Buddhist Practices for Busyness, Overwhelm, and Burnout | Brother Chân Pháp Hữu

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- In the last couple of years, many people have been extolling the virtues of something called the "Enneagram" but—what the hell is it?  On today’s show, longtime dharma teacher, Susan Piver, is here to demystify it. As she explains, the Enneagram is a tool that allows people to figure out their personality type and says it has been one of, if not the most important, tool in her personal development.  Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004 and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project— the world’s largest online-only meditation center. She’s written ten books including her latest called The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship.  In this episode we talk about: What the Enneagram is and why Piver finds it so helpful What she means by warriorship The nine personality types, which she views as maps of our blind spots Why, unlike other personality systems, there is no test for the Enneagram (at least in Susan’s view) And we talk about why Susan thinks the Enneagram and Buddhism mix so well even though on first blush it would seem to contradict the dharmic emphasis on the self being an illusion Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/susan-piver-495

31 Aug 202254min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Most of us talk all day long. We speak to each other, we type at each other, and of course, we talk to ourselves internally. Talking and listening is a key part of what it means to be human and It’s very hard to be a successful person if you can’t communicate your ideas and listen to and understand other people.  Today’s guests, Mudita Nisker and Dan Clurman, are here to explain some very simple and easy to understand communication skills that can transform your life. Their new book, Let's Talk: An Essential Guide to Skillful Communication concisely summarizes their teachings and they’re coming on the show today to walk us through some of the key learnings from this book.  Over the past thirty years Nisker and Clurman have provided communication training to individuals and organizations in the private, public, government, and nonprofit sectors. They have also led workshops, and trained staff at leading mindfulness centers such as Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Clurman is a communication coach and professor in the Ageno School of Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Nisker is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice.  In this episode we talk about: Talking vs. listening Content vs. process  The power of saying nothing at all Reflective listening  The Buddhist concept of Right Speech Content goals vs. relationship goals “I” language Provisional language Stating positive intentions Framing And Flooding vs. chunking You can read an excerpt of the book, Let's Talk: An Essential Guide to Skillful Communication if you subscribe to our TPH newsletter, which comes out every Sunday. And you can subscribe if you go to: tenpercent.com/newsletter. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dan-clurman-and-mudita-nisker-494

29 Aug 20221h 2min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- At times, self-improvement can seem like a never-ending hallway filled with limitless shame and insufficiency. So when something as simple as the breath falls into this category, it seems only natural to meet that news with some resistance. Our guest today, James Nestor argues that many of us, of all things, are breathing incorrectly but that by fixing our breathing, it can help with both physical and psychological ailments.  Nestor is a science journalist who wrote a book called, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, which spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into more than 35 languages. In this episode we talk about:  How Nestor got interested in breathing in the first place Why we are the worst breathers in the animal kingdom The importance of posture The deleterious effects of mouth breathing Why we need to chew more The relationship between breathing and anxiety The relationship between breathing and sleep And we dive into a variety of breathing exercises  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/james-nestor-492

24 Aug 20221h 7min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Most of us worry about money sometimes, but what if we changed the way we thought about our relationship to finances? Today’s guest, William MacAskill, offers a framework in which to do just that. He calls it effective altruism. One of the core arguments of effective altruism is that we all ought to consider giving away a significant chunk of our income because we know, to a mathematical near certainty, that several thousand dollars could save a life. Today we’re going to talk about the whys and wherefores of effective altruism. This includes how to get started on a very manageable and doable level (which does not require you to give away most of your income), and the benefits this practice has on both the world and your own psyche. MacAskill is an associate professor of philosophy at Oxford University and one of the founders of the effective altruism movement. He has a new book out called, What We Owe the Future, where he makes a case for longtermism, a term used to describe developing the mental habit of thinking about the welfare of future generations.  In this episode we talk about:  Effective altruism Whether humans are really wired to consider future generations Practical tips for thinking and acting on longtermism His argument for having children And his somewhat surprising take on how good our future could be if we play our cards right Podcast listeners can get 50% off What We Owe the Future using the code WWOTF50 at Bookshop.org. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/william-macaskill-491

