Thanks, Dan. I started my tenth year of meditation in August 2024. Your first book provided some encouragement in my early days. I haven’t had any trouble maintaining my practice, but it will be refreshing to get instruction and inspiration from these great teachers (especially Jeff Warren, who’s long been one of my favorites). Until then, Happy Holidays!
So happy you are starting the new year with a challenge. Great way to begin. I find them very motivating and insightful! Your bravery in stepping out into this new world of change and uncertainty and giving us more to look forward to in the way of guidance is inspiring. I am 110% behind your new venture! I wish you and your family happy holidays and a time of rest and presence.
Yes I need your help getting back to daily! I can notice a difference in my patience and tolerance not meditating daily and not for the better. I know this sounds nuts but since you left the app I won’t use the happier app to meditate some kind of crazy loyalty to Dan and I’ve never met the guy. Anyway talk about habit and conditioning … I think my brain is having a hard time with me just setting a timer - unguided - since with the app I got a reward at the end especially on a streak or setting records I would get fireworks on the screen, numbers flashing. I logged in 30K of meditation minutes over 8 years. I remember a podcast Dan was doing that the guest had built in behavioral bells and whistle’s into there app so to speak to get you to keep coming back. I feel like I’m going through withdrawal of quitting of an addiction. I’m back to dailyish - unguided and used the few guided on DH.com. So looking forward to the challenge.
Thanks Dan! I did last year’s challenge and am looking forward to this year. I meditated over 400 times culminating in 100 hours of meditation, thanks to you and this community! I’m hoping to increase my mediation time to 30 minutes a day this year - up from 15 minutes a day! Happy New Year Dan, Bianca, and all you fellow mother fuckers! Inner peace and namaste y’all!
Thank you Dan. Not to be dramatic, but your work has really changed my life. I read books about meditation for -- I’m not kidding -- 20 years, but could never get a daily practice going. Thanks to your book, app, and podcast (and advice about “daily-ish” and “one minute counts”) I’ve now had a strong daily practice for 6 years. And I’m getting ready to do my second retreat at IMS. This practice has sustained me during very difficult times and made my life so much better. I’m deeply grateful to you because of all I’ve learned through your work.
This is a tangent to be sure, but it’s related in some way to your addition of the 4th step in the self-compassion practice and the reminder of “no self”. I know this is a tough concept, but I hope I can articulate my question so that it makes some sense. During meditation we are asked to “notice our thoughts”, “not to be attached to them”, come back to the breath and just observe and maybe notice patterns of thought and emotions that may arise. Then come back to your anchor, whatever that may be. My question is, when we are “observing” and the fact that there is no self, doesn’t that mean we are just having “a thought about the thought”? And so even that we let go. But then “who” is having the insight of what is happening if that is just another thought and how can we even trust it if it’s just another thought? Maybe trust is the wrong word, and deciding whether it’s helpful or unhelpful, skillful or unskillful is the move?
From Dan's message about the mediation challenge: "If you’re any level of subscriber already (free, paid, founding), you’re all set. If you’re not, just hit the subscribe button." So you're good to go, Linda, as long as you're receiving Dan's emails. Happy New Year! ☮️
Hi Stace and Linda, I was receiving Dan’s emails and follow here in Substack (subscriber), but it seems I stopped getting emails in mid October…? So I’m co center I might not get an email next Monday…. Is there something I should check? I’m a regular listener/subscriber/reader here and on “Happier” (I listen to Dan’s podcasts posted in the app regularly)…
I remember listening to an episode of The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos which was interupted by an add for a new year challenge on the 10% Happier app (Jan 2021?) I have been listening ever since! Looking forward to this new challenge and building on what I have learnt so far.
Were you surprised George Stephanopoulos agreed to sign a new contract after the network agreed to the libel settlement that just happened to be exactly 15M ?
Excellent! I begin my retirement January 1 and will be able to fully participate. Onward!
Thanks, Dan. I started my tenth year of meditation in August 2024. Your first book provided some encouragement in my early days. I haven’t had any trouble maintaining my practice, but it will be refreshing to get instruction and inspiration from these great teachers (especially Jeff Warren, who’s long been one of my favorites). Until then, Happy Holidays!
