10% Happier

Devin Berry is a Core Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society and a residential retreat teacher at IMS and Spirit Rock. A meditator since 1999, his practice is rooted in long-term retreat practice and the mettā and vipassanā teachings of the Insight Meditation tradition.This episode originally aired on July 31st, 2024. 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

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a preeminent happiness expert and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California. Harry Reis is one of the world’s leading experts on relationships and Dean’s Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester. They are the authors of: HOW TO FEEL LOVED: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most. 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

A conversation with meditation teacher Jay Michaelson about what to do when you’re constantly tired, fried, and running on empty.If you feel exhausted seemingly all the time—whether it’s a low hum or something louder—you’re not alone. In this conversation, Jay Michaelson, our Teacher of the Month for February, talks with executive producer DJ Cashmere about the relentless fatigue so many of us are experiencing, and what actually helps.We talk about:* Why your first move should be self-compassion (not self-blame)—especially in a culture obsessed with sleep optimization* The important oscillation between being with difficulty versus reaching for an antidote* HALT: the acronym that can save you (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)* How to investigate exhaustion without trying to fix it right away* Practical antidotes: screen hygiene, micro-naps, and yes, brain machines* How our Stone Age brains are being hijacked by tech companies* Why nap shame is “pure garbage” and you should kiss it goodbye* The social conditions causing exhaustion that are beyond individual controlThe through-line: this isn’t about becoming superhuman or gritting your teeth through exhaustion. It’s about relating to it differently, being kinder to yourself, and using whatever tools actually work—even if they feel unconventional.Jay’s guided meditations and live AMA sessions are available throughout February in the 10% with Dan Harris app. Find more from Jay at jaymichaelson.substack.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

A live Q&A session with meditation teacher Jeff Warren, where Dan and Jeff tackle some of the hardest questions in meditation and life.Jeff Warren is a meditation teacher, author, and co-founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club. In this live session recorded on Zoom with subscribers to the 10% with Dan Harris app, Jeff and Dan take questions about insomnia, chronic pain, caring for aging parents, existential fears for loved ones, and what to do when your meditation practice feels stuck.We talk about:* How to get equanimity around existential fears for your kids (which Jeff calls “the single hardest thing in human life”)* Why acceptance is a terrible word and equanimity is better* The difference between doomsday spirals and what’s actually happening right now* Practical strategies for insomnia and chronic pain (including why your goal shouldn’t be eight hours of unconscious sleep)* What to do when you feel stuck in your meditation practice (hint: the plateau is normal)* Three strategies for turning down the volume on your constant mental narratorJeff also introduces the practice of asking your meditation a question—literally seeding a question in your mind during practice and seeing what bubbles up. It’s surprisingly effective for creative blocks and getting unstuck.These live sessions happen every week in the 10% with Dan Harris app, where you can meditate with Dan and guest teachers and ask questions in real time. Get the app at danharris.com — there’s a free 14-day trial. 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

Ryan Holiday is one of the world’s bestselling living philosophers. His books, including The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key and his #1 New York Times bestselling series on the Stoic Virtues, appear in more than forty languages and have sold over 10 million copies.Related Episodes:* Ancient Strategies For Managing Stress And AnxietyAdditional Resources:* Wisdom Takes Work*  The Stoic Virtue Series* The Daily Stoic*  Dailystoic.com* Glorious Exploits 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

Victoria Maizes, MD, is the founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Her new book is Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body’s Rapid Recovery Reflex to Feel Better—Quicker. 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

A guided loving-kindness meditation from Jay Michaelson that ditches the phrases and uses visualization instead.If you’ve done traditional metta (loving-kindness) practice before, you know it involves bringing people to mind and repeating phrases like “May you be happy, may you be healthy.” It’s a great practice. But sometimes the words can get you stuck in your head—thinking about what would actually make this person happy, or getting into stories about their suffering.This version takes away the verbal element. Instead, you work with a visualization: imagining a warm, golden light in your heart center that you can extend outward.Fair warning: this involves imagination. If that makes you roll your eyes, that’s fine. But as the Beatles said, “The love you take is equal to the love you make.” It’s worth a try.Jay Michaelson is our Teacher of the Month for February. Find more guided meditations and live sessions with Jay throughout the month in the 10% with Dan Harris app. 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

Andrew Ross Sorkin is an award-winning journalist for The New York Times, a co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box, and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, an online daily financial report published by The New York Times. His latest book is 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation.Additional Resources:* Too Big to Fail* DealBook Summit 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

Vinny Ferraro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He’s the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades.As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher through Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at various centers and currently leads Spirit Rock’s Year to Live course.This episode originally dropped in May of 2024, but we’re re-posting it because it was one of our most successful episodes. 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

Dr. Tara Narula is a board-certified cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and Chief Medical Correspondent for ABC News. Her new book is The Healing Power of Resilience: A New Prescription for Health and Well-Being. 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