For something that’s often sold as an antidote to the stresses of modern life, learning to meditate can feel weirdly pressurized. And in a secular society, those who have a healthy dose of skepticism running through their veins can find the esoteric nature of it a massive turn-off. And this, according to Dan Harris, is what people have got wrong about meditation.

Reaching enlightenment isn’t the goal for most modern meditators, and a mind completely clear of thoughts just isn’t a thing. In fact, noticing the constant mental traffic of thought and external interruptions is essential, and allowing yourself to begin again and again is what meditation is really about. In this episode of Simplify, listen to Dan Harris explain how you can cut yourself a little mental slack, and how life-changing and essential meditation became for him, a self-proclaimed “fidgety skeptic.” And if you feel like you don’t have the time to meditate, relax. Just one minute is all it takes.

Plug this episode into your ears to learn what meditation is really about, and how to introduce a tiny, life-changing, more-or-less-daily ritual into your life.

For more info, including links to everything discussed in the episode, check out this link: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/simplify-meditation-dan-harris

Try Blinkist for free for 14 days by going to [https://www.blinkist.com/en/nc/friends/][3] and typing in the code **dailyish**.

Let us know what you thought of this episode, or just come say hi on Twitter! Find Caitlin at [@caitlinschiller][4], Ben at [@bsto][5] and Terence at [@terence_mickey][6]

That excellent music you heard is by Nico Guiang. You can find more of it on [Soundcloud][7] and [Facebook][8].

[1]: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/10-percent-happier-en/

[2]: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/simplify-meditation-dan-harris

[3]: https://www.blinkist.com/friends/?v=dailyish

[4]: https://twitter.com/caitlinschiller?lang=en

[5]: https://twitter.com/bsto

[6]: https://twitter.com/terence_mickey?ref_src=twsrc%5Eappleosx%7Ctwcamp%5Esafari%7Ctwgr%5Esearch

[7]: https://soundcloud.com/niceaux

[8]: https://www.facebook.com/niceaux