<p dir="ltr">How to (constructively) lower the bar on your meditation practice.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://bornimusic.com/">Ofosu Jones-Quartey</a> is a meditation teacher, hip-hop artist, and author based in the DC area. He's a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience bringing mindfulness, self-compassion, and creativity to people of all ages. His stage name is "Born I,", and his new book is called <a href="https://bornimusic.com/read/">Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness</a>.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr">The definition of open-awareness meditation </li> <li dir="ltr">How it differs from classical concentration practices (such as focusing on your breath, or loving kindness phrases)</li> <li dir="ltr">Why Ofosu chose open-awareness meditation (in direct response to his struggles with OCD)</li> <li dir="ltr">How you can practice open-awareness meditation </li> <li dir="ltr">The benefits of a technique called "mental noting"</li> <li dir="ltr"> The "practice self-assessment tapes" that we run in our mind</li> <li dir="ltr">Self-compassion and "lowering the bar" in your meditation practice</li> <li dir="ltr">The relationship between neurodiversity and meditation in general</li> <li dir="ltr">How to depersonalize the experience of suffering</li> <li dir="ltr">And we hear some of Ofosu's music and the life experiences that inspired it</li> </ul> <p><strong><br /> <br /></strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Related Episodes:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/how-to-become-a-regular-meditator-514?utm_source=publication-search"> How to Become a Regular Meditator (and More) | Alexis Santos</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/a-more-relaxed-way-to-meditate-alexis-0e2?utm_source=publication-search"> A More Relaxed Way to Meditate | Alexis Santos</a></li> </ul> <p><strong><br /> <br /></strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Join Dan's online community <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><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Additional Resources: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://bornimusic.com/lyricaldharma/">Lyrical Dharma Music Playlist</a></p> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more <a href="https://www.eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025">here</a>.</p> <p> </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> <p><strong>
Actionable Insights
1. Drop Expectations in Meditation
Approach meditation without striving for specific outcomes or “perfection,” recognizing that “nothing to do, nowhere to go, it’s already here.” This non-striving attitude fosters self-compassion and allows the practice to unfold naturally.
2. Experiment with Open Awareness
If traditional concentration practices cause anxiety or feel like “hell,” experiment with open awareness meditation as a valid alternative. This approach can be a “lifeline” to continue practicing by removing the pressure of sticking to a single anchor.
3. Practice Open Awareness Meditation
Allow the flow of all experiences (thoughts, sensations, emotions, sounds) to be part of your awareness without choosing an anchor, clinging, rejecting, or ruminating. This practice offers freedom from constant mental struggle and helps make peace with the vastness of everyday experience.
4. Combine Concentration with Open Awareness
For beginning or intermediate meditators, start your session with a light concentration practice (e.g., body scan, breath awareness) to settle the mind, then transition into open awareness. This can help ease into choiceless attention and reduce distraction.
5. Utilize Mental Noting
When practicing open awareness, use “mental noting” by quietly labeling experiences (e.g., “hearing,” “thinking,” “pleasant,” “judgment”) to stay present and engaged without judgment. This technique helps maintain mindfulness without needing a fixed anchor.
6. Depersonalize Your Suffering
When experiencing suffering, consider it as a universal human experience rather than a personal attack, recognizing that “the pain that I was holding really wasn’t mine.” This perspective can liberate you from its grip by making it feel less personal.
7. Take Responsibility for Healing
Even if suffering is impersonal, take responsibility to heal from it and prevent its transmission to others. Make “even a small pivot towards something more liberated” through self-care and seeking additional help if needed.
8. Embrace Suffering Skillfully
Instead of resisting or adding to suffering with personal narratives, embrace and become fully aware of the experience by acknowledging “this sucks and I’m with it.” This intimate relationship allows suffering to change and pass naturally.
9. Investigate the Nature of Awareness
Beyond observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations, turn your attention to “what is knowing all of this.” Realize that a peaceful, vast, and stable quality of awareness underlies the tumult of experience, offering a deep source of peace.
10. Use U Tejaniya’s Awareness Prompts
During meditation, use prompts like “Am I aware?” to re-engage, “What’s the attitude in the mind right now?” to uncover underlying defilements, and “This is nature” to depersonalize experiences. These questions cultivate deeper insight and non-attachment.
11. Broaden Your Definition of Practice
View “practice” not just as formal meditation, but as “taking care of your life” by being aware and caring in all moments. This includes knowing what’s happening and responding skillfully, such as seeking additional mental health support.
12. Assess Progress Over Long Term
Counter self-criticism by assessing your progress over a longer period, such as five or ten years, rather than daily or monthly. This “long view” reveals meaningful, incremental improvements in your life’s trajectory.
13. Practice General Self-Kindness
Recognize that life’s inherent strangeness and difficulty are not your fault, and you didn’t sign up for it. Therefore, be nice to yourself, cool it down, be aware, take care of your life, and be kind to yourself.