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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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 psychos...
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 aroun...
In a candid interview with Hoda Kotb, Dan Harris recounts his dramatic shift from a high-stress journalism career to building the 10% Happier brand after a public panic attack. He delves into his rebellious youth, battle with anxiety and addiction, the transformative impact of meditation and silent retreats, and the importance of relationships and self-awareness in navigating life's challenges. Both Dan and Hoda reflect on their parallel paths in finding deeper satisfaction beyond professional success.
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, includin...
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 wound...
Meditation teacher Jeff Warren discusses his journey with ADHD, bipolarity, and a head injury, which inspired his unique approach to mindfulness. He shares how to find a 'home base' within oneself for grounding and clarity, viewing consciousness as a creative medium. The episode emphasizes that acceptance in meditation is not passive surrender, but a way to skillfully respond to life's challenges from a centered state.
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 com...
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 w...
Dan Harris discusses with professors John Makransky and Paul Condon their book "How Compassion Works," which presents Sustainable Compassion Training. They argue that compassion is our natural state, drawing connections to attachment theory and neuroscience. The discussion covers practical methods like the "receptive mode" meditation, exploring deeper states of non-dual awareness, and applying compassion to everyday challenges like burnout and difficult emotions.
In this special cross-over episode, Dan Harris joins Dr. Laurie Santos to explore strategies for navigating the challenges of modern work life. They delve into topics like radical acceptance and mindfulness for stress management, the power of purpose and altruism, and techniques for overcoming workplace jealousy. The discussion also highlights the crucial role of managers in fostering psychological safety, effective communication through reflective listening, and creating a sense of belonging to improve overall employee well-being and performance.
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. Jo...
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 acro...
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...
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...
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 ...
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,...
This episode explores "Wise Effort," an approach to channel your "genius energy" towards what truly matters. Clinical psychologist Diana Hill introduces Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles like defusion and radical acceptance, helping listeners overcome being stuck in stories, avoiding discomfort, and holding on too tightly. She outlines three tasks: getting curious about strengths and values, opening up to feelings and change, and focusing energy by identifying and addressing "energy depleters" to live a more aligned and regenerative life.
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...
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 ...
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 w...
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 ...
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. Christian...
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 practi...
An antidote to boredom and stuckness. S arah 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 si...
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—b...
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...
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 M...
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 ...
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 int...
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.or...
