A Practice for Fidgeters, Restless Minds, and Anyone Who Hates Sitting Still | Meditation with Sebene Selassie

Summary

Podcast Summary: 10% Happier with Dan Harris

Episode: “A Practice for Fidgeters, Restless Minds, and Anyone Who Hates Sitting Still | Meditation with Sebene Selassie”

Date: March 20, 2026
Host: Dan Harris
Guest/Guide: Sebene Selassie

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Overview

In this episode, Dan Harris introduces a guided walking meditation with Sebene Selassie, designed especially for people who struggle with traditional, seated meditation practices—fidgeters, those with restless minds, and anyone who hates sitting still. The session demonstrates how mindfulness can be integrated into movement, offering listeners a practical and accessible technique. The episode also offers details about Dan and Sebene’s new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate, and shares information about an upcoming meditation challenge on the ‘10% with Dan Harris’ app.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Walking Meditation

• Bridging Formal Practice and Everyday Life (00:27 – 01:00):
  Dan Harris explains that walking meditation can help integrate meditative awareness into everyday activities and is especially useful for those who are uncomfortable with stillness.

  “Walking meditation is great for a lot of reasons…if you’re a fidgeter, if you’re restless, if your mind goes haywire every time you try to sit still, walking meditation can be a game changer.”
  — Dan Harris (00:38)

• Collaboration and Resources (01:10 – 01:55):
  Dan spotlights the upcoming audiobook “Even You Can Meditate,” co-authored with Sebene Selassie, and invites listeners to join a five-day meditation challenge.

2. Guided Walking Meditation (05:24 – 15:23)

• Setting the Stage (05:24 – 05:50):

  • Listeners are encouraged to find a quiet path and start standing still, cultivating presence before moving.

• Focus on Sensations (05:51 – 06:50):

  • Gradually become aware of feet on the ground, the texture underfoot, and the shift in weight as you begin to walk.
  • Introduces the importance of embodied awareness:

    “With practice, we experience the miracle of movement with fresh awareness… Walking meditation can provide us a more active way to cultivate presence.”
    — Sebene Selassie (05:27)

• Body and Environment Awareness (06:51 – 08:30):

  • Emphasis on observing arm movement, bodily sensations, sounds, colors, and shapes in surroundings, all while maintaining primary focus on the walking experience.

• Dealing with Restless Minds and Thoughts (08:31 – 09:45):

  • Acceptance of mental distractions is vital; gently guide attention back to bodily sensations every time thoughts arise.

  • “As you walk, your mind will produce thoughts. This is natural… Like clouds passing in the sky, let thoughts come and go while you remain grounded in the physical experience of each step.”
    — Sebene Selassie (09:10)

• Gratitude and Closing (09:46 – 10:30):

  • Invitation to recognize and appreciate the body’s ability to move and the opportunity for mindful awareness.

    “With each step, you can cultivate a sense of gratitude for your body’s ability to move, for the path beneath your feet, for this moment of mindful awareness in your day.”
    — Sebene Selassie (09:50)

  • Practice ends with a mindful pause, deep breaths, and encouragement to carry mindfulness into daily life:

    “Acknowledge the space you’ve created for mindfulness within your day. When you’re ready, you may return to your regular pace and activities, carrying this quality of awareness with you.”
    — Sebene Selassie (10:25)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Walking meditation is great for a lot of reasons…if you’re a fidgeter, if you’re restless, if your mind goes haywire every time you try to sit still, walking meditation can be a game changer.”
  — Dan Harris (00:38)

• “Walking meditation brings mindfulness into motion, helping us bridge our formal sitting practice with everyday activities. In our busy lives, we often walk on autopilot, our minds elsewhere. This practice teaches us to fully inhabit each moment by fully inhabiting each step.”
  — Sebene Selassie (05:24)

• “When you notice thoughts arising, acknowledge them without judgment. Then gently return your attention to the sensations of walking. Like clouds passing in the sky, let thoughts come and go while you remain grounded in the physical experience of each step.”
  — Sebene Selassie (09:10)

• “Let appreciation infuse your walking meditation.”
  — Sebene Selassie (09:55)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:27 – 01:00: Dan Harris explains the benefits of walking meditation.
• 05:24: Sebene Selassie introduces and begins the walking meditation guidance.
• 06:00 – 08:00: Focus on body sensations and awareness of surroundings.
• 09:00 – 10:00: Strategies for handling mental distractions and practicing gratitude.
• 10:25: Concluding the meditation and encouragement to bring mindfulness back into daily activities.

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Additional Episode Details

Meditation Challenge and Audiobook (01:15–01:50; 15:25–15:40)

• Listeners are invited to check out the new audiobook, “Even You Can Meditate,” and the upcoming five-day meditation challenge (March 23rd–27th) on the 10% Happier app, featuring live practices and Q&A with Dan and Sebene.

