10% Happier With Dan Harris

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- What the ancient Greek philosophers discovered about how to do life better. Tamar Gendler is dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Vincent J. Scully Professor of Philosophy, and Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University. Her Open Yale course “Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature” has hundreds of thousands of views. An updated version of this course will be available on the Coursera website this spring.  In this episode we talk about: The tension between our animal nature and our spiritual/intellectual nature How to define concepts such as “virtue”, “morality” and “the soul”  Whether living a moral life actually makes you happy  The similarities and differences between ancient Greek philosophy & Buddhism  And how Tamar has applied all of this to her own life Related Episodes: How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz An Ace Ther

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- One's a legend, the other's a phenom. Together, they offer practical wisdom for maintaining your daily meditation practice, handling conflict, connecting with community, and understanding the limits of the mind. Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, India, and Burma. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He is the author of 16 books which have sold 2 million copies, and the co-founder of Cloud Sangha. Diego Perez is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who is widely known on Instagram and various social media networks through his pen name, Yung Pueblo. Online he has an audience of over 3 million people. Diego’s books are Inward, Clarity & Connection, Lighter, and The Way Forward. In this episode we talk about: How and why to maintain a

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- A counterintuitive way to become more clear, creative, and persistent, via a writer who calls himself a “human guinea pig.” A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, podcaster, and human guinea pig. His new podcast “The Puzzler” is produced by iHeart and is in the Top 20 Apple Podcasts. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. Among his books are “The Year of Living Biblically” and “The Know-It-All.” He has told several Moth stories, has given several TED talks that have amassed over 10 million views. His latest book is “The Puzzler,” which Booklist called “ridiculously entertaining,” and The New York Times called “a romp, both fun and funny.”  In this episode we talk about: The “puzzle mindset” and how it can change the way you approach your problems  Creating a puzzle that will take billions of years to solve How puzzles

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Buddhist strategies for navigating tumult— and even becoming a node of sanity amidst it all. Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication internationally and has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1997. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Born and raised in New Jersey, he is the author of several books, including the best-seller Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication as well as his newest book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love. In this episode we talk about: 26 qualities for both navigating and positively impacting a chaotic world What inspired the title of his newest book  Why the cultivation of attention and aspir

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- This guest says you can thrive with anxiety. And the trick is learning to get comfortable with discomfort. Dr. David H. Rosmarin is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, a program director at McLean Hospital, and founder of Center for Anxiety, which services over 1,000 patients/year in multiple states. His most recent book is Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You. In this episode we talk about: The difference between anxiety and stress How anxiety and distress can, paradoxically, improve our relationships with ourselves and others Why he’s a proponent of exposure therapy How anxiety can be transmuted into love Why we often use anger to cover up fear and anxiety And the spiritual benefit of thinking the worst Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our You

Today we are dropping down our feed a conversation that I listened to recently that had a huge impact on me. It's from a great show that I'm sure many of you have heard of, On Being with Krista Tippett. It's been around for decades, and it explores the question of what it means to be human, how to do life better, how to live with each other in complex times. Krista Tippett is a recent friend of mine, somebody who I have long admired and really, like – she was on the show just recently. They've got a new season of their show going right now, over on the On Being feed, which I highly recommend you check out. They're doing episodes on the intelligence of the human body, what AI might be calling us to as human beings, and much more.  They've also got a 20 year archive of conversations with people like Mary Oliver, John O'Donohue, and Desmond Tutu, which is pretty extraordinary. And this conversation, which, as I mentioned earlier, has had a big impact on me seems unfortunately quite relevant. It's about conflic

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Practical tools for regulating your nervous system in stressful times.   Deb Dana is a licensed clinical social worker, clinician, and consultant who specializes in working with complex trauma. She is the author of Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory. In this episode we talk about: What polyvagal theory is The case for understanding our nervous system The practical tools and exercises for changing our nervous system and learning to become more regulated The fact that our nervous systems aren’t simply isolated, self-contained phenomena – they are social structures Our responsibilities for our own nervous system and the nervous systems of others Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/deb-dana-rerun

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- We deal with difficult people over holiday meals, at work, and online. This guest says there is only one answer. Father 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 has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, the White House named Boyle a Champion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics. He is the author of The Whole Language, Tattoos on the Heart, and Barking to the Choir.  In this episode we talk about: How Homeboy Industries began 34 years ago Boyle’s practices for working with stress  What he means when he says you have to put death in its place Motivating people through joy rather than admonition How to catch our

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How getting your sh*t together can make you a better leader in your own personal orbit. It can maybe even change the world. Jerry Colonna is a leading executive coach who uses the skills he learned as a venture capitalist to help entrepreneurs. He is a co-founder and CEO of Reboot, the executive coaching and leadership development company, host of the Reboot Podcast, and author of Reunion: Leadership and the Longing to Belong, and Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up. In this episode we talk about: How to avoid the pitfalls of virtue signaling and self-righteousness The term, “reunion” and how it relates to the stories of our ancestors  What he means by, “the longing to belong” How we can learn to “do our first works over” The difference between equality and equity  And his framing of, "content and container" to help guide good leadership Related Episodes: Jerry Colonna, 'C

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. -- Plus, what happens if you don't repair, whether it's ever too late to repair, what "boundaries" actually are, and a helpful little tool for avoiding fights called the "MGI." Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and mom of three. She is the author of Good Inside and the host of the podcast Good Inside with Dr. Becky. Her new TED Talk is called “The single most important parenting strategy.” In this episode we talk about: How to repair damage after a fight What happens if you don’t repair Whether it’s ever too late to offer a repair Whether “good inside” is a thesis for all of humanity Whether punishment is ever appropriate Dr. Becky’s definition of “boundaries” A handy hack for avoiding fights called the “MGI” Whether or not Dr. Becky follows her own advice Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/becky-kennedy

