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 Sylvia Boorstein just turned 90. She has been practicing Buddhism for nearly half a century. If you were going to design a person to talk to about what actually matters as the years pile up, you would design Sylvia. This conversation is a gift, and the through-line — spoken to strangers on planes, whispered to yourself in the mirror, said to someone else's grandfather dying in a hospital bed — is: you're gonna be all right. Sylvia Boorstein is a co-founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the author of five books, including Pay Attention For Goodness' Sake!, It's Easier Than You Think, and Happiness Is an Inside Job. This is her second appearance on the show and, we hope, not her last. In this episode: – What it's actually like to be seriously old (the book she jokes she should write: "It's Harder Than You Can Imagine Coping With Being Seriously Old") – "I would have wanted more, but I never wanted other" — a line from a young friend dying too soon that reshaped Sylvia's whole practice – Moving into a senior residence after 60+ years in her home — and the irritable inner tape that finally quieted – Why the whole point of practice, in Sylvia's view, is to turn your mind into something sweet – The mountain-wave plane story and the improbable connection to her daughter that came out of it – Dan's 11-year-old son asking, out of nowhere, "What's the point of life?" — and the answer Dan tried – The 1904 Olympic rower who showed up to Sylvia's yoga class (and what he needed her to know) – Her rabbi's "safe deposit box" — where to file the beautiful moments so you can retrieve them later – The figs story — a small act of generosity that changed a dining room and, more importantly, Sylvia's whole mood – Her all-day, every-day actual practice: monitoring for ill will – "Sweetheart, you're in pain. Take a breath." — the sentence students remember decades later – Sylvia's take on the Four Noble Truths (she cuts it to three) – The Buddha's final words — and Sylvia's preferred translation – On facing her own death, and what to say to someone else facing theirs – Her father's last line: "It's not that big of a deal" – The moment she laughed at her own mother's funeral — and how it told her she'd be all right 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/ 0:00:00 Sylvia at 90 — what's on her mind 0:04:00 "It's Harder Than You Can Imagine Being Seriously Old" 0:06:00 "I would have wanted more, but I never wanted other" 0:10:00 Moving into the senior residence — and the tape that finally quieted 0:14:00 The point of practice: to turn your mind into something sweet 0:15:00 The mountain wave, the stranger's hand, and the improbable Berkeley connection 0:18:00 Dan's son Alexander asks "What's the point of life?" 0:25:00 The 1904 Olympic rower who came to yoga class 0:28:00 The "safe deposit box" for beautiful moments 0:37:00 The figs story 0:41:00 Sylvia's actual practice: watching for ill will 0:46:00 "Sweetheart, you're in pain. Take a breath." 0:54:00 On her own death — and what to say to someone dying 0:58:00 Her father's last line: "It's not that big of a deal" 1:05:00 Laughing at her mother's funeral — and knowing she'd be all right #10PercentHappier #SylviaBoorstein #SpiritRock This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report surveyed 2,000 Americans and found that while 85% believe getting support is wise, 74% say society discourages it. Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over six million people globally. Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier. This episode is brought to you by Warby Parker. Warby Parker makes prescription glasses easy and stylish — shop online with their virtual try-on, or visit a store for an eye exam in a clean, modern space. Covered by many major eye insurance plans, with benefits applied automatically. Buy one pair and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier.