A Meditation on Screen Time | Bonus Meditation with Dawn Mauricio

Summary

Episode Summary: "A Meditation on Screen Time | Bonus Meditation with Dawn Mauricio"

Release Date: January 17, 2025

In this insightful bonus episode of "10% Happier with Dan Harris," host Dan Harris delves into the pervasive challenge of managing screen time in our digitally dominated lives. The episode features a guided meditation led by Dawn Mauricio, aimed at transforming the way we interact with our smartphones—a device that often serves as both a tool and a distraction.

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1. Introduction and Upcoming Events

The episode begins with Dan Harris informing listeners about an upcoming online event titled "When the Rubber Hits the Road: Living the Dharma in Difficult Times." Scheduled for January 24th-26th, this event is presented by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., and features esteemed teachers such as Tara Brock, Sharon Salzberg, Robert Thur, and others. Dan emphasizes the event's focus on applying Buddhist teachings to navigate challenging times, fostering qualities like fierce compassion and equanimity.

"It's a weekend of conversation, community, and practice. They're going to be talking about how Buddhism and Buddhist teachings can help you examine your biases, can help you practice fierce compassion, and even generate some equanimity in times when so many people are living with so much fear."
— Dan Harris [00:45]

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2. Bonus Meditation: Transforming Screen Time into Mindful Practice

2.1. Introduction to Dawn Mauricio

Dan introduces Dawn Mauricio, a seasoned meditation teacher who graduated from Spirit Rock's four-year teacher training program. Dawn is renowned for her work in both Canada and the U.S., teaching diverse groups including teenagers and people of color.

"She's a graduate of Spirit Rock's four-year teacher training program and she teaches extensively in her home country of Canada as well as in the US to teenagers, people of color, and people of all backgrounds."
— Dan Harris [01:30]

2.2. The Concept: Making Your Phone the Focus of Meditation

Dawn begins by addressing a common issue: smartphones disrupting meditation by diverting attention and inducing distraction. Her innovative approach involves making the device itself the object of meditation, thereby altering the relationship users have with their phones.

2.3. Step-by-Step Guided Meditation

1. Setting Up:

   • Posture: Choose a comfortable position—seated, standing, or lying down.
   • Placement: Place your phone next to you to acknowledge its presence without letting it dominate your focus.
   • Awareness: Begin by grounding yourself, noticing sensations in your hands, such as warmth or tingling.

   "Settle into a supportive posture... Begin to anchor your attention to the sensations of your hands."
   — Dawn Mauricio [02:20]

2. Balancing Attention:

   • Body and Sight: Gently open your eyes if they were closed, maintaining awareness of both bodily sensations and visual stimuli.
   • Mindfulness Split: Divide your attention equally between your physical sensations and what you observe in your environment.

   "Think of it as sharing your mindfulness. Half of your attention is on your body, while the other half is on what you are seeing."
   — Dawn Mauricio [03:00]

3. Mindful Interaction with the Device:

   • Movement: Slowly reach for your phone, paying attention to the physical sensations involved in moving your arms and hands.
   • Awareness of Actions: Notice the texture and temperature of the device as you handle it.

   "As you do this, notice your body moving and become aware of all the sensations that arise because of this movement."
   — Dawn Mauricio [04:10]

4. Introducing Tech Apnea:

   • Breathing Awareness: Observe your breath, checking for any unintentional holding or shortening—a phenomenon Dawn terms "tech apnea."
   • Conscious Breathing: Take deliberate breaths to reset and deepen your breathing pattern.

   "What is your breath like right now? Did you unintentionally hold or shorten it? This is a normal phenomenon called tech apnea."
   — Dawn Mauricio [05:15]

5. Integrating Mindfulness with Device Usage:

   • Alternating Focus: Continue to interact with your phone while alternating your attention between the screen and your bodily sensations.
   • Sensory Awareness: Stay mindful of what you're seeing, hearing, or thinking as you use the device.

6. Concluding the Meditation:

   • Device Placement: Put your phone down, placing your hands on your legs or by your sides.
   • Final Adjustments: Lift your head, straighten your spine, and take a few full breaths to conclude the practice.

   "Put your device down and place your hands on your legs or by your sides. Lift your head and straighten your spine. Take a few full breaths."
   — Dawn Mauricio [06:45]

2.4. Objectives and Benefits

Dawn's meditation aims to:

• Reduce Distraction: By focusing on the phone as an object of meditation, users can diminish its distracting influence.
• Enhance Mindfulness: Balancing attention between the device and the body fosters deeper mindfulness.
• Improve Relationship with Technology: This practice encourages intentional and respectful use of smartphones.

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3. Additional Resources and Closing Remarks

After the meditation, Dan Harris directs listeners to the Happier Meditation app for more guided practices like the one led by Dawn. He also touches upon financial wellness topics, highlighting NerdWallet's 2025 Best of Awards, though this segment veers into promotional content.

"You can find more meditations like this one over on the Happier Meditation app. Just download the app wherever you get your apps to get started."
— Dan Harris [07:09]

Note: Advertisements and promotional segments beyond this point are not covered in this summary.

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Conclusion

This episode of "10% Happier with Dan Harris" provides a practical and innovative approach to integrating mindfulness with everyday technology use. By transforming the phone from a source of distraction into a focal point for meditation, Dawn Mauricio offers listeners a pathway to greater presence and intentionality in their digital interactions. Whether you're constantly battling screen distractions or seeking to enhance your meditation practice, this bonus session delivers valuable insights and techniques to cultivate a more mindful relationship with technology.

