Self-help for smart people. World-class insights and practices from experts in modern science and ancient wisdom. Hosted by veteran journalist and best-selling author, Dan Harris.
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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. Aft...
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...
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 ep...
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 stres...
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 te...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 conversatio...
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 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-...
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 Follow Dan on social: Instagram , TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube...
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 ...
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 mains...
Host Dan Harris introduces a special guided meditation from Kaira Jewel Lingo, part of a new series for subscribers. This specific practice guides listeners to sit with uncomfortable emotions and situations, fostering tenderness, curiosity, and inner resources. It explores how to acknowledge difficult feelings without judgment, transforming discomfort into a teacher for personal growth.
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 onlin...
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 co...
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 tha...
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 meditat...
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 Schwartz How (and Why) To Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwart...
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 a...
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...
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 trad...
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 K...
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 differenc...
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 t...
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 Bo...
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 Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on s...
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 neu...
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 tha...
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. 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....