22 Aug 20221h 4min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- In this episode from our archives, psychologist Kelly McGonigal dives into her book The Joy of Movement and practical steps on how to develop healthy habits. Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success. She is the author of The Joy of Movement, The Willpower Instinct, and The Upside of Stress. In this conversation we talk about:  Why her book is a love letter to movement and human nature  The science behind the runner’s high Why she wants to change the conversation around movement  Why shame and self-criticism is disempowering and not motivating  The value of setting intentions How Kelly has used psychology and meditation to relieve her own pain and suffering  And what Tonglen meditation is — and its impact on her life  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kelly-mcgonigal-rerun

17 Aug 20221h 4min

Since the start of COVID-19, more people are working from home, and with that, more people have strong opinions about whether or not it’s the best route to take. In today’s episode, Malcolm Gladwell responds to recent backlash over why he believes that working in an office—and the collaborative creative environment it can offer—is in your best interest (and in the interest of others). We also dive deep into some of the important themes featured in the seventh season of his podcast Revisionist History, including: kindness, generosity, and sacrifice. And, Dan and Gladwell share their biggest mistakes as journalists. Malcolm Gladwell is the president and co-founder of Pushkin Industries, and the author of six New York Times bestselling books including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, David and Goliath, and Talking to Strangers. He’s also the host of the new Pushkin podcast Legacy of Speed.  In this episode we talk about:  The backlash Malcolm faced from his work from home comments  Pushing the noise aside when it comes to social media  Lessons in kindness from a recent Revisionist History episode The importance of flow states How he personally relaxes  Why people should have a lifelong pursuit or practice What he thinks now about his famous 10,000 hours argument Why we need to engage and investigate the views of others to be morally alert as human beings His biggest journalistic mistake Content Warning: Brief mention of eating disorders.  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/malcolm-gladwell-486

15 Aug 20221h 3min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Today’s episode looks at one of the hardest Buddhist principles to grasp— the notion that the self is an illusion. Many people get stuck on the misunderstanding that they don’t exist. They look in the mirror and say, “Of course I exist. I’m right there.” And that’s true, you do exist, but just not in the way you think you do.  Today’s guest, Jay Garfield explores this notion by arguing that you are indeed a person just not a self— a principle that can simultaneously feel both imponderable and liberating.  Jay Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and Buddhist Studies at Smith College and a visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School. He is the Author of multiple books, including his latest, which is called, Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self. In this episode we talk about:  The difference between a person and a self The problems with being taken by the illusion of selfhood Why he believes the illusion of self is not an evolutionary design flaw The many benefits of “losing ourselves” How to actually lose ourselves The concept of Interconnection His definition of real happiness The difference between pain and suffering and how to have the former without the latter Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jay-garfield-487

10 Aug 202259min

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- The idea of loving people no matter what— no matter how obnoxious or unacceptable their behavior is can sound simultaneously treacly and downright impossible.  But today's guest Father Gregory Boyle talks about the practicality of this idea by showing how the concept of loving no matter what can be used as a tool— not to condone bad behavior but to help see people as doing their best, no matter how unskillfully.  Father Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest who founded a remarkable organization called Homeboy Industries, which is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world. He has a new book out called, The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness.  In this episode we talk about: How Homeboy Industries began 34 years ago Boyle’s practices for working with stress  What he means when he says you have to put death in its place Motivating people through joy rather than admonition How to catch yourself when you’re about to demonize or be judgmental How to set boundaries How to dole out consequences without closing the doors to anybody And we talk about Father Boyle’s quite expansive and inclusive notion of God Content warnings: There are mentions of sensitive topics including, sexual trauma, violence, drug abuse and domestic abuse.  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/father-gregory-boyle-486

8 Aug 20221h 6min