Learn to find a feeling of protection and trust during a downpour of stressful thoughts or overwhelm. About Matthew Hepburn : Matthew is a meditation and dharma teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience and a passion for getting real about what it means to live well. He emphasizes humor, technique, and authentic kindness as a means to free the mind up from unnecessary struggle and leave a healthier impact on the world. Beyond Ten Percent Happier, Matthew has taught in prisons, schoo...
May 13, 2022•6 min•Ep 448•Transcript available on Metacast How does hope work? In this episode from the archives, Rutgers University clinical psychologist Dr. Jacqueline Mattis discusses hope from a scientific perspective and how we can cultivate it. Dr. Mattis, who is also a Dean of faculty at Rutgers, did not start her career wanting to study hope. She started out studying spirituality and religiosity, specifically concentrating her field work and interviews in African-American and Afri-Caribbean urban communities. She wanted to know why p...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep 340•Transcript available on Metacast How do you find hope in a lifetime that has experienced more trauma than most? Guest Jonathan Van Ness says that the key is to stay curious and focus on happiness and joy, even if it’s just in a tiny corner. Jonathan Van Ness is a hairstylist by trade and best known as one of the hosts of the Netflix series Queer Eye . He is also the author of Love That Story and the New York Times bestselling memoir Over the Top, and the host of the podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness . I...
May 09, 2022•44 min•Ep 447•Transcript available on Metacast This body scan meditation is designed to be simple and relaxing. It's the perfect bedtime companion for a good night's rest. About Anushka Fernandopulle: Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion ...
May 06, 2022•6 min•Ep 446•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re trying to improve your sleep, thinking about doing so right before you get into bed might not be the best approach. Dr. Sara Mednick, is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the new book The Power of the Downstate . This episode is part of our month-long “Mental Health Reboot” series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month. According to her research, Dr. Mednick says that we need to take a more holistic approach to getting bett...
May 04, 2022•53 min•Ep 445•Transcript available on Metacast Sleep may be the apex predator of healthy habits, so why are so many of us getting terrible sleep? Guest Diane Macedo launched a very detailed personal investigation in order to fix her sleeping habits and joins us for the first episode of a month-long “Mental Health Reboot” series we’re doing to mark Mental Health Awareness Month. Diane Macedo is the author of the new book The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven, and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More . As an ...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 444•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us have gotten at least a little emotional at some point recently. It’s natural. But why do we have emotions and how much should we pay attention to them on any given day? Can we learn to skillfully choose which emotions to listen to and which ones to just let move on by? In More Than A Feeling , the latest podcast from Ten Percent Happier, host Saleem Reshamwala goes on a real life quest to find the answers to these questions. He’ll experiment with neuroscientists, dive into...
Apr 29, 2022•2 hr 37 min•Ep 443•Transcript available on Metacast Can you become happier, more balanced, and practice equanimity without losing your edge? Guest Kamala Masters was one of the teachers at Dan’s first ever meditation retreat. In this episode she dives into how to develop equanimity and shares her story of learning how to practice meditation during her everyday life while raising three children on her own. Kamala Masters has been meditating since the 1970s, first with Anagarika Munindra, who was Joseph Goldstein’s first teacher, and th...
Apr 27, 2022•59 min•Ep 442•Transcript available on Metacast Why is it that many men seem unenthusiastic about discussing body image issues? We take a deep dive into this topic with Aaron Flores, a Los Angeles-based registered dietician and nutritionist, and one of the few men very active in the space of intuitive eating. Aaron talks about how capitalism ties our weight to our worthiness, and his notion that “our body is not a project.” In this episode we also discuss: What intuitive eating is How men experience body image issues, and wh...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 441•Transcript available on Metacast Collect yourself in the morning to start off on your best foot. If you start collected, you’ll have better luck staying collected. About Sharon Salzberg: A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West. Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine bo...
Apr 22, 2022•6 min•Ep 440•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us find our minds flitting all over the place, in meditation and elsewhere. In today’s episode we’re going to learn practical techniques for boosting concentration on and off the cushion. This is the second episode in a two-part series on focus we are airing this week. Today’s guest is an Olympic-level concentrator who has tons of tips for staying focused. We also talk about one of the more exotic meditation subjects: The altered states of consciousness called the jhanas that are availab...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 348•Transcript available on Metacast What is it about modern life that is completely disrupting our ability to focus, and how much of it is our fault? Turns out, not a lot. A number of factors from technology to our sleep habits, and even air pollution, play a role in what causes us to have about the same attention regulation skills as a kitten. In this first episode of our two-part series on focus, guest Johann Hari breaks down why our ability to pay attention is collapsing, and what we can do about it. Johann Hari is ...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep 439•Transcript available on Metacast Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty. About Roshi Joan Halifax: Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is also the Founder, Abbot, and Head teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her books include Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet, and The Fruitful Darkness: A Journ...
Apr 15, 2022•6 min•Ep 438•Transcript available on Metacast What if one of the keys to happiness is how intentional you are with your time? Ashley Whillans is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book Time Smart. Her groundbreaking research has led her to radically reevaluate how she spends her own time. Her goal is to help you move from time poverty to time affluence. In this conversation, we talk about: How to do a time audit Funding time, finding time, and reframing time The surprising extent to which prioritizing ...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 318•Transcript available on Metacast Often, we are our own worst critic. In this episode, Buddhist monk Ajahn Sucitto explores ways to unseat the inner tyrant and make peace with the nagging voice inside of you that seems to always demand perfection, but never offer praise. Ajahn Sucitto was raised in the United Kingdom and became a monk in 1975 in the lineage of the Thai forest master, Venerable Ajahn Chah. In 1979, he helped establish Cittaviveka , also known as Chithurst Forest Monastery, in West Sussex, England where he s...
