Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris - Strong Back, Soft Front | Bonus Meditation with Roshi Joan Halifax

Episode Date: May 28, 2021

Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty. About Roshi Joan Halifax: Roshi Joan Halifax is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her most recent book is Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Strong Back, Soft Front,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=4cfcfe2d-f5fb-4142-9bd0-3fb6b2041324. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it even mean to live a good life? Is it about happiness, purpose, love, health, or wealth? What really matters in the pursuit of a life well lived? These are the questions award-winning author, founder, and interviewer Jonathan Fields asks his guests on the Top Ranked Good Life Project podcast. Every week, Jonathan sits down with world renowned thinkers and doers, people like Glenn and Doyle, Adam Grant,

Young Pueblo, Jonathan Height, and hundreds more. Start listening right now. Look for the Good Life Project on your favorite podcast app. Hey y'all, it's your girl, Kiki Palmer. I'm an actress, singer, and entrepreneur. On my new podcast, Baby This is Kiki Palmer. I'm asking friends, family, and experts the questions that are in my head. Like, it's only fans only bad.

Where did memes come from. And where's Tom from MySpace? Listen to Baby, this is Kiki Palmer on Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcast. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ From ABC, this is the 10% happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Hey guys, it's Friday, time for a bonus.

And today we're going to talk about a posture for navigating the world with more sanity. And it's not just a physical posture. I mean, it is that, but it's also sort of a psychological one. And it's a mixture of compassion and equanimity. I won't say too much because I'll let our expert, Rochie Joan Halifax, our teacher, Dojo, or takeover, just so you know, Rochie Joan, whoax, our teacher, Doosier, take over. Just so you know, Rochie Joan, who you may be familiar with. She's been on the show many times. But for the uninitiated, she's a Buddhist teacher and anthropologist, a leader in the field of end of life care, an author as an priest and the founder of Upaya Institute, and Zen Center, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

And I will let her take it from here. Welcome. I'm Joan Halifax. Now is an important time for us to be grounded and to cultivate equanimity. Equanimity is not bypassing or ignoring the challenges we're facing. Actually, it means keeping a broad perspective and a clear mind when it comes to what is going on in the world at this time. And hopefully, we act in a way that is highly principled.

I'm going to share with you a meditation practice that I hope will nourish that sensibility in you. So let's get started. Take a few moments to get settled on your seat, whether you're on a cushion or a chair. And if you wish, allow your eyes to close gently. And notice the sensation of your body sitting. Since the support of your seat,

and allow yourself to relax into it, Now gently shift your attention to your spine. Your back is a physical metaphor that points toward your natural capacity to uphold yourself in the midst of difficulties, to be balanced, to hold all beings in things in equal regard. And this is called equanimity. Your ability to be present for whatever is happening in any given moment. Now breathe into your back a sense of energy and breathe out any tension. you of equanimity by silently saying, strong back. Now gently and firmly, shift your attention to your chest. Since that tender open space in the center of your chest, rest in this openness. And notice if there is a sense of warmth or care there. Care that you could extend to others. or compassion for suffering in the world.

And notice the sensations in the body and in the heart. Strong back. Soft front. Equinivity and compassion. These two qualities are two sides of the same coin. Strong back, soft front. Please remind yourself often to bring the spirit of this practice into your everyday life. Now, if your eyes have been closed, you can open them up and include the world in this

moment. And may this practice that we've shared truly be a benefit to others. Thank you. Big thanks to Rochie Joan. One thing to say before we let you go. Recently I was reflecting on a conversation I had earlier this year with Lama Rod Owens, who's a brilliant meditation teacher. He also wrote a book called Love and Rage and we were talking about the importance of establishing a meditation practice during good times.

I think this is a quote from Bruce Lee where he says that in crisis, we don't rise to our expectations, but we fall to our training. I don't think that's precisely the quote, but that's the gist that in a crisis, we are only embodying our training. I think sometimes we sit and say, okay, well, in a crisis, I'm gonna do X, Y, and Z, I'm gonna be really clear, and I'm gonna know exactly what to do.

But when a crisis happens, actually what happens is I just fall into my practice. Whatever my practice was before their crisis, that's where I'm at. So if I don't have a practice, and then it's very difficult, my teacher's always said, you know, it's really important to practice

during the good times. Practice really hard during the good times, during the times where it's not a crisis where you're not overwhelmed. Really take advantage of those times because when something really happens, then sometimes we don't have the space to consciously say, okay, I'm gonna pay attention to my thoughts.

I'm gonna create spaciousness and all of that. Sometimes we just don't think about it. I play that clip because if you're in a position where you're starting to feel like you have your feet back under you, maybe you even had them back under you for a while, now could be a great time to start building that level of practice that can catch you when inevitably you're buffeted by crises with a bigger small. As you know, I talk on this podcast quite a bit about our companion meditation app on that app, which is really my baby. I love that app.

You can find guided meditations and also video slash audio courses. All of them featuring some of the world's best teachers and scientists. You can also find short talks, which are filled with relatable wisdom on topics ranging from happiness to anxiety and beyond. We also have one-on-one coaching from really experienced meditators and those folks can help you keep your practice consistent and of a high quality. Right now, we're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription to the app. They offer lasts until June 1st. Hopefully this discount will give you a nudge if you need one. Of course, nothing is permanent, so as I said, the deal ends on June 1st.

And if you want to get it, go to 10% dot com slash may. That's 10% one word all spelled out dot com slash may for 40% of your subscription. We'll see you back here on Monday for a fresh episode slash May for 40% of your subscription. We'll see you back here on Monday for a fresh episode on a very timely topic, patience. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Hey, hey, prime members. You can listen to 10% happier early and ad-free

on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Or you can listen early and ad-free with 1-3-plus in Apple podcasts. Before you go, do us a solid and tell us all about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey. Celebrity feuds are high stakes. You never know if you're just going to end up on Page Six or Du Moir or in court. I'm Matt Bellasai. And I'm Sydney Battle, and we're the host of Wondery's new podcast, Disantel, where each episode we unpack a different iconic celebrity feud from the build-up, why it happened,

and the repercussions. What does our obsession with these feuds say about us? The first season is packed with some pretty messy pop culture drama, but none is drawn out in personal as Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears. When Britney's fans formed the free Britney movement dedicated to fraying her from the infamous conservatorship, Jamie Lynn's lack of public support it angered some fans, a lot of them. It's a story of two young women who had their choices taken away from them by their controlling parents, but took their anger out on each other.

And it's about a movement to save a superstar, which set its sights upon anyone who failed to fight for Brittany. or the Wondering App.