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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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 Me...
Dan Harris explores the human struggle with craving certainty and introduces Jeff Warren's 'Don't Know Mind' meditation, inspired by Zen. This practice helps listeners combat overthinking and perfectionism by letting go of the need to constantly know, instead resting in curiosity and direct experience. Jeff Warren then guides a session to cultivate a mind that dwells nowhere, promoting liberation from attachment.
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. Importan...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
