10% Happier with Dan Harris

Plus: How to increase vagal tone, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation.
Kevin J. Tracey, MD, is president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, a pioneer of vagus nerve research and author of the recent book, The Great Nerve: The New Science of the VagusNerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes.
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!


This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinksparkcom

Why forcing the breath backfires and how to use the four elements to get out of your head.

Breath meditation sounds simple in theory. In practice, many meditators find that the moment they pay attention to their breathing, it starts to feel forced, shallow, or just plain weird. In this live session, Dan and Sebene Selassie dig into why that happens — and what to do about it.
They also answer subscriber questions on shame and how to work with it skillfully, the RAIN technique, breaking the cycle of rumination, and Sebene's beloved elements practice as a tool for embodiment. Plus: an unexpectedly lively digression on colonoscopy prep and the nature of being with discomfort.
If you want to go deeper with Dan and Sebene, check out their Audible Original, Even You Can Meditate, available now.
 
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! 
To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Plus: Navigating the "dark night of the soul," the power of saying "no," and how to be more present.
Rosa Lewis is a mystic, awakening guide, artist and writer. She is the author of many books, most recently Unlocking the Depths of Being: Wholehearted Presence for a Mystical Reality. The last two meditations on this playlist are related to her book.  
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here. 


This episode is sponsored by:
Function Health — 160+ lab tests a year for $365. Check your health the way Dan does at https://www.functionhealth.com/happier — use code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit
Quo — The modern business phone system. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier
Samsara — AI-powered fleet safety and operations platform. Request a free demo at https://www.samsara.com/happier
Wix — Build your website with AI in minutes at https://www.wix.com/harmony

Using your senses to reduce overthinking, turn down the voice in your head, and get out of what these scientists call "the house of habit."
Dr. Zindel Segal is Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a cofounder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. 

Professor Norman Farb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory.

Together, they are the co-authors of Better In Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life. 
In this episode we talk about:
How the brain's default mode network is essential to our survival but also can keep us stuck in rumination and overthinking 

Segal and Farb's simple practice of "sense foraging" and why they say it can help break patterns and thoughts that aren't serving us 

The differences and the similarities between sense foraging and mindfulness 

Related Episodes:
Depression and Anxiety: Your Old Enemies, Your Best Friends | Zindel Segal — Ten Percent Happier 

Gretchen Rubin on: How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships

Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari — Ten Percent Happier 




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How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes.
Maria Semple is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle.
In this episode we talk about:
Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset 
Maria's daily Stoic routine
The limits of Stoicism
What to do when mediating gives you anxiety
The danger of "baited bounties" 
How to "get shit done" with non-attachment
Using fantasy as a coping mechanism
Related Episodes:
Stoic Practices for Getting Rid of Mental Junk, Your Morning Routine, and Talking to the Dead | Ryan Holiday
Stoic Advice for Handling Setbacks, Insults, and Death | William Irvine
Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here
Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Additional Resources: 
William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:

Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier
ButcherBox — 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught seafood delivered to your door. New listeners get chicken breasts or top sirloin for a year, or ground beef for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier
 
To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris