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 --- You're not uniquely bad at meditation. A distracted, wandering mind is just the human condition — and the Buddha laid out a precise, five-step playbook for dealing with it. Shaila Catherine is a Dharma teacher and author of *Beyond Distraction*. She has practiced meditation for over 45 years, including nine cumulative years on silent retreat, and offers courses through https://www.bodhicourses.org. In this conversation, Shaila Catherine shares: - Why even the Buddha struggled with distraction — and what that means for the rest of us - The five strategies from a 2,600-year-old Buddhist text for working with restless, obsessive, or unwholesome thinking - Why the counterintuitive move of "avoid it, ignore it, forget it" is sometimes the most skillful option - How investigating the causes of distraction can reveal the illusion of a solid self — and why that's a relief, not a threat - When to deploy the fifth strategy: a firm, wisdom-based "no" to a pattern that's run its course - What it actually means to become, as the Buddha put it, "a master of the courses of thought" This episode is a fan favorite from the archives, originally aired in June 2022. --- 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/ --- --- #meditation #mindfulness #Buddhism --- This episode is sponsored by: **LinkedIn Ads** — Reach the right professionals with precision targeting. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at http://www.linkedin.com/happier **Quō** — The smart business phone system with AI call logging and summaries. Try free + 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier **Rosetta Stone** — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start learning at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier **Northwest Registered Agent** — LLC formation, registered agent service, and free business resources at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happier-free