-winning actor on the Broadway stage and on-screen, a New York Times best-selling author, director, comedian and activist. He's best known for his roles in Broadway's "Cabaret," TV’s "The Good Wife" and as Nightcrawler in "X-Men 2." During the interview with Dan Harris, Cumming talks about his meditation practice and his new book, "You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: My Life in Stories and Pictures," out this month.
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Elizabeth Vargas has been known throughout her 30-year career for her strong reporting around the world, her tough interviews and her steadiness during breaking news coverage. But now for the first time, Vargas reveals that she has also long struggled with alcoholism and anxiety. In her interview with Dan Harris and in her new book, "Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction," Vargas shares that she suffered repeated relapses and says meditation and reaching out to others has helped save her.
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Want to give meditation a try? This is a great place to start. Meditation can seem simple, even trivial. But the mental muscle we exercise in beginning again (and again, and again) is an excellent training ground for the many times in our everyday lives when things don't go as planned. We've built the skill of beginning again. This is a guided meditation from Dan's "10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" app, featuring Sharon Salzberg (featured in Episode #8 of this podcast!). A towering figure in the meditation world, Salzberg is part of a small group of people who helped bring meditation over from Asia to the United States. She is a meditation teacher, the co-founder of Insight Meditation Society and the author of nine books.
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Chef Eric Ripert, of the famed Le Bernardin in New York City, is one of the world's best chefs, an Emmy-winning cooking show host and a cookbook author. But while Ripert was building a name for himself in the heat and the stress of a fine-dining restaurant kitchen, he also became a practicing Buddhist. The chef sat down with Dan Harris to talk about his daily meditation rituals, how he found Buddhism after being raised Catholic, and how he got to where he is today.
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Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus have been through a lot together. They grew up together in Dayton, Ohio, both in families that struggled to make ends meet. They went on to climb the corporate ladder together and both made a comfortable living. So when Josh discovered minimalism, a practice in which you rid yourself of excess stuff to focus on personal happiness, it wasn't long before Ryan joined him. Today, the two childhood friends live in Montana and host a podcast, a website and have a film called "Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things," all devoted to capturing their minimalism experiences and to help others discover the practice.
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Mike Gervais is a high-performance sports psychologist who works with athletes, most famously as the mindfulness coach for the Seattle Seahawks, on training the mind and body to work together under the intense pressure of competition. Gervais has helped pro-basketball players, golfers, swimmers, snowboarders, volleyball Olympians, hall of famers and a host of other elite athletes find new approaches to reaching peak performance from within. He talks with athletes and entrepreneurs about their experiences on his podcast, "Finding Mastery."
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A few years ago, Jesse Israel was a sophomore film student who had just signed an up-and-coming college band to a record label he co-founded out of his dorm room. Israel built that record label into a successful company -- then he decided to walk away from all of it and looked into ways he could "bring people together through shared interest." After toying with a few ideas, Israel came up with a plan to start a community for young adults to meet, meditate and "share quiet," he said.
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Dr. Richie Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds, has been meditating for over 40 years. But it was the Dalai Lama himself who convinced Davidson to dedicate his life to researching the effects of meditation on the brain. Early in his career, Davidson said he "became a closet meditator" and the Dalai Lama "played a major role in me coming out of the closet and encouraging serious scientific research in this area." Davidson's team flew in monks from Tibet and Nepal for the study and asked them to meditate while undergoing scans. When they first looked at the scans, Davidson said the results were shocking.
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Oren J. Sofer, a former child actor turned longtime meditation teacher, was a 19-year-old college student in New York City when he said he felt things in his life were falling apart. "And I had heard about people going to India for study abroad and I had found out about a program where you wake up, 5am every morning, stay at a monastery, meditate twice a day, no drugs, no sex, no alcohol, and I just said, 'Sign me up,'" Sofer said. Fast forward to present day and now one of Sofer's specialties as a meditation teacher is showing people how to use Mindfulness to be better communicators.
