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 Meditation teacher Devin Berry was an angry person who avoided metta (loving-kindness) meditation for years—precisely because he needed it most. In this conversation, he shares how the practice that once terrified him became central to his teaching and his life. Devin Berry is a teacher at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and has been practicing meditation for over three decades. He specializes in metta and the brahmaviharas (the four divine abodes). In this conversation, you'll learn: - Why anger is often rooted in fear (and what to do about it) - How metta meditation works even if you hate the phrases - The difference between suppressing anger and transforming it - Why loving-kindness practice is actually a concentration tool - How to practice metta without forcing a "grand catharsis" - What metta can teach you about your relationship patterns Devin also shares his unconventional introduction to meditation at a Grateful Dead concert, why he initially thought metta was "complete BS," and how the practice gradually shifted his relationships, his teaching, and his capacity for genuine connection. 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/ Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 How Devin got into meditation (via the Grateful Dead) 2:00 The anger that drove him to practice 4:00 Noticing physical tightness: a wake-up call 5:00 Learning meditation from someone who knew nothing about it 6:00 Why metta felt like "complete BS" at first 7:00 Skipping every metta session on retreat (and why) 8:00 The instruction that finally clicked: phrases as pointers 11:00 Why we avoid the practices we most need 17:00 Anger as a protection mechanism for fear 23:00 Working with difficult people in metta practice 30:00 Practicing metta without forcing feelings 38:00 Teaching metta to skeptics and resisters 47:00 Why equanimity is the hardest brahmavihara 56:00 Can metta lead to the jhanas (deep concentration)? 1:06:00 Why wanting the jhanas prevents experiencing them 1:11:00 What to expect on a meditation retreat (heaven and hell) 1:12:00 Where to learn more about Devin's teaching #meditation #anxiety #Buddhism Thanks to our sponsors: LinkedIn:  Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to http://www.linkedin.com/happier Warby Parker: Our listeners get 15% off plus free shipping when they buy two or more pairs of prescription glasses at http://www.WarbyParker.com/HAPPIER — using our link helps support the show.