Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris Wondery

This episode comes out for free on May 1, and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers.

Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head.

Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor’s degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers.

Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more.

As an accomplished hip hop artist under the name “Born I,” Ofosu released the mindfulness-themed album “In This Moment” in 2021. His most recent album is “AMIDA”, a spiritual, Lo-Fi Hip Hop album exploring life, death and his Buddhist faith.

Beyond music, Ofosu is an author, releasing his self-published children’s book “You Are Enough” in 2020 and “Love Your Amazing Self” via Storey Publishing in 2022. He lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and four children.

In this episode we talk about:
- The relationship between self-compassion and a successful meditation practice
- All the reasons people resist self-compassion, and his rebuttals
- Whether self-compassion is selfish
- How to do self-compassion off the cushion, including practices like journaling, written reminders, establishing accountability partners, and simple questions you can drop into your mind when all else fails
- How to do self-compassion on the cushion, including practices like body scans, metta, and a check-in practice you can use at the very start of your sits
- And how to teach self-compassion to children


Related Episodes:
The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross



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Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/ofosu-jones-quartey

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This episode comes out for free on April 29th, and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers.

How self compassion works, how to practice it, and what the research says about the benefits.

GUEST BIO:
Dr. Serena Chen is Professor of Psychology and the Marian E. and Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on the self and identity, interpersonal relationships, and social power and influence. She is a Fellow of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, American Psychological Association, and Association of Psychological Science. Dr. Chen was also the recipient of the Early Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Social Sciences Division of the University of California, Berkeley.

In this episode we talk about:
- The connection between self-compassion and authenticity
- As well as self-compassion exercises that you can incorporate into your daily life
- How self-compassion influences the desire for self improvement
- How it can lead you to be more understanding of other people
- The connection between self-compassion and good leadership
- And how self-compassion can apply to parenting as well as to educational realms

Related Episodes:
How to Make Self-Compassion Work for You | Kristin Neff
Kryptonite for the Inner Critic, Self-Compassion Series | Kristin Neff
Self-Compassion Ain’t Always Soft | Kristin Neff

Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here
Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok
Ten Percent Happier online bookstore
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/serena-chen

Additional Resources:
Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

Debating the cliche: Does everything happen for a reason? Plus, the Meditation Party crew tackles equanimity, work/life balance, and meditation vs napping.

Digging into the nuts and bolts of Stoicism with one of its best-known modern proponents.

Get comfortable with uncertainty and cultivate trust in life, even in the most turbulent times.

Death isn’t the most appetizing topic, but contemplating mortality can be a massive source of motivation, perspective, and even stress relief. In this episode, life lessons from a death doula, who helps people at the end.