10% Happier

Seth Meyers is the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Before that, he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for 13 seasons. In recent years he has released two standup specials: Lobby Baby, on Netflix and Dad Man Walking, on HBO. He wrote a children’s book called, I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared. And he co-hosts two podcasts, Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers and The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast. 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

Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya is a renowned NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Doctor, the bestselling author of Your Body Already Knows (2025), and international speaker/educator known for her modern approach to women’s health and longevity. 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

Katy Bowman is a biomechanist who runs a movement education company, called Nutritious Movement. 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. 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

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* New guided meditations from Bart available throughout JanuaryJoin Dan’s online community hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelTo advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris 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

Melissa Febos, a bestselling memoirist and professor, dives into the art of rewriting personal narratives. She discusses how the stories we tell ourselves shape our suffering and perpetuate old patterns. Febos shares practical methods for change, including daily inventories and a five-step process to revise life stories. She emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, community support, and the power of vulnerability. Her journey of recovery from addictions and transforming relationships offers listeners a roadmap for personal growth.

Amita Schmidt 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. Amita currently teaches and practices non-dual meditation and is a certified IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapist. 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

Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is a leading voice on modern relationships, known for her widely viewed TED Talks, bestselling books and the hit podcast. She runs a New York–based therapy practice and advises global organizations and platforms on the complexities of contemporary relationships.Follow Esther Perel’s podcast Where Should We Begin? on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and subscribe to Entre Nous with Esther Perel on Substack for exclusive bonus content. 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

Today we’re gonna talk about some Buddhist hacks for two deeply related and all too common ailments: anxiety and overthinking. Most of us have struggled with one or both of these, and one of the people who has helped Dan the most is Joseph Goldstein.Regular listeners to this podcast will be familiar with Joseph and his very direct, very down-to-earth style, but if you don’t know – let us introduce you. He’s one of the foremost Buddhist teachers in the west, he’s been Dan’s teacher for about 15 years, and Dan’s recently convinced him to write a book together, using a collection of these little phrases that he’s cooked up over the years. Dan’s been keeping a list of around a hundred or so tiny, useful phrases – bite-sized wisdom for meditation practice and for daily life. The book won’t be out for a few years, but we’re conducting a series of interviews with him, each one covering a few phrases, and we’ll be releasing those here on the podcast.The first installment of these interviews about Joseph’s phrases just came out on Thursday, Jan. 1, and you don’t have to listen to that episode for this episode to make sense, but they are useful together.Today, we’ll be covering:* The practice assessment tapes* Whatever works* Cowboy Dharma* Dead end* Is this useful* And a quartet about walking meditation: sensations moving through space, walking through space, walking in a dream, walking through the mindDon’t worry if those don’t make sense right now – stick with us and you’ll get a thorough explanation of where those phrases all come from and how they can help. 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

You may have noticed that your mind is out of control. It’s filled with racing thoughts, ancient neuroses and grudges, revenge fantasies… So why are we like this and what can be done about it?Today, we’re talking to one of our favorite people and also one of the most prominent meditation teachers in the West, Joseph Goldstein, about how “ridiculous” our minds are – that’s a word he uses a lot to describe the mind – and some really compelling ways to train the mind. Spoiler: having a sense of humor is crucial here.Just by way of context: this is the first in a series of episodes with Joseph, focusing on the phrases he uses while he’s teaching Buddhism and meditation. Dan and Joseph are collaborating on a book that will be a compilation of these phrases and how to use them. This book won’t be out for several years, but as Dan conducts a series of interviews with Joseph, we’ll release them here on the podcast. There’s another part coming out this Sunday, January 4th.Just to give you a little taste, here are the phrases we’ll be covering in today’s episode:  * Just begin again* Sit and know you’re sitting* Relaxed, not casual * More or less mindful * Thieves of meditation* Mara, I see you* Ridiculous* The mind has no pride* Soundtrack * The mind is the forerunner of all things.These might not make any sense right now, but you’ll hear Joseph explain each of these, where they came from, and how to use them in your meditation practice AND in your daily life. It’s incredibly practical, bite-sized wisdom. 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

Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head.Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area, brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor’s degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers. Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more.As an accomplished hip hop artist under the name “Born I,” Ofosu released the mindfulness-themed album “In This Moment” in 2021. Born I’s most recent album, “Komorebi” (2025), has been hailed by listeners as “a missing piece in hip-hop,” praised for its meditative flow and spiritual depth. The companion book, “Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness” (Parallax Press), arrives with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, further cementing Born I as a unique voice at the intersection of art and contemplative practice.Beyond music, Ofosu is an author, releasing his self-published children’s book “You Are Enough” in 2020 and “Love Your Amazing Self” via Storey Publishing in 2022. He lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and four children.In this episode we talk about:* The relationship between self-compassion and a successful meditation practice* All the reasons people resist self-compassion, and his rebuttals* Whether self-compassion is selfish* How to do self-compassion off the cushion, including practices like journaling, written reminders, establishing accountability partners, and simple questions you can drop into your mind when all else fails* How to do self-compassion on the cushion, including practices like body scans, metta, and a check-in practice you can use at the very start of your sits* And how to teach self-compassion to childrenThis episode was first aired in April 2024.Related Episodes:* Think You Suck at Meditation? This Conversation Could Help. | Ofosu Jones-Quartey 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