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Mingyur Rinpoche, the author of "The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness," is a study of contradictions. On one hand, he's been formally recognized as the reincarnation of two Tibetan meditation masters. On the other hand, he has been working with scientists to design research around the impact meditation can have on the brain. In fact, he and other practitioners had their brain activity measured while meditating on compassion and the researchers were stunned by the results. Mingyur also freely admits that he suffered from anxiety and panic attacks as a child, and talks about how he turned to meditation for help.
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Dan Ryckert works in an industry where you wouldn't imagine there would be a whole lot of meditation: Video games. Ryckert is a senior editor at the popular video game website, Giant Bomb, and he's the author of "Anxiety as an Ally: How I Turned a Worried Mind into My Best Friend." Ryckert's raw memoir details his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, from trying to find a diagnosis and then with learning how to deal with the attacks in his personal and professional life, and then how he eventually turned to meditation.
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Author and journalist Claire Hoffman has been practicing Transcendental Meditation since she was 3 years old. When she was 5, she and her family moved to a secluded meditation community in Fairfield, Iowa -- Maharishi's national headquarters for Heaven and Earth. In her new memoir, "Greetings from Utopia Park: Surviving a Transcendent Childhood," Hoffman describes what it was like to grow up in a place where people aspired to follow all of Maharishi's principles, what happened after she began to question them, and how she feels about her spiritual upbringing now as an adult.
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Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Miami, and Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt of the U.S. Army might seem like an unlikely pair, but they have worked together to bring Mindfulness to the troops. Jha studies how the demands of high-stress, high-stakes professions may degrade the brain's ability to make decisions and she has found in her work that groups like accountants, students, athletes and military service members benefit from Mindfulness training. Piatt has served in numerous assignments all over the world, including tours in Korea and Panama, in his more than 35-year military career. He's also completed several operational deployments including Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
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World-renowned chef Mario Batali has 28 restaurants, 10 cookbooks, a daytime cooking show, a food emporium in New York City, and now plans for a food theme park. He also -- somehow -- finds time to keep a daily meditation routine. Batali says he started practicing mantra-based Transcendental Meditation (TM) six years ago after Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica, suggested he look into it. Batali said he now practices twice a day for 20 minutes, and that it's helped calm his temper.
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Buddhist psychiatrist and author Dr. Mark Epstein has for years written about the overlap between Western psychotherapy and Eastern Buddhist philosophies. Epstein sat down with Dan Harris to talk about the impact meditation can have on the mind, both positive and negative, for those looking for an escape from suffering. He also went deep into the Buddhist concept of the "no-self," whether Enlightenment can be reached ... and what it might look or feel like. He has written numerous books on these topics, his most recent being, "The Trauma of Everyday Life." Epstein first discovered meditation in college and one of the "breakthroughs" he said that made the practice click for him happened while he was learning to juggle. "Once I got the three oranges in the air, my mind had to relax in order to keep it going and I understood, 'Oh yeah, this is what they're trying to teach me in mediation.'" Before he found meditation, Epstein said he was a very anxious person who worried all the time. Now after practicing meditation for more than 40 years, Epstein said he wouldn't know what he would be without it.
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Arianna Huffington has a multimillion-dollar media website that reacts to world events by the millisecond, she's a mother of two -- and yet she says she always gets a good night's sleep. Not only that, she says wants to help everyone else do the same. Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, has a new book -- her fifteenth -- called "The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time." In the book, she traces sleep deprivation back to the Industrial Revolution and argues that our culture's chronic need to be "plugged in" is hurting our health, productivity, relationships and happiness. She started researching the effects of sleep deprivation after she collapsed from exhaustion in 2007, two years after launching The Huffington Post. It was also around this time, Huffington said, that she went back to meditation, a practice she had first started at age 13 while living in her home country of Greece.
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Want to give meditation a try? Here's a great place to start. When left unchecked, our thoughts exert enormous influence over our lives. But when we become aware of them, we realize that they are little more than nothing. This is a guided meditation from the 10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics app, featuring Joseph Goldstein. Joseph is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. He is also Dan's teacher (which means he knows firsthand how crappy a meditator Dan is). Joseph is one of a handful of western teachers who brought mindfulness meditation to the west 40 years ago.