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Tune in to "10% Happier with Dan Harris" on the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more world-class insights and practices.

Transcript

[Dan Harris]

Wondery subscribers can listen to 10% happier early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts Real quick I want to let you know about an online event coming up at the end of January. It's called when the Rubber Hits the Road Living the Dharma in Difficult Times. It is presented by the Insight Meditation community of Washington, D.C. and it's happening on January 24th through the 26th. Amazing teachers will be taking part in this Tara Brock, doctors Larry and Peggy Ward, Sharon Salzberg, Robert Thur, Kazuhaga Dhammapada, Melissa Cardenas, and Hugh Byrne. It's a weekend of conversation, community and practice. They're going to be talking about how Buddhism and Buddhist teachings can help you examine your biases, can help you practice fierce compassion, and even generate some equanimity in times when so many people are living with so much fear. It's offered by donation and the recordings are included. To register, go to imcw.org 10% I'm a huge fan of many, many of the folks who are involved in this event, in particular Tara Brock, who is the powerhouse behind imcw. So I strongly recommend you check out this event. It's the 10% Happier podcast. I'm Dan Harris. Hey. Hey everybody. It's bonus meditation time. And if you've ever felt distracted by your phone while you were meditating, today, our teacher du jour, Dawn Mauricio, is going to ask you to make that device, that diabolical device, your phone, the actual focus of your meditation. She believes this might change your relationship to your phone a little bit more. About dawn before we dive in. She's a graduate of Spirit Rock's four year teacher training program and she teaches extensively in her home country of Canada as well as in the US to teenagers, people of color and people of all backgrounds. Here we go now with Dawn Mauricio.

[Dawn Mauricio]

Hi, this is Dawn. In between moments that used to be an opportunity to connect with yourself or your surroundings have been eaten up by technology. In this meditation, you'll discover how you can interact with technology in a mindful way. It's best to do part of this meditation with your device in hand, so go ahead and place it next to you before settling into your practice posture. Let's begin. Settle into a supportive posture. Whether seated, standing or lying down, you can close your eyes or keep them slightly open. Turning your gaze downward, begin to anchor your attention to the sensations of your hands. Notice what position they're in. If your hands feel warm or cool, if you feel pulsations, tingling vibrations. Now gently blink your eyes open if they were closed while staying mindful of your hands as best you can. It's very normal to have a hard time staying aware of your body while also being aware of what you're seeing. Think of it as sharing your mindfulness. Half of your attention is on your body, while the other half is on what you are seeing. Begin to lift your gaze and slowly look around. Notice what you see. Now reach for your device. As you do this, notice your body moving and become aware of all the sensations that arise because of this movement. Feel its texture, its temperature, keeping your arms and hands as they are. Return your attention to your body for a moment. What is your breath like right now? Did you unintentionally hold or shorten it? This is a normal phenomena called tech apnea. Take a few conscious breaths here as a way to reset or jumpstart some full breaths. Now return to your device. Continue interacting with your phone, moving your attention back and forth between what you're looking at and being mindful of your body, whether your hands or the sensations that arise given what you are seeing, hearing or thinking. Put your device down and place your hands on your legs or by your sides. Lift your head and straighten your spine. Take a few full breaths. Thank you for trying this. See you next time.

[Dan Harris]

Thank you Dawn. You can find more meditations like this one over on the Happier Meditation app. Just download the app wherever you get your apps to get started. When it comes to finding the best financial products, have you ever wished someone would do all the heavy lifting for you? Take all that research off your plate? I definitely have. And the good news is that with Nerd Wallet's 2025 Best of Awards, that wish has come true. The nerds already did the work for you, reviewing over 1,100 financial products, things like credit cards, savings accounts and more to bring you only the best of the best. I'm just not great at paying attention to things like this. When we get into the details, especially if it involves math, I'm out. And so the fact that the good folks over at NerdWallet are doing this work for us, just deep bow man hat tip. Check out the 2025 Best of Awards today at NerdWallet.com awards. That's NerdWallet.com awards.

[Narrator]

On January 5, 2024, an Alaska Airlines door plug tore away mid flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of a plane that carried 171passengers. This heart stopping incident was just the latest in a string of crises surrounding the aviation manufacturing giant Boeing. In the past decade, Boeing has been involved in a series of damning scandals and deadly crashes that have chipped away at its once sterling reputation. At the center of it all, the 737 Max, the latest season of Business wars explores how Boeing, once the gold standard of aviation engineering, descended into a nightmare of safety concerns and public mistrust, the decisions, denials and devastating consequences bringing the titan to its knees. And what, if anything, can save the company's reputation now? Follow Business wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge business the Unraveling of Boeing early and ad free right now on Wondery Plus.

[Arisha Skidmore Williams]

Being an actual royal is never about finding your happy ending. But the worst part is if they step out of line or fall in love with the wrong person, it changes the course of history. I'm Arisha Skidmore Williams. And I'm Brooke Zifrin. We've been telling the stories of the rich and famous on the hit Wondery show Even the Rich. And talking about the latest celebrity news on Rich and Daily. We're going all over the world on our new show, Even the Royals. We'll be diving headfirst into the lives of the world's kings, queens and all the wannabes in their orbit throughout history. Think succession meets the crown meets real life. We're going to pull back the gilded curtain and show how royal status might be bright and shiny, but it comes at the expense of, well, everything else, like your freedom, your privacy, and sometimes even your head. Follow even the Royals on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to even the Royals early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.