10% Happier with Dan Harris

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Do you struggle to fit meditation into a busy life? Check out this candid conversation with Dan's younger brother, Matt.

Matt Harris is partner at Bain Capital Ventures, where he's developed an expertise in Fintech, or financial technology. He's also a father of six incredible children. He is 17 months younger than Dan, to the day. And as you will hear, he likes to make fun of his neurotic brother. In fact, he shows up a lot in Dan's first book, 10% Happier, mocking Dan for his budding interest in meditation.

In this episode we talk about:

• Practical tips from Joseph Goldstein
• The books that have been integral to Matt's process
• Tips on starting a practice.
• The biggest issues for meditators
• How not to try too hard
• How awareness of the ego impacts work,
• The upsides and downsides of living a more examined life.

Related Episodes:

• Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series.

To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/matt-harris-743

Additional Resources:

Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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We explore the intellectual and practical aspects of these mystical and esoteric concepts.

Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why Joseph has become more comfortable talking about these concepts as he's gotten older
• Why karma should not be seen as a deterministic principle that rules every aspect of our lives
• The connection between karma and past lives
• What he thinks about the concept of free will and how it relates to karma
• And why skeptics would do well to adopt a mindset characterized by the "willing suspension of disbelief"

Additional Links:

Joseph's Dharma Seed Talk: Understanding Karma

Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

Free Will by Sam Harris

IMS's Forest Refuge Program

The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies

Related Episodes:

• Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series.
• Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein

To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/joseph-goldstein-742

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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A Buddhist psychiatrist (and one of the key players in Dan's meditation career) talks about the overlap between Freud and the dharma.

Mark Epstein M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. His latest work, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, was published in 2022 by Penguin Press. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974.

In this episode we talk about:

• The insubstantial nature of thoughts
• Staying present through anything without clinging or condemning.
• Turning down the ego and focusing on others
• How you transform your neuroses from monsters to little shmoos.
• And whether 10% is the right number?

Related Episodes:

• Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series.
• Sam Harris on: Vipassana vs. Dzogchen, Looking for the Looker, and Psychic Powers

To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/mark-epstein-10th

Additional Resources:

• Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Am I a bad meditator if I don't go on a retreat? What do they entail? How do I stay silent for days on end? How do I get into one? What's the food like?

Spring Washam is the author of two books, A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. She is also one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center and is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom for transformative retreats in South America.

In this episode we talk about:

• Whether or not you're a bad meditator if you don't go on a retreat
• What the specifics of a retreat entails
• How you stay silent for days on end
• And how to actually get into a meditation retreat

Related Episodes:

• Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series.

To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/spring-washam-zev-borow

Additional Resources:

Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

Editor's Note (March 2026): This episode contains a brief reference to Deepak Chopra. Since this episode was published, documents released by the Department of Justice have revealed Deepak Chopra's connection to Jeffrey Epstein. We find these revelations deeply troubling and do not condone any association with Epstein or his activities. Please know that we have removed our interview with Deepak Chopra from our library.

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New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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The tables have turned: Dan is interviewed by two of his producers.

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.

We talk about the story behind the book, what it was like to have a panic attack on national television, why Dan decided to admit it publicly, how the success of the book utterly transformed his life, and what he learned… Both while writing the book and subsequently.

We talk about concepts such as "Respond, not react," why our faults aren't our fault (but they are our responsibility), and whether we all have the capacity to change. DJ and Lauren will even weigh in on how they think Dan's doing on the score.

To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/736-10th-anniversary

Additional Resources:

• Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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The four rules for a meaningful conversation, when to be vulnerable, and how to form the habits of becoming a supercommunicator.

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of the bestselling The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. His new book is called Supercommunicators.

In this episode we talk about:

• How he defines super communicator
• The four rules for a meaningful conversation
• How and when to deploy vulnerability
• How to transform shallow questions into deep ones
• The fast friends procedure
• And how to form the habits of becoming a supercommunicator

Related Episodes:

• Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker on communication
• Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence and optimal performance

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/charles-duhigg

Additional Resources:

• Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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How to cultivate a generosity mindset— and make a good thing less boring.

Chris Anderson is the curator of TED. He is the author of New York Times bestseller TED Talks and has overseen the introduction of, among others, the TEDx program, the TED-Ed initiative, and the Audacious Project, a bold new philanthropic model to inspire change at scale. His newest book, Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading, is out now.

In this episode we talk about:

• How to create a generosity mindset
• The audacious and daunting goal he recommends for annual giving
• And the promise of the Internet as a tool to dramatically amplify human kindness

Related Episodes:

Adam Grant, The Benefits of Generosity

Generosity | Bonus Talk with Norman Fischer

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/chris-anderson

Begin today by bringing to mind the people who have meant the most to you. It’s a simple way to start the day feeling great.

About Oren Jay Sofer:

He has practiced meditation since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India and is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a graduate of the IMS/Spirit Rock Teacher Training program. Oren teaches retreats across the country and works as Senior Program Developer at Mindful Schools, teaching and developing curricula for one of the international leaders of mindfulness in education.

To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Grateful for Loved Ones.” 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three tools for living a "passion-struck" life.

John R Miles is a former naval officer and corporate titan who has made it his business to study what it means to find passion and purpose in your life. He is the host of the Passion Struck Podcast and the author of the new book Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life.

In this episode we talk about:

• A visualization technique for setting your priorities
• Why "autopilot" is the wrong metaphor for an unlived life
• The five "transition points" on "the journey to becoming passion struck"

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/john-r-miles

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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A master class in equanimity. It's the latest installment of our Meditation Party series. Live from Omega.

Sebene Selassie describes herself as a "writer, teacher, and immigrant-weirdo." She teaches meditation on the Ten Percent Happier app and is the author of a great book called You Belong. She's based in Brooklyn.

Jeff Warren is also a writer and a meditation teacher. He and Dan co-wrote the book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. He also hosts the Consciousness Explorers podcast. He's based in Toronto.

Tickets for the two more Meditation Party retreats this year at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York are available now. The last one was a blast. Come join us for both. One is in May, the other October.

For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here

Related Episodes:

Meditation Party: The "Sh*t Is Fertilizer" Edition | Sebene Selassie & Jeff Warren

Meditation Party with Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren: Psychedelics, ADHD, Waking Up From Distraction, and Singing Without Being Self-Conscious

Meditation Party: Magic, Mystery, Intuition, Tattoos, and Non-Efforting | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren

Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein

A More Relaxed Way to Meditate | Alexis Santos

Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/medparty-omega