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Acclaimed movie producer and director Adam Shankman is best known for his upbeat, family-friendly movies, including "Hairspray," "A Walk to Remember" and "The Pacifier," but behind the scenes, Shankman says he spent years grappling with substance abuse and self-loathing. Growing up in Hollywood, Shankman, who is openly gay, remembers being "an incredibly happy kid." But when he was three years old, he says, his parents set him up with a doctor who was doing a study on sexual identity. Unbeknownst to his parents at the time, Shankman says he was placed in "conversion therapy." When he was a teen, Shankman turned to alcohol and later drugs to quiet the "ugly voice" in his head. In 2012, Shankman says, he entered a "really dark" place and the following year checked himself into a month-long rehab program -- where he discovered meditation.
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Success and happiness: Can you have one without the other? Many may assume that these two things are at cross purposes but Emma Seppala, the science director of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, argues that that assumption is actually dead wrong. The Ph.D. holder and author of "The Happiness Track" sat down with Dan Harris to tackle this subject -- a central theme in Dan's own book, "10% Happier."
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Chade-Meng Tan was employee No. 107 at Google. But the software engineer's career took a turn when he began teaching meditation to the company's employees and executives, adopting the job title of "Jolly Good Fellow." While he's no longer at Google, Meng -- as everyone calls him -- continues to meditate and has written a new book, "Joy on Demand," detailing how anyone can access joy through meditation.
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Thinking about death can be supremely difficult. Many of us try not to think about it at all – until we have no choice. But two Zen Buddhist monks are using meditation, and a generous dose of humor, to show people that the dying process does not have to be scary, and can even be uplifting. Sensei Robert Chodo Campbell and Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison are the co-founders of the New York Center for Contemplative Care, and have trained doctors, nurses, hospice care workers, and social workers to incorporate meditation and caring into their bedside manner with patients, and in their relationships with loved ones. The duo also teaches people to embrace death’s inevitability as push to live a fulfilling life – Zen Buddhist practice forces followers to look at this reality repeatedly – and how to treat a dying loved one with compassion instead of fear. Chodo and Kosin are the authors of the new book, "Awake at the Bedside: Teachings on Palliative & End of Life Care."
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Ali Smith goes into some of the toughest neighborhoods in one of the toughest cities in America, and teaches yoga and meditation to troubled and at-risk school kids. And the results have been incredible. Smith, a certified yoga instructor, is the co-founder and executive director of the Holistic Life Foundation. His workshops and after-school programs reach approximately 4,500 kids every week – and that number only continues to grow.
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In our pilot episode, which we recorded back in January before we moved into a fancy radio studio and had any clue what we were doing (this part hasn't changed much), Dan invited author and speaker Gretchen Rubin over to his New York City apartment to talk mindfulness, how to break bad habits and find better routines.
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When he was 28 years old, RuPaul Andre Charles found himself broke and living on his little sister's couch in Los Angeles. "It was a really, really, really dark, dark period for me." That’s when RuPaul, now the world's most famous drag queen, started his meditation practice.
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Enlightenment (or, more specifically, exactly how one gets enlightened) has become a somewhat taboo subject. For years, American meditation teachers have largely avoided discussing what's known as "the progress of insight" -- the various stages that lead to Nirvana -- with their students. But why? In this episode, Dan gets clear, candid answers from Steve Armstrong, a long-time meditation teacher and the managing editor of the new book "Manual of Insight."
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Thupten Jinpa may be best known for being the Dalai Lama's longtime English-language translator. But now Jinpa is working to get his own message across. In his new book, "A Fearless Heart," Jinpa touches on the course in compassion training he helped create at Stanford University -- one that has been shown to make people happier, healthier and better able to regulate their emotions.
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Want to give meditation a try? This is a great place to start. If you're struggling, it means something is going on that you're not accepting. The struggle is the feedback. Instead of pushing through, ask yourself "What am I not open to?" Often you'll see that the struggle dissipates right there. This is a guided meditation from the 10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics app, featuring Joseph Goldstein. Joseph is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. He is also Dan's teacher (which means he knows firsthand how crappy a meditator Dan is). Joseph is one of a handful of western teachers who brought mindfulness meditation to the west 40 years ago.
