1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:21,116 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Welcome to a special set of episodes of The 2 00:00:21,156 --> 00:00:25,396 Speaker 1: Happiness Lab. The now global spread of coronavirus is affecting 3 00:00:25,436 --> 00:00:29,316 Speaker 1: all of us. This disease has brought a host of medical, economic, 4 00:00:29,396 --> 00:00:32,716 Speaker 1: and political problems, but it's also given us a ton 5 00:00:32,756 --> 00:00:35,956 Speaker 1: of uncertainty and anxiety, which are beginning to have an 6 00:00:36,076 --> 00:00:40,276 Speaker 1: enormous negative impact on our collective While being but whenever 7 00:00:40,316 --> 00:00:43,476 Speaker 1: I'm confused or fearful, I remember that looking for answers 8 00:00:43,556 --> 00:00:46,356 Speaker 1: in evidence based science is always the best way to go, 9 00:00:46,956 --> 00:00:52,636 Speaker 1: and that's where I'm hoping this podcast can help. If 10 00:00:52,676 --> 00:00:55,316 Speaker 1: your brain works anything like mine does, you may have 11 00:00:55,316 --> 00:00:58,236 Speaker 1: spent a lot of this challenging COVID nineteen crisis in 12 00:00:58,276 --> 00:01:02,316 Speaker 1: a near constant state of mental rumination. My inner monologue 13 00:01:02,316 --> 00:01:05,756 Speaker 1: has been constantly racing from students and family members I 14 00:01:05,796 --> 00:01:07,716 Speaker 1: need to check in on to what's left in my 15 00:01:07,756 --> 00:01:11,716 Speaker 1: pantry for dinner, to the latest scary statistics, to oh no, 16 00:01:11,956 --> 00:01:15,076 Speaker 1: did I just touch my face? My entire brain is 17 00:01:15,076 --> 00:01:19,036 Speaker 1: like zip zipzipsipsip from one stressful thing to another. The 18 00:01:19,116 --> 00:01:22,316 Speaker 1: continued uncertainty of this awful situation has made it nearly 19 00:01:22,356 --> 00:01:26,196 Speaker 1: impossible for me to switch my thoughts off, and I 20 00:01:26,236 --> 00:01:29,476 Speaker 1: know I'm not alone. One friend recently mentioned that even 21 00:01:29,516 --> 00:01:31,916 Speaker 1: when she has gotten a chance to relax, to sit 22 00:01:31,956 --> 00:01:34,196 Speaker 1: down with a good novel, she feels like she ends 23 00:01:34,236 --> 00:01:37,276 Speaker 1: up reading the same sentence over and over again because 24 00:01:37,276 --> 00:01:40,916 Speaker 1: her brain keeps jumping from one scary scenario to the next. 25 00:01:41,556 --> 00:01:43,836 Speaker 1: If we're going to make it through this collective crisis 26 00:01:43,956 --> 00:01:46,796 Speaker 1: with our mental health intact, we need to find ways 27 00:01:46,836 --> 00:01:53,156 Speaker 1: to keep all our ruminative thoughts under control. The good 28 00:01:53,156 --> 00:01:56,476 Speaker 1: news is that modern science and ancient traditions have converged 29 00:01:56,516 --> 00:01:59,516 Speaker 1: on an effective and completely free way to quiet our 30 00:01:59,596 --> 00:02:04,996 Speaker 1: racing minds. That's the practice of meditation. If you've listened 31 00:02:04,996 --> 00:02:07,996 Speaker 1: to past episodes of The Happiness Lab, you've probably already 32 00:02:07,996 --> 00:02:10,796 Speaker 1: heard about the benefits of meditation. But today I want 33 00:02:10,796 --> 00:02:14,396 Speaker 1: to talk with someone who's seen these benefits firsthand, someone 34 00:02:14,396 --> 00:02:17,476 Speaker 1: who started out as a huge skeptic but has converted 35 00:02:17,516 --> 00:02:19,876 Speaker 1: to the power of mindfulness. And so I was super 36 00:02:19,876 --> 00:02:22,996 Speaker 1: excited to welcome to the Happiness Lab. ABC News correspondent 37 00:02:23,116 --> 00:02:26,836 Speaker 1: Dan Harris. He's the author of ten Percent Happier. How 38 00:02:26,876 --> 00:02:29,476 Speaker 1: I teamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without 39 00:02:29,476 --> 00:02:32,196 Speaker 1: losing my edge, and found self help that really works 40 00:02:32,356 --> 00:02:34,996 Speaker 1: a true story. We'll start the episode with how Dan 41 00:02:35,156 --> 00:02:38,476 Speaker 1: first came to this practice of meditation. So this was 42 00:02:38,516 --> 00:02:42,836 Speaker 1: back in two thousand and four. I was anchoring the 43 00:02:43,036 --> 00:02:46,796 Speaker 1: news updates on Good Morning America. The main hosts of 44 00:02:46,796 --> 00:02:50,356 Speaker 1: the show were Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson. Diane and 45 00:02:51,316 --> 00:02:53,876 Speaker 1: Charlie said, okay, over to Dan for the headlines of 46 00:02:53,916 --> 00:02:56,516 Speaker 1: the morning. And as soon as that happened, as soon 47 00:02:56,556 --> 00:03:00,916 Speaker 1: as the red light went on, my body went into mutiny. 48 00:03:01,356 --> 00:03:03,876 Speaker 1: I could feel my chest titan, I could feel my 49 00:03:04,916 --> 00:03:09,236 Speaker 1: lung seize up, my palms were sweaty, my mouth went dry. 50 00:03:09,796 --> 00:03:12,676 Speaker 1: But my mind, in reaction to what was happening physiologically, 51 00:03:12,756 --> 00:03:15,196 Speaker 1: started to freak out. And so the more I freaked 52 00:03:15,196 --> 00:03:19,676 Speaker 1: out psychologically, the more my body reacted, and the more 53 00:03:19,756 --> 00:03:21,836 Speaker 1: my body reacted, the more my mind reacted. And it 54 00:03:21,916 --> 00:03:24,676 Speaker 1: was just a death spiral. And I just couldn't breathe, 55 00:03:24,676 --> 00:03:28,636 Speaker 1: which is a prerequisite for being a news anchor. And 56 00:03:28,876 --> 00:03:31,076 Speaker 1: I had to do something and I'd never done before, 57 00:03:31,116 --> 00:03:34,476 Speaker 1: which is quit right in the middle of my stick. 58 00:03:35,116 --> 00:03:37,756 Speaker 1: So yeah, that sucked. What was the fall up after that? 59 00:03:37,796 --> 00:03:40,436 Speaker 1: I mean, you've never had one of these episodes before 60 00:03:40,516 --> 00:03:43,036 Speaker 1: you go to your doctor and talk to him about it. 61 00:03:43,396 --> 00:03:46,036 Speaker 1: So the first panic attack happened, everybody asked me what 62 00:03:46,116 --> 00:03:49,236 Speaker 1: was wrong, and I lied and said nothing. I went 63 00:03:49,276 --> 00:03:51,796 Speaker 1: backstage and my mom called me and she said, you 64 00:03:51,836 --> 00:03:54,596 Speaker 1: just had a panic attack. I didn't really do him 65 00:03:54,676 --> 00:03:56,876 Speaker 1: much about it. She hooked me up with a one 66 00:03:56,956 --> 00:03:58,916 Speaker 1: doctor who I talked on the phone, and we didn't 67 00:03:58,916 --> 00:04:01,116 Speaker 1: really do much about it. So I just carried out 68 00:04:01,116 --> 00:04:03,076 Speaker 1: with my life and I was able to go on 69 00:04:03,756 --> 00:04:05,436 Speaker 1: the show at the top of the next hour and 70 00:04:05,476 --> 00:04:08,316 Speaker 1: I was fine, So I kind of got away with it. 71 00:04:09,276 --> 00:04:13,276 Speaker 1: Then many months later, I had another one, but that 72 00:04:13,956 --> 00:04:16,116 Speaker 1: was like a real wake up. So I then went 73 00:04:16,156 --> 00:04:17,956 Speaker 1: to go see a doctor and he asked me a 74 00:04:17,956 --> 00:04:19,996 Speaker 1: bunch of questions to try to figure out what was 75 00:04:20,036 --> 00:04:22,676 Speaker 1: going on, and one of the questions was do do drugs? 76 00:04:23,356 --> 00:04:26,196 Speaker 1: I said, yeah, I do do drugs, and he leaned 77 00:04:26,196 --> 00:04:28,836 Speaker 1: back in his chair and gave me a very shrinky look, 78 00:04:29,076 --> 00:04:33,876 Speaker 1: which communicated the following sentiment, okay, asshole, mystery solved to actually, 79 00:04:33,876 --> 00:04:36,356 Speaker 1: I should back up. At this point the drugs. I 80 00:04:36,396 --> 00:04:38,476 Speaker 1: had spent a lot of time after nine to eleven 81 00:04:38,676 --> 00:04:44,876 Speaker 1: in places like Afghanistan, West Bank, Gaza, Israel. During the 82 00:04:44,916 --> 00:04:48,516 Speaker 1: second at Fada, I was in Iraq many, many times. 83 00:04:48,556 --> 00:04:52,036 Speaker 1: And when I came home from Iraq, I at one, 84 00:04:52,156 --> 00:04:56,196 Speaker 1: after one six month stint, I got depressed and I 85 00:04:56,276 --> 00:04:58,716 Speaker 1: didn't know I was depressed, and I didn't know what 86 00:04:58,756 --> 00:05:00,196 Speaker 1: to do about it. So I a friend of mine 87 00:05:00,236 --> 00:05:02,356 Speaker 1: offered me some cocaine. I had never done drugs before, 88 00:05:02,556 --> 00:05:04,636 Speaker 1: and I said yes, And I really liked the cocaine 89 00:05:04,636 --> 00:05:06,316 Speaker 1: and it made me feel better, but it wasn't I 90 00:05:06,356 --> 00:05:07,756 Speaker 1: was never high on the air. I wasn't high the 91 00:05:07,836 --> 00:05:10,836 Speaker 1: mornings I had panic attack. So I didn't connect the two. 92 00:05:11,156 --> 00:05:14,476 Speaker 1: But as soon as the doctor asked me about drugs, 93 00:05:14,516 --> 00:05:17,916 Speaker 1: I made the connection. And he argued that it was 94 00:05:18,076 --> 00:05:20,796 Speaker 1: enough to change my brain chemistry and make it more 95 00:05:20,836 --> 00:05:22,916 Speaker 1: likely for me to have a panic attack. And so 96 00:05:22,996 --> 00:05:27,076 Speaker 1: that is what really made me change my life. And 97 00:05:27,116 --> 00:05:29,436 Speaker 1: it was partly the drugs. But in some ways the 98 00:05:29,836 --> 00:05:31,996 Speaker 1: cocaine you were doing was a symptom of something else. Right, 99 00:05:32,036 --> 00:05:34,636 Speaker 1: In some ways it was the workaholism plus the drugs. 