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Key Takeaway

This episode is a supportive and inviting introduction to walking meditation, especially suited for listeners who find sitting still daunting or uncomfortable. Sebene Selassie’s calming, practical guidance helps demystify meditation, encouraging listeners to find mindfulness through motion and gently return to awareness amid distraction. The overall tone is warm, encouraging, and highly accessible for meditation beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.

Transcript

[Dan Harris]

Foreign.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

This is the 10% Happier podcast.

[Dan Harris]

I'm Dan Harris. Hello there. How we doing? I am very excited to share another sneak preview of my new audiobook which

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

is called Even you can Meditate and

[Dan Harris]

it's out right now on Audible. You can grab a copy of the book if you go to audible.com danharris I'll put a link in the show notes so you can easily access it. What you're about to hear is a guided walking meditation. Walking meditation is great for a lot of reasons. First, it helps bridge the gap between formal meditation practice and the rest of your life, because many of us are walking all the time. Second, if you're somebody who finds seated meditation excruciatingly difficult, if you're a fidgeter, if you're restless, if your mind goes

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

haywire every time you try to sit

[Dan Harris]

still, walking meditation can be a game changer. I do a lot of walking meditation. The basic idea is simple. You walk very slowly and deliberately. Pay attention to the sensations of each step and then every time you get lost, you start again. You will get guided in this practice today by my great friend Sabaneh Selassie, my co author on this new audiobook, which again is called even you can meditate. So if you like this guided meditation, you should check out the audiobook. We had a lot of fun making it. We worked hard on it. I think it's great. Also, check this out over on my new meditation app, 10% with Dan Harris. We're going to be running a five day even you can meditate challenge. It will run from March 23rd through the 27th. Each day features a different practice from 7A and these practices are good for both newbies and experienced people. Plus, during the course of the challenge, Seb and I will do two live online events where we will guide a meditation and then take your questions. If you want to join, all you have to do is download the app and you can do [e-mail] okay, we'll do some walking meditation with Seben E. Selassie right after this.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Dan Harris]

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[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Dan Harris]

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[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Sabaneh Selassie]

Welcome to this Walking Meditation Walking meditation brings mindfulness into motion, helping us bridge our formal sitting practice with everyday activities. In our busy lives, we often walk on autopilot, our minds elsewhere. This practice teaches us to fully inhabit each moment by fully inhabiting each step. With practice, we experience the miracle of movement with fresh awareness. Walking meditation can be especially helpful for those of us who find sitting meditation challenging. Welcome to all my fellow fidgeters. Walking meditation can provide us a more active way to cultivate presence. Let's walk together Find a quiet path where you can walk undisturbed. Begin by standing still, feet hip width apart, shoulders relaxed, arms resting naturally at your sides. Take three deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs completely, and exhale slowly through your nose. Feel your feet connecting with the ground beneath you. Notice the sensations where your feet meet the earth, the pressure, temperature, and texture. Now start walking at a slower pace than normal, not artificially slow, but mindfully measured. With each step, notice the lifting, moving and placing of your foot. Feel how your weight shifts from one foot to the other. Keep your gaze soft, focused a few feet ahead of you. As you continue walking, expand your awareness to include your entire body. Notice how your arms swing naturally at your sides. Feel the rhythm of your movement, the gentle sway of your body, and observe any sensations that arise, perhaps warmth or coolness, tension or ease. Simply note these sensations without judgment. Continue walking mindfully, feeling each step fully. Gently expand your awareness to include your surroundings. Without getting caught in thoughts or stories. Notice the colors, shapes, and movements around you. Hear the sounds near and far. Feel the air or breeze on your skin. All the while, maintain awareness of your walking and breathing. As you walk, your mind will produce thoughts. This is natural. When you notice thoughts arising, acknowledge them without judgment. Then gently return your attention to the sensations of walking. Like clouds passing in the sky, let thoughts come and go while you remain grounded in the physical experience of each step. With each step, you can cultivate a sense of gratitude for your body's ability to move, for the path beneath your feet, for this moment of mindful awareness in your day. Let appreciation infuse your walking meditation. Now, gradually come to a stop. Stand still once more, feeling the ground beneath you. Take three deep breaths in and out, just as you did at the beginning. Acknowledge the space you've created for mindfulness within your day. When you're ready, you may return to your regular pace and activities, carrying this quality of awareness with you thank you for walking with me today. See you next time.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Thank you to Seb.

[Dan Harris]

Don't forget to check out our new audiobook. It's called Even you can Meditate. You can get it by visiting audible.com danharris Also, don't forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming Meditation Challenge, which

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

is inspired by the book.

[Dan Harris]

It will be running from March 23rd through the 27th. Over on my new app, 10% with Dan Harris. Head on over to danharris.com to download the app right now. Finally, I just want to say thank you to everybody who worked so hard on this show. Our producers are Tara Anderson and Eleanor Vasily. Our recording and engineering is handled by the great folks over at Pod People. Lauren Smith is our managing producer, Marissa Schneiderman is our senior producer, DJ Kashmir is our executive producer, and Nick Thorburn of the band Islands wrote our theme.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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