10% Happier with Dan Harris Folgen

Today we're going to nerd out about what enlightenment (or, if that word is triggering, let's just call it "high doses of meditation") can do to your brain — and, more practically, how we can derive these benefits even if we don't plan to spend decades living in a cave. My guest is Rick Hanson, Ph.D., psychologist and author of the new book Neurodharma. We go into the deep end, yes, but we also get very down-to-earth, talking about how anyone, including you, can "reverse engineer enlightenment," and have "Nirvana operationalized in your nervous system." Quick note that this was recorded right before the pandemic, but enlightenment is evergreen. Where to find Rick Hanson online:  Website: https://www.rickhanson.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drrhanson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickhansonphd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickhansonphd/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickHanson Book Mentioned: Neurodharma by Rick Hanson: https://www.rickhanson.net/books/neurodharma You can find meditations from our world-class teachers and more wisdom from Rick Hanson on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: Hippocampus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus U Pandita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Pandita Enlightenment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism Nirvana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(Buddhism) Robert Thurman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Thurman Mark Epstein: http://markepsteinmd.com/ Joseph Goldstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goldstein_(writer) Jhanas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhy%C4%81na_in_Buddhism Stephen Batchelor: https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/ Neurodharma Online Program: https://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/neurodharma-online-program/ More Books: https://www.rickhanson.net/books/ Being Well Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-well-with-dr-rick-hanson/id1120885936 Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/rick-hanson-264

"Mindfulness" has become a buzz phrase. There are books on mindful parenting, mindful lawyering, even mindful sex. But what does the word even mean? And how do you actually do it? In one of his most famous and foundational discourses, the Buddha was said to have laid out, in great detail, four ways to establish mindfulness. In today's episode we're going to walk through these four "foundations" of mindfulness with Sally Armstrong, who started practicing in 1981, began teaching 15 years later, and now leads retreats all over the world. Before we start, I should note that we recorded this interview shortly before the pandemic and the racial justice protests, but we thought it might be a good time to drop a good, old-fashioned, meat and potatoes, stick to your ribs dharma episode to help us get back to basics.  Where to find Sally online:  Spirit Rock Profile: https://www.spiritrock.org/sally-armstrong Sally Armstrong on Dharmaseed.org: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/153/ You can find meditations from our world-class teachers and much more on our app. Visit tenpercent.com to download the Ten Percent Happier app and kickstart your meditation practice. Visit tenpercent.com to sign up today. Other Resources Mentioned: S.N Goenka / https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/goenka  The 3 Characteristics / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_marks_of_existence The Four Noble Truths / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths Ajahn Sumedho / https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/10/ Insight Meditation Society / https://www.dharma.org/ Joseph Goldstein's Book Mindfulness / https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Practical-Awakening-Joseph-Goldstein/dp/1622036050  Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sally-armstrong-263

It's easy to think of racism as a virus that lives in your head. But my guest today makes a compelling case that it also lives, in very profound and often unseen ways, in your body. Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist based in Minneapolis. He's also the author of an excellent book called My Grandmother's Hands, which people in my life have been recommending to me for years. Resmaa's work is all about healing our bodies -- and, by extension, our nation -- from racialized trauma. And in Resmaa's philosophy, racial trauma lives on in bodies of all colors, including white bodies such as mine. Resmaa gives voice to a new lexicon -- terms like "white body supremacy" and "somatic abolitionism" -- and don't worry, he'll explain it all as the interview progresses. He will also share practices that bring you into your body. And he has very provocative thoughts about how white people can do their part way beyond the current news cycle. Where to find Resmaa Menakem online:  Website: https://www.resmaa.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResmaaMenakem Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resmaa  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmaamenakem/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/rmenakem Book Mentioned: My Grandmother's Hands: https://www.resmaa.com/store/my-grandmothers-hands-hardcover Check our our new, free collection of meditations called Relating to Race in the Ten Percent Happier app: https://10percenthappier.app.link/RelatingToRace  Other Resources Mentioned: Malcolm X: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X Stamped from the Beginning By Ibram X Kendi: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped-from-the-beginning  Cherry Blossom Experiment: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190326-what-is-epigenetics Resmaa's courses: https://www.resmaa.com/courses Additional Resources: Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/resmaa-menakem-262