10% Happier

Meditation teacher Bart van Melik leads a live community Q&A — and the questions that come in are ones most meditators have quietly wrestled with for years.Bart is the guiding teacher at Community Meditation Center in New York, where he leads weekly sessions grounded in Buddhist tradition. In this episode, he takes on four of the most common sticking points in practice: forgiveness, boredom, disconnection from the body, and the spiral of anxious “what if” thinking.His approach throughout is warm, precise, and grounded — less about achieving a particular state and more about learning to hold whatever arises with curiosity and kindness.Topics covered:* Forgiveness — why forcing it can backfire, what it means to “bypass” difficult emotions, and the reframe that changes everything: forgiveness as giving up all hope for a better past* Boredom — how to get genuinely curious about it instead of fighting it, and what it can teach you about why you reach for your phone* Getting into your body — why embodiment looks different for everyone, and how to find the activities (yes, even mindful salsa dancing or vacuuming) that make it easier* Worry and “what if” thoughts — the Buddhist framing of worry as an obstacle to clear seeing, and a simple breathwork technique from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche — exhale heavy, exhale calm — that works even in the hardest moments* Community as practice — the Buddha’s teaching that friendship and community isn’t half the path. It’s the whole thing.About Bart van Melik: Bart van Melik is a meditation teacher and guiding teacher at Community Meditation Center, a global and local community that meets weekly via Zoom. Monthly sessions are donation-based and open to all. Learn more at https://www.cmc-ny.org/. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Arthur Brooks is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. Brooks is the author of 15 books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers, Build the Life You Want, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, and From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. His latest book is The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.Additional Resources:* Office Hours with Arthur BrooksJoin 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.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Richard J. Davidson, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also the Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds and Founder of the non-profit Humin.Cortland Dahl, PhD, is a scientist, author, translator, and meditation teacher for the Tergar community.Davidson and Dahl’s latest book is Born to Flourish. They also author the Substack newsletter, Dharma Lab.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.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

What if the most meaningful thing you did for your mental health wasn’t something new — but a return to what already brings you joy?Dan recently sat down with journalist and broadcaster Sam Sanders on the Sam Sanders Show to explore exactly that idea. Sam has a concept he calls “modern scriptures”: the movies, albums, and TV shows you return to again and again because they ground you, center you, and remind you what matters. Dan shares the pop culture that never fails to lift his spirits — and along the way, the two get into why beauty and art are actually central to human flourishing, why Ferris Bueller is more Buddhist than you might think, and what the research says about making resolutions stick — including the one upstream habit that makes everything else easier.The Sam Sanders Show is a co-production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions. Sign up for Sam’s newsletter for behind-the-scenes extras from every episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of books including Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. With his brother, Hank, John has co-created many online video projects, including Vlogbrothers and the educational channel Crash Course. His most recent book is Everything Is Tuberculosis.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.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Shankar Vedantam is host of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show, where he explores the hidden patterns that drive human behavior. He is the author of the books, The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Wage Wars, Control Markets and Save Our Lives, and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self- Deceiving Brain.Related Episodes:* The Surprising Upsides of Self-DeceptionAdditional Resources:* Shankar’s TED Talks* Hidden Brain Live TourJoin 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.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Let go of your thoughts, stop getting caught in your stories, and try the ancient practice of walking meditation.Walking meditation is one of the most practical and underrated tools in mindfulness — and in this episode, Dan shares a guided practice from his new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate (co-authored with Sebene Selassie), out now on Audible.The practice is led by Sebene herself. The premise is simple: walk slowly and deliberately, pay attention to the sensations of each step, and when your mind wanders — just start again. It bridges the gap between formal sitting practice and everyday life, and it’s a genuine game-changer for fidgeters, restless types, and anyone who finds stillness unbearable.In this guided practice, Sebene leads you through:* Grounding yourself before you take your first step* Tuning into the physical sensations of lifting, moving, and placing each foot* Expanding awareness to include your whole body and your surroundings* Letting thoughts come and go — without getting caught in them* Closing with a moment of gratitude for your body and this moment of awarenessThe Even You Can Meditate (audiobook) by Dan Harris and Sebene Selassie is available now at audible.com/danharris. And mark your calendar for the Even You Can Meditate 5-Day Challenge — running March 23–27 on the 10% with Dan Harris app. Each day features a different guided practice, plus two live online events with Dan and Sebene. Download the app at danharris.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Ajahn Kovilo Bhikkhu and Ajahn Nisabho are North American-born, Theravada monks who founded Clear Mountain Monastery in Seattle, Washington. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Marc Brackett, Ph.D. is the author of Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want and the bestselling Permission to Feel. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. You can watch Marc’s podcast interviews here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com

Sharing a podcast from Michelle Obama and her big brother Craig Robinson, called IMO. On IMO, Michelle and Craig aim to bring you candid perspectives on the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they’re joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering practical advice, personal storytelling, and plenty of laughs. In this episode, Anderson Cooper shares what he’s learned about holding space for grief. The three talk about how they managed (or avoided) the grieving process and how their moms prepared their kids to live without them. Plus, Anderson shares his thoughts on the Vanderbilts inspiring an episode of “The Gilded Age.”You can hear more episodes of IMO at https://lnk.to/imomichellecraigTH This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danharris.com