Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - On Having Your Own Back | Bonus Meditation with Jess Morey

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

Connecting to self-compassion can be really tough. Ease the struggle by imagining your loved ones sending care & support your way.About Jess Morey:Jess Morey is a lead teacher, cofounder and former executive director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education which runs in-depth mindfulness programming for youth, and the parents and professionals who support them across the US, and internationally. She began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), and has maintained a consistent commitment to meditation since. Diving head first into meditation at such a key developmental stage makes the revelatory perspective of mindfulness & compassion her natural home turf, and gives her an easy, conversational teaching style anyone can relate to.For more information on Inward Bound: https://inwardboundmind.org/For more information on the Contemplative Semester: https://www.contemplativesemester.org/To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Compassion For Yourself.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello, I want to tell you about my friend and fellow storyteller, Kelly Corrigan. I enjoyed being her thought partner on her podcast, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, where we discussed being a lifelong learner, the value of intellectual humility, and how to improve your communications with other Homo sapiens. Now Kelly is running a special series dedicated to being well. This 10-part series delves into the multifaceted aspects of well-being, asking the most essential questions. What does the data show?

How important is context, community, and class? How important is our DNA, our childhood, our schooling? With the expertise of renowned specialists, Kelly is challenging junk science and questioning the culture of Big Pharma on well-being. She's joined by familiar voices like Astaire Perel, Frances Collins, Atul Gawande, and Lisa Feldman Barrett, among others, who provide rare insights into the actual science of health and happiness.

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I'm Dan Harris. Hey gang, happy Friday. Time for a bonus meditation. A lot of us struggle with self-compassion, not only because our default mode is kicking our own ass, but also for some of us, myself included, it could just seem a little sappy and forced and trickly and annoying. However, there is a ton of evidence to support this practice. It makes you more effective, not less effective at meeting your goals. It can also make you healthier and happier in many, many other ways.

So today you're going to get a lesson in self-compassion, can also make you healthier and happier in many, many other ways. So today you're gonna get a lesson in self-compassion, a practice in self-compassion from somebody who is an ace. Our teacher du jour is Jess Mori. She works a lot with teenagers, but don't worry, this is also for everybody. A little bit more about Jess, she's the lead teacher, co-founder, and former executive

director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, which runs in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and the parents and professionals who support them across the U.S. and internationally. She's also got a new project now called the Contemplative Semester, which is for college students between 18 and 25. And it's a way to go deep on meditation and the Dharma. I'll put a link to that in the show notes, because if you're a young person listening to this, you might want to check it out. Or if you know a young person, you might want to send this to them. And by the way, they do offer financial aid. Here we go now with Jess Mori.

Hi, this is Jess. Cultivating self-compassion and kindness has been one of the most important practices in my life and at times the most difficult. Many of us have a habit of beating ourselves up and of thinking we're not good enough. What often helps me the most when I'm feeling this way is to think of people who have been kind to me, to think of people who love, support, and appreciate me. In this meditation, we're going to reflect on the kindness other people have offered us to wake up that kindness for ourselves.

Let's give it a try. Sit comfortably and allow your eyes to close if you want. And take a few deep breaths. All the way down into your belly, long, slow exhales. Just feel the weight of your body supported by the chair and the floor underneath you. Now bring to mind someone who has been kind to you. A teacher, a parent, grandparent, a coach, maybe a friend, can even be a pet. Really bring this person or being to mind.

Get an image of them. You might remember the last time you were with them and what it feels like to be in their presence. And now reflect on how they've been kind to you. How have they shown you that they care about you? Perhaps it's the way they listen to you and pay attention to how you're doing. Maybe they have a huge smile when they see you. You might even imagine seeing yourself through their eyes. If they were standing in front of you right now, how would they see you? Think about what they appreciate or love about you.

And now, reflect on what they might wish for you. They probably wish for you to be happy, to accept and love yourself just as you are. They wish for you to feel at ease and joyful in your life. Take some time to receive their kind wishes. If it helps you, you can repeat words like happy, ease, acceptance, finding language that works for you, or just feeling it without words. And as you receive these well wishes, you might even feel them in your body, remembering And if there are other people or beings who come to mind who have been kind to you, who have really been caring, let them join the circle of kindness around you, wishing you well.

It can be in front of you, behind you, in a full circle surrounding you. When you're ready, you can open your eyes. And as you go into your day, remember this feeling of kindness. If you find yourself feeling low, you can always bring these people and moments of kindness to mind. May you be happy just as you are. Thanks for your practice. and it's for college students 18 to 25. Basically it's a way for young people to go deep on meditation and the Dharma and they do offer financial aid. There's a

link in the show notes if this is of interest to you specifically or if you know a young person who could use it. I highly recommend anything Jess is involved with. I'm Shimon Liayi, and I have a new podcast called The Competition. Every year, 50 high school senior girls compete in a massive scholarship competition. I wouldn't say I have an ego problem, but I'm extremely competitive. high school senior girls compete in a massive scholarship competition. I wouldn't say I have an ego problem, but I'm extremely competitive. All of the competitors are used to being the best and the brightest, and they're all vying for a huge cash prize. This will probably be the most intense thing you've ever gone through in your life.

I remember that feeling, because I was one of them. I lost. But now, I'm coming back as a judge and also a kind of teen girl anthropologist. Because if you want to understand what it's like to be a young woman in America today, the competition's not a bad place to start. Hopefully no one will die on station night. From Pineapple Street Studios and Wondry, this is The Competition. Follow the competition on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the competition early and ad free right now by joining Wondry+.