A Circuit Breaker for Stress | Bonus Meditation with Dawn Mauricio

All this month, we're sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Dawn Mauricio, exclusively available at DanHarris.com http://danharris.com/. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we're giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. This meditation can be helpful when you're spiraling and need to interrupt the momentum of chaos. Related Episodes: How Meditation Can Help You Handle Injured Feelings and Injured Muscles | Dawn Mauricio https://www.danharris.com/p/how-meditation-can-help-you-handle?utm_source=publication-search Join Dan's online community here http://www.danharris.com/ Follow Dan on social: Instagram https://bit.ly/3tGigG5, TikTok https://bit.ly/3FOA84J Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://bit.ly/3FybRzD To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:04Dan Harris?

  It's the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris.

• 0:19Dan Harris?

  Happy Sunday, everybody. Hope you're having a good weekend. Today, we're going to talk about what to do when you're freaked out or stressed out. That energy can feed on itself. You can really get revved up, but it is possible, and this is the good news, it is possible to find little moments of clarity to institute a kind of circuit breaker on your stress or anxiety. And today, we're going to give you a meditation to help you do that. Just to say before we hit the meditation, all this month, we are bringing you brand-new guided meditations from our Teacher of the Month, Dan Mauricio. Each meditation has been crafted to go along with one of our regular Monday and Wednesday episodes. And the idea is really that you can use those meditations to take everything you learned in the interview,

• 1:02Dan Harris?

  in the episode, and kind of pound it into your neurons. The only place to get those meditations is danharris.com. If you head on over there and become a paid subscriber, you'll be able to get all the past and future meditations. But today, like any good drug dealer, we're giving you a free dose. This is just a sample of what you'll get all month from Dan. And I love this one. It's about finding a little moment of rest, even in the middle of a shit show. We'll get started with a guided meditation from Dan Mauricio right after this.

• 1:33Speaker 01

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• 2:03Speaker 02

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• 2:23Speaker 03

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• 2:36Speaker 04

  When we're running at full speed, physically, mentally, emotionally, it can feel jarring to slow down. Going from 100 to even 60 isn't easy. And yet, in the middle of all the doing, there are moments, brief but powerful, where we can choose something different. Where we can invite in a breath, a pause, a little more space. This meditation isn't about shutting out the chaos or forcing rest to happen. It's about interrupting the momentum, even gently.

• 3:19Speaker 04

  We'll notice what's here with kindness, including the part of you that wants to keep moving, stay busy, or resist stopping altogether. Let's get started. Set yourself up in a comfortable posture. It could be seated, standing, or lying down. While keeping your eyes open, settle into this meditation by taking a few full breaths, adjusting your posture, or looking around the room.

• 4:05Speaker 04

  Invite your body to relax. You can do this by silently saying, "May I relax?" or by noticing any areas where you're bracing and softening them.

• 4:35Speaker 04

  Now, take a moment to look around the place you're in. Simply noticing what you see.

• 4:44Speaker 04

  At the same time, know that you're still breathing.

• 4:51Speaker 04

  You don't need to change the way you're breathing, or overly focus on your breath.

• 4:57Speaker 04

  Just know that you are breathing.

• 5:07Speaker 04

  Keeping your eyes open for a little while longer. Take a moment to intentionally acknowledge five things you can see.

• 5:19Speaker 04

  When something specific catches your eye, fully take it in by silently naming it to yourself.

• 5:28Speaker 04

  Mug. Book.

• 5:33Speaker 04

  Shoe. For example.

• 5:54Speaker 04

  If this brings up thoughts of "I forgot to add that to the dishwasher", or "this place is such a mess", you might instead try to name five colors you see.

• 6:06Speaker 04

  The green of a plant. The orange of a book cover. A blue blanket.

• 6:40Speaker 04

  Take your time with each object, noticing what sensations arise after naming each one.

• 6:48Speaker 04

  Give yourself a moment of pause before moving on to the next object.

• 7:01Speaker 04

  After noticing your fifth object, you can close your eyes if you feel like it. You can also turn them downward.

• 7:13Speaker 04

  Begin to notice the physical sensations you feel. This can be a tingling, an ache, hot or cold, where your body meets the ground, or something else.

• 7:38Speaker 04

  Now that you've started opening up to the world of sensations, intentionally feel four sensations in your body.

• 7:48Speaker 04

  Again, really take them in by naming them silently to yourself.

• 7:56Speaker 04

  Pause before moving on to the next sensation.

• 8:02Speaker 04

  The exact label you give it doesn't have to be perfect. Good enough is just fine.

• 8:22Speaker 04

  Begin to tune into the sounds going on around you.

• 8:27Speaker 04

  They could be happening outside of the building or room, or they could be the sound of your breathing or your belly grumbling.

• 8:39Speaker 04

  What you might begin to notice is the orchestra of many sounds happening. Some pleasant, some unpleasant.

• 8:50Speaker 04

  Nothing to do right now, other than to notice them.

• 9:00Speaker 04

  Now, intentionally notice three things you can hear. Silently naming each one before moving on to the next.

• 9:11Speaker 04

  As best you can, shift your attention so you can take in three different sounds, instead of noting the most dominant sound more than once.

• 9:27Speaker 04

  Turn your attention to the scents around you. Noticing if you can smell anything.

• 9:36Speaker 04

  If nothing seems obvious, try smelling your clothes, moving to a place where odors are stronger, or bringing to mind some of your favorite scents.

• 9:50Speaker 04

  Silently name two of them to yourself, pausing between each one, and noticing what thoughts, sensations, or feelings might arise as you pay attention to these scents.

• 10:17Speaker 04

  Finally, end this practice by noticing one thing you can taste.

• 10:26Speaker 04

  You might tune into the last thing you ate or drank.

• 10:31Speaker 04

  If that's not accessible, bring to mind your last meal, and any tastes that were present then.

• 10:51Speaker 04

  For the final few moments of this practice, allow yourself to be aware of whatever is attracting your attention at a given moment. A sound, sensation, smell, sight, or taste.

• 11:16Speaker 04

  If your eyes are closed, slowly blink them open and gently take in the light and shapes around you.

• 11:28Speaker 04

  When we're in the thick of burnout or overwhelm, finding rest can feel impossible. But remember, it doesn't have to be a big leap. Just like this meditation, small pauses, simple moments of sensing and slowing down, can offer the space we need to meet ourselves with more care.

• 11:48Speaker 04

  May this be a gentle beginning.

• 11:55Dan Harris?

  Thank you, Dawn. If you like that guided meditation and you want more from Dawn, head on over to danharris.com to find out how to get more.

• 12:09Speaker 02

  We work with veterans every day. Caring about people isn't the same as knowing how to help. Safeguard Veterans gave our team free online on-demand training to better understand military culture, recognize when someone may be struggling, and connect veterans to support and resources. It's practical, flexible, and our staff actually use what they learned.

• 12:29Speaker 03

  Get started at safeguardveterans.net. Click on "Community Organizations." Safeguard Veterans is a 2026 pilot research program funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.