A former nun explains how to deal with doom-scrolling, despair, and rage in the face of world events. Kaira Jewel Lingo spent fifteen years as a monastic in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition. She is now a lay dharma teacher and is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption. In this episode we talk about: How to stop doom-scrolling and what to do instead Why it’s more important, not less, to take care of yourself in times of crisis How to take concrete action that reduces suffering Stories and lessons from the life of Thich Nhat Hanh From Plum Village: An open letter to President Biden, guided meditations, and other resources  Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/kaira-jewel-lingo-n

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- The meditation style that changed Dan’s entire practice. Alexis Santos, has been practicing meditation for twenty years and was a student of a highly influential Burmese monk by the name of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Alexis is also a core teacher in the Ten Percent Happier app and the lead teacher of our On The Go course.  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/alexis-santos-rerun

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Nirvana is a culturally confusing and freighted term. It’s the name of the best rock band of the 1990s and also the name of smoothie joints, vape stores and yoga studios. There’s a vape place near me called Nirvana.  Nirvana’s been fully co-opted and sometimes corrupted by the culture… and yet it is also the clearly stated goal of the Buddha’s teaching. So what does it really mean? We cover all of that today in what is an experimental episode for us. Not only because the topic is so unusual, but also because this is our first podcast recording of a live show. We recorded this at the Armory in Boston in front of a sold out crowd who did not know in advance that premier teacher Joseph Goldstein would be the guest. We would love your feedback, because if you like this, we’ll do more. Joseph Goldstein is one of the top western proponents of mindfulness. He co-founded the legendary Insight Med

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How to spend your money in ways that will really boost your happiness and a look at the state of happiness research.  Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Dunn conducts experimental research examining how time, money, and technology shape human happiness. She is the co-author of “Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending” with Dr. Michael Norton. Her research has been featured in The New York Times, Time, CNN, and more.

We’ve been trying to do a bunch of experiments here on this show, and our latest is a weekly newsletter, which you can sign up for here! To celebrate this new endeavor, we’ve put together a whole episode about risk taking and experimenting. We thought this would be helpful and educational while also giving you a fun peek behind the scenes (and also allowing us to be blatantly self-promotional in the process—a win/win!). In fact, this episode itself is experimental in its format, because we don’t have a typical guest. I sat down with the show’s Senior Editor Marissa Schneiderman—who has been collaborating with me on the newsletter—to talk about how we’ve been putting into practice the wisdom from some of our best guests, including Brené Brown, Adam Grant, Rick Rubin, Sarah Cooper. You can sign up for Dan Harris’ Newsletter at: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast It’s a weekly roundup of life hacks, cultural recommendations, pod news, and upcoming events. Related Episodes: Adam Grant on the Science of Potential

One of our most frequent and popular guests talks about how to develop the character skills to discover your hidden potential. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, hisTED talks have been viewed more than 30 million times, and he hosts the hit podcastRe:Thinking. His viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021. He has been recognized as one of the world's ten most influential management thinkers. In this episode we talk about: Why character skills are so important and how to develop them What we learn from seeking discomfort The concept of scaffolding as a way to overcome obstacles The value of acceptable mistakes And How to see the hidden potential in others and champion them Take Adam’s Quiz: Which skill could unlock your potential? Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/adam-grant-hidden-potential

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Plus: Why Lama Rod is "no longer interested in being a good person," why we need to let go of perfectionism, and the selfish case for sainthood. Lama Rod Owens is making his fifth appearance on Ten Percent Happier. He describes himself as “a Black Buddhist Southern Queen” and is an authorized lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism with a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard. His new book is The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors. In this episode we talk about: What Lama Rod means by “New Saint” Why he is “no longer interested in being a good person” Why it's so important to let go of the ideal of perfection The practices and characteristics of a New Saint The questions you should ask yourself about your beliefs His experiences with what he refers to as “unseen beings” and his exploration of the “unseen world” Related Episodes: Meditation Party: Magic, Myste

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Understanding the difference between ‘normal’ forgetfulness and actual memory loss, practical ways to stave off Alzheimer’s disease, and meditation’s role in brain health.    Lisa Genova has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels including Still Alice—which was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore who won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland, Love Anthony, and Every Note Played. Her first work of nonfiction is Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Genova’s first TED talk, What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's has been viewed over eight million times and her most recent TED talk, How Memory Works--and Why Forgetting is Totally OK was the sixth most watched TED talk of 2021. In this episode we talk about: The difference between ‘normal’ forgetting and actual memory l

Our friend Dr. Michael Gervais at the Finding Mastery podcast is a renowned sports psychologist who found meditation by happenstance. We wanted to share this conversation he had with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn about the mind/body interactions for healing and clinical applications for mindfulness meditation training.  Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is a Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where in 1995 he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society and in 1979, its world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic.   Order Dr. Michael Gervais' new book here: https://findingmastery.com/book/ Listen to the Finding Mastery podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-mastery/id1025326955

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- The host of On Being shares lessons learned from 20 years of interviews, including: how to live with open questions, counterprogramming against your negativity bias, and getting over the God question. Krista Tippett is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, a National Humanities Medalist, and a New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, attended Brown University, and became a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin. After studying theology at Yale Divinity School in the early 1990s, Tippett launched Speaking of Faith — later On Being — as a weekly national public radio show in 2003. She has published three books: Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living; Einstein’s God, drawn from her interviews at the intersection of science, medicine, and spiritual inquiry; and Speaking of Faith, a memoir of religion in our time. In this episode we