Jennifer Senior On: Grief, Happiness, Friendship Breakups, and Why We Feel Younger Than Our Actual Age

One of the most consistent requests we get from listeners is to explore non-Buddhist forms of meditation. That's what we're going to do with this episode. Our guest is Swami Tyagananda, who has been a Hindu monk since 1976, and is now the Hindu chaplain both at MIT and Harvard. This conversation explores: the basics of Hinduism, including its history, and its approach to prayer and meditation; letting go; karma; rebirth (and how and why to escape it); the deep connections between the Buddhist and Hindu traditions; Swami Tyagananda's contention that all prayers are answered; and a recipe for reducing stress and anxiety. Swami Tyagananda also shares his thoughts about how to deal with our sense of not-enoughness or incompleteness and he provides a new way of thinking about the trickiest of all Buddhist concepts: annata, or the idea that the self is an illusion. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/swami-tyagananda-416

7 Feb 20221h 5min

This episode, with Matthew Brensilver, explores a compelling Buddhist question: does self-hatred, or self-love, make sense if the self is an illusion? Matthew Brensilver, PhD, is a clinical social worker and experienced teacher of meditation retreats. He also worked at an organization called Mindful Schools, which teaches teachers how to teach meditation. This episode also explores: how and why to view your anger with skepticism; the relationship between self-love and personal ethics; what to do if you think you're a good person but have no interest in changing your behavior to get better; how to handle a nagging sense of moral un-justifiability; and how Matthew has arrived at a place of relative peace with his own mortality. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-brensilver-415

2 Feb 20221h 1min

Dr. Alison Gopnik is a psychologist at UC Berkeley and one of the world's leading experts in cognitive development. She is also the author of several books, including The Philosophical Baby and The Gardener and the Carpenter. This episode with Dr. Gopnik explores two big and fascinating themes. The first is enlightened self-interest. We all want to be happy. Every sentient being has that in common. One of the most successful, although counterintuitive, strategies for getting happier is to get out of your own head and help other people. Alison argues that caring is a skill that we can all develop, and there are ways to scale it so that we can improve our entire society. The second, and related theme, explores what we can all learn about happiness from babies. In this episode Alison discusses: the "learning trap" common to adults that four-year-olds can help us avoid; the potential role of meditation in helping us see the world and solve problems more like children; the difference between our spotlight attention and children's lantern consciousness; the strategy of solving problems by not trying to solve problems; and her critique of our modern conception of parenting, and what she thinks should replace it. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/alison-gopnik-414

31 Jan 20221h 6min

All week, we've been running "best of" episodes as part of our Taming Anxiety series – and this is the final episode in that series. Leslie Booker (who goes by Booker) is one of America's leading dharma teachers. She's worked with incarcerated and vulnerable youth, she's done mindfulness and cognitive-based therapy work on Rikers Island, and she's written about best practices for teaching yoga in criminal justice settings. She's a graduate of three different training programs at Spirit Rock, including their four-year Retreat Teacher Training Program. In this conversation, Booker makes the case that one of the most important, even life-saving, tools when it comes to dealing with anxiety is our ability to connect with other people. And - like the three characteristics, Booker argues that the experience of anxiety is inherently impermanent, unsatisfactory, and unreliable (or, in Pali, it has the characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta). Understanding this fundamental truth, she says, can help us see our anxiety with more clarity, and therefore relate to it more skillfully. Booker also explains why bringing awareness to our bodies can help settle us in our most anxious moments. Just a note: this interview was first recorded in May of 2021, so you may hear a few slightly dated references, but the topic of anxiety, for better or worse, is perennially relevant. Join Booker next week as we re-launch the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/leslie-booker-repost

28 Jan 20221h 6min

This week, we're sharing some of the best episodes in our archives about anxiety. Dr. Judson Brewer is a psychiatrist and deep dharma practitioner who argues that anxiety is a habit, and is one that you can unwind. This interview explores: what is anxiety; why Dr. Brewer views anxiety as a habit; how mindfulness can be harnessed to deal with anxiety; and if there is any level of stress or anxiety that is healthy. Dr. Jud Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Unwinding Anxiety. He has designed a number of apps that use mindfulness to treat addiction and anxiety, including Eat Right Now, Craving to Quit, and Unwinding Anxiety. You can also find Dr. Brewer on the Ten Percent Happier app where he teaches a mindful eating course. Just a note: This episode is a rerun from March 2021. There are some references that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant. We're re-launching our ten-day meditation challenge, called the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/judson-brewer-repost

26 Jan 20221h 8min

This week, we're posting some of our best podcasts from the archives on a dragon many of us face internally – anxiety. The first episode of the series features Sara Bareilles. Sara Bareilles is a singer, songwriter, composer, and actor who earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations for her Broadway musical Waitress. She also stars in the show Girls5eva, which is back for a second season this year on Peacock. Behind all of Sara's artistic and professional successes, there is a meditator who is fearlessly open and public about her struggles with anxiety and depression. In this conversation, she talks about: her history of anxiety and depression; the relationship between suffering and art; whether meditation might defang somebody's creativity; how she works with anger; and her relationship with social media. She'll also share some of the backstories behind some of her hit songs. Just a note: This episode is a rerun from June 2021. There are some references that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant. Content Warning: This conversation features an exploration of depression and anxiety with one very brief mention of self-harm. We're re-launching our ten-day meditation challenge, called the Taming Anxiety Challenge, over on the Ten Percent Happier app. To join the Challenge, just download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps or by visiting tenpercent.com. If you already have the app, just open it up and follow the instructions to join! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sara-bareilles-repost

24 Jan 202253min

This episode features one of the world's leading experts in depression and how meditation can help. Dr. Sona Dimidjian is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado, Boulder. This episode explores the seasonal impacts on depression, the research on how meditation can help depression, and what she calls "behavioral antidepressants." Content Warning: There are a number of references to suicide in this conversation. Be sure to check out TPH's newest show, Childproof, available wherever you get your podcasts. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sona-dimidjian-413

19 Jan 20221h 2min

Psychiatrist Dr. Mark Epstein, discusses his new book The Zen of Therapy, in which he explores how his decades of studying and practicing Buddhism has influenced his work as a therapist. In this episode, Dan and Mark discuss: the immense value of developing a clear and warm relationship to your own dysfunction; anger; how much people can actually change; how Buddhism has influenced Mark's practice as a psychotherapist; and Mark's formative relationship with the legendary spiritual teacher and ex-academic Ram Dass. This interview was recorded live as part of an online benefit for New York Insight Meditation Center and Cambridge Insight Meditation Center – two great institutions, both worth checking out and supporting. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mark-epstein-412

17 Jan 20221h 11min