I’ve always gotten so much out of the TPH challenges - looking forward to it! Happy holidays!
So happy you are starting the new year with a challenge. Great way to begin. I find them very motivating and insightful! Your bravery in stepping out into this new world of change and uncertainty and giving us more to look forward to in the way of guidance is inspiring. I am 110% behind your new venture! I wish you and your family happy holidays and a time of rest and presence.
Yes I need your help getting back to daily! I can notice a difference in my patience and tolerance not meditating daily and not for the better. I know this sounds nuts but since you left the app I won’t use the happier app to meditate some kind of crazy loyalty to Dan and I’ve never met the guy. Anyway talk about habit and conditioning … I think my brain is having a hard time with me just setting a timer - unguided - since with the app I got a reward at the end especially on a streak or setting records I would get fireworks on the screen, numbers flashing. I logged in 30K of meditation minutes over 8 years. I remember a podcast Dan was doing that the guest had built in behavioral bells and whistle’s into there app so to speak to get you to keep coming back. I feel like I’m going through withdrawal of quitting of an addiction. I’m back to dailyish - unguided and used the few guided on DH.com. So looking forward to the challenge.
Thanks Dan! I did last year’s challenge and am looking forward to this year. I meditated over 400 times culminating in 100 hours of meditation, thanks to you and this community! I’m hoping to increase my mediation time to 30 minutes a day this year - up from 15 minutes a day! Happy New Year Dan, Bianca, and all you fellow mother fuckers! Inner peace and namaste y’all!
Looking forward to this! Especially for the social support
I may have missed it but will these 7pm check ins be recorded for those of us that can't make it due to kids/dinnertime?
Thank you Dan. Not to be dramatic, but your work has really changed my life. I read books about meditation for -- I’m not kidding -- 20 years, but could never get a daily practice going. Thanks to your book, app, and podcast (and advice about “daily-ish” and “one minute counts”) I’ve now had a strong daily practice for 6 years. And I’m getting ready to do my second retreat at IMS. This practice has sustained me during very difficult times and made my life so much better. I’m deeply grateful to you because of all I’ve learned through your work.
This is a tangent to be sure, but it’s related in some way to your addition of the 4th step in the self-compassion practice and the reminder of “no self”. I know this is a tough concept, but I hope I can articulate my question so that it makes some sense. During meditation we are asked to “notice our thoughts”, “not to be attached to them”, come back to the breath and just observe and maybe notice patterns of thought and emotions that may arise. Then come back to your anchor, whatever that may be. My question is, when we are “observing” and the fact that there is no self, doesn’t that mean we are just having “a thought about the thought”? And so even that we let go. But then “who” is having the insight of what is happening if that is just another thought and how can we even trust it if it’s just another thought? Maybe trust is the wrong word, and deciding whether it’s helpful or unhelpful, skillful or unskillful is the move?
I'm a subscriber (not a paid one, yet), will I automatically receive the meditations for the challenge?
From Dan's message about the mediation challenge: "If you’re any level of subscriber already (free, paid, founding), you’re all set. If you’re not, just hit the subscribe button." So you're good to go, Linda, as long as you're receiving Dan's emails. Happy New Year! ☮️
Hi Stace and Linda, I was receiving Dan’s emails and follow here in Substack (subscriber), but it seems I stopped getting emails in mid October…? So I’m co center I might not get an email next Monday…. Is there something I should check? I’m a regular listener/subscriber/reader here and on “Happier” (I listen to Dan’s podcasts posted in the app regularly)…
thank you!!
I remember listening to an episode of The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos which was interupted by an add for a new year challenge on the 10% Happier app (Jan 2021?) I have been listening ever since! Looking forward to this new challenge and building on what I have learnt so far.
Brillliant. I need a kick start. Thank you
Fantastic Dan - thank you. Happy holidays to you and your family
Were you surprised George Stephanopoulos agreed to sign a new contract after the network agreed to the libel settlement that just happened to be exactly 15M ?
I’ll be “here” tonight