Is It Possible to Uproot All Anxiety and Anger? Steve Armstrong Says Yes.
Meditation can be gorgeous… and it can be absolutely bewildering. If you've ever wondered, "Am I doing this right?" or "Why does this feel so intense?", this conversation is for you. In this vintage conversation from 2016, Dan sits down with legendary dharma teacher Steve Armstrong for a clear, compassionate walkthrough of the progress of insight—including why meditation sometimes gets harder before it gets easier, how to navigate the so-called "dark night" phases, and how to keep going without getting lost in the weeds of self-doubt. Steve Armstrong, our dear friend, teacher, and the founder of Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary, passed away peacefully at home on December 23, 2025. His wife and teaching partner, Kamala, was by his side. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser we shared, and held Steve and Kamala in their hearts. Your generosity made it possible for Steve to receive the 24-hour care he needed in his final months, allowing him to remain at home with comfort and dignity. Your support also helped ease the many practical and emotional burdens Kamala carried during this time. Steve devoted more than 40 years to teaching the Dhamma and to building Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary as a place for deep and sustained practice. His wisdom, kindness, and unwavering commitment to the path touched countless lives and will continue to live on through this work. Any future donations to this fundraiser will go toward supporting Kamala as she moves through this period of grief and transition, and as she continues the work at Vipassana Metta Dhamma Sanctuary that she and Steve began together. If you feel moved, you can find the GoFundMe at this link. Our company has also made a significant contribution to support Steve and Kamala. In this episode, you'll learn: Why meditation can sometimes trigger emotional turbulence How to understand the "stages" of insight (without clinging to them) Practical ways to stay steady when your practice feels chaotic or confusing How to distinguish between a genuine opening and plain old overwhelm Why equanimity isn't passive—it's powerful Steve has spent decades helping people wake up. This episode is a chance to receive that wisdom—and, if you're able, to reflect it back with your support. Related Episodes: Get Happier Without Losing Your Edge | Kamala Masters Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Thanks to our sponsors: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. HomeServe: Help protect your home systems and your wallet with HomeServe against covered repairs. Go to homeserve.com to find a plan that's right for you. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
14 Joulu 20251h 6min
How Not To Let the News Paralyze You | Tom Llamas
An NBC Nightly News anchor shares insider tips from the belly of the beast. Tom Llamas is anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas and anchor of Top Story with Tom Llamas, a daily streaming primetime newscast on NBC News NOW. He has been in broadcast journalism for over 25 years. In this episode we talk about: How to be a better listener Practices for continued growth and curiosity as you get older The role of both faith and meditation in Tom's life The role of exercise The role of friendship His family's dramatic history and the impacts of becoming the first Latino anchor of a weekday evening news broadcast And much more Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources: The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host.
12 Joulu 202554min
How to Break Your Anger Habit | Sharon Salzberg
The case for love and compassion in a world that's filled with hatred and division. Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago. She has written many books, including her latest, a kids book called Kind Karl. In this episode we talk about: How the quality of metta, or loving kindness, can be an antidote to fear The wisdom of having a loving mindset in the face present dangers Love Can love be a strength? The different flavors of "loving kindness" The four types of enemies, which include the outer enemy, the inner enemy, the secret enemy and the super secret enemy Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources: Dan's son teaching Loving Kindness Meditation Metta Hour Podcast Donate to the Insight Meditation Society's Fundraiser Sharon's books Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Happy Holidays from AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. Northwest Registered Agent: Visit northwestregistered agent.com/paidhappier and start building something amazing. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
10 Joulu 20251h 15min
The Science of Cannabis: Does It Help or Hurt With Anxiety? Is It Addictive? What's the Safest Way To Use It? | Dr. Riley Kirk
Everything you want to know about cannabis, but were afraid to ask. Dr. Riley Kirk is a cannabis research scientist and educator with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences, specializing in natural product chemistry. Her new book is Reefer Wellness: Understanding Cannabis Science, Culture, and Medicines. In this episode we talk about: The endocannabinoid system – and how it works in the body The science-backed health benefits of cannabis The risks of cannabis use – including questions about psychosis, schizophrenia, and specific risks for adolescents The fascinating history of the cannabis plant The criminalization, racism and propaganda machine within that history The legality of cannabis now in the US Different modes of use Where to source your products And much more Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources: Bioactive podcast @cannabichem The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP) Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Happy Holidays from AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. Function Health: Visit www.functionhealth.com/Happier or use the gift code Happier25 for a $25 credit towards your membership. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