100 00:05:34,676 --> 00:05:37,276 Speaker 1: Probably right, I think it was ambition. Yes, I think 101 00:05:37,276 --> 00:05:39,196 Speaker 1: you put your finger on it. You know, I had 102 00:05:39,276 --> 00:05:41,756 Speaker 1: volunteered to go cover these wars after nine to eleven 103 00:05:41,836 --> 00:05:46,596 Speaker 1: without really thinking much about the psychological consequences. And yeah, 104 00:05:46,596 --> 00:05:49,276 Speaker 1: it was. It was an intense time. And I think 105 00:05:49,276 --> 00:05:51,916 Speaker 1: it's fair to draw a straight line back to my 106 00:05:51,996 --> 00:05:54,516 Speaker 1: desire to make a mark in the world, right, which 107 00:05:54,516 --> 00:05:56,436 Speaker 1: was unique to you, I think, being an anchor in 108 00:05:56,476 --> 00:05:58,556 Speaker 1: the midst of the post nine to eleven world. But 109 00:05:58,836 --> 00:06:00,396 Speaker 1: I mean lots of us go through this where we 110 00:06:00,436 --> 00:06:02,676 Speaker 1: feel like, you know, our work is everything and we 111 00:06:02,716 --> 00:06:05,076 Speaker 1: have to be on all the time and do whatever 112 00:06:05,156 --> 00:06:07,876 Speaker 1: is necessary, whether that's drugs or work one hundred hours 113 00:06:07,876 --> 00:06:10,516 Speaker 1: a week or I mean, this is in some ways unique. 114 00:06:10,556 --> 00:06:12,796 Speaker 1: So and so I want to fall up on this 115 00:06:12,836 --> 00:06:14,916 Speaker 1: story from there. So you know, your doctor tells you 116 00:06:14,996 --> 00:06:17,076 Speaker 1: get off the drugs, but it sounded like after that 117 00:06:17,116 --> 00:06:20,276 Speaker 1: you still started searching for ways to kind of find 118 00:06:20,276 --> 00:06:22,396 Speaker 1: a better path. So it actually a bunch of things 119 00:06:22,436 --> 00:06:25,516 Speaker 1: happened after that faithful morning. When I sat with the 120 00:06:25,716 --> 00:06:29,516 Speaker 1: doctor in his kind of shabby little office. He didn't 121 00:06:29,516 --> 00:06:31,876 Speaker 1: think I needed to go to rehab, but he definitely 122 00:06:32,036 --> 00:06:33,636 Speaker 1: said I needed to quit doing drugs and that I 123 00:06:33,716 --> 00:06:36,596 Speaker 1: needed to come see him once or twice a week indefinitely. 124 00:06:36,596 --> 00:06:39,156 Speaker 1: So I did do that. What happened next was that 125 00:06:39,276 --> 00:06:43,196 Speaker 1: my boss, a very famous news anchor named Peter Jennings. 126 00:06:43,436 --> 00:06:45,156 Speaker 1: I mean, this guy at his peak was reaching thirty 127 00:06:45,196 --> 00:06:48,556 Speaker 1: million people in night and he was a very smart 128 00:06:48,596 --> 00:06:50,596 Speaker 1: and interesting guy. And he asked me to start covering 129 00:06:50,596 --> 00:06:53,316 Speaker 1: faith in spirituality, which I did not want to do. 130 00:06:53,396 --> 00:06:56,276 Speaker 1: I was raised in the People's Republic of Massachusetts and 131 00:06:56,556 --> 00:07:01,196 Speaker 1: my parents are both left of Trotsky academic physicians, atheists. 132 00:07:01,676 --> 00:07:03,756 Speaker 1: As I often joke, I did have a bar mitzvah, 133 00:07:03,796 --> 00:07:06,116 Speaker 1: but only for money, so I'm not I was not 134 00:07:06,196 --> 00:07:10,036 Speaker 1: spiritually inclined. And I told some of that to Peter 135 00:07:10,156 --> 00:07:13,076 Speaker 1: and he said he didn't care. He wanted me to 136 00:07:13,076 --> 00:07:16,516 Speaker 1: do it anyway, and it became great transformative assignment for me. 137 00:07:16,556 --> 00:07:19,556 Speaker 1: I realized how ignorant I was about issues related to 138 00:07:19,556 --> 00:07:22,036 Speaker 1: faith and spirituality. I made a bunch of friends. I 139 00:07:22,076 --> 00:07:24,516 Speaker 1: spent a lot of time in mosques and megachurches and 140 00:07:24,556 --> 00:07:29,156 Speaker 1: Mormon temples, and it was fascinating that said, none of 141 00:07:29,196 --> 00:07:32,916 Speaker 1: what I encountered spoke to me personally. I didn't, you know, 142 00:07:33,076 --> 00:07:35,596 Speaker 1: join a church or go kosher or anything like that. 143 00:07:35,636 --> 00:07:40,556 Speaker 1: But eventually one of my producers, Felicia Baberica. She had 144 00:07:40,596 --> 00:07:42,596 Speaker 1: been turned onto a self help author by the name 145 00:07:42,636 --> 00:07:46,636 Speaker 1: of Eckhart totally, and Eckhart totally was not somebody I'd 146 00:07:46,636 --> 00:07:49,756 Speaker 1: ahead ever heard of, but Felicia said he might make 147 00:07:49,756 --> 00:07:53,196 Speaker 1: a good story for me. So I did a little googling, 148 00:07:53,196 --> 00:07:56,756 Speaker 1: and turns out he's beloved by celebrities. Oprah has put 149 00:07:56,796 --> 00:07:59,636 Speaker 1: copies of his book in every bedroom and every house 150 00:07:59,676 --> 00:08:02,116 Speaker 1: she owned. So it struck me as weird enough for 151 00:08:02,156 --> 00:08:04,156 Speaker 1: a good TV story, So I ordered one of his 152 00:08:04,196 --> 00:08:07,036 Speaker 1: books at the first The book just struck me as ridiculous. 153 00:08:07,196 --> 00:08:11,676 Speaker 1: You know, he's using pseudoscientific like vibrational fields, and he's 154 00:08:11,756 --> 00:08:14,236 Speaker 1: making these grandiose claims about how he had a spiritual 155 00:08:14,236 --> 00:08:16,196 Speaker 1: awakening and lived on a park bench in the city 156 00:08:16,236 --> 00:08:18,116 Speaker 1: of London for two years in a state of bliss. 157 00:08:18,676 --> 00:08:21,596 Speaker 1: And then he started to unferral thesis about the human 158 00:08:21,636 --> 00:08:25,236 Speaker 1: situation that I thought was so spot on. His argument 159 00:08:25,276 --> 00:08:26,716 Speaker 1: is that we all have a voice in our head 160 00:08:26,996 --> 00:08:29,676 Speaker 1: that chases you out of bed, and he's yammering at 161 00:08:29,716 --> 00:08:32,116 Speaker 1: you all day long and has you constantly wanting stuff, 162 00:08:32,156 --> 00:08:35,796 Speaker 1: not wanting stuff, judging people, comparing yourself to other people, 163 00:08:35,876 --> 00:08:38,956 Speaker 1: judging yourself, thinking about the past, or thinking about the 164 00:08:38,996 --> 00:08:42,516 Speaker 1: future to the detriment of you know, whatever's happening right now. 165 00:08:43,116 --> 00:08:46,916 Speaker 1: That just struck me as spot on true. And this 166 00:08:47,036 --> 00:08:50,276 Speaker 1: thesis explained the most embarrassing moment of my life, that 167 00:08:50,716 --> 00:08:52,836 Speaker 1: the panic attack was the result of me just being 168 00:08:52,956 --> 00:08:54,916 Speaker 1: yanked around by this voice in my head. And that 169 00:08:55,036 --> 00:08:59,276 Speaker 1: just struck me as a massive and important realization. And 170 00:08:59,356 --> 00:09:02,196 Speaker 1: so that was sort of like point number one, where 171 00:09:02,196 --> 00:09:04,916 Speaker 1: you sort of realized that there was this interesting take 172 00:09:04,956 --> 00:09:06,636 Speaker 1: on the human condition that if we could just get 173 00:09:06,796 --> 00:09:09,596 Speaker 1: control over this crazy voice in our head, we might 174 00:09:09,836 --> 00:09:11,716 Speaker 1: live a better life and sort of will flourish a 175 00:09:11,716 --> 00:09:14,036 Speaker 1: little bit more. But the real step forward was when 176 00:09:14,036 --> 00:09:15,476 Speaker 1: I think you get a book from your wife, if 177 00:09:15,476 --> 00:09:17,836 Speaker 1: I remember the story correctly, that really pointed you more 178 00:09:17,876 --> 00:09:20,956 Speaker 1: towards meditation as a specific path to controlling that voice 179 00:09:20,956 --> 00:09:24,836 Speaker 1: in your head. Yeah. So I was super confused when 180 00:09:24,836 --> 00:09:28,516 Speaker 1: I read Toli's book because I couldn't see any actionable 181 00:09:28,556 --> 00:09:32,276 Speaker 1: practical advice. Was just really frustrating, and I didn't know 182 00:09:32,276 --> 00:09:34,076 Speaker 1: what to do about this. I ended up spending a 183 00:09:34,076 --> 00:09:37,516 Speaker 1: bunch of time looking into the self help world, met 184 00:09:37,516 --> 00:09:39,196 Speaker 1: a lot of people who promised that you can solve 185 00:09:39,236 --> 00:09:41,356 Speaker 1: all of your problems through the power of positive thinking, 186 00:09:41,396 --> 00:09:45,476 Speaker 1: which is not a possibility actively bad actually the research 187 00:09:45,516 --> 00:09:48,756 Speaker 1: subject actively yes, yes, it's reckless hope. I think that 188 00:09:48,796 --> 00:09:51,196 Speaker 1: they're peddling. And then I came in the middle of 189 00:09:51,196 --> 00:09:54,236 Speaker 1: all of this, I came home and my then fiance 190 00:09:54,436 --> 00:09:58,316 Speaker 1: and now baby mama Bianca, gave me a book by 191 00:09:58,476 --> 00:10:02,716 Speaker 1: a guy named doctor Mark Epstein. Bianca said, you know, 192 00:10:02,796 --> 00:10:05,396 Speaker 1: she'd been hearing me yammer on about totally and whatever, 193 00:10:05,956 --> 00:10:08,316 Speaker 1: and this might be useful for me. So I read 194 00:10:08,356 --> 00:10:11,436 Speaker 1: the book that night and I had a big aha moment, 195 00:10:11,436 --> 00:10:13,716 Speaker 1: which was that all the stuff that was most compelling 196 00:10:14,236 --> 00:10:18,556 Speaker 1: from ek Caartoli was lifted from somebody called the Buddha, 197 00:10:18,676 --> 00:10:23,436 Speaker 1: and the Buddha actually had practical advice, which was meditate. 