Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership Most of us are trying to fix ourselves. According to two of the world's leading experts on the science of the mind, that's the wrong approach entirely. The qualities that make for a flourishing life — awareness, connection, insight, and purpose — aren't things we need to build from scratch. They're already there. We just need to stop burying them. Richard Davidson is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founder of the Center for Healthy Minds, and one of the most influential neuroscientists in the world. Cortland Dahl is a meditation teacher, researcher, and co-author with Davidson of the new book Born to Flourish. In this conversation, they share: - Why flourishing is not the same as happiness — and what the Dalai Lama has to do with it - The four pillars of the Healthy Minds framework: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose - Why five minutes a day of practice is enough to produce measurable changes in your brain and biology - A live guided micro-practice you can do right now — no cushion, no special posture required - How to train connection without overhauling your social life (Richie's one-minute calendar practice) - What "de-reification" means and why it's the key to loosening the grip of anxious thoughts - How to find purpose in the most mundane activities — including scooping the cat litter - Why neuroplasticity and epigenetics cut both ways — and what our current information diet is doing to our brains - How to practice flourishing in the middle of a world that feels like it's on fire Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ Timestamps: 0:00:00 What is flourishing? The one-sentence answer 0:02:00 Why flourishing and happiness are not the same thing 0:03:00 Being at your best across all contexts — not just feeling good 0:05:00 Anxiety as a protective mechanism that's switched on too often 0:08:00 Experiential fusion: when you become the emotion 0:11:00 The three stages of relating to difficult emotions 0:15:00 Guided micro-practice: dropping into effortless presence 0:18:00 Five minutes a day: the science behind small doses of practice 0:21:00 Using daily activities as meditation triggers (Zeitgebers) 0:24:00 The four pillars: awareness, connection, insight, purpose 0:28:00 The epidemic of loneliness — and one practice that changes the brain in weeks 0:34:00 Micro-interactions with strangers and why they matter 0:35:00 Insight and de-reification: loosening the grip of mental habits 0:36:00 The aha moment in the brain — gamma oscillations and long-term meditators 0:38:00 Mingyur Rinpoche in the lab: what a continuous aha experience looks like 0:39:00 The candle flame analogy: why all four pillars work together 0:41:00 The wise friend technique for gaining instant perspective 0:43:00 Purpose: it's not about finding a grand mission 0:44:00 Scooping cat litter as a spiritual practice — reframing the mundane 0:46:00 The pre-recording motivation reset ritual 0:48:00 Purpose and longevity: the single most important psychological factor in people over 65 0:51:00 Neuroplasticity: how the brain changes — and how fast 0:56:00 Epigenetics: how meditation changes gene expression 0:58:00 Our information diet and what it's doing to our brains 1:01:00 How to flourish when the world feels like it's falling apart 1:05:00 Burnout in activists and why these practices matter for social change 1:06:00 Flourishing is contagious — the science of how it spreads 1:07:00 These qualities aren't things to develop — they're already who you are 1:09:00 The book, the app, Tergar, Dharma Lab, and where to find everything #meditation #mindfulness #mentalhealth This episode is sponsored by: Fast Growing Trees — America's largest online nursery, with plants guaranteed to arrive healthy. Get 20% off your first purchase with code HAPPIER at https://www.fastgrowingtrees.com BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinkspark.com