10% Happier with Dan Harris

Feel Your Feelings, Drop the Story | Sebene Selassie

Why forcing the breath backfires and how to use the four elements to get out of your head. Breath meditation sounds simple in theory. In practice, many meditators find that the moment they pay attention to their breathing, it starts to feel forced, shallow, or just plain weird. In this live session, Dan and Sebene Selassie dig into why that happens — and what to do about it. They also answer subscriber questions on shame and how to work with it skillfully, the RAIN technique, breaking the cycle of rumination, and Sebene's beloved elements practice as a tool for embodiment. Plus: an unexpectedly lively digression on colonoscopy prep and the nature of being with discomfort. If you want to go deeper with Dan and Sebene, check out their Audible Original, Even You Can Meditate, available now. Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. [https://www.92ny.org/event/dan-harris-with-allison-gilbert] Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here [https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party], or sign up to livestream here [https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-livestream]! To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

How To Relax The Need To Control Everything | Rosa Lewis

Plus: Navigating the "dark night of the soul," the power of saying "no," and how to be more present. Rosa Lewis [https://rosalewis.co.uk/] is a mystic, awakening guide, artist and writer. She is the author of many books, most recently Unlocking the Depths of Being: Wholehearted Presence for a Mystical Reality [https://rosalewis.co.uk/books/]. The last two meditations on this playlist [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaotvC2tIBw1RRiSr8pgKVsWvqCicbdcJ&si=1WSenyj4vcNTUiLn] are related to her book. Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. [https://www.92ny.org/event/dan-harris-with-allison-gilbert] Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here. [https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party#9851] This episode is sponsored by: Function Health — 160+ lab tests a year for $365. Check your health the way Dan does at https://www.functionhealth.com/happier [https://www.functionhealth.com/happier] — use code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit Quo — The modern business phone system. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier [https://www.quo.com/happier] Samsara — AI-powered fleet safety and operations platform. Request a free demo at https://www.samsara.com/happier [https://www.samsara.com/happier] Wix — Build your website with AI in minutes at https://www.wix.com/harmony [https://www.wix.com/harmony]

How To Escape Your Brain's Default Mode Network | Zindel Segal and Norman Farb

Using your senses to reduce overthinking, turn down the voice in your head, and get out of what these scientists call "the house of habit." Dr. Zindel Segal [https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/mindful-awareness/] is Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a cofounder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Professor Norman Farb, PhD [https://www.radlab.zone/], is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory. Together, they are the co-authors of Better In Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life [https://betterineverysense.com/]. In this episode we talk about: * How the brain's default mode network is essential to our survival but also can keep us stuck in rumination and overthinking * Segal and Farb's simple practice of "sense foraging" and why they say it can help break patterns and thoughts that aren't serving us * The differences and the similarities between sense foraging and mindfulness Related Episodes: * Depression and Anxiety: Your Old Enemies, Your Best Friends | Zindel Segal — Ten Percent Happier [https://open.substack.com/pub/danharris/p/how-to-escape-your-brains-default-88a?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] * Gretchen Rubin on: How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships [https://open.substack.com/pub/danharris/p/gretchen-rubin-on-how-to-use-your-d5d?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] * Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari — Ten Percent Happier [https://open.substack.com/pub/danharris/p/why-you-cant-pay-attention-and-how-77b?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

Trudging Through Your Own Life? Here's the Stoic Fix | Maria Semple

How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes. Maria Semple [https://www.mariasemple.com/] is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle [https://www.amazon.com/Go-Gentle-Maria-Semple/dp/B0FJDLY6MH]. In this episode we talk about: * Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset * Maria's daily Stoic routine * The limits of Stoicism * What to do when mediating gives you anxiety * The danger of "baited bounties" * How to "get shit done" with non-attachment * Using fantasy as a coping mechanism Related Episodes: * Stoic Practices for Getting Rid of Mental Junk, Your Morning Routine, and Talking to the Dead | Ryan Holiday [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-practices-for-getting-rid-of-mental-junk-your/id1087147821?i=1000749207909] * Stoic Advice for Handling Setbacks, Insults, and Death | William Irvine [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/stoic-advice-for-handling-setbacks-insults-and-death/id1087147821?i=1000704274965] Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] Additional Resources: * William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life [https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614]" Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. [https://www.92ny.org/event/dan-harris-with-allison-gilbert] Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here. [https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party#9851] This episode is sponsored by: Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier [https://www.rosettastone.com/happier] ButcherBox — 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught seafood delivered to your door. New listeners get chicken breasts or top sirloin for a year, or ground beef for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier [https://www.butcherbox.com/happier] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

Top 10 Neuroscience-Backed Tips for a Stronger Brain | Wendy Suzuki and Amishi Jha

Plus: maximizing the benefits of sleep, exercise, and meditation. To celebrate the show's 10th anniversary, we're producing episodes that share top 10 lists of practices, strategies and more from our favorite experts. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years. None of this would be possible without you. Amishi Jha, PhD [https://amishi.com/] is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She is also the author of the bestselling book Peak Mind [https://a.co/d/01fyGGay] and the creator of the app Pushups for the Mind [https://peakmind.media/]. Wendy Suzuki, PhD [https://www.wendysuzuki.com/] is the Dean of New York University College of Arts & Science and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University. She is the author of the books Healthy Brain, Happy Life [https://www.wendysuzuki.com/the-book-healthy-brain-happy-life] and Good Anxiety [https://www.wendysuzuki.com/good-anxiety]. In this episode: * What neuroplasticity is, and why your brain is not fixed * How exercise changes your brain, including mood, memory, and attention * Reframing the burden of optimization * The minimum effective dose for meditation to improve attention * Why sleep is essential for memory, brain cleanup, and long-term brain health * The myth of multitasking * How anxiety can be used as a tool instead of just something to avoid * How your daily habits are shaping the brain you'll have tomorrow Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. [https://www.92ny.org/event/dan-harris-with-allison-gilbert] Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here. [https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party#9851] This episode is sponsored by: Gainbridge — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com [https://www.gainbridge.com] Warby Parker — Prescription glasses, contacts, and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier [https://www.warbyparker.com/happier] BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier [https://www.betterhelp.com/happier] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]