10% Happier with Dan Harris

The "Wellness" Industry Sells Us On Rigid Optimization. It Doesn't Work–But This Might. | Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya

A deep dive on Ayurveda, a sophisticated system for health that's been refined over millennia. Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya [https://www.nidhi.me/] is a renowned NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Doctor, the bestselling author of Your Body Already Knows [https://www.nidhi.me/nidhi-book-pre-order-new] (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 in the face of an imbalanced ecosystem * The human tragedy of overoptimization * The value of awe, fascination, and pattern-seeing as more effective than discipline or force * The three codes of life * The framework to come back into our own intelligence in the kindest way * How modern life (especially electricity) disrupted our biological rhythm and created chronic imbalance * The concept of balance and the Buddhist middle path as echoed in Ayurvedic texts * The "inner climate" framework * Practical tools for sleep, including concrete daily practices to offset "imbalances" * The concept of agni (digestive fire) and how to support it * A three tiered toolkit for self-regulation * The perils of jumping into change * Why cold drinks and excessive water can disrupt digestion * Radical acceptance and gratitude 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] Thanks to our sponsors: HomeServe: Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to homeserve.com [https://homeserve.com] to find the plan that's right for you. Leesa: Go to leesa.com [http://leesa.com/] for 25% off mattresses, pllus get an extra $50 off with the promo code Happier, exclusive for our listeners.

Why You Don't Exercise Even Though You Know You Should. And Strategies To Get Over the Hump. | Katy Bowman

A toolkit for bringing more movement into your life. Katy Bowman [https://nutritiousmovement.com/] is a biomechanist who runs a movement education company, called Nutritious Movement [https://nutritiousmovement.com/]. She's the author of 11 books, and her most recent is I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them [https://www.amazon.com/Know-Should-Exercise-But-Reasons/dp/1943370311]. In this episode we talk about: * What a biomechanist does * What Katy means by "movement as nutrition" * How to determine your "movement diet" * The distinction between movement and exercise * Why people don't exercise * Strategies for consistency * The role of values and attention * How to move if you don't like sweating * How to find time to move * The technique of "stacking your life" * Overcoming embarrassment and shame related to movement * Strengthening your "so what" muscle * Getting comfortable with discomfort * What to do when you're addicted to your screen * And much more Additional Resources: * Katy's Substack [https://katybowmanmovement.substack.com/] 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] Thanks to our sponsors: LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to linkedin.com/happier [http://linkedin.com/happier]. Northwest Registered Agent: Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/happierfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/happierfree] and start building something amazing. Quo: Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com/Happier [https://quo.com/happier]. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

Buddhist Strategies for Protecting Yourself from Everyday Chaos | Bart van Melik

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 juvenile detention in the South Bronx. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, we talk about: * The difference between being mindful and knowing you're mindful (and why this matters when your 11-year-old is pushing every button) * Why awareness feels like protection * How to stop the cycle of: snap, regret, repeat * What Bart learned teaching meditation to kids in juvie who told him his meditation was "lit" * Why your kids might be your fiercest Zen teachers * The surprising power of saying "no" without aversion * How everything actually goes faster when you stop rushing * His favorite teaching from a modern-day monk: "Keep calmly knowing change" Related Resources: * Bart's previous episode on insight dialogue and relational meditation practice [https://open.substack.com/pub/danharris/p/a-pressure-cooker-for-insight-bart-a26?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] * New guided meditations from Bart available throughout January [https://app.danharris.com/c/meditation-library/] Join Dan's online community 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]

How To Rewrite Your Story, Make Peace with the Past, and Break Old Patterns | Melissa Febos

Practical ways to upgrade your narrative. Melissa Febos [https://www.melissafebos.com/] is the national bestselling author of five books, including Girlhood [https://www.melissafebos.com/girlhood], Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691717/body-work-by-melissa-febos/9781646220854/], and a new memoir, The Dry Season [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725681/the-dry-season-by-melissa-febos/]. 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 we talk about: * How to "audit" your personal narrative with simple questions * Melissa's five-step method for rewriting unhelpful stories * Why community, and vulnerability are required for real change; in other words, why it's harder to do this work alone * Melissa's own experiences running this playbook with regard to her relationships and her addictions. 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]

How To Use Psychology and Buddhism To Handle Your Inner Critic | Amita Schmidt

How psychology and spirituality can work together. Amita Schmidt [https://amitaschmidt.com/] 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. [https://dipama.com/book/] 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 spirituality can work together * The basics of Internal Family Systems (or IFS) * Amita's personal path through trauma, depression, and a pivotal insight that changed everything * Why states like depression aren't as solid as they feel * How to work with the inner critic * Simple ways to access the sanest, wisest version of yourself * The shift from psychological healing to spiritual insight * The value of acceptance and surrender * Simple pointers for sensing "aware presence" beneath all the mental noise Related Episodes: * How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz [https://app.danharris.com/c/10-happier-podcast/how-and-why-to-hug-your-inner-dragons-richard-schwartz] * How To Handle Your Demons | Richard Schwartz [https://app.danharris.com/c/10-happier-podcast/how-to-handle-your-demons-richard-schwartz] Additional resources: * Amita on InsightTimer [https://insighttimer.com/amitaschmidt] * Amita on DharmaSeed [https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/251/] 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] Thanks to our sponsor: LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to linkedin.com/happier [http://linkedin.com/happier].