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ABC News anchor Dan Harris used to think that meditation was for people who collect crystals, play Ultimate Frisbee, and use the word “namaste” without irony. After he had a panic attack on live television, he went on a strange and circuitous journey that ultimately led him to become one of meditation’s most vocal public proponents. Harris found that meditation made him more focused and less yanked around by his emotions. According to his wife, it also made him less annoying. Science suggests that the practice can lower your blood pressure, mitigate depression and anxiety, and literally rewire key parts of the brain. So what’s holding you back?

In their new book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book (Spielgel and Grau, 2017), authors Jeff Warren, Dan Harris, and Carlye Adler, offer an irreverent exploration of the how’s and why’s of meditation. They translate the science and practice of meditation with wisdom, wit, and by revealing their own personal challenges. They tackle the myths, misconceptions, and self-deceptions that keep people from meditating, and offer game-changing and deeply practical meditation instructions.

Dr. Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist in private practice, an assistant professor at Brown University, and a co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off The Clock.

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