8 Joulu 20251h 14min
How to Keep Your Cool in a Room Full of Chaos Gremlins | Jeff Warren
If you've ever found yourself immediately abandoning your adult composure the second someone around you gets upset, we've got your back. In today's episode, the inimitable Jeff Warren returns with a practice to help you stop absorbing everyone else's stress and start holding healthy boundaries without turning into a jerk. Jeff — who is both a dear friend of Dan's and one of the funniest meditation teachers alive — walks you through how to stay grounded in your own body even when the people around you are melting down. This meditation is especially helpful if you tend to: Fix other people's problems without being asked Rush to make everything okay the instant someone frowns Get overwhelmed by other people's moods Lose your boundaries around demanding or sensitive humans (including the tiny ones) To get more meditations from Jeff and our other teachers — plus join our weekly live sessions (every Tuesday at 4pm ET) — you can sign up at DanHarris.com. Related episodes: Working With a Brain That Doesn't Behave | Jeff Warren Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Thanks to our sponsors: AT&T: Happy Holidays from AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
7 Joulu 202512min
When You're Afraid to Slow Down — Even Though You Need To
Today we're talking about how to calm your mind in a chaotic world. What you're about to hear is an interview with Dan, conducted by his new friend Hoda Kotb, another morning news veteran. Hoda was, for many years, the co-anchor of the Today Show on NBC. Now, among other things, she hosts a podcast called Making Space. You'll hear Dan and Hoda talk about: A practical framework for staying sane when the news, your inbox, or your personal life goes sideways Why joy is a skill (and not a personality trait you either have or don't) How to set boundaries without feeling like a jerk How to let go of the self-improvement fantasy you've been carrying around for years Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
5 Joulu 202543min
Jack Kornfield on How to Stay Sane in Insane Times
Plus: Saying thank you to your anxiety and the opportunity in the dumpster fire. Jack Kornfield, who trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma, then returned to the US, where he became one of the leading voices in Buddhism in the West. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, then he went on to start the Spirit Rock Medication Center in Woodacre, California. He's written many books, including his latest, All In This Together, which is the focus of the conversation you're about to hear, along with a new online course he just posted, called Stand Up for Compassion – which is about staying steady in difficult times. In this episode we talk about: The causes of happiness The opportunities (And this is a counterintuitive notion, but…) The opportunities in the suffering we're experiencing today How to stand up for what you care about while staying calm and steady Ways to zoom out and see the bigger picture How to cultivate both courage and Joy How Jack gets consistent hits of Joy in his own life Why intention is important — and how to cultivate healthy intentions And other survival strategies for these times This holiday season, 10% Happier is teaming up with dozens of podcasts for an ambitious goal: to lift three entire villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Join us by visiting GiveDirectly.org/Dan and supporting the #PodsFightPoverty campaign. Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
3 Joulu 20251h 17min
Do You Care Too Much What Other People Think of You? Avoid Conflict? Say Yes When You Shouldn't? | Dr. Ingrid Clayton, Fawning Expert
Practical tools to turn down the volume on fawning. Dr. Ingrid Clayton is a licensed clinical psychologist with a master's in transpersonal psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Her book is FAWNING: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves—and How to Find our Way Back. In this episode we talk about: What is fawning, actually Chronic vs situational fawning The physiological ramifications of fawning How power plays into all of this Ways to get clarity around unseen bruises and wounds that drive your behavior Owning your anger – and how to express it in healthy ways How to know if you're a fawner Practical steps to unfawn Accessible approaches to regulating your nervous system How to set boundaries Fawning and un-fawning in a work context, specifically And her observation, which I've been thinking about a lot, that wounding happens in relationships… but so does healing This holiday season, 10% Happier is teaming up with dozens of podcasts for an ambitious goal: to lift three entire villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Join us by visiting GiveDirectly.org/Dan and supporting the #PodsFightPoverty campaign. Related Episodes: How To Regulate Your Nervous System For Stress, Anxiety, And Trauma | Peter Levine How To Handle Your Demons | Richard Schwartz How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz This Neurobiologist Wants You To Ask One Question To Reframe Anxiety, Depression, And Trauma | Dr. Bruce Perry (Co-Interviewed by Dan's Wife, Bianca!) Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris
1 Joulu 20251h 15min
