Pod Insights 10% Happier with Dan Harris A Circuit Breaker for Stress | Bonus Meditation with Dawn Mauricio About this episode 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
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Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:04 Dan Harris? It's the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris.
0:19 Dan 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,
1:02 Dan 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.
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2:03 Speaker 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.
2:23 Speaker 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.
2:36 Speaker 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.
3:19 Speaker 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.
4:05 Speaker 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.
4:35 Speaker 04 Now, take a moment to look around the place you're in. Simply noticing what you see.
4:44 Speaker 04 At the same time, know that you're still breathing.
4:51 Speaker 04 You don't need to change the way you're breathing, or overly focus on your breath.
4:57 Speaker 04 Just know that you are breathing.
5:07 Speaker 04 Keeping your eyes open for a little while longer. Take a moment to intentionally acknowledge five things you can see.
5:19 Speaker 04 When something specific catches your eye, fully take it in by silently naming it to yourself.
5:28 Speaker 04 Mug. Book.
5:33 Speaker 04 Shoe. For example.
5:54 Speaker 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.
6:06 Speaker 04 The green of a plant. The orange of a book cover. A blue blanket.
6:40 Speaker 04 Take your time with each object, noticing what sensations arise after naming each one.
6:48 Speaker 04 Give yourself a moment of pause before moving on to the next object.
7:01 Speaker 04 After noticing your fifth object, you can close your eyes if you feel like it. You can also turn them downward.
7:13 Speaker 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.
7:38 Speaker 04 Now that you've started opening up to the world of sensations, intentionally feel four sensations in your body.
7:48 Speaker 04 Again, really take them in by naming them silently to yourself.
7:56 Speaker 04 Pause before moving on to the next sensation.
8:02 Speaker 04 The exact label you give it doesn't have to be perfect. Good enough is just fine.
8:22 Speaker 04 Begin to tune into the sounds going on around you.
8:27 Speaker 04 They could be happening outside of the building or room, or they could be the sound of your breathing or your belly grumbling.
8:39 Speaker 04 What you might begin to notice is the orchestra of many sounds happening. Some pleasant, some unpleasant.
8:50 Speaker 04 Nothing to do right now, other than to notice them.
9:00 Speaker 04 Now, intentionally notice three things you can hear. Silently naming each one before moving on to the next.
9:11 Speaker 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.
9:27 Speaker 04 Turn your attention to the scents around you. Noticing if you can smell anything.
9:36 Speaker 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.
9:50 Speaker 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.
10:17 Speaker 04 Finally, end this practice by noticing one thing you can taste.
10:26 Speaker 04 You might tune into the last thing you ate or drank.
10:31 Speaker 04 If that's not accessible, bring to mind your last meal, and any tastes that were present then.
10:51 Speaker 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.
11:16 Speaker 04 If your eyes are closed, slowly blink them open and gently take in the light and shapes around you.
11:28 Speaker 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.
11:48 Speaker 04 May this be a gentle beginning.
11:55 Dan 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.
12:09 Speaker 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.
12:29 Speaker 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.
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