Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head.

How self compassion works, how to practice it, and what the research says about the benefits.

Cara introduces you to the magic of doing less. These gentle no-frills instructions get right to the heart of meditation practice.

Debating the cliche: Does everything happen for a reason? Plus, the Meditation Party crew tackles equanimity, work/life balance, and meditation vs napping.

Digging into the nuts and bolts of Stoicism with one of its best-known modern proponents.

Get comfortable with uncertainty and cultivate trust in life, even in the most turbulent times.

Death isn’t the most appetizing topic, but contemplating mortality can be a massive source of motivation, perspective, and even stress relief. In this episode, life lessons from a death doula, who helps people at the end.

On the myths (and macronutrients) of happiness.

Get your blood moving, mindfully! You can cultivate relaxation, even when you’re walking at a faster clip.

How our false expectations and misunderstandings about relationships can create an incalculable amount of suffering — and the many problems of the "You complete me" model.

Hidden sources of stress — and how to beat them. Also: the myth of normal, the necessity of being disillusioned, and the disutility of comparing your suffering.

The next time you’re in the grocery store, instead of the grind, step into a grateful state of mind.

Buddhist strategies for making money and being creative.

Why fear of other people’s opinions (FOPO) holds us back, and what to do about it.

Self-compassion can be really difficult. Imagining your younger self can soften your armor and help you receive the care you deeply deserve.

How to build a career that is sturdy, meaningful, and doesn’t burn you out.

Slow productivity: achievement without burnout.

Dan leads an “open awareness” meditation that’s also available as part of the 10th anniversary audiobook of Ten Percent Happier.

Do you struggle to fit meditation into a busy life? Check out this candid conversation with Dan’s younger brother, Matt.

We explore the intellectual and practical aspects of these mystical and esoteric concepts.

Watching things come and go helps weaken obsessive cravings both in meditation and in our lives.

A Buddhist psychiatrist (and one of the key players in Dan’s meditation career) talks about the overlap between Freud and the dharma. Mark Epstein M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, 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. His latest work, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, was published in 2022 by Penguin Press. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974. In this episode we talk about: The insubstantial nature of thoughts Staying present through anything without clinging or condemning. Turning down the ego and focusing on othersHow you transform your neuroses from monsters to little shmoos. And whether 10% is the right number? Related Episodes:Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series. Sam Harris on: Vipassana vs. Dzogchen, Looking for the Looker, and Psychic Powers For more information on Dan & Mark's retreat in Arizona: we don't have the link available yet but will update here as soon as we do! To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here  For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here 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 Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/mark-epstein-10th 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.

Am I a bad meditator if I don’t go on a retreat? What do they entail? How do I stay silent for days on end? How do I get into one? What’s the food like?

Guidance for any time you need to practice staying relaxed and ready for whatever life might throw your way.

A wide ranging interview with one the biggest and most controversial names in the self-help world.

The tables have turned: Dan is interviewed by two of his producers.

At times it feels like thinking trips us up more often than it helps. In this session, everyday New Yorker—and meditation luminary—Sharon Salzberg coaches you toward feeling more empowered relating to your own thoughts.

The four rules for a meaningful conversation, when to be vulnerable, and how to form the habits of becoming a supercommunicator.

How to cultivate a generosity mindset— and make a good thing less boring.

Dan Harris takes you inside the way he practices on a daily basis, live from the Omega Institute.

A Master Class in equanimity. It’s the latest installment of our Meditation Party series. Live from Omega.

Simple tools you can knit into your life both for when you’re actively freaking out, and for preventing future trips down the anxiety toilet.

Begin today by bringing to mind the people who have meant the most to you. It’s a simple way to start the day feeling great.

Three tools for living a “passion-struck” life.

What 40 years of research tells us about how to cultivate good relationships in our lives.

Conflict doesn’t have to suck. These iconic relationship researchers tell us how.

This four-part breathing technique calms the nervous system, relaxes the body, and is an effective antidote to obsessive over-thinking.

You may be breathing wrong. Here’s how to fix it.

Plus, how to handle jealousy, what to do when you lose the spark, and the meaning of his famous terms, "GGG" and "monogamish.”

You don’t have to slow down and sit to be mindful. You can be busy and get things done while still growing your mindfulness muscles.

We’re dropping a fun little treat in your feed today: it’s an episode of The Puzzler, a new podcast from writer A.J. Jacobs.

Sometimes perseverance is overrated. An argument for strategic quitting.

Our ability to focus is not lost, it’s just changing. Here’s what we can adapt.

Gently opening to the full sensations of anxiety and even making friends with it can actually create more calm and peace in your body.

A Harvard Business School professor discusses how to get good at “intelligent failure.”

How to boost productivity, empathy, and focus, while reducing burnout. From the godfather of Emotional Intelligence.

Start your day by tuning in and learning how to feel more connected to all the little details of your life. It turns out, they matter.

The author/podcaster talks about her non-negotiables at a delicate time in her life.

Plus, provocative and practical ideas about actually enjoying exercise, the real relationship between weight and health, the problem with weight loss, the morality of food, feeding your kids, and who "the real bad guy" is.

