10% Happier with Dan Harris

So I was compelled by guys like Deepak and Eckhart, but also quite frustrated, especially with Tolle because I didn't feel like he provided any practical advice for dealing with this aspect of the human condition, the voice in our heads.

So she handed me the book and I was looking at it and I liked this guy immediately because he had actual credentials. He's a Harvard-trained psychiatrist.

So she handed me the book and I was looking at it and I liked this guy immediately because he had actual credentials. He's a Harvard-trained psychiatrist. By the way, the book Bianca gave me was called GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART, and it's one of many books that Mark has written about the overlap between ancient Buddhism and modern psychology.

He wrote a, what was I think the first book I ever read on meditation and on Buddhism called GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART which was a gift from my wife and this is an overused phrase but I'm going to use it anyway because it happens to be apt in this case changed my life.

that first book of mine that you read uh going to pieces with that falling apart that was another way of talking about the same thing

Bianca gave me one of Mark's books, it was called GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART back in 2009, and it genuinely changed my life.

He wrote a, what was I think the first book I ever read on meditation and on Buddhism called GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART which was a gift from my wife and this is an overused phrase but I'm going to use it anyway because it happens to be apt in this case changed my life.

The name of the book that I read was GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART

the way I structured that book because I had just read all this Buddhist tantric stuff was around the four stages of Tibetan tantra which are compared to the process of falling in love so it was I think looking smiling embracing and orgasm

The name of the book that I read was GOING TO PIECES WITHOUT FALLING APART

John has written many books including Full Catastrophe Living wherever you go there you are which was first published 30 years ago and his latest mindfulness meditation for pain relief.

When we wrote the book, John Kabat-Zinn's book, Full Catastrophe of Living, was only out I think for about four or five years.

John has written many books including Full Catastrophe Living wherever you go there you are and coming to our senses.

Somehow, John Kabat's in book landed in my lap. He was Full Catastrophe Living.

I read a bit of it and started listening to the cassette tapes.

Somehow, John Kabat's in book landed in my lap. He was Full Catastrophe Living.

His name is Shin Zen Young and he's got a new book called The Science of Enlightenment

in your book The Science of Enlightenment which I recommend to everybody.

So I meet Shins and actually what happened first is I listened, he had an audio series called The Science of Enlightenment and it was like, oh my god, finally.

He's got a new book called The Science of Enlightenment

you lean right into this in the introduction of your book which is you on the one hand the book is called The Science of Enlightenment, You're into science but you're also into enlightenment

So I meet Shins and actually what happened first is I listened, he had an audio series called The Science of Enlightenment and it was like, oh my god, finally.

He's got a new book called The Science of Enlightenment

you lean right into this in the introduction of your book which is you on the one hand the book is called The Science of Enlightenment, You're into science but you're also into enlightenment

in your book The Science of Enlightenment which I recommend to everybody. You talk about a lot of interesting other interesting things that happened to you.

He's got a new book called The Science of Enlightenment and we recently interviewed him for the podcast.

So I meet Shins and actually what happened first is I listened, he had an audio series called The Science of Enlightenment and it was like, oh my god, finally.

if you go back and you read say Dr. Herbert Benson's book relaxation response which is the sort of groundbreaking research on that specific form of meditation where he says you have a completely different nervous system and physiological state it can get very restate and all of that he uses the word focus but he got that from a transcendental meditation instruction

What he said was that your body can only sustain that relaxation response for about 20 minutes

all of TM's research is based on Herbert Benson's research and he for him The Relaxation Response was a phrase he coined as the opposite of the stress response

I used to do Herbert Benson's relaxation response meditations breathing meditation breathing techniques and you know he had a book on that long time ago and also guided visualizations a long long time ago.

you can just use any word you want like one or piece or something like that that was actually one of the first books I read about meditation because it was recommended by my site my shrink my psychiatrist.

