Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - For When You Have Trouble Getting Out Of Bed | Bonus Meditation with Alexis Santos

Episode Date: May 24, 2024

Explore the preciousness of a new day with greater joy and ease while giving plenty of space to feel grumpy about it all.About Alexis Santos:Alexis has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He has been a long-time student of Sayadaw U Tejaniya (a well respected meditation teacher in Burma whose teachings have attracted a global audience), and his teaching emphasizes knowing the mind through a natural and relaxed continuity -- a style of practice that's particularly useful during our crazy lives. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training, teaches retreats across the globe, and currently lives in Portland, Maine.To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “When Waking Up Is Tough.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Oh, um, compelling storytelling, egotistical white men and dubious humor. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you will love our podcast, British Scandal, the show where every week we bring you stories from this green and not always so pleasant land. We've looked at spies, politicians, media magnates, a king, no one is safe. And knowing our country, we won't be out of a job anytime soon. Follow British Scandal wherever you listen to your podcasts. This is the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Hey, everybody.

Happy Friday. Time for a bonus meditation. Some people, and I'm not one of these people, leap out of bed in the morning full of energy, ready to take on the day. Others of us need a little bit more time to get going. And we might feel a little bit grumpy when we think about everything that lies ahead of us in the course of the day.

Our meditation teacher du jour, Alexis Santos, has some tools for that grumpiness, namely, the meditation meditation. everything that lies ahead of us in the course of the day. Our meditation teacher du jour, Alexis Santos, has some tools for that grumpiness, namely gently reminding us that every day is the opportunity for a fresh start. So I recommend doing this meditation first thing in the morning. It really helps, but you can actually do it

anytime you're feeling a little grumpy. A little bit more about Alexis before we dive in here. He has practiced and taught Insight Meditation in both the East and West since 2001. He's a longtime student of a great Burmese master known as Sayadaw Utajania. Alexis has completed the Spirit Rock IMS teacher training and he teaches retreats around the planet and currently lives in Portland, Maine. He is a teacher who has had a huge impact on me personally and is a friend.

Here we go now with Alexis Santos. Good morning. This is Alexis. It's all too easy to wake up thinking, ugh, another day of work, of responsibilities, of things to get done. Or it might not even occur to us to consider that we are in fact starting a new day. In this session, we'll explore the preciousness of this new day, inviting in an attitude that

allows us to approach the start of this day with greater joy and ease, while giving plenty of space to feel grumpy about it all. Let's get started. You might still be in bed as you listen to this, but whether you're up and sitting or still lying down, allow the body to be comfortable. You can close your eyes if you like. Whatever feels most natural and relaxing to you. Let's start by taking a few deeper breaths. Breathing in and breathing out.

And again breathing in and breathing out. And again breathing in and breathing out. And allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm. On your next in-breath, feel the breath as it rolls in, the way a small wave rolls onto the shore, and on the out-breath bringing in fresh air, fresh life. And the out-breath, offering our breath back to the world. The nourishing carbon dioxide that sustains the plants and trees of the earth. Just as the cycle of breaths are each new, so is this a new morning, a new day, new challenges, and new connections. With awareness, we can observe more clearly each moment, offering many more opportunities for learning.

See if you can feel the breath spread throughout the body, or simply sense the aliveness of the present moment. That the body and mind are full of activity, changing from moment to moment. The breath changes as we breathe in and out. Different feelings and emotions vibrate in the body and mind. Take some moments to notice this aliveness in your own experience. Mornings are a great time to hit the refresh button. In the morning, before the stories of what has to happen today or who you have to be gains too much momentum and the heaviness of responsibilities build, it's a precious time to reconnect with this larger perspective. And if your eyes have been closed, allow them to open as you reconnect with the space around you. I hope you have a good day today.

Thank you, Alexis. You can find more meditations like this one over on the 10% Happier app. Just download the app wherever you get your apps to get started. If you like 10% Happier, and I hope you do, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.