Dr. Jud breaks down how habits work and how to change them. Plus, insights on stress, boredom, mindfulness, pleasure, satisfaction, and contentment.

You are complex and contain multitudes. Try this refreshing take on loving-kindness and offer love to all the different parts of yourself.

Have you already bailed on your resolutions? Where are you on your other life goals? This episode is a master class on sticking with it, no matter what.

Chödrön also talks about how to deal with difficult people, set boundaries, and keep a sense of humor in the face of our human foibles and failings.

Kabat-Zinn on the nitty gritty practicalities of starting a practice, being fully present with no agenda, and letting go of “the story of me.”

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.

The star of SNL and Barry discusses how he channels his anxiety into his work. Plus, an imitation of Joseph Goldstein.

The renowned psychotherapist talks about the importance of accountability in generosity in her own life, and the one thing you can do right now, today, to make yourself happier.

A leading behavioral psychologist reveals practical strategies to help you actually make the changes you want to make this new year (and beyond).

Get out of the trance of thinking and explore what it’s like to be more generous with your attention directly, here, now.

Tackling one of the best known contemplative clichés: being in the present moment and “inhabiting the now.”

A slew of evidence-based, ready-to-try-today interventions we can use to “complete the stress cycle.”

How to stay focused, fight distraction, and function at your peak.

Sometimes we feel like we have too much energy to meditate. Make space for all of that energy by listening to sounds as they come and go.

Understanding the Buddhist concept of “the five aggregates.“

The interview that changed the way Dan relates to food.

A comprehensive strategy for setting and maintaining boundaries—and respecting other people’s boundaries.

Cultivate resilience by choosing to turn towards joy, and transform difficult times into growth opportunities and heartache into gratitude.

Next year marks the fifteenth anniversary of Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Project.

Frequent guest Sam Harris discusses life after quitting Twitter and the metaphysics of meditation along with special co-host and brother Matt Harris.

What the ancient Greek philosophers discovered about how to do life better.

Not thinking is not the point of mindfulness. We know, shocking! Emotions and thoughts are inextricably linked: know them to know yourself.

The longtime TV host and actor talks about working onscreen with her husband, her fear of public speaking, and what she does instead of sitting meditation.

One's a legend, the other's a phenom. Together, they offer practical wisdom for maintaining your daily meditation practice, handling conflict, connecting with community, and understanding the limits of the mind.

The writer who calls himself a “human guinea pig” shares a counterintuitive way to become more clear, creative, and persistent.

Make peace with pettiness through good old understanding.

Buddhist strategies for navigating tumult— and even becoming a node of sanity amidst it all.

This guest says you can thrive with anxiety. And the trick is learning to get comfortable with discomfort.

Learn the skill of not taking sh*t for granted.

Practical tools for regulating your nervous system in stressful times.

We deal with difficult people over holiday meals, at work, and online. This guest says there is only one answer.

Bringing mindfulness to walking is an opportunity to build awareness and relax the mind as you move about your day.

Today we are dropping down our feed a conversation that I listened to recently that had a huge impact on me, from On Being with Krista Tippett.

How getting your sh*t together can make you a better leader in your own personal orbit. It can maybe even change the world.

Plus, what happens if you don't repair, whether it's ever too late to repair, what "boundaries" actually are, and a helpful little tool for avoiding fights called the "MGI."

Try this meditation with Alexis to explore an open, easy style of practice‚ which can lead toward more awareness throughout your day.

The meditation style that changed Dan’s entire practice.

It’s a cultural cliche, but it is also the endpoint of the Buddhist path. So what is Nirvana? And is it relevant to us mortals?

How to spend your money in ways that will really boost your happiness and a look at the state of happiness research.

Setting intentions regularly can be an incredibly effective and deeply satisfying tool to map out how you want to live your life.

A former nun explains how to deal with doom-scrolling, despair, and rage in the face of world events.

Plus: Why Lama Rod is "no longer interested in being a good person," why we need to let go of perfectionism, and the selfish case for sainthood.

Understanding the difference between ‘normal’ forgetfulness and actual memory loss, practical ways to stave off Alzheimer’s disease, and meditation’s role in brain health.

Expert advice on how and why to be more experimental in your life. Also, an attempt to convince you to sign up for my newsletter.

One of our most frequent and popular guests talks about how to develop the character skills to discover your hidden potential.

The host of On Being shares lessons learned from 20 years of interviews, including: how to live with open questions, counterprogramming against your negativity bias, and getting over the God question.

You can use awareness of walking as a touchstone to help feel more connected to the moment in this simple walking meditation.

Our friend Dr. Michael Gervais at the Finding Mastery podcast is a renowned sports psychologist who found meditation by happenstance. We wanted to share this conversation he had with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn about the mind/body interactions for healing and clinical applications for mindfulness meditation training.

The difference between ADHD and human distractibility, and strategies for managing ADHD that can improve your focus, even if you don’t have it.

Here's what might be preventing you from making better decisions and how to know what's even worth wanting.