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Lama Tsomo is one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist lama, or spiritual teacher. Born Linda Pritzker, she is part of the family that built the Hyatt hotel chain. But Lama Tsomo embarked on a very different path, diving deeply into Buddhism, spending months on retreat, learning Tibetan and teaching around the world. She sat down with Dan Harris to talk about her story and to detail some of these Tibetan practices.
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Leigh Brasington has been practicing meditation for decades and is one of the most prominent American teachers of Jhana meditation. The Jhanas are a set of altered states of consciousness associated with profound amounts of bliss, happiness and ecstasy. Entering Jhana is done through meditating with intense concentration and it's considered a controversial topic by many in the Buddhist world. But can regular people access the Jhanas? And are they even real?
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Actress and singer-songwriter Margot Bingham has moved from playing the role of jazz singer Daughter Maitland in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" to a highly-respected detective in ABC's "The Family," but in working through these complex roles, Bingham said she finds comfort through practicing meditation. Bingham sat down with Dan Harris and talked about her career, how she dealt with the heaviness of her "Boardwalk Empire" role and how she found meditation.
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A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is part of a small group of people who helped bring meditation over from Asia to the United States. Growing up in New York City, Salzberg had a traumatic childhood and was a sophomore in college when an Asian philosophy class she chose sort of on a whim led her to find a personal and positive connection with Buddhist teachings and practices. Today, she is a meditation teacher, the cofounder of Insight Meditation Society and the author of nine books, including best-sellers "Lovingkindness," "Real Happiness" and "Real Happiness at Work." Salzberg sat down with Dan Harris to talk about her personal history, her meditation practice and her advice to beginners looking to start practicing.
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George Mumford has taught mindfulness and meditation to some of the greatest athletes of all time: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. In partnership with the legendary coach Phil Jackson, Mumford taught meditation to the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, and now works with the New York Knicks. He’s also the author of "The Mindful Athlete: The Secret to Pure Performance."
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The three most important words for a beginning meditator may be, "Simply Begin Again." This short episode is a bit different. It's a guided meditation from the 10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics app, featuring Joseph Goldstein. Joseph is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. He is also Dan's teacher (which means he knows firsthand how crappy a meditator Dan is). Joseph is one of a handful of western teachers who brought mindfulness meditation to the west 40 years ago. So, if you'd like to give meditation a try, this is a great place to start.
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The author of "Mindful Work," New York Times reporter David Gelles is a self-described "sporadic meditator." During the day, Gelles says he uses so-called "meditation hacks," such as waiting a beat or two before picking up a ringing phone or practicing walking meditation around the office at work. Earlier this month, he wrote an op-ed for the New York Times Sunday Review called "The Hidden Price of Mindfulness, Inc.," in which he talked about the "mindfulness economy" and the hundreds of products out there, from books to apps to a dairy-free mayonnaise substitute called Mindful Mayo, all carrying a "mindfulness" label.
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Amy Cuddy has created a bonafide sensation in the world of happiness and well-being. A social psychologist at Harvard Business School and a New York Times best-selling author, Cuddy gave a TED Talk that has been viewed millions of times about how to make yourself look, feel and act more powerful, through something she calls "power poses."
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Dr. Jay Michaelson is a lawyer, a rabbi, a legal/religion columnist for The Daily Beast, an LGBT activist, a professor, and an author of six books. Yet despite his staggering number of day jobs, Michaelson has also found time to intensively practice meditation. In fact, add another job to the resume: He’s also a meditation teacher. And not only does he practice and teach meditation, he says he’s had experiences of enlightenment, or "awakening."
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The filmmaker and co-creator of the TV show "Billions" talks about his practice of Transcendental Meditation.
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Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has been writing and singing hit songs for more than two decades. But this Grammy-winning rocker, whose lyrics about relationships, promiscuity and drug use helped Weezer become what some argue is the father of today's emo genre, credits his success and stability to his daily practice of meditation.
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How can you live a happier life? In our debut episode, Dan Harris sits down with the Dalai Lama and Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds. His Holiness and Richardson have collaborated for years on research looking at the impact meditation can have on the brain. Please leave us a review! ----> http://bit.ly/2lkYXxT
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