if you go back and you read say Dr. Herbert Benson's book relaxation response which is the sort of groundbreaking research on that specific form of meditation where he says you have a completely different nervous system and physiological state it can get very restate and all of that he uses the word focus but he got that from a transcendental meditation instruction [00:16:37.560 --> 00:17:07.720]

Herbert Benson back in the 1970s what he said was that your body can only sustain that relaxation response for about 20 minutes [00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:37.560]

he basically gives you in the book I remember was one of the first meditation books I ever read he gives you like just say the word piece or one in your head as your mantra he discovered that you don't need a TM mantra in order to elicit The Relaxation Response [00:28:58.520 --> 00:29:17.720]

Herbert Benson who had written a book called The Relaxation Response best seller in the 70s

He said oh there's a guy working for me who's doing research on this whose name was Herbert Benson who had written a book called The Relaxation Response best seller in the 70s

Inspired by the hit podcast American History Tellers, Wondery and William Morrow present the new book, The Hidden History of the White House.

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Wondery and William Morrow present the new book, The Hidden History of the White House.

Inspired by the hit podcast American History Tellers, Wondery and William Morrow present the new book, The Hidden History of the White House.

Each chapter will bring you inside the fierce power struggles, the world-altering decisions, and shocking scandals that have shaped our nation.

He wrote a massive best seller called The Power of Habit which is all about the science of habit formation and he followed that up with a book about the science of productivity called smarter faster better and his latest book is called super communicators.

You have been on, you know, on the scene for a while, but I think it's reasonably safe to say really burst into the national consciousness through a book about habits.

And the answer to how do we make this instinctual is to make it into a habit.

We think of a habit as one thing, but it's actually made up of three parts.

It's been you know talked about in a number of best selling books before and and well documented by psychologists um books like Power of Habit and Atomic Habits that talk about this beautifully I think...

I mean Charles, you're hitting The Power of Habit.

I actually went up reading The Power of Habits several years later and I was like oh I kind of did that.

So quick quick quick rundown on what Charles speaks about in the power of how Charles do Hig New York Times reporter who wrote The Power of Habit by selling book.

I actually went up reading The Power of Habits several years later and I was like oh I kind of did that.

quick quick quick rundown on what Charles speaks about in the power of how Charles do Hig New York Times reporter who wrote The Power of Habit by selling book.

The event will actually be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Ten Percent Happier and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the New York Insight Meditation Center come early if you want for a VIP guided meditation and Q&A with me.

It's also a celebration of the 10th anniversary of a book I wrote called 10% Happier after which this podcast is named.

Speaking of the 10th anniversary of 10% Happier, our friends over at the 10% Happier Meditation App are offering a big discount.

The event will actually be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Ten Percent Happier and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the New York Insight Meditation Center come early if you want for a VIP guided meditation and Q&A with me.

speaking of the 10th anniversary of 10% Happier our friends over at the 10% Happier meditation app are offering a big discount.

I've been working on a book for six years it's the sequel to 10% Happier which would my first book and we initially thought it was going to come out in 2020 you and I recording this in 2024 it's still not out I think I'm pretty damn sure it actually will come out next year but I find myself

The event will actually be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Ten Percent Happier, and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the New York Insight Meditation Center.

I wrote all about Mark and our relationship in my book, 10% Happier.

We're in the middle of a special series to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 10% Happier.

By the way, I just put out a special revised anniversary edition of the book with a new preface and expanded appendix filled with meditation instructions.

And today it's Mark. When I asked Mark what he wanted to talk about, he uttered the following words, emptiness as the mother's love.

The big critique of mindfulness as you and I have practiced it, the big critique from people who like sort of try it but find, I don't know if it's for me or not or coming from other spiritual traditions, the big critique is that it's too dry and that it's so mental and that like where's the love?

It's like how I reduced stress, tamed the voice in my head without losing my edge. A true story. I found self-help that actually works. A true story.

Like you discovering the sort of nastiness of your mind that had affected your personal interactions.

The event will actually be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Ten Percent Happier and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the New York Insight Meditation Center.