198 00:10:23,676 --> 00:10:25,516 Speaker 1: I was a little hung up on that because I 199 00:10:25,556 --> 00:10:28,036 Speaker 1: didn't want to meditate. I had a bad attitude about it. 200 00:10:28,076 --> 00:10:30,756 Speaker 1: But it was interesting to finally have something real to do. 201 00:10:31,076 --> 00:10:32,516 Speaker 1: And so what didn't that feel like when you first 202 00:10:32,556 --> 00:10:35,276 Speaker 1: started meditating, right, because now you have to sit there 203 00:10:35,556 --> 00:10:39,396 Speaker 1: for five minutes kind of being like adopting this practice 204 00:10:39,476 --> 00:10:41,796 Speaker 1: that you probably before with your scientist, had thought of 205 00:10:41,836 --> 00:10:44,636 Speaker 1: as like hippie dippy or like people in robes do 206 00:10:44,716 --> 00:10:46,396 Speaker 1: that sort of thing, or I mean, what was the 207 00:10:46,436 --> 00:10:48,676 Speaker 1: first what was the first few steps? Like, yeah, it 208 00:10:48,716 --> 00:10:51,996 Speaker 1: was humbling. You're absolutely right. I did not want to 209 00:10:51,996 --> 00:10:58,716 Speaker 1: do it. I was super intrigued by the notion of 210 00:10:59,116 --> 00:11:03,036 Speaker 1: this voice in our head, and I had this powerful 211 00:11:03,036 --> 00:11:07,196 Speaker 1: intuition that managing that voice would change my life. And 212 00:11:07,356 --> 00:11:09,356 Speaker 1: as you indicated, I had a really bad at tute 213 00:11:09,356 --> 00:11:10,996 Speaker 1: about meditation. I thought it was for people who are, 214 00:11:11,036 --> 00:11:13,916 Speaker 1: you know, really into aromatherapy and Cat Stevens and you 215 00:11:14,196 --> 00:11:16,196 Speaker 1: use the word now must day with no irony, and 216 00:11:16,596 --> 00:11:19,436 Speaker 1: that's not entirely untrue, by the way. But what really 217 00:11:19,516 --> 00:11:21,676 Speaker 1: changed my mind was the science. There's just all this, 218 00:11:21,876 --> 00:11:23,996 Speaker 1: you know this, there's a ton of science. I suggest 219 00:11:24,076 --> 00:11:27,516 Speaker 1: that meditation can you know, literally rewire your brain and 220 00:11:27,556 --> 00:11:30,156 Speaker 1: the parts of the brain associated with stress or attention regulation. 221 00:11:30,436 --> 00:11:33,356 Speaker 1: It's been shown to lower blood pressure, boost your immune system. 222 00:11:33,676 --> 00:11:36,116 Speaker 1: And so that was super intriguing. Given that my parents 223 00:11:36,156 --> 00:11:38,876 Speaker 1: are scientists, my wife is a scientist. I was not 224 00:11:38,916 --> 00:11:40,836 Speaker 1: good enough at math to go into that direction. So 225 00:11:40,876 --> 00:11:43,156 Speaker 1: now I wear makeup and talk to TV cameras, but 226 00:11:43,236 --> 00:11:46,076 Speaker 1: I respect science. So that's really what changed my mind. 227 00:11:46,076 --> 00:11:48,316 Speaker 1: And so I was reading a book by John cabot Zin, 228 00:11:48,396 --> 00:11:53,076 Speaker 1: who's a former MIT scientist who pioneered something called mindfulness 229 00:11:53,156 --> 00:11:57,476 Speaker 1: based stress reduction, which is a secularized version of Buddhist meditation. 230 00:11:58,156 --> 00:12:00,836 Speaker 1: And I was reading his book and I said, all right, 231 00:12:00,876 --> 00:12:03,036 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this, and I set an alarm on 232 00:12:03,116 --> 00:12:05,756 Speaker 1: my BlackBerry. This is how long ago. This was like 233 00:12:05,836 --> 00:12:10,636 Speaker 1: two thousand nine. Set an alarm for five minutes. And 234 00:12:10,676 --> 00:12:13,156 Speaker 1: I sat on the floor, not cross legged because I 235 00:12:13,156 --> 00:12:15,236 Speaker 1: don't like that, and I was I'm not so limber, 236 00:12:15,236 --> 00:12:16,756 Speaker 1: and I was kind of my back was leaning up 237 00:12:16,756 --> 00:12:19,316 Speaker 1: against a bed and my legs were splayed out in 238 00:12:19,356 --> 00:12:22,156 Speaker 1: front of me. And you know, the basic instruction is 239 00:12:22,196 --> 00:12:24,276 Speaker 1: to sit, try to feel your breath coming in and 240 00:12:24,316 --> 00:12:26,596 Speaker 1: going out, and then when you get distracted, start again. 241 00:12:26,956 --> 00:12:28,956 Speaker 1: It was humbling. It was like holding a live fish 242 00:12:29,036 --> 00:12:31,556 Speaker 1: in your hand. It's just your The mind's always squirming 243 00:12:31,556 --> 00:12:33,836 Speaker 1: away from you. Once you see where it's going, it's 244 00:12:33,876 --> 00:12:37,076 Speaker 1: really embarrassing. You know, you're just you know, composing tweets, 245 00:12:37,316 --> 00:12:41,916 Speaker 1: plotting revenge, thinking about lunch, random thoughts, you know where 246 00:12:41,956 --> 00:12:44,476 Speaker 1: to gerbils run wild and and then you just have 247 00:12:44,516 --> 00:12:47,316 Speaker 1: to catch it and begin again and again and again, 248 00:12:47,436 --> 00:12:51,436 Speaker 1: and after the first five minutes was up, I realized, Okay, 249 00:12:51,436 --> 00:12:55,116 Speaker 1: this is not some nonsense hippie pastime, this isn't hacky sack. 250 00:12:55,356 --> 00:12:59,436 Speaker 1: This is really a powerful exercise. And I just decided 251 00:12:59,476 --> 00:13:01,036 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to do this every day for the 252 00:13:01,196 --> 00:13:04,076 Speaker 1: foreseeable future. And here I am, and so now a 253 00:13:04,116 --> 00:13:06,996 Speaker 1: decade on doing it every day, Like, what's the difference 254 00:13:07,036 --> 00:13:11,036 Speaker 1: in terms of your inner monologue? Well, look, I entitled 255 00:13:11,156 --> 00:13:14,196 Speaker 1: my book and then everything I've done subsequently ten percent Happier. 256 00:13:14,196 --> 00:13:16,276 Speaker 1: So I'm kind of stuck with math jokes the rest 257 00:13:16,276 --> 00:13:18,636 Speaker 1: of my life. But you know it's true enough, right, 258 00:13:18,676 --> 00:13:20,676 Speaker 1: It's not going to solve all of your problems. Nothing's 259 00:13:20,676 --> 00:13:22,516 Speaker 1: going to solve all of your problems. That's why that's 260 00:13:22,556 --> 00:13:24,756 Speaker 1: why I called the book ten percent Happier. My publisher 261 00:13:25,036 --> 00:13:27,196 Speaker 1: didn't get the joke, and she was trying to bargain 262 00:13:27,276 --> 00:13:33,836 Speaker 1: me up to twenty. You know, it sounds so you 263 00:13:33,876 --> 00:13:36,236 Speaker 1: can think about it like an investment. So I think 264 00:13:36,276 --> 00:13:39,716 Speaker 1: the ten percent compounds annually. This is a skill. The 265 00:13:39,796 --> 00:13:44,036 Speaker 1: ability to work with and have a different relationship with 266 00:13:44,156 --> 00:13:45,676 Speaker 1: the voice in your head is a skill, and you 267 00:13:45,716 --> 00:13:48,436 Speaker 1: get better over time. I find that my inner weather 268 00:13:49,036 --> 00:13:53,236 Speaker 1: has become significantly balmier. But does that mean that I'm 269 00:13:53,236 --> 00:13:58,356 Speaker 1: perpetually blissed out? Absolutely not am. I I'm super anxious 270 00:13:58,436 --> 00:14:02,076 Speaker 1: right now in the middle of this pandemic. I am 271 00:14:02,116 --> 00:14:06,036 Speaker 1: worried about my business. I'm worried about the state of 272 00:14:06,076 --> 00:14:09,876 Speaker 1: the world. I'm worried about Your wife works in healthcare too, right, Yeah, 273 00:14:09,876 --> 00:14:13,196 Speaker 1: well there you go. My wife is incredibly stressful. She 274 00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:16,636 Speaker 1: is an intensive care specialist and so she works in 275 00:14:16,676 --> 00:14:19,796 Speaker 1: the ICU. She knows