Apr 11, 2022•49 min•Ep 437•Transcript available on Metacast Brené Brown has found that most people are only able to identify three emotions: happy, sad and pissed off. In this episode we explore how better understanding the full spectrum of your emotions, rather than drowning in them, can become an upward spiral. Brené Brown is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her latest book is Atlas of the Heart , which is also the name of her new HBO Max series. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston and a visiting profe...
Apr 08, 2022•49 min•Ep 436•Transcript available on Metacast This episode dives into our archives to revisit the notion of communication as a learnable skill. Often some of the most painful situations you encounter are the result of poor communication. The good news is that communication is a skill that can be learned. Author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer, a leading figure in the field of interpersonal communication, breaks down how communication can be one of the most powerful levers for creating positive change in your life. Oren Jay...
Apr 06, 2022•55 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast What role does mindfulness and meditation play when it comes to sex? It may be the key to alleviating sexual distress in your relationships, and in this episode Dr. Lori Brotto talks about scientific evidence that shows how mindfulness can improve your sex life. Dr. Lori Brotto is a clinical psychologist, the director of the University of British Columbia’s Sexual Health Laboratory, the Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health; the Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institut...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 435•Transcript available on Metacast Get comfortable with uncertainty and cultivate trust in life, even in the most turbulent times. About Sebene Selassie: Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a tea...
Apr 01, 2022•7 min•Ep 434•Transcript available on Metacast This episode explores a Buddhist tool for resolving conflict and keeping your relationships on the rails. This tool, known as the Beginning Anew practice, was designed by the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who died back in January, and who we are celebrating this week on the show. On Monday’s episode , we spoke with a long-time student of Thich Nhat Hanh, Brother Phap Dung. Today’s guest is Kaira Jewel Lingo. She was an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing . She's now ...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 363•Transcript available on Metacast In January 2022, Thich Nhat Hanh , the Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, poet, and author passed away. He was the founder of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called him “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thousands of people came out for his funeral. Brother Pháp Dung is making his second appearance on the show to talk about Thich Nhat Hanh. If you missed it last time ...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 433•Transcript available on Metacast It’s super normal to want what feels good and avoid what feels bad. Unlock your unconscious habits to make wiser & more thoughtful choices. About Dawn Mauricio: Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, an...
Mar 25, 2022•7 min•Ep 432•Transcript available on Metacast Many, if not all, of us have a nonstop, ambient thought-track running through our minds of: how am I doing? How do I look? Why did I say that? Am I running behind? What do other people think of me? How did we get this way? And what do we do about it? Ron Siegel has thought a lot about this, and has plenty of practical answers, including the notion that we should lean into our insignificance. Many of us grew up being told how we were special. But Ron argues that the words, “you’re not special,” c...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr•Ep 431•Transcript available on Metacast Venerable Pannavati is a former evangelical pastor who has been ordained in three separate Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Chan, and Mahayana. She’s the co-founder and co-Abbot of Embracing-Simplicity Hermitage and Meditation Center ; Co-Director of Heartwood Refuge and President of the Treasure Human Life Foundation . She teaches around the world, was a 2008 recipient of the Outstanding Buddhist Women’s Award, and currently serves as the Vice President of the US Chapter of the Global Buddhist A...
Mar 21, 2022•56 min•Ep 430•Transcript available on Metacast We’re now entering year three of the pandemic, and even though we’re in a very different stage of the game, there are still so many questions: Is it safe or ethical to return to “normal”? How do you deal with people who have different views on safety and vaccines? What do you do if you’re just bone tired of this whole mess? Today’s guest is Lama Rod Owens, who was trained in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, ...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr•Ep 429•Transcript available on Metacast As we enter year three of the pandemic, the psychology of COVID is no less complex or consequential. This episode features one of the most prominent chroniclers of the pandemic, David Leonhardt from the New York Times, who argues that there is irrationality on all sides when it comes to the pandemic. He would also urge you to consider whether you might be over or underestimating the risks of COVID, based on where you stand politically. This episode also explores: the state of play in the p...
Mar 16, 2022•55 min•Ep 428•Transcript available on Metacast How can we meditate when it seems like the world is falling apart? How do we titrate our news consumption? What do we do with our fears about World War III? How can we do anything constructive to help given how far away many of us are from the action? Why are so many people so upset about Ukraine when they weren’t paying much attention to the wars raging in places like Syria, Yemen, or Ethiopia? Today’s guest is uniquely qualified to answer these questions, given his experience in combat. ...
Mar 14, 2022•52 min•Ep 427•Transcript available on Metacast Self-compassion may appear soft, but it’s actually the very thing that allows us the strength & resilience to meet the challenges we face. About Alexis Santos: Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity -- a style...
Mar 11, 2022•11 min•Ep 426•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Paul Gilbert OBE is a professor of psychology at the University of Derby, Founder and President of The Compassionate Mind Foundation, the founder of Compassion Focused Therapy, and in 2011 was awarded the Officer of the British Empire, or OBE, from Queen Elizabeth II for his continued contribution to mental healthcare. He’s also the author of several books including The Compassionate Mind , Living Like Crazy , Overcoming Depression , and his latest, Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Pract...
Mar 09, 2022•51 min•Ep 425•Transcript available on Metacast We don’t think about it this way, but as we move through the day, the various moods we inhabit — excitement, engagement, aggression, fear, dejection — they’re all dictated by, or correlated with, our nervous system, or to be specific, our autonomic nervous system. The guest for this episode explains how you can become an active operator of your own nervous system. Deb Dana is a licensed clinical social worker, clinician, and consultant who specializes in working with complex trauma — although th...
Mar 07, 2022•59 min•Ep 424•Transcript available on Metacast 
