A couple of years ago, on the recommendation of a friend, I started listening to the Ten Percent Happier podcast.
Soon after, I started following the Ten Percent Happier app on my phone.
The main idea of Ten Percent Happier is mindfulness meditation. This is a mental technique for staying calm and focused, and not being whipsawed by your emotions. I have found it helpful in many facets of my life.
(Side note: For some people, meditation is a religious practice, but it doesn’t have to be. Ten Percent Happier bills itself as “meditation for fidgety skeptics.”)
The app features a number of different meditation teachers who offer a variety of perspectives.
From the get-go, one of my favorite teachers has been Oren Jay Sofer. I have always appreciated his low-key, practical examples and advice.
Through one of Sofer’s email newsletters, I recently found out that he has experienced chronic Lyme disease. Here’s his account from one of his newsletters:
I got really sick with Lyme disease about seven years ago. In spite of early aggressive treatment, the symptoms didn’t resolve.
The illness was incredibly challenging, and brought me to tears more than once with fear, pain, and emotional exhaustion.
It was a frightening experience, yet also a time of strengthening inner resources as I deepened my understanding of how to be with discomfort, anxiety, and uncertainty……Join or login below to continue reading.
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