The book is called Quantum Body the new science of living a longer healthier more vital life

The event that we're doing on March 28th in New York City at Symphony Space I'll be interviewing Joseph Goldstein and Dr. Mark Epstein live for a recording of this podcast it's also a celebration of the 10th anniversary of a book I wrote called 10% Happier after which this podcast is named.

Speaking of the 10th anniversary of 10% Happier our friends over at the 10% Happier meditation app are offering a big discount if you want to give meditation a try join us over on the app for 40% off get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to 10% dot com slash 40 and dive into guided meditations and insightful courses for a 10% Happier you that's 10% all one word spelled out dot com slash 40 for 40% off your subscription

I should say this is episode two of our 10th anniversary series celebrating ten years since I put out my first book 10% Happier make sure to go check out the kickoff episode where I talk to my producers DJ Kashmir and Lauren Smith about how the book changed my life and the many things I learned during the course of writing it and subsequently we'll put a link to that episode in the show notes and we'll also drop a link to buy the revised 10th anniversary edition of the book it's got a new preface in which I reflect on what has changed and what I've learned over the past ten years and a new appendix with some meditation instructions

This is the kickoff episode of our upcoming series celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dan's book, where two of Dan's producers, DJ Cashmere and Lauren Smith, interview him.

The event will actually be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first book, 10 Percent Happier and a percentage of the proceeds will go to the New York Insight Meditation Center come early if you want for a VIP guided meditation and Q&A with me.

Anyway, the book is turning 10 years old this month. I just put out a revised 10th anniversary edition of the book with a new preface and expanded appendix filled with meditation instructions.

And to celebrate this milestone we're kicking off a big series in which I'm going to go back and interview many of the major players from the book so you're going to hear me talk to people like Deepak Chopra has never been on this show before.

Also Joseph Goldstein, Dr. Mark Epstein and even my younger brother who if you read the book played the role of snarky skeptic was even more skeptical than I was about meditation and has however to my delight recently become a convert.

John has written many books including full catastrophe living wherever you go there you are which was first published 30 years ago and his latest mindfulness meditation for pain relief.

John has written many books including full catastrophe living wherever you go there you are and coming to our senses.

you know I read uh wherever you go there you are you know sometimes you're yeah it's great I'm rereading it right now

to read a book by John Cabinzen or Sharon Salisberger or Mark Epstein and you get reminded of the intellectual infrastructure of the thing like oh right as just as you said this is why this is important

you know I read uh wherever you go there you are you know sometimes you're yeah it's great I'm rereading it right now.

to read a book by John Cabinzen or Sharon Salisberger or Mark Epstein and you get reminded of the intellectual infrastructure of the thing like oh right as just as you said this is why this is important.

She's the author of many, many books including New York Times best sellers with names such as Outer Order in her comm, the four tendencies, better than before and her first huge book, The Happiness Project.

It's called Outer Order, Inner Calm. And I thought, okay, maybe we ought to take this more seriously so I brought her in to talk about it.

I only recommend three books at the end of Outer Order, Inner Calm. Hers is one of them.

but I think deserves a little bit more love is this idea of outer order you wrote a great book called outer order inner calm great book I had you on to talk about it when it came out about what seems like a very superficial issue of decluttering but actually has a lot of impact...

Gretchen Rubin recently wrote a book about decluttering which is part of minimalism and she came in and helped me declutter my office which was massively cluttered.

There's an ease that comes from having a physical environment or as as as Gretchen called her book outer order inner calm.

It's called Outer Order, Inner Calm. And I thought okay, maybe we oughta take this more seriously so I brought her in to talk about it and I walked away really convinced that there's something here, that the that there is a connection between your environment and your mental well-being and that there are actionable steps you can take that don't require major life surgery in order to bring some Outer Order that will produce as Gretchen says, some inner calm.

I binge watch the show in two days and I only recommend three books at the end of Outer Order in Recalmin. Hers is one of them.