how to work a ventilator, her 276 00:14:19,836 --> 00:14:23,076 Speaker 1: skills are very much in demand. She's highly, highly skilled 277 00:14:23,116 --> 00:14:25,116 Speaker 1: and trained, and I think it's the right think for 278 00:14:25,156 --> 00:14:26,956 Speaker 1: her to do to go back to work. But I'm 279 00:14:26,956 --> 00:14:29,116 Speaker 1: worried about you know, these people are dying and so 280 00:14:29,156 --> 00:14:31,116 Speaker 1: I'm worried about that. You know, if I'm being honest, 281 00:14:31,116 --> 00:14:33,356 Speaker 1: I'm worried about her infecting me when she comes home. 282 00:14:33,356 --> 00:14:36,116 Speaker 1: And we have a kid, and I would be super 283 00:14:36,116 --> 00:14:39,036 Speaker 1: frantic if kids were getting sick regularly, which doesn't appear 284 00:14:39,076 --> 00:14:41,396 Speaker 1: to be the case. But still, there are a lot 285 00:14:41,436 --> 00:14:44,716 Speaker 1: of things stressing me out, and I don't think meditation 286 00:14:44,836 --> 00:14:46,836 Speaker 1: is going to solve all of that. I just think 287 00:14:46,836 --> 00:14:50,556 Speaker 1: it makes you more balanced, more resilient, more thoughtful in 288 00:14:50,596 --> 00:14:53,756 Speaker 1: the face of life's ups and downs. So let's dig 289 00:14:53,796 --> 00:14:55,956 Speaker 1: into some of the specific things that meditation might be 290 00:14:55,996 --> 00:14:58,156 Speaker 1: helping in this domain, again with the caveat that it's 291 00:14:58,156 --> 00:15:00,836 Speaker 1: not going to make this pandemic perfect, but even if 292 00:15:00,836 --> 00:15:03,476 Speaker 1: it's making each of these things ten percent better, that's 293 00:15:03,556 --> 00:15:06,436 Speaker 1: pretty big in the current crisis. So let's talk about 294 00:15:06,436 --> 00:15:09,476 Speaker 1: meditation and anxiety. So what's some of the evidence jesting 295 00:15:09,596 --> 00:15:11,836 Speaker 1: that just this simple act of following your breath for 296 00:15:11,916 --> 00:15:13,996 Speaker 1: five to ten minutes a day will allow you to 297 00:15:14,036 --> 00:15:16,236 Speaker 1: reduce this or fear that we're all feeling right now. 298 00:15:17,196 --> 00:15:19,756 Speaker 1: I want to be clear. You know, the people in 299 00:15:19,796 --> 00:15:22,836 Speaker 1: my position tend to hype the science. I worry that 300 00:15:22,916 --> 00:15:27,196 Speaker 1: some of their reporting around meditation and science has been 301 00:15:28,196 --> 00:15:32,476 Speaker 1: a little bit irresponsible or overblown, and so I try 302 00:15:32,476 --> 00:15:35,036 Speaker 1: to be careful, largely because my wife police is what 303 00:15:35,156 --> 00:15:37,916 Speaker 1: I say about this to point out that, you know, 304 00:15:37,956 --> 00:15:40,836 Speaker 1: the research around meditation is very much in its early stages. 305 00:15:40,876 --> 00:15:42,836 Speaker 1: It's been going on for ten, fifteen to twenty years. 306 00:15:42,996 --> 00:15:46,436 Speaker 1: It's really ramped up in huge ways now, but it's 307 00:15:46,476 --> 00:15:50,036 Speaker 1: still early days. So I usually use the term like 308 00:15:50,596 --> 00:15:54,756 Speaker 1: the research strongly suggests the following. But where the research 309 00:15:54,916 --> 00:15:57,996 Speaker 1: is the strongest is around anxiety and depression. That's really 310 00:15:57,996 --> 00:16:00,396 Speaker 1: where it's the strongest. And anxiety and depression or two 311 00:16:00,396 --> 00:16:02,476 Speaker 1: things that I've been dealing with my whole life. I 312 00:16:02,556 --> 00:16:04,156 Speaker 1: was a little kid and my parents had to send 313 00:16:04,156 --> 00:16:06,596 Speaker 1: me to shrink because I was worried about nuclear war. 314 00:16:07,116 --> 00:16:10,876 Speaker 1: So these are not new am for me, and it's 315 00:16:10,956 --> 00:16:13,916 Speaker 1: really heartening to see that meditation is good for those 316 00:16:13,956 --> 00:16:17,196 Speaker 1: two conditions. How does it work? Because I think if 317 00:16:17,236 --> 00:16:19,596 Speaker 1: you're an individual human being, you may not care so 318 00:16:19,676 --> 00:16:21,716 Speaker 1: much about what the data show. You probably just care 319 00:16:21,756 --> 00:16:22,996 Speaker 1: about like, what's this going to do for me? And 320 00:16:23,036 --> 00:16:25,156 Speaker 1: how is it going to do it? The act of 321 00:16:25,276 --> 00:16:29,036 Speaker 1: sitting and trying to watch your breath inevitably getting distracted 322 00:16:29,076 --> 00:16:32,756 Speaker 1: over and over and over, and then noticing what's distracted 323 00:16:32,756 --> 00:16:36,596 Speaker 1: you and starting again and again and again. That over 324 00:16:36,676 --> 00:16:41,036 Speaker 1: time boosts your self awareness. You have more visibility into 325 00:16:41,236 --> 00:16:46,476 Speaker 1: your inner life. And once you see clearly these anxiety loops, 326 00:16:46,516 --> 00:16:50,676 Speaker 1: these thought patterns, these ancient habits, these storylines embedded into 327 00:16:50,756 --> 00:16:52,956 Speaker 1: us by our parents or by the culture, once you 328 00:16:52,996 --> 00:16:55,516 Speaker 1: can see those clearly, they have less of a chance 329 00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:59,916 Speaker 1: of owning you, and that is a game changing skill 330 00:16:59,996 --> 00:17:02,236 Speaker 1: that you can You know, after a few weeks of 331 00:17:02,276 --> 00:17:04,636 Speaker 1: meditation as a beginner, you start to really see it 332 00:17:04,676 --> 00:17:07,476 Speaker 1: show up in your life. But over time it you 333 00:17:07,516 --> 00:17:09,436 Speaker 1: just get better at it and better at it. And 334 00:17:09,636 --> 00:17:12,996 Speaker 1: for me, that has been one of, if not the 335 00:17:13,036 --> 00:17:16,396 Speaker 1: most powerful results of meditation. And so the second domain 336 00:17:16,476 --> 00:17:18,796 Speaker 1: I wanted to dig into is the domain of sleep. Right. 337 00:17:19,316 --> 00:17:20,756 Speaker 1: You know, we know that one of the things that 338 00:17:20,796 --> 00:17:23,036 Speaker 1: anxiety does and stress does in general, is it kind 339 00:17:23,036 --> 00:17:25,076 Speaker 1: of jacks up our sympathetic nervous system in a way 340 00:17:25,116 --> 00:17:26,956 Speaker 1: that's hard for us to rest in any form, but 341 00:17:27,036 --> 00:17:30,476 Speaker 1: particularly in sleep. Have you found personally that this active 342 00:17:30,636 --> 00:17:33,556 Speaker 1: meditating every day has helped your sleep and know of 343 00:17:33,596 --> 00:17:36,036 Speaker 1: any other evidence for it. Yeah, so there is evidence 344 00:17:36,076 --> 00:17:39,556 Speaker 1: that meditation is good for sleep. But there's no shortage 345 00:17:39,556 --> 00:17:44,516 Speaker 1: of irony here because the word Buddha means awake. So 346 00:17:44,676 --> 00:17:47,436 Speaker 1: meditation was not designed to help you sleep. It was 347 00:17:47,476 --> 00:17:50,556 Speaker 1: designed to wake you up to your inner cacophony so 348 00:17:50,596 --> 00:17:52,956 Speaker 1: that you have a different relationship to it, and so 349 00:17:52,996 --> 00:17:56,636 Speaker 1: that you can see other fundamental truths about the universe, 350 00:17:56,756 --> 00:18:00,516 Speaker 1: like impermanence, the fact that everything's changing all the time, 351 00:18:00,556 --> 00:18:02,476 Speaker 1: and there's not much we can do about it, which 352 00:18:02,516 --> 00:18:05,796 Speaker 1: is actually scary and liberating at the same time. That 353 00:18:05,916 --> 00:18:09,956 Speaker 1: was the original purpose of meditation. But in our modern life, 354 00:18:09,956 --> 00:18:14,436 Speaker 1: where our ancient sort of racing mind for which we evolved, 355 00:18:14,636 --> 00:18:16,276 Speaker 1: you know, we evolved to be a you know, for 356 00:18:16,356 --> 00:18:20,076 Speaker 1: threat detection and finding food and mates, we evolved to 357 00:18:20,116 --> 00:18:22,996 Speaker 1: have a raising mind, it's not serving us in a 358 00:18:23,036 --> 00:18:25,596 Speaker 1: modern context in many ways. So you get into bed 359 00:18:25,636 --> 00:18:28,396 Speaker 1: at night and the mind is racing, and we don't 360 00:18:28,396 --> 00:18:30,956 Speaker 1: know what to do about it. And so meditation is 361 00:18:31,076 --> 00:18:35,796 Speaker 1: really useful for calming you down, focusing you on something 362 00:18:35,836 --> 00:18:39,676 Speaker 1: other than your thoughts, even if just for a nanosecond, 363 00:18:39,836 --> 00:18:43,356 Speaker 1: kind of a circuit breaker on our repetitive inner loops. 