Holding it Together When Things Fall Apart | Pema Chodron

The phrase, "Get over yourself" is often used in a flippant way, but it's actually speaking to a deep human need to get out of our heads and off our own backs. At a fundamental level, this is what Buddhism is all about— seeing through the illusion of the self, which can be the source of so much of our suffering. In this episode guest Pascal Auclair talks about how we can unlock this suffering through the use of a foundational Buddhist list called the five aggregates. Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997. He has been mentored by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, where he is now enjoying teaching retreats. Pascal teaches in North America and in Europe. He is a co-founder of True North Insight and one of their guiding teachers. In this episode we talk about: How the five aggregates got Auclair hooked on Buddhist practice and philosophy The five aggregates as a way to work with difficulty Living with the non-negotiable prospect of dying Paying attention to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling tone Meditation training as a way to understand that experiences are conditional Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pascal-auclair-459

1 Juni 20221h 11min

Our culture has oddly conflicting views about pleasure. In this episode, author adrienne maree brown explores the importance of pleasure and how it changes your experience of the world. adrienne maree brown is the writer-in-residence at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, and author of Grievers (the first novella in a trilogy on the Black Dawn imprint), Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Mediation, We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds and the co-editor of Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements and How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office. She is the cohost of the How to Survive the End of the World, Octavia's Parables and Emergent Strategy podcasts. adrienne is rooted in Detroit. In this conversation we talked about: What is pleasure activism The role of sex and drugs Why we should say yes more How to be in touch with our sense of "enough" The role of gratitude The line between commitment and detachment How she defines authentic happiness Her self-description as "a recovering self-righteous organizer," and why self-righteousness actually leads to powerlessness Content Warning: Discussions of sex and drugs. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/adrienne-maree-brown-458

30 Maj 20221h 14min

In a culture that values persistent productivity, one can be left feeling chronically behind. In this episode, author and recovering time management junkie, Oliver Burkeman encourages us to stop scrambling to fit it all in by exploring the relationship between our mortality and getting things done. Oliver Burkeman is the author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Former guest Adam Grant has called it, "The most important book ever written about time management." This is Oliver's second appearance on the show. Burkeman joined us on the show a few years ago to talk about his other book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. He also writes a bi-weekly email newsletter called The Imperfectionist. In this conversation, we talk about: Why accepting mortality is a crucial step in improving our relationship to time His conviction that it's not about being more efficient. It's about knowing what to neglect Patience as a superpower and the impatience spiral The benefits of burning bridges Becoming a better procrastinator The benefits of rest What he calls "cosmic insignificance therapy" Practical tips, such as the "fixed volume approach to productivity," the value of serialization, and strategic underachievement. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/oliver-burkeman-456

25 Maj 20221h 9min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. Our guest this week is Alicia Menendez, an award-winning journalist, who finds herself in a common position for many women: caring way too much about what others think of her. Be nice, but not too nice. Be successful, but not too successful. Just be likable, whatever that means. In the workplace strong women are often criticized for being cold, while warm women may be seen as pushovers. In her book, The Likeability Trap, and in this conversation, she discusses this issue and explains how and why both men and women should combat it. In this conversation, we talk about: The aforementioned likability trap The structural imbalance in feedback for women and men in the workplace The things for men to consider as they engage with women in the workplace Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/alicia-menendez-212

23 Maj 20221h 5min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Sometimes part of healing trauma means learning how to be human. This episode is the last episode of our Mental Health Reboot series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month. Dr. Jacob Ham, who was introduced in Stephanie Foo's episode earlier this week, helped Stephanie through her case of complex PTSD and discusses how to live with the hardest things that have happened to you. Dr. Ham is the Director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He sees children, youth, adults, and families across the age range and for a variety of issues. In this episode we talk about: What Dr. Ham says may be the "most important thing he's discovered" as a therapist Why he shuts down his clients' attempts to intellectualize their experiences Kairos versus kronos Why Dr. Ham says the Incredible Hulk is so important to him The concept of mentalization What it means to love exquisitely And whether or not we have to learn to love ourselves before we can learn to love others Content Warning: Explicit language. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jacob-ham-453

18 Maj 20221h 8min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- We've all had difficult, and sometimes horrible things happen to us. While some people may be luckier than others, it's rare that anyone goes unscathed. This episode is part of our Mental Health Reboot series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month. In this episode, Stephanie Foo shares her story of being diagnosed with complex PTSD and how she learned to process her trauma and live with her past. The result of her journey is a new book called What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. Stephanie Foo is a journalist and radio producer. Her previous work includes This American Life, The Cut, Reply All, and 99% Invisible. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times and Vox. In this conversation we talk about: The various therapies, meditation styles, and wellness modalities Stephanie explored to help process her trauma What actually worked for her, and how it might be relevant to other survivors Shame, gratitude, and self-love Her transformative work with Dr. Jacob Ham, who will be featured in another episode this week. Content Warnings: Discussions of trauma and abuse, references to addiction and mental health challenges. Explicit language. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/stephanie-foo-452

16 Maj 202249min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Very few of us will live a life without loss. As part of our Mental Health Reboot series in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, this week's episodes talk a lot about grieving. Mary-Frances O'Connor, an expert in bereavement research, explores the science of how we grieve and experience loss, whether it's a job or a loved one. Mary-Frances O'Connor is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona, where she is also the Director of Clinical Training. And she is the author of a book called The Grieving Brain. In this episode we talk about: The distinction between grief and grieving How her Buddhist practice has influenced her understanding of grief Whether or not we can ever quote/unquote "get over it" Why she argues for "a really big toolkit of coping strategies" How to understand the work of Elizabeth Kübler-Ross today What grieving looks like in a pandemic What to say to people who are grieving The new diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder Content Warning: Brief mention of suicide. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mary-frances-oconnor-450

11 Maj 20221h 6min

How do you find hope in a lifetime that has experienced more trauma than most? Guest Jonathan Van Ness says that the key is to stay curious and focus on happiness and joy, even if it's just in a tiny corner. Jonathan Van Ness is a hairstylist by trade and best known as one of the hosts of the Netflix series Queer Eye. He is also the author of Love That Story and the New York Times bestselling memoir Over the Top, and the host of the podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. In this episode we talk about: The universality of processing grief What a "window of tolerance" means Getting curious about shame Body dysmorphia JVN's complex and contradictory feelings about shopping What "parts therapy" or Internal Family Systems therapy is Setting boundaries Connecting and cultivating joy Content Warning: Explicit language and mentions of sexual abuse, substance amuse, body dysmorphia, and references to sex. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jonathan-van-ness-447

9 Maj 202244min