Think You Suck at Meditation? This Conversation Could Help. | Ofosu Jones-Quartey

56 snips

Aug 13, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a meditation teacher and hip-hop artist known as Born I, shares insights from over 20 years in mindfulness. He discusses the concept of open-awareness meditation as an accessible alternative to traditional practices, especially for those with challenges like OCD. Ofosu emphasizes self-compassion and the idea of 'lowering the bar' in meditation. He also explores the connection between neurodiversity and meditation, linking personal struggles with creativity, and highlights how music can be a powerful tool for reflection and healing.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

What Open Awareness Means

Open awareness lets you be mindful of whatever arises without choosing a single anchor.
It widens attention like a wide-angle lens and accepts thoughts, sensations, and sounds equally.

INSIGHT

Two Paths To The Same Stillness

Deep concentration and open awareness can both lead to stillness via different routes.
Concentration narrows the lens; open awareness rests in spaciousness while noticing the flow.

ANECDOTE

Why Ofosu Chose Open Practice

Ofosu adopted open awareness because focusing on a single object amplified his OCD and intrusive thoughts.
He discovered open practice during a retreat and found it a lifeline for continuing meditation.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

How to (constructively) lower the bar on your meditation practice.

Ofosu Jones-Quartey is a meditation teacher, hip-hop artist, and author based in the DC area. He’s a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience bringing mindfulness, self-compassion, and creativity to people of all ages. His stage name is “Born I,”, and his new book is called Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness.

In this episode we talk about:

The definition of open-awareness meditation
How it differs from classical concentration practices (such as focusing on your breath, or loving kindness phrases)
Why Ofosu chose open-awareness meditation (in direct response to his struggles with OCD)
How you can practice open-awareness meditation
The benefits of a technique called “mental noting”
The “practice self-assessment tapes” that we run in our mind
Self-compassion and “lowering the bar” in your meditation practice
The relationship between neurodiversity and meditation in general
How to depersonalize the experience of suffering
And we hear some of Ofosu’s music and the life experiences that inspired it

Related Episodes:

Join Dan’s online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Additional Resources:

Lyrical Dharma Music Playlist

Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here.

To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Sponsors:

Narwal VacuumIf you want to treat your home to spotless, fresh floors, visit us.narwal.com/podcast to get the early bird price!

Function HealthLearn more and join using our link. The first 1,000 get a $100 credit toward their membership. Visit www.functionhealth.com/HAPPIER or use gift code HAPPIER 100 at sign-up to own your health.