364 00:18:43,876 --> 00:18:47,796 Speaker 1: And for many people that really helps the process of 365 00:18:47,836 --> 00:18:50,236 Speaker 1: going to sleep. And so I have I'm very much 366 00:18:50,276 --> 00:18:52,956 Speaker 1: in the habit of the last thing I do every 367 00:18:53,076 --> 00:18:56,436 Speaker 1: day is meditate. Yeah, me too. That's that's the main 368 00:18:56,516 --> 00:18:58,316 Speaker 1: time that I do it. And I can tell when 369 00:18:58,356 --> 00:18:59,916 Speaker 1: I'm not doing it, when I'm like really busy and 370 00:18:59,916 --> 00:19:02,596 Speaker 1: get to bed late, and I'm like, again, fall prey 371 00:19:02,636 --> 00:19:04,636 Speaker 1: to all the biases that make us not do this stuff. 372 00:19:04,636 --> 00:19:06,236 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I'm just going to fall asleep right now. 373 00:19:06,316 --> 00:19:08,396 Speaker 1: My sleep is just so much worse than if I'd 374 00:19:08,396 --> 00:19:11,276 Speaker 1: taken in three minutes to just follow my breath. But 375 00:19:11,316 --> 00:19:13,116 Speaker 1: that gets to the problem, which is and I think 376 00:19:13,116 --> 00:19:14,836 Speaker 1: one of the reasons that you wrote your second book. 377 00:19:15,076 --> 00:19:17,156 Speaker 1: I think I heard you interviewed at one point and 378 00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:18,436 Speaker 1: you said, you know, you thought when you wrote the 379 00:19:18,476 --> 00:19:20,516 Speaker 1: first book and gave all the evidence that everybody who 380 00:19:20,516 --> 00:19:23,156 Speaker 1: read it would just instantly meditate and the world would 381 00:19:23,196 --> 00:19:26,036 Speaker 1: be a better place, hurl themselves into the lotus position. 382 00:19:26,036 --> 00:19:28,156 Speaker 1: That's what I thought they would do. But alas, we 383 00:19:28,196 --> 00:19:31,036 Speaker 1: are creatures of like horrid neuroses that prevent us from 384 00:19:31,036 --> 00:19:33,436 Speaker 1: doing really good things that would be awesome for us. 385 00:19:33,796 --> 00:19:35,676 Speaker 1: So when we get back from the break, I actually 386 00:19:35,676 --> 00:19:38,156 Speaker 1: want to talk more about the things that prevent us 387 00:19:38,156 --> 00:19:40,756 Speaker 1: from doing it, especially right now during the COVID crisis, 388 00:19:40,796 --> 00:19:43,156 Speaker 1: and what we can do to overcome those voices in 389 00:19:43,156 --> 00:19:45,436 Speaker 1: our head that are telling us not right now won't work, 390 00:19:45,716 --> 00:19:53,636 Speaker 1: try it later. Meditation could be a huge help for 391 00:19:53,676 --> 00:19:56,556 Speaker 1: all of us right now, but that doesn't necessarily make 392 00:19:56,556 --> 00:19:58,356 Speaker 1: it easy to sit down and get our own on 393 00:19:58,596 --> 00:20:01,316 Speaker 1: during this tough time. And so I asked Dan Harris 394 00:20:01,316 --> 00:20:03,436 Speaker 1: for some help. I wanted him to walk me through 395 00:20:03,436 --> 00:20:06,036 Speaker 1: the reasons why we don't necessarily make it onto our 396 00:20:06,076 --> 00:20:10,236 Speaker 1: meditation cushion, especially when we most need it. It's probably 397 00:20:10,316 --> 00:20:14,876 Speaker 1: super frustrating and deeply annoying to hear people extol the 398 00:20:14,956 --> 00:20:18,196 Speaker 1: virtues of meditation, and then many people listen to this 399 00:20:18,236 --> 00:20:21,236 Speaker 1: are thinking, well, I haven't done it, so now this 400 00:20:21,276 --> 00:20:23,276 Speaker 1: thing that's supposed to distress me is just making me 401 00:20:23,356 --> 00:20:25,756 Speaker 1: more stressed because I you know, I'm engaged in self 402 00:20:25,836 --> 00:20:28,196 Speaker 1: laceration around not doing this thing that everybody says I 403 00:20:28,196 --> 00:20:31,156 Speaker 1: should do, and blah blah blah. So I get it. 404 00:20:31,236 --> 00:20:33,396 Speaker 1: So I'm here to make this easier for you and 405 00:20:33,636 --> 00:20:37,236 Speaker 1: lower the bar. I don't think twenty minutes is a 406 00:20:37,236 --> 00:20:40,076 Speaker 1: reasonable ask for many people at the beginning, which is 407 00:20:40,076 --> 00:20:43,996 Speaker 1: why one of my little slogans is one minute counts. 408 00:20:44,276 --> 00:20:47,116 Speaker 1: I get that people are time starved. Even when we're 409 00:20:47,156 --> 00:20:49,796 Speaker 1: locked in our homes, we feel time starved. I've been 410 00:20:49,876 --> 00:20:54,436 Speaker 1: been meditating at night with my elderly neighbor. She's got 411 00:20:54,476 --> 00:20:58,316 Speaker 1: some anxiety, but for lots of legitimate reasons, and so 412 00:20:58,356 --> 00:21:00,956 Speaker 1: we go out into the hallway and stay physically distanced 413 00:21:00,956 --> 00:21:04,716 Speaker 1: and meditate together, and sometimes my son comes out to see. 414 00:21:04,756 --> 00:21:06,836 Speaker 1: He's five, he doesn't like meditation, but he comes out 415 00:21:06,836 --> 00:21:10,396 Speaker 1: to say hello. And I've noticed that she talks about 416 00:21:10,396 --> 00:21:11,876 Speaker 1: how she has nothing to do all day and she's 417 00:21:11,916 --> 00:21:14,716 Speaker 1: beating herself up for not meditating during the day. And 418 00:21:15,076 --> 00:21:17,036 Speaker 1: I get it. We feel time starved no matter what's 419 00:21:17,036 --> 00:21:19,556 Speaker 1: going on in our lives, and I'm not here to 420 00:21:19,556 --> 00:21:22,756 Speaker 1: talk you out of that. What I do think is useful, though, 421 00:21:22,836 --> 00:21:25,836 Speaker 1: is to lower the bar enough so that people can 422 00:21:25,996 --> 00:21:28,876 Speaker 1: actually can and will actually do this thing. And so 423 00:21:28,996 --> 00:21:32,276 Speaker 1: one minute Counts is I think it sets people's minds 424 00:21:32,276 --> 00:21:37,316 Speaker 1: at ease. It seems so eminently doable that I like that. 425 00:21:37,476 --> 00:21:39,796 Speaker 1: You know, I'd rather see people do five to ten minutes, 426 00:21:40,276 --> 00:21:42,996 Speaker 1: but I think one minute definitely does count, and you 427 00:21:43,316 --> 00:21:45,956 Speaker 1: are getting real benefit from that, and I think it 428 00:21:45,996 --> 00:21:48,516 Speaker 1: can lead to a deeper practice over time. The other 429 00:21:48,556 --> 00:21:50,156 Speaker 1: thing I love about the one minute Counts is that 430 00:21:50,236 --> 00:21:53,236 Speaker 1: the one minute doesn't necessarily have to be you in 431 00:21:53,276 --> 00:21:56,396 Speaker 1: the lotus position, you know in some fake meditations, shrine 432 00:21:56,476 --> 00:21:59,636 Speaker 1: in your tiny apartment with your family around you. It 433 00:21:59,676 --> 00:22:01,916 Speaker 1: can be when you're washing the dishes, it can be 434 00:22:01,916 --> 00:22:03,916 Speaker 1: when you're unloading the dishwasher, it can be when you're 435 00:22:03,916 --> 00:22:06,516 Speaker 1: washing your hands. I've heard as another great one like 436 00:22:06,556 --> 00:22:08,516 Speaker 1: if you just take time to follow your breath and 437 00:22:08,556 --> 00:22:10,996 Speaker 1: be present during those moments, in some sense, that can 438 00:22:11,036 --> 00:22:14,116 Speaker 1: count too. Okay, so you've actually said something very important. 439 00:22:14,676 --> 00:22:18,076 Speaker 1: Two things are true. One, it is true that we 440 00:22:18,116 --> 00:22:21,076 Speaker 1: can co opt our daily activities to turn them into meditation, 441 00:22:21,276 --> 00:22:22,796 Speaker 1: so I have a bunch of things to say about that. 442 00:22:23,276 --> 00:22:25,556 Speaker 1: But it is also true that there is a difference 443 00:22:25,636 --> 00:22:28,996 Speaker 1: between sort of free range meditation as I call it, 444 00:22:29,036 --> 00:22:32,316 Speaker 1: you know, on the go daily life meditation where you're 445 00:22:33,316 --> 00:22:35,556 Speaker 1: mindful while you're washing the dishes or washing your hands 446 00:22:35,636 --> 00:22:40,676 Speaker 1: or whatever, and formal practice. And I believe that if 447 00:22:40,716 --> 00:22:44,316 Speaker 1: you're doing on the go practice mindfulness practices, that's great. 448 00:22:44,356 --> 00:22:46,116 Speaker 1: You should feel good about that, and if that's all 449 00:22:46,156 --> 00:22:50,436 Speaker 1: you ever do, great, bravo done. But I also believe 450 00:22:50,476 --> 00:22:53,036 Speaker 1: that there is immense value to formal practice, even if 451 00:22:53,036 --> 00:22:54,996 Speaker 1: it's just for a minute or five minutes, and that 452 00:22:54,996 --> 00:22:59,396 Speaker 1: that can turbo charge the free range practices. So I 453 00:22:59,436 --> 00:23:02,516 Speaker 1: just want to make that plug. But on your point 454 00:23:02,556 --> 00:23:06,636 Speaker 1: about these sort of on the go mindfulness practices, absolutely 455 00:23:06,676 --> 00:23:09,836 Speaker 1: you can turn anything you're doing into meditation just by 456 00:23:09,836 --> 00:23:12,356 Speaker 1: paying attention to it. Let's take washing your hands, because 457 00:23:12,396 --> 00:23:15,196 Speaker 1: we all have to do this for twenty seconds a 458 00:23:15,236 --> 00:23:17,076 Speaker 1: million times a day. And now my hands are just 459 00:23:17,156 --> 00:23:20,476 Speaker 1: you know, as dry as the sahara and cracked and painful, 460 00:23:20,916 --> 00:23:23,276 Speaker 1: which is a good sign. We should all we should 461 00:23:23,316 --> 00:23:26,516 Speaker 1: all have painful hands, right seeing that, Yeah, let's let's 462 00:23:26,516 --> 00:23:30,836 Speaker 1: take washing your hands. You can sing Happy Birthday twice, fine, 463 00:23:31,556 --> 00:23:34,316 Speaker 1: or you can use those twenty seconds to just feel 464 00:23:34,636 --> 00:23:38,676 Speaker 1: the road data of your senses. What does it feel 465 00:23:38,676 --> 00:23:41,276 Speaker 1: like when the hot or cold or warm water hits 466 00:23:41,316 --> 00:23:44,316 Speaker 1: your hands? Was it feel like as your fingers intertwined? 