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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A live Q&A session with meditation teacher Jeff Warren, where Dan and Jeff tackle some of the hardest questions in meditation and life. Jeff Warren is a meditation teacher, author, and co-founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club . In this live session recorded on Zoom with subscribers to the 10% with Dan Harris app , Jeff and Dan take questions about insomnia, chronic pain, caring for aging parents, existential fears for loved ones, and what to do when your meditation practice feels stuck...
Ryan Holiday, a prolific Stoic philosopher, explores the multifaceted nature of wisdom, emphasizing it's not inherent but cultivated through diligent work. He delves into practices like "talking to the dead" (reading classics), seeking criticism, and understanding one's own biases. The discussion also covers the importance of focus, finding a teacher, and confronting life's complexities to achieve a transcendent understanding.
Our bodies are brilliant at healing. An integrative doctor on how to tap that resource. Victoria Maizes, MD , is the founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Her new book is Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body's Rapid Recovery Reflex to Feel Better—Quicker . In this episode we talk about: What integrative medicine is (and isn't) How lifestyle, stress, sleep, and relationships factor into healing Why "a pill for every ill" often falls short What the Rapid Recovery...
A guided loving-kindness meditation from Jay Michaelson that ditches the phrases and uses visualization instead. If you've done traditional metta (loving-kindness) practice before, you know it involves bringing people to mind and repeating phrases like "May you be happy, may you be healthy." It's a great practice. But sometimes the words can get you stuck in your head—thinking about what would actually make this person happy, or getting into stories about their suffering. This version takes away...
Life hacks life from one of the busiest journalists of our time. Andrew Ross Sorkin is an award-winning journalist for The New York Times, a co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box , and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook , an online daily financial report published by The New York Times. His latest book is 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation . In this episode we talk about: The motivation behind his new book Human nature –– and why FOMO might be...
Practical advice from a straight-talking former criminal and occasionally profane Dharma teacher. Vinny Ferarro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He's the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades. As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher through Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at various centers and currently leads Spirit Rock's Year to Live course. This episode originally ...
A smarter way to think about disease prevention. Dr. Tara Narula is a board-certified cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and Chief Medical Correspondent for ABC News. Her new book is The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being . In this episode we talk about: What resilience really is, why most of us already have it, and how it can be strengthened The overlooked link between mental health, physical health, and recovery from illness Why mindset and ...
A conversation with Jay Michaelson , our Teacher of the Month for February, about his path to meditation, navigating multiple identities, and why he calls himself a "cynical, sarcastic bitch." Jay Michaelson is a meditation teacher, journalist, rabbi, and author. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, Jay gets candid about his unconventional path into meditation—driven initially by greed for mystical experiences rather than a desire to reduce suffering—and how his practice has...
A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality. George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial. In this con...
Practical techniques for dealing with all of life's curveballs. Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans , previously named "Best Show of the Year" by Apple. She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House and was also appointed as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. She is the author of The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans . In this episode we talk about: The two major life eve...
How to have fewer regrets (and utilize the ones you already have). Daniel Pink is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timing to a graphic novel career guide. His books include the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind, and When—as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. In this episode we talk about: The myth of the "no regrets" philosophy What a regret actually is ...
Secrets to self-preservation in an age of burnout. Tim Ferris is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans . He's also the host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast . Most recently, he has collaborated with Exploding Kittens to create COYOTE , a fast and hilarious card game. In this episode we talk about: Tim's Antidotes to isolation Past-year reviews The perils of self-optimization His meditation practice Escaping rumitive loops The role of A...
Dan Harris and Claudia Hammond explore "overwhelm," defining it as a feeling of everything being "all too much" in a world of rising perfectionism and constant demands. Hammond presents a three-part framework from her book, "Overwhelmed: Ways to Take the Pressure Off," focusing on acceptance, next steps, and the bigger picture. Key strategies include embracing to-do lists without feeling oppressed, cultivating gratitude, rejecting perfectionism, managing procrastination, reappraising stress, and finding perspective through acts of kindness, rest, nostalgia, and achieving flow states. The discussion provides practical, evidence-based tools for reducing pressure and improving mental well-being.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neuroscientist and author, challenges conventional notions of success and productivity. She advocates for an experimental mindset, using "tiny experiments" to navigate life's uncertainties and discover personal purpose without obsession. The discussion covers practical tools like "cognitive scripts" and "energy syncing," and explores the value of "mindful productivity" and "intentional imperfection." The episode also delves into building meaningful connections through "social flow" and "community architecture," ultimately questioning the cultural emphasis on legacy.
A short, gentle body scan meditation from Bart van Melik , our Teacher of the Month for January. This isn't about fixing anything or achieving some special state. It's about finding one small place in your body that feels okay—not great, just okay—and seeing what happens when you meet that experience with a little bit of kindness. Bart is a meditation teacher and psychotherapist who has trained in Insight Meditation and Buddhist psychology. He's worked extensively in clinical settings with peopl...
