Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - How to Be Cool With Whatever Is Happening | Bonus Meditation with Cara Lai

Episode Date: January 21, 2024

Start your day by tuning in and learning how to feel more connected to all the little details of your life. It turns out, they matter.About Cara Lai:Cara Lai spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy, or at least avoid total misery, which landed her on a meditation cushion for the majority of her adulthood. In the past, Cara has worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist, but at this point she’s given up on being an adult in exchange for an all-out mindfulness rampage. Her teaching is relatable, authentic, funny and sometimes crass, and is accessible for many people. She teaches teens and adults at Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and UCLA; ultimately hoping to become as good of a show-off as Dan. And to help people be happier.To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Embracing Life.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you visit Audible, there are endless ways to ignite your imagination. With over 750,000 titles, including bestsellers, there's a listen for every type of listener. One of my favorite types of audiobook is a memoir read by the author. So I'm currently enjoying Walking in My Joy in These Streets, written and narrated by the one and only Jennifer Lewis. Discover all the best in audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, featuring authentic Canadian voices and celebrity talent. You might want to try some new audible Canadian originals like the downloaded, a sci-fi adventure

featuring Brendan Fraser and Luke Kirby, or Mistletoe Murders 2, a cozy mystery featuring Kobe Smulders. A first listen is waiting for you when you start your free trial at audible.ca. This is the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Happy Sunday everybody. Time for a bonus meditation. Our teacher du jour is Cara Lai and she's coming at us today with a radically different style of meditation instead of focusing on your breath. She's just gonna have today with a radically different style of meditation instead of Focusing on your breath. She's just gonna have you ask a question. What if everything matters? Give this a shot. It's a it's a game changer

Cara by the way is one of the teachers for the imperfect meditation challenge Which is happening right now over on the 10% happier app It's led by Matthew Hepburn and it features Kara and also Don Mauricio. You can download the 10% happier app right now and get started. A little bit more about Kara before we dive in. She has worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist

and she has taught adults and teens in many different contexts. And she's one of our featured teachers over on the 10% Happier app. I also consider her a friend. She's been on the show several times. Here we go now with Cara Lye. Hey, this is Cara.

Here to help you start your day with a radical approach to life. Basic mindfulness instruction often tells us that we're supposed to come back again and again to some anger, like our breath or body. meditation often tells us that we're supposed to come back again and again to some anchor, like our breath or body. This is a great way to build concentration, but sometimes it makes us think that whenever we're not paying attention to our anchor, we're doing something wrong. In this meditation, we're going to challenge that notion and propose something new. What if everything that happens in our bodies, in our minds, everything that we sense, what if all of it matters?

What if everything that happens, even what we might think of as problematic, distracting, or mundane, points us to more happiness. Wouldn't you feel psyched about embracing all that life throws your way? Let's check it out. Find a position that works for you. You should feel both comfortable and aware. Close your eyes or leave them open with a soft gaze. If you'd like, you can take a couple of deep breaths. So like many meditations, find an anchor, something easy to come back to again and again, such as the sounds around you, your breath, or your body.

This is just going to be a touch point for us. So now we're going to try something different. When you notice that something else has come into your view, it's actually okay to turn directly towards that. For example, sensations in your body that feel good or not so good, or thoughts that flash through the mind. Some fascinating, some boring. Emotions may come in waves. Whatever you notice, see if you can give it permission to be here by giving it your full attention. Everything that happens contains an important message about your welfare.

When something feels good, we feel relaxed, open, and connected to ourselves and others. The more we notice these moments, the more likely these moments are to occur. And when something feels bad, chances are there's tension or fear of some kind. The more attention we bring to those moments, the more our brains recognize the pain and discomfort they create, and thus the less likely they are to repeat themselves and to continue to run our lives. And when something feels neutral, neither here nor there, that's a place for contentment to arise. Continue to allow your attention

to receive whatever is predominant, returning to your anchor if you feel like you're getting lost. What if everything that happens to you today matters? What if it's all relevant to your happiness? If that was true, wouldn't it make you want to embrace and be curious about your experience rather than feel the need to avoid it? And when you feel ready, you can open your eyes and reconnect with the world around you. That's it. Thank you. Have a great day and have world around you. That's it. Thank you.

Have a great day and have fun with this. Bye-bye. Thank you, Karlai. You can find more meditations like this one over on the 10% happier app. Just download it wherever you get your apps. wherever you get your apps. and cultural enrichment on board and on shore, and every Viking voyage is all-inclusive with no children and no casinos. Discover more at Viking.com.