467 00:23:44,436 --> 00:23:46,116 Speaker 1: Was it feel like as you put the soap on 468 00:23:46,236 --> 00:23:49,996 Speaker 1: and the soap washes off? What noises are you're hearing? 469 00:23:50,436 --> 00:23:52,436 Speaker 1: What are you seeing in front of you? And then 470 00:23:52,476 --> 00:23:54,436 Speaker 1: every time you get distracted, which you will, You'll get 471 00:23:54,436 --> 00:23:57,556 Speaker 1: distracted a million times. You get carried away by your 472 00:23:57,596 --> 00:24:01,676 Speaker 1: to do list, by your phantasmagoric projections into the future 473 00:24:01,916 --> 00:24:05,556 Speaker 1: about this pandemic and this Gently catch yourself and return 474 00:24:05,636 --> 00:24:08,596 Speaker 1: to the physical sensations. I think that's a better way 475 00:24:08,636 --> 00:24:12,676 Speaker 1: to spend twenty seconds than just singing Happy Birthday or 476 00:24:13,036 --> 00:24:16,556 Speaker 1: neurotically worrying about any number of things. Yeah, I think 477 00:24:16,596 --> 00:24:18,756 Speaker 1: that's fantastic. So that's kind of one thing, this idea 478 00:24:18,756 --> 00:24:21,396 Speaker 1: that people don't have enough time. I think another thing 479 00:24:21,396 --> 00:24:23,316 Speaker 1: that's coming up for a lot of people right now, 480 00:24:23,636 --> 00:24:26,556 Speaker 1: especially given that everybody's squished with their family into small 481 00:24:26,596 --> 00:24:29,356 Speaker 1: apartments and things and can't get out to leave, is 482 00:24:29,396 --> 00:24:31,316 Speaker 1: it feels like I don't have any privacy to do 483 00:24:31,356 --> 00:24:33,436 Speaker 1: this right now that like, you know, my kid could 484 00:24:33,516 --> 00:24:35,316 Speaker 1: kind of could walk in while I'm sitting there trying 485 00:24:35,356 --> 00:24:38,276 Speaker 1: to follow my breath. You know, there's stuff going on everywhere. 486 00:24:38,316 --> 00:24:40,876 Speaker 1: It's hard to find silence. What advice do you have 487 00:24:40,916 --> 00:24:42,556 Speaker 1: for people who just feel like they're too kind of 488 00:24:42,596 --> 00:24:44,716 Speaker 1: trapped in their homes with so many folks around to 489 00:24:44,716 --> 00:24:47,036 Speaker 1: do this. Well, first of all, I feel you. I'm 490 00:24:47,036 --> 00:24:49,436 Speaker 1: in my home with my wife and our five year old, 491 00:24:49,876 --> 00:24:52,596 Speaker 1: and it's a lot. So I think you've got to 492 00:24:52,636 --> 00:24:56,996 Speaker 1: give yourself a break and recognize that some days, many days, 493 00:24:57,156 --> 00:24:59,956 Speaker 1: perhaps most days, you won't get to it. However, there 494 00:24:59,996 --> 00:25:03,516 Speaker 1: are little tricks. So for bedtime, for example, if you've 495 00:25:03,516 --> 00:25:06,316 Speaker 1: got younger children you're putting them to bed, there's always 496 00:25:06,356 --> 00:25:09,556 Speaker 1: that space between when they stopped talking and when you 497 00:25:09,556 --> 00:25:13,436 Speaker 1: can actually extricate yourself. So if you're lying there spooned 498 00:25:13,476 --> 00:25:15,396 Speaker 1: with your kid or sitting in a chair next to 499 00:25:15,436 --> 00:25:18,716 Speaker 1: the bed, steal that minute or two right before you 500 00:25:18,796 --> 00:25:21,796 Speaker 1: go to bed. Great time. You know, we have a 501 00:25:21,796 --> 00:25:24,076 Speaker 1: comfy chair in the corner of our bedroom and I 502 00:25:24,236 --> 00:25:26,876 Speaker 1: use that my policies. I just meditate until I feel 503 00:25:26,876 --> 00:25:28,996 Speaker 1: super tired. I don't know how long that is. I'm 504 00:25:28,996 --> 00:25:30,676 Speaker 1: a timing it, but I think it's a while that 505 00:25:30,796 --> 00:25:32,996 Speaker 1: you will definitely have time for that. Lock yourself in 506 00:25:32,996 --> 00:25:36,396 Speaker 1: the bathroom, use noise canceling headphones first thing in the 507 00:25:36,436 --> 00:25:38,916 Speaker 1: morning before anybody else is up. Lots of little tricks 508 00:25:38,956 --> 00:25:41,996 Speaker 1: you can use and give yourself a break if you 509 00:25:42,036 --> 00:25:44,076 Speaker 1: don't get to it. The final thing, and this one 510 00:25:44,116 --> 00:25:45,716 Speaker 1: comes up a lot for me when I'm sitting to 511 00:25:45,956 --> 00:25:49,316 Speaker 1: like literally sit down and meditate, is I'm kind of 512 00:25:49,356 --> 00:25:51,796 Speaker 1: more scared now than I normally am. I feel like 513 00:25:51,796 --> 00:25:54,676 Speaker 1: when I first started meditating, I was really worried about 514 00:25:54,676 --> 00:25:57,356 Speaker 1: the Pandora's box. You know, what crap from my childhood 515 00:25:57,436 --> 00:25:59,196 Speaker 1: is going to come up, what insecurities are going to 516 00:25:59,276 --> 00:26:02,036 Speaker 1: fly by. It can and sometimes be really scary when 517 00:26:02,036 --> 00:26:04,756 Speaker 1: you're really listening to this voice closely, and I feel 518 00:26:04,756 --> 00:26:07,996 Speaker 1: like that's even more scary now when in some ways 519 00:26:07,996 --> 00:26:11,396 Speaker 1: our anxieties are justified in certain senses, right, like our 520 00:26:11,436 --> 00:26:14,156 Speaker 1: mortality is coming closer than it's ever been for some 521 00:26:14,196 --> 00:26:16,836 Speaker 1: of us, especially those with pre existing conditions, And so 522 00:26:17,596 --> 00:26:19,436 Speaker 1: how do you fight this one where it's like, it 523 00:26:19,476 --> 00:26:21,956 Speaker 1: just seems like if I sit down to just follow 524 00:26:21,996 --> 00:26:23,956 Speaker 1: my breath and pay attention to what I'm feeling, it's 525 00:26:23,956 --> 00:26:26,916 Speaker 1: going to feel really awful, particularly in the current time. Well, 526 00:26:26,996 --> 00:26:29,796 Speaker 1: let me just validate the point. I think it's true. 527 00:26:30,236 --> 00:26:35,196 Speaker 1: It's true if you meditate, it's possible that difficult things 528 00:26:35,236 --> 00:26:38,156 Speaker 1: from your past will surface. I think it's also true 529 00:26:38,196 --> 00:26:40,116 Speaker 1: that if you meditate right now and you don't have 530 00:26:40,156 --> 00:26:42,836 Speaker 1: a lot of trauma in your past, the trauma of 531 00:26:42,876 --> 00:26:45,956 Speaker 1: being alive right now it may surface for you. And 532 00:26:45,996 --> 00:26:48,036 Speaker 1: so I don't want to sugarcoat that, but I think 533 00:26:48,076 --> 00:26:52,396 Speaker 1: the choice is do you want to have this stuff 534 00:26:52,516 --> 00:26:55,956 Speaker 1: because it's there, the traumas there. Would you like to 535 00:26:55,996 --> 00:27:00,996 Speaker 1: have it lurking in the background of your psyche, driving 536 00:27:01,036 --> 00:27:03,916 Speaker 1: you blindly in many ways, or would you like to 537 00:27:03,996 --> 00:27:08,716 Speaker 1: drag it into the sunlight and investigate it journalistically, non judgmentally, 538 00:27:09,396 --> 00:27:13,676 Speaker 1: in a friendly, kind way, so that you have a choice. 