<p dir="ltr">In this episode, our Teacher of the Month Jeff Warren guides you through a meditation practice inspired by Zen and the Diamond Sutra: "Don't Know Mind."</p> <p dir="ltr">Sometimes the need to know—certainty about what's true, what's coming next, or how things "should" be—can create tension, anxiety, and overthinking. The antidote? Letting go of that need, resting in curiosity and openness, and cultivating a mind that dwells nowhere.</p> <p dir="ltr">To get more meditations from Jeff and our other teachers — plus join our weekly live sessions (every Tuesday at 4pm ET) — you can sign up at DanHarris.com.</p> <p dir="ltr">Related episodes:<br /> <a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/danharris/p/working-with-a-brain-that-doesnt?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web"> Working With a Brain That Doesn't Behave | Jeff Warren</a></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Get the 10% with Dan Harris app <a href="https://app.danharris.com/membership">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's free newsletter <a href="http://www.danharris.com/">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href="https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></p> <p> </p>
Actionable Insights
1. Practice ‘Don’t Know Mind’
Engage in a meditation practice by closing your eyes (or softening gaze), taking slow, deliberate breaths, relaxing facial tension, and dropping into your body and present sensations. This helps loosen your ‘death grip’ on needing to know, serving as an antidote to the desire for certainty and beneficial for overthinking or worry.
2. Use ‘Don’t Know’ Phrase
Anytime you notice a thought or wondering, or feel the need to figure something out, gently repeat to yourself, ‘don’t know, don’t need to know,’ then return attention to a simple home base like your breath. This acts as a ‘pressure release valve’ from the constant need for certainty and allows things to unfold.
3. Focus Direct Experience
During meditation, connect to the raw, direct experience of sensations, sights, or sounds (e.g., the ‘raw tingle,’ the ‘close hearing’), rather than conceptualizing or labeling them. This grounds your attention in the present moment and supports the practice of not needing to know.
4. Cultivate Moment Humility
If the ’not knowing’ practice feels spacey, uncomfortable, disorienting, or frustrating, allow those feelings to be present and cultivate a sense of humility towards the moment. This helps you accept reality without needing to control or understand it.
5. Relax Facial Tension
Smooth out worry lines on your forehead, release any creases of concern and strategizing, and let your jaw be ‘goofy and slack’ during meditation. This physical relaxation aids in embodying the practice of ’not knowing anything’ and settling the mind.
6. Explore Meditation App
Sign up for the ‘10% with Dan Harris’ app at danharris.com and utilize the free 30-day trial to access guided meditations, weekly live sessions, Q&A, and an ad-free podcast. This resource can support and deepen your meditation practice.