How Did Dan Harris Learn Mindfulness Meditation?
Anxiety affects us all in different ways. For ABC news Anchor Dan Harris, secretly living with anxiety finally took its toll the form of a severe panic attack – on live TV. We were thrilled to have Dan come by and share his story, but even more thrilled to learn from him what we can do about our own issues with panic and anxiety.
Mindfulness Meditation
The panic attacks and anxiety that consumed Dan Harris led him on a journey to find a cure, and that cure ended up being meditation. Dan’s specific type of meditation is Mindfulness Meditation: a “simple, secular, scientifically validated†process that requires little more than a place to sit and your own breath.
Amazingly, Dan’s attachment to meditation was not specific to one coach or teacher. You could even do the same practice yourself, in the comfort of your living room! Dan walks us through the process himself.
3 steps to Mindfulness Meditation
- Sit with your back straight and your eyes closed
- Notice the feeling of your breath coming in or going out
- As soon as you try to do this, your mind is gonna go “bazonkersâ€, so notice when you’ve become distracted, and start over
(Pick a spot on your nose, chest, or belly)
Meditation is not “reaching a special stateâ€, says Dan. Instead it is “noticing when you’ve become lost and are starting over.†This cycle of focusing refocusing is the foundation of the “mental workout†that has changed his life.
Watch the rest of the interview with Dan Harris here.
Also, be sure to check out Dan’s new meditation app 10% Happier – a 2 week crash course in meditation, with guided sessions from Dan and personal life-coaching tips!
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