539 00:27:13,716 --> 00:27:16,356 Speaker 1: I mean, this is what meditation offers to us is 540 00:27:16,796 --> 00:27:20,516 Speaker 1: instead of reacting blindly to everything because we have no 541 00:27:20,676 --> 00:27:25,116 Speaker 1: visibility into our inner life, you can respond wisely. And so, yeah, 542 00:27:25,196 --> 00:27:29,556 Speaker 1: we're in a we are in an extremely uncomfortable and 543 00:27:29,596 --> 00:27:32,996 Speaker 1: difficult situation right now. Do you want to face that 544 00:27:33,156 --> 00:27:35,436 Speaker 1: fourth rightly so that you can be calmer, insaner, and 545 00:27:35,436 --> 00:27:37,196 Speaker 1: that you can be more effective and more helpful to 546 00:27:37,236 --> 00:27:40,316 Speaker 1: other people. I think meditations are going to be very 547 00:27:40,436 --> 00:27:42,796 Speaker 1: useful in that sense. I don't think I'm not a 548 00:27:42,836 --> 00:27:45,836 Speaker 1: meditation fundamentalist. I think there are other ways that can 549 00:27:45,876 --> 00:27:49,276 Speaker 1: also be useful. Calling your shrink if you need medication, 550 00:27:49,356 --> 00:27:53,076 Speaker 1: taking that medication, getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, making 551 00:27:53,116 --> 00:27:57,076 Speaker 1: sure you have social connection, tuning into your capacity to help, 552 00:27:57,116 --> 00:27:59,476 Speaker 1: which can elevate you out of you the black hole 553 00:27:59,516 --> 00:28:03,476 Speaker 1: of self obsession. There are many ways to cope with 554 00:28:03,516 --> 00:28:06,316 Speaker 1: this moment. I would just submit that meditation should be 555 00:28:06,356 --> 00:28:08,196 Speaker 1: one of them that you should consider. And in some sense, 556 00:28:08,236 --> 00:28:10,276 Speaker 1: if you're doing it right, if you're doing it right, 557 00:28:10,356 --> 00:28:13,316 Speaker 1: meaning that you're doing it non judgmentally, in some ways, 558 00:28:13,676 --> 00:28:17,116 Speaker 1: you're supposed to not embrace those yucky emotions, but at 559 00:28:17,156 --> 00:28:19,316 Speaker 1: least be there with them and be compassionate about the 560 00:28:19,316 --> 00:28:21,636 Speaker 1: fact that you have them, which in our daily lives 561 00:28:21,636 --> 00:28:23,516 Speaker 1: we tend not to do with the yucky stuff going 562 00:28:23,556 --> 00:28:25,996 Speaker 1: on gold Star, I mean, that's exactly right. That's the 563 00:28:26,116 --> 00:28:30,916 Speaker 1: radical move of meditation, which is our habitual response to 564 00:28:30,996 --> 00:28:34,636 Speaker 1: difficult emotions is fight it or feed it. This is 565 00:28:34,676 --> 00:28:39,956 Speaker 1: something completely different. This is just being with it, investigating it. 566 00:28:40,156 --> 00:28:43,516 Speaker 1: So the great meditation teacher Tara Brock has a little 567 00:28:43,556 --> 00:28:47,876 Speaker 1: acronym that I like called rain our aim. You're hit 568 00:28:47,956 --> 00:28:51,876 Speaker 1: by a big, powerful emotion, are is just recognized what's 569 00:28:51,876 --> 00:28:55,436 Speaker 1: happening right now? A is allow it instead of fighting 570 00:28:55,436 --> 00:28:57,556 Speaker 1: it or feeding it, giving into the anger and you know, 571 00:28:57,596 --> 00:28:59,316 Speaker 1: making the phone call that you wish you hadn't made, 572 00:28:59,756 --> 00:29:01,676 Speaker 1: or giving it to the fear, and you know, buying 573 00:29:01,676 --> 00:29:04,836 Speaker 1: all the surgical masks that the doctors actually need. Just 574 00:29:05,276 --> 00:29:09,116 Speaker 1: allow it to be here and then I investigate it. 575 00:29:09,876 --> 00:29:12,596 Speaker 1: Feelings they call them feelings for a reason. They show 576 00:29:12,716 --> 00:29:14,916 Speaker 1: up in your body. And you can take a look 577 00:29:14,956 --> 00:29:20,436 Speaker 1: at your chest, tightening your head, thrumming, maybe some nervous 578 00:29:20,516 --> 00:29:24,116 Speaker 1: energy down your arms. Take a look at that kind 579 00:29:24,116 --> 00:29:28,276 Speaker 1: of non judgmentally, and then n can mean nurture. It's 580 00:29:28,276 --> 00:29:31,276 Speaker 1: a little little syrupy for my taste, but have a 581 00:29:31,356 --> 00:29:35,156 Speaker 1: friendly attitude toward it. Instead of judging yourself for having 582 00:29:35,196 --> 00:29:38,956 Speaker 1: this emotion or wishing it away or giving into it, 583 00:29:39,036 --> 00:29:42,196 Speaker 1: you can actually have a warmer relationship to see that 584 00:29:42,556 --> 00:29:45,796 Speaker 1: the anxiety is just your mind's way of protecting you. 585 00:29:46,036 --> 00:29:49,756 Speaker 1: Maybe not super skillfully, but it is this little neurotic 586 00:29:49,876 --> 00:29:52,356 Speaker 1: voice in your head is trying to help you, and 587 00:29:52,636 --> 00:29:56,276 Speaker 1: you can generate some warmth toward that, and then you 588 00:29:56,276 --> 00:29:58,676 Speaker 1: can you know, blow it a kiss and go in 589 00:29:58,676 --> 00:30:01,476 Speaker 1: another direction. Yeah, I've heard, I've heard the phrase you use. 590 00:30:01,516 --> 00:30:02,876 Speaker 1: This is what I like to use from my end 591 00:30:02,996 --> 00:30:06,196 Speaker 1: is like you're cool. Hey, you're cool. Yeah, chest tight, 592 00:30:06,436 --> 00:30:08,636 Speaker 1: you know you're cool. That's all right, you know, yes, 593 00:30:08,796 --> 00:30:11,556 Speaker 1: just like nurture and love it and you know, try 594 00:30:11,596 --> 00:30:13,916 Speaker 1: to you know, encourage it. But just like it's cool, 595 00:30:13,996 --> 00:30:16,196 Speaker 1: you're there. I'm not going to freak out, just hang out. 596 00:30:16,276 --> 00:30:18,956 Speaker 1: You know. When we talk about meditation, we often talk 597 00:30:18,996 --> 00:30:21,996 Speaker 1: specifically about like breath based meditation, where we're just kind 598 00:30:21,996 --> 00:30:24,516 Speaker 1: of following our breath. But lots of folks have argued 599 00:30:24,516 --> 00:30:26,156 Speaker 1: there right now. What we need is a different kind 600 00:30:26,156 --> 00:30:29,436 Speaker 1: of meditation, one that focuses on other people right now. Yes, 601 00:30:29,756 --> 00:30:32,596 Speaker 1: I'm going to make a pitch for this is I 602 00:30:32,636 --> 00:30:34,676 Speaker 1: can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna make a 603 00:30:34,716 --> 00:30:36,876 Speaker 1: pitch for love. And I want me to say something 604 00:30:36,916 --> 00:30:39,236 Speaker 1: about love here, because I think that love has been 605 00:30:39,236 --> 00:30:45,196 Speaker 1: pounded pulverized into meaninglessness through wrote repetition and Hollywood cliche 606 00:30:45,436 --> 00:30:48,756 Speaker 1: and bad Bon Jovi songs. I think we kind of 607 00:30:48,796 --> 00:30:51,796 Speaker 1: need to knock love off of its pedestal and just 608 00:30:51,996 --> 00:30:56,156 Speaker 1: define it down just something super simple that doesn't require 609 00:30:56,196 --> 00:30:59,156 Speaker 1: string music or anything like that. It's just the capacity 610 00:30:59,476 --> 00:31:02,756 Speaker 1: to give a shit. We all have that. It's deeply 611 00:31:02,756 --> 00:31:07,316 Speaker 1: wired into us or we are a social species. The 612 00:31:07,676 --> 00:31:11,396 Speaker 1: human who was only human on the savannah back in 613 00:31:11,436 --> 00:31:14,476 Speaker 1: the day was probably a dead human because you need 614 00:31:14,476 --> 00:31:16,916 Speaker 1: it to be part of a tribe, a pack, so 615 00:31:16,956 --> 00:31:19,476 Speaker 1: we can all tap into this innate ability we have 616 00:31:19,596 --> 00:31:22,476 Speaker 1: to care about other people and about ourselves. There's a 617 00:31:22,476 --> 00:31:24,876 Speaker 1: pretty good argument to be made that if you can't 618 00:31:24,876 --> 00:31:27,516 Speaker 1: have a friendly relationship to it yourself, you're going to 619 00:31:27,596 --> 00:31:30,196 Speaker 1: have a hard time doing it for others. So there's 620 00:31:30,196 --> 00:31:32,156 Speaker 1: a kind of meditation that, as you might imagine, I 621 00:31:32,196 --> 00:31:34,316 Speaker 1: had a negative reaction to when I first heard about it. 622 00:31:34,316 --> 00:31:38,196 Speaker 1: It's called loving kindness meditation. It is like like using 623 00:31:38,236 --> 00:31:42,116 Speaker 1: all the cheese from like meditation, like technology to like 624 00:31:42,156 --> 00:31:44,676 Speaker 1: make us feel really hippie dippy about it. Yes, but 625 00:31:44,716 --> 00:31:47,796 Speaker 1: I was interviewing somebody recently. They were doing this loving 626 00:31:47,836 --> 00:31:49,996 Speaker 1: kindness meditation and she went to the teacher to complain 627 00:31:50,036 --> 00:31:54,036 Speaker 1: about it, and the teacher said, if you can't do cheesy, 628 00:31:54,156 --> 00:31:57,036 Speaker 1: you can't be free. I think that is an incredibly 629 00:31:57,076 --> 00:31:58,716 Speaker 1: powerful thing to say. So let me tell you what 630 00:31:58,716 --> 00:32:01,356 Speaker 1: the meditation is. Because some of you, who if you're 631 00:32:01,396 --> 00:32:04,076 Speaker 1: like me, an anti sentimentalist, you're going to have a reaction, 632 00:32:04,316 --> 00:32:09,036 Speaker 1: which is you basically picture a series of beings. Often 633 00:32:09,276 --> 00:32:11,596 Speaker 1: we start with ourselves and then you move on to 634 00:32:11,756 --> 00:32:16,116 Speaker 1: like a close friend, a mentor, a neutral person, a 635 00:32:16,156 --> 00:32:21,476 Speaker 1: difficult person, and then everybody. And as you're envisioning these people, 636 00:32:21,516 --> 00:32:26,476 Speaker 1: you repeat silently for phrases may be happy, maybe be safe, 637 00:32:26,836 --> 00:32:29,916 Speaker 1: may be healthy, may you live with ease. To me, 638 00:32:29,996 --> 00:32:32,436 Speaker 1: at least, it sounded like Valentine's Day with a knife 639 00:32:32,436 --> 00:32:35,836 Speaker 1: to my throat. But but there's been an enormous amount 640 00:32:35,876 --> 00:32:39,036 Speaker 1: of study of this kind of meditation, and it's been 641 00:32:39,036 --> 00:32:43,196 Speaker 1: shown to have really powerful effects not only on our physiology, 642 00:32:43,516 --> 00:32:48,516 Speaker 1: but also on our psychology and behavior. And I can't 643 00:32:48,556 --> 00:32:50,516 Speaker 1: believe I'm saying this, but I think what is going 644 00:32:50,596 --> 00:32:54,076 Speaker 1: to save us, both individually and collectively right now is love. 645 00:32:54,316 --> 00:32:56,636 Speaker 1: As I defined it before. It doesn't have to be 646 00:32:56,676 --> 00:32:59,236 Speaker 1: super gooey. It doesn't have to be something out of 647 00:32:59,236 --> 00:33:03,956 Speaker 1: a movie. But it can be as simple as having compassion. 