Plus, much more from the famed late-night TV show host. Seth Meyers is the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers . Before that, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for 13 seasons. In recent years he has released two standup specials: Lobby Baby , on Netflix and Dad Man Walking , on HBO. He wrote a children's book called, I'm Not Scared, You're Scared . And he co-hosts two podcasts, Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers and T he Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast . In this episode we tal...
A deep dive on Ayurveda, a sophisticated system for health that's been refined over millennia. Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya is a renowned NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Doctor, the bestselling author of Your Body Already Knows (2025), and international speaker/educator known for her modern approach to women's health and longevity. In this episode we talk about: What Ayurveda actually is beyond TikTok trends How ancient Ayurvedic principles align with (and differ from) modern medicine How to brace yourself i...
Biomechanist Katy Bowman explains her "movement as nutrition" concept, differentiating between movement, physical activity, and traditional exercise to broaden opportunities for incorporating motion into daily life. Drawing from her book, "I Know I Should Exercise, But...", she tackles common hurdles like lack of motivation, time constraints, embarrassment, discomfort, and screen addiction, providing actionable tools like aligning movement with personal values, utilizing "time affluence," and "stacking" activities to foster a more consistent and joyful relationship with one's body. The discussion also explores the importance of ancestral movements and recognizing the body's subtle signals for movement.
Ever lie awake at night replaying all the moments you lost it with your kids, your partner, or your co-workers? You're not alone. Bart van Melik is back on the show (his first appearance was four years ago) as our Teacher of the Month for January. Bart has one of the more interesting origin stories in the meditation world: from a small town in the Netherlands to Kenya on an exchange program (where he met his wife of 30 years), to studying in Thailand, to teaching meditation to teenagers in juven...
Practical ways to upgrade your narrative. Melissa Febos is the national bestselling author of five books, including Girlhood , Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative , and a new memoir, The Dry Season . She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and others. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New Yorker, The Best American Essays and others. She is a professor at the University of Iowa. In this episode ...
How psychology and spirituality can work together. Amita Schmidt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Hawaii. She has taught Vipassana meditation for over thirty years, and was the Resident Teacher at Insight Meditation Society for six years. She is the author of the book Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master. Amita currently teaches and practices non-dual meditation and is a certified IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapist. In this episode we talk about: How psychology and spiri...
Legendary psychotherapist Esther Perel joins Dan Harris to redefine "eros" as a broad life force, not just sex. They discuss how modern life, with its focus on certainty and isolation, can deplete our sense of aliveness and foster "hostile dependency" in relationships. Perel offers insights on finding vitality through self-audits, rituals, and practical steps to rebuild community, emphasizing the often-overlooked responsibility inherent in true belonging.
Today we're gonna talk about some Buddhist hacks for two deeply related and all too common ailments: anxiety and overthinking. Most of us have struggled with one or both of these, and one of the people who has helped Dan the most is Joseph Goldstein. Regular listeners to this podcast will be familiar with Joseph and his very direct, very down-to-earth style, but if you don't know – let us introduce you. He's one of the foremost Buddhist teachers in the west, he's been Dan's teacher for about 15 ...
You may have noticed that your mind is out of control. It's filled with racing thoughts, ancient neuroses and grudges, revenge fantasies… So why are we like this and what can be done about it? Today, we're talking to one of our favorite people and also one of the most prominent meditation teachers in the West, Joseph Goldstein, about how "ridiculous" our minds are – that's a word he uses a lot to describe the mind – and some really compelling ways to train the mind. Spoiler: having a sense of hu...
Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head. Ofosu Jones-Quartey , a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area, brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor's degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance ...
Radical advice on rethinking success, individualism, and the American dream. Mia Birdsong is a pathfinder, culture change visionary, and futurist. She is the founding Executive Director of Next River , a think tank and culture change lab for interconnected freedom. In her book How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community , Mia maps swaths of community life, and points us toward the promise of our collective vitality. In this episode we talk about: How to build community What it l...
What if the problem isn't you—but the idea that there's only one "right" way to meditate? In this episode, DJ Cashmere talks with meditation teacher Jeff Warren about how to build a mindfulness practice that actually fits your brain, nervous system, and life. Drawing from Jeff's experience with ADHD and bipolar disorder—and DJ's reflections on OCD and neurodiversity in his family—they explore why there's no such thing as a truly neurotypical mind, and why one-size-fits-all meditation advice ofte...
Dan Harris and Christiane Wolf delve into practical strategies for dealing with pervasive worry without suppression. They explore why forced positive feelings can backfire, how to handle sadness triggered by gratitude practices, and methods for coping with anxiety from consumerism and health diagnoses. The discussion culminates in an in-depth look at Internal Family Systems (IFS) to understand and kindly engage with the inner critic and other challenging "parts" of oneself, promoting psychological healing alongside mindfulness.
How to find your voice when you need to be heard, learn when it's smart to choose silence, and communicate better with the people who matter most. Elaine Lin Hering is a former Lecturer of Law at Harvard Law School. She works with organizations and individuals to build skills in communication, collaboration, and conflict management. She is the author of the book Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully . In this episode we talk about: How we learn silence a...
