10% Happier With Dan Harris

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. Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel 

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

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

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   Sign up for Dan’s weekly 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   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   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   Additional Resource

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   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter 

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 S

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 How to avoid “revenge nighttime procrastination”  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     Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our fav

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. Sign up

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.   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favori

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   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here F

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 | Jos

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 Medita

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   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 Ep

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 ta

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!)     Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, Tik

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. Koshi

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 T

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   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: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/how-not-to-torpedo-your-relationships-dan-solo-episode   Additional Resources: Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download