648 00:33:04,036 --> 00:33:06,996 Speaker 1: Has been described as empathy, which is feeling other people's 649 00:33:06,996 --> 00:33:11,676 Speaker 1: feelings plus action, just having the desire to help. So 650 00:33:11,756 --> 00:33:14,556 Speaker 1: what are you doing with your elderly neighbors, What are 651 00:33:14,556 --> 00:33:17,516 Speaker 1: you doing with the people with whom you share an apartment? 652 00:33:17,556 --> 00:33:19,636 Speaker 1: What are you doing if you live alone? Are you 653 00:33:19,676 --> 00:33:23,956 Speaker 1: supporting local businesses? Just that move of tapping into your 654 00:33:24,436 --> 00:33:27,196 Speaker 1: your innate capacity to give a shit about other people 655 00:33:27,236 --> 00:33:30,876 Speaker 1: and yourself can elevate you out of the morass of 656 00:33:31,036 --> 00:33:34,676 Speaker 1: kind of self centered neuroses. And as I said a 657 00:33:34,676 --> 00:33:38,436 Speaker 1: moment ago, I think it's what will help us survive 658 00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:41,716 Speaker 1: this thing individually but also as a culture. Given all 659 00:33:41,716 --> 00:33:43,196 Speaker 1: the science of the stuff and what you've seen in 660 00:33:43,196 --> 00:33:45,436 Speaker 1: your own life, are you hopeful that If people use 661 00:33:45,436 --> 00:33:47,476 Speaker 1: some of these techniques, it's one of many things they 662 00:33:47,476 --> 00:33:51,796 Speaker 1: can do to feel better during this crazy time. I one, now, 663 00:33:51,836 --> 00:33:55,476 Speaker 1: I'm violating my ten percent a little stick, but I 664 00:33:55,476 --> 00:33:59,596 Speaker 1: am one hundred percent confident that if you add just 665 00:33:59,796 --> 00:34:03,636 Speaker 1: small doses of daily ish meditation, it's going to make 666 00:34:03,716 --> 00:34:07,116 Speaker 1: a difference in your life. I don't I'm not laboring 667 00:34:07,156 --> 00:34:10,516 Speaker 1: under the delusion that immediately all three hundred and fifty 668 00:34:10,916 --> 00:34:13,836 Speaker 1: million Americans or seven billion humans are going to just 669 00:34:13,876 --> 00:34:20,316 Speaker 1: start meditating. But I think calm is contagious, just like 670 00:34:20,436 --> 00:34:23,556 Speaker 1: panic is contagious. As talking to a great meditation teacher 671 00:34:23,676 --> 00:34:26,516 Speaker 1: the other day who quoted something that the very famous 672 00:34:26,596 --> 00:34:30,236 Speaker 1: zendmaster Tick not Han said, which is that you can 673 00:34:30,276 --> 00:34:33,636 Speaker 1: think about our current situation, or any stressful situation, like 674 00:34:33,676 --> 00:34:35,676 Speaker 1: a bunch of people in a boat in a storm. 675 00:34:36,356 --> 00:34:38,436 Speaker 1: Of course that's a stressful situation. Some people are going 676 00:34:38,516 --> 00:34:40,876 Speaker 1: to be freaking out, but one calm person on that 677 00:34:40,916 --> 00:34:45,356 Speaker 1: boat can change the atmosphere dramatically. And so yeah, I 678 00:34:45,356 --> 00:34:47,796 Speaker 1: don't think we have to expect that everybody's going to meditate. 679 00:34:47,876 --> 00:34:51,076 Speaker 1: Don't try to like browbeat your spouse into doing it 680 00:34:51,196 --> 00:34:53,636 Speaker 1: or your parents into doing it. If you do it. 681 00:34:54,156 --> 00:34:56,756 Speaker 1: The way you show up will be different some percentage 682 00:34:56,756 --> 00:34:59,316 Speaker 1: of the time, and that can make any calculable difference. 683 00:35:00,196 --> 00:35:02,156 Speaker 1: I hope you've gotten some helpful tips for how you 684 00:35:02,156 --> 00:35:04,356 Speaker 1: can reap the benefits of a little mindfulness in this 685 00:35:04,436 --> 00:35:07,316 Speaker 1: stressful time. And I hope you'll also check out Dan's 686 00:35:07,316 --> 00:35:10,316 Speaker 1: podcast ten Percent Happier, where he'll give you even more 687 00:35:10,356 --> 00:35:13,636 Speaker 1: tips for becoming present in the stressful time. But I 688 00:35:13,676 --> 00:35:17,076 Speaker 1: also wanted to take Dan's charge seriously that one minute 689 00:35:17,236 --> 00:35:20,676 Speaker 1: is all you need to get started. So let's end 690 00:35:20,716 --> 00:35:23,476 Speaker 1: this episode with a quick one minute ish meditation together. 691 00:35:25,556 --> 00:35:27,676 Speaker 1: If you're walking around listening to this, why don't you 692 00:35:27,796 --> 00:35:29,716 Speaker 1: hit pause on this recording for a second and go 693 00:35:29,796 --> 00:35:38,436 Speaker 1: find a comfortable seat. So, now that you're sitting down, 694 00:35:38,676 --> 00:35:42,316 Speaker 1: I want you to quickly close your eyes and become present. 695 00:35:43,596 --> 00:35:46,556 Speaker 1: Just pay attention to how your body is feeling right now. 696 00:35:51,196 --> 00:35:53,636 Speaker 1: Then I want all of you to take a long, 697 00:35:53,956 --> 00:36:05,756 Speaker 1: deep breath in and then breathe out really smoothly. Now, 698 00:36:05,836 --> 00:36:10,276 Speaker 1: let's take another long deep breath in, really filling your belly, 699 00:36:14,396 --> 00:36:21,156 Speaker 1: and then breathe it out. And one more time, just 700 00:36:21,276 --> 00:36:26,916 Speaker 1: a really deep breath in, really filling that belly and 701 00:36:27,076 --> 00:36:32,116 Speaker 1: breathe it out, and now I just want you to 702 00:36:32,156 --> 00:36:34,676 Speaker 1: have your breath returned to normal, and I want you 703 00:36:34,716 --> 00:36:37,076 Speaker 1: to just follow where your breath feels like it's moving 704 00:36:37,076 --> 00:36:41,476 Speaker 1: in your body. Sometimes this will be at the edge 705 00:36:41,516 --> 00:36:43,236 Speaker 1: of your nose or at the edge of your lips, 706 00:36:44,236 --> 00:36:46,316 Speaker 1: but it could also just be in your chest or 707 00:36:46,316 --> 00:36:50,796 Speaker 1: in your belly where you see your belly rising and falling. 708 00:36:53,556 --> 00:36:56,476 Speaker 1: And for the next few seconds, just pay attention to 709 00:36:56,516 --> 00:37:00,756 Speaker 1: where your breath is. Don't try to change it, just 710 00:37:00,916 --> 00:37:09,636 Speaker 1: follow it. And if your mind wanders from your breath, 711 00:37:09,996 --> 00:37:13,996 Speaker 1: which it will inevitably do, just really non judgmentally bring 712 00:37:13,996 --> 00:37:16,276 Speaker 1: it back and just go back to focusing on your breath. 713 00:37:52,556 --> 00:37:54,516 Speaker 1: Now that you've had a few seconds to take time 714 00:37:54,556 --> 00:37:57,716 Speaker 1: to focus on your breath, will end with one big, 715 00:37:57,796 --> 00:38:03,356 Speaker 1: deep breath in and then give it a big sigh out. 716 00:38:07,396 --> 00:38:09,876 Speaker 1: And so that's it. Y'all just did a quick one 717 00:38:09,916 --> 00:38:12,996 Speaker 1: minute meditation. I'll invite you to take a second to 718 00:38:13,036 --> 00:38:16,796 Speaker 1: see how you feel. Take a second to notice how 719 00:38:16,876 --> 00:38:19,916 Speaker 1: that one minute of taking time to be mindful feels 720 00:38:19,916 --> 00:38:23,076 Speaker 1: in your body right now. If you're like me, it 721 00:38:23,196 --> 00:38:26,476 Speaker 1: feels pretty good. And so it's worth remembering that you 722 00:38:26,516 --> 00:38:29,836 Speaker 1: can do that at any time, the mindfulness benefits are 723 00:38:29,836 --> 00:38:32,156 Speaker 1: there for you. You just need to take a moment 724 00:38:32,516 --> 00:38:35,836 Speaker 1: to breathe. We'll see you for the next episode of 725 00:38:36,156 --> 00:38:47,876 Speaker 1: The Happiness Lab with me Doctor Laurie Santos. The Happiness 726 00:38:47,956 --> 00:38:50,716 Speaker 1: Lab is a Pushkin podcast. It's co written and produced 727 00:38:50,756 --> 00:38:54,316 Speaker 1: by Ryan Dilley and mastered by Evan Viola. Our original 728 00:38:54,396 --> 00:38:58,396 Speaker 1: music is written by Zachary Silver. Special thanks to Ben Davis, 729 00:38:58,676 --> 00:39:03,516 Speaker 1: Heather Faine, Carly Mgliori, Julia Barton, neil A Belle, Jacob Weisberg, 730 00:39:03,716 --> 00:39:05,036 Speaker 1: and the rest of the Pushkin crew.