The book isn't, it's a 150 ideas and they're written in these kind of short accessible ways. So you can always just flip through it. You don't have to read it from beginning to end.

have you read David Lynch's book Catching the Big Fish yeah it's another book I have not read but I'm not sure it's terrific and it's totally worth reading but he really thinks that meditation is the the kind of that's where he digs and gets all that weird stuff it's the wellspring of creativity for him yeah yeah yeah

I started, and I had recently heard about it because I had read, um, I mean, I had read like David Lynch's catch in the big fish, which is a great book about creativity and I don't know if you've read it.

and uh have you read David Lynch's book Catching the Big Fish yeah it's another book I have not read but I'm not sure it's terrific and it's totally worth reading but he really thinks that meditation is the the kind of that's where he digs and gets all that weird stuff it's the wellspring of creativity for him yeah yeah yeah

Um, and I had recently heard about it because I had read, um, I mean, I had read like David Lynch's catch in the big fish, which is a great book about creativity and I don't know if you've read it.

I read David Lynch's book really Catching the Big Fish and his book really spoke about the connection between his art and meditation in a way that was incredibly compelling.

Her TED talks have more than 40 million views and her books, Mating in Captivity and the state of affairs are huge bestsellers.

Esther Perel is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of many books, including Mating in Captivity.

New York Times bestselling author of books such as Mating in Captivity.

She's also the author of the awesomely-entitled, bestselling book Mating in Captivity.

check out mating and captivity

You've got titles like Habits for Happiness, The Seven-Step Mindset Makeover, and Habits for Action.

New members can try Audible free for 30 days. Visit audible.com slash 10%, or text 10%, T-E-N-P-E-R-C-E-N-T, to 500-500. That's audible.com slash 10%, or text 10% to 500-500 to try Audible free for 30 days.

There was an episode of this show which I'll find and put in the show notes too with the guy who wrote Atomic Habits James Claire James Claire so many years ago and he talked about the case safe or just basically the idea of locking up snacks and we got an enraged email from a listener saying that is sending a really unhealthy message about our relationship to food in our bodies and I remember at the time being dismissive but I actually I don't have the rage at all but I've come to believe that my past self was wrong on this to be dismissive because I give myself full permission to eat whatever the hell I want and I don't think declaring certain foods sinful is healthy and you're not in your head in agreement so I'm not lecturing you.

Then I have them read the opening chapter or two of Atomic Habits, which is all about, you know, it's a very behaviorious view of self change, and if to set up reinforcements in small steps.

It's been you know talked about in a number of best selling books before and and well documented by psychologists um books like Power of Habit and Atomic Habits that talk about this beautifully I think...

My my Herman Hesse reading you know the Siddhartha type of thing Buddhist texts

I really like Herman Hess, Hessa however he might have said it but I- Well through the Dhartha.

I really like Herman Hess, Hessa however he might have said it but I- Well through the Dhartha.

Yeah and so I read Zdartha a bunch of times.

My my Herman Hesse reading you know the Siddhartha type of thing Buddhist texts

Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center and she's the author of several books including Fully Present

I'm reading Mark Upstein and all your friends like all those books and stuff has been really helpful.

Joseph has also written many books, including One Dharma and Mindfulness,

And we were we called it beginners mind that was the last last night we had a info session for our upcoming teacher training program and he joined us and we were talking about beginners mind which is you know I think you know is from the Zen tradition and it was a book by Suzuki Roshi a very famous early book in the iteration of Buddhism in the West called Zen mind beginners mind in the experts mind there are few possibilities in the beginners mind there are many

before knowing or not knowing or and I believe uh Suzuki Rochi that was his term beginners mind um he wrote a book called Zen mind exactly yeah.

and I believe uh Suzuki Rochi that was his term beginners mind um he wrote a book called Zen mind exactly yeah.

he had books that influenced him that he put in sacred hoops book and it was zen minds beginners mind

so i went out got that he had a couple others in there that i went out and then bought those and started reading those and it just evolved