10% Happier with Dan Harris

Most people hesitate before answering. This episode is about what to do with that hesitation.
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and has written more than 200 novels since 1976.
Patrick Leddin, PhD, is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The 5‑Week Leadership Challenge: 35 Action Steps to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be. 
In this episode we talk about:
Why we're living in an "age of disruption" 
The five-step positive disruptor loop
The one question to ask yourself when trying to identify your purpose
And how disruption can improve your work, your relationships, and your family
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: 
Disrupt Everything—and Win: Take Control of Your Future
Judge Stone: A Novel (with Viola Davis)
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
This episode is sponsored by:
BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier
Wix — Build a fully functional website with AI in minutes at https://www.wix.com/harmony

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.
 
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


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 




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
To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris