10% Happier with Dan Harris

Episode: Duct Tape for Your Inner Critic (Gently, of Course) | Dawn Mauricio
Date: October 31, 2025
Guest: Dawn Mauricio, meditation teacher
Host: Dan Harris

Episode Overview

This episode centers on how to handle the persistent, sometimes harsh, voice in our heads—the infamous inner critic. Through a live recorded community Q&A, Dan Harris and meditation teacher Dawn Mauricio share practices and perspectives on relating skillfully to self-judgment, the endless narration of the mind, and the challenges of mindfulness both on and off the meditation cushion. The tone is accessible and humorous, breaking down both Buddhist and secular approaches to befriending one’s own mind and building supportive communities for practice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ubiquity of the Inner Critic (00:00–05:00)

• Dan Harris introduces the “voice in my head is an asshole” theme, naming the inner critic as a universal part of human experience. He notes that untrained minds manufacture self-loathing, judging, and all sorts of mental trouble.
• Quote – Dan Harris [00:44]:
  “The untrained mind is often a hatchery of self-loathing, grudge holding, judging, greed, addiction, et cetera. So what do we do about this?”

2. Guided Meditation with Dawn Mauricio (05:14–15:00)

• Dawn leads a calming 10-minute meditation designed to help listeners settle wherever they are. She emphasizes relaxation, using whatever anchor (breath, sound, sensation, thoughts) is most naturally accessible to each person, and inviting a gentle, kind attitude toward wandering minds.
• Key Technique:
  Mind-wandering is normal. Upon awareness returning, celebrate the moment rather than self-criticize.
• Quote – Dawn Mauricio [13:40]:
  “Can you celebrate awareness or your mindfulness returning? Treating it like a moment of celebration instead of an opportunity to judge.”

3. Community & Practice Support (15:13–18:52)

• Community deepens meditation practice. Dawn recommends resources like the Buddhist Insight Network and leveraging podcast communities to form connections—online or in-person.
• Dan shares his own experience in building personal meditation communities, and hints at upcoming tools from 10% Happier to help listeners form local practice groups.
• Quote – Dan Harris [17:53]:
  "I’ve done a couple of things in my own life where I’m just building my own little community, purely personal, and I found that to be incredibly helpful."

4. Dealing with Mental Narration & Self-Evaluation (18:53–26:35)

• NARRATION as Meditation: Naming in-the-moment experience (“inhale,” “exhale,” etc.) is a valid technique called “mental noting.” The aim is ultimately to reduce the volume of narration so that direct experience occupies more space.
• Self-Evaluation and Inner Commentary: Dawn reframes positive self-commentary (like “oh, that went well”) as something to savor rather than reject, providing that kindness outweighs judgment.
• Quote – Dan Harris [23:48]: “Failing, quote-unquote, in meditation is succeeding... Can you celebrate those moments? One little mantra I'll use is, ‘Great job, welcome back.’”
• Memorable Moment – [15:31]:
  JP says, “Whenever I hear your voice, my body goes into calm down mode, Dawn, thank you.” Dawn jokes, “Someone needs to tell that to my husband.”

5. Mindfulness Beyond the Cushion—Open-Eye Meditation (26:36–30:11)

• Difficulty with open-eye/walking meditation: The mind is more distractible; much external stimulus. Dawn suggests using mental noting (e.g., acknowledging “seeing,” “thinking”) and consciously noticing colors, objects, and your environment before and after practice to help integrate seeing as part of mindfulness.
• Quote – Dawn Mauricio [26:50]:
  “As soon as our eyes are open, it starts to take up three quarters of our attention... suddenly we’re taking in so much of the world around us that it's easy to get pulled out.”
• Dan shares Joseph Goldstein’s advice: Mindfully noting “seeing” during daily life to see through habitual stories and judgments about others.

6. Compassion and Difficult People (30:11–33:48)

• Question: How to feel compassion for cruel people, rather than hoping for their karmic punishment.
• Dawn references Thich Nhat Hanh:
  “No one person is ever our enemy. Only greed, hatred, and delusion in the human mind is our enemy.”
• Dan Harris adds:
  “Anger makes sense, but it’s not useful.” He suggests moving from demonizing individuals to seeing their actions as unhealthy, allowing for wise action without fueling inner hatred.
• Quote – Dan Harris [31:45]:
  “It’s possible to hold two ideas in the mind simultaneously… You can resist without demonizing.”

7. Retreat Insights: The Power of “What is being known?” (33:48–38:22)

• Dan shares Joseph Goldstein’s core retreat instruction:
  Asking “what is being known?” in any moment brings you instantly into present-moment awareness, simplifying and grounding the practice. It also points to Buddhist non-self (“anatta”)—awareness isn’t something ‘you’ do; it’s a natural process.
• Quote – Dan Harris [35:01]:
  “When you ask this question, what's being known… you’ve stepped out of the movie into reality. And that can be a relief.”
• Dawn reflects: This approach reduces overcomplication and opens up practice to simplicity and immediacy.

8. Alternatives to the Breath for Meditation (38:22–39:44)

• The breath isn’t always accessible, especially for those with trauma or physical differences. Dawn encourages using other anchors—sight, sensations, loving-kindness phrases—without pressure to “do breath meditation right.”
• Quote – Dawn Mauricio [38:22]:
  “The breath is a tool, but it might not be the tool that you need to use in that moment... you can use any one of the other techniques and still get all of the benefits.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Harris [00:44]: “The untrained mind is often a hatchery of self-loathing, grudge holding, judging, greed, addiction, et cetera. So what do we do about this?”
• Dawn Mauricio [13:40]: “Can you celebrate awareness or your mindfulness returning? Treating it like a moment of celebration instead of an opportunity to judge.”
• Dawn Mauricio [16:11]: “We need that. We need the support of community... it definitely helps.”
• Dan Harris [23:48]: “Failing, quote-unquote, in meditation is succeeding.”
• Dawn Mauricio [30:44]: “No one person is ever our enemy. Only greed, hatred, and delusion in the human mind is our enemy.”
• Dan Harris [31:45]: “Anger makes sense, but it’s not useful.”
• Dan Harris [35:01]: “When you ask this question, what's being known… you’ve stepped out of the movie into reality. And that can be a relief.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–05:00 — Introduction: The inner critic and group meditation as support
• 05:14–15:00 — Guided meditation with Dawn Mauricio
• 15:13–18:52 — Q&A: Building community for practice
• 18:53–26:35 — Q&A: Mental narration, self-evaluation, and celebrating mindfulness
• 26:36–30:11 — Q&A: Dealing with distraction in open-eyed (walking) meditation
• 30:11–33:48 — Q&A: Compassion for those who cause harm
• 33:48–38:22 — Q&A: Retreat insights; “What is being known?” instruction
• 38:22–39:44 — Q&A: Mindfulness alternatives to breath awareness
• 39:44–41:11 — Closing appreciation and summary of podcast goals

Episode Tone & Style

The discussion blends humor, self-deprecation, and deep wisdom. Both Dan and Dawn normalize the struggles of meditation, encourage gentle persistence, and provide concrete yet flexible tools. The tone is encouraging, accepting, and pragmatic—fitting the “self-help for smart people” promise.

In Summary

This episode is a practical, relatable exploration of befriending your own mind, turning toward the inner critic with gentleness (not brute force), and expanding mindfulness beyond technique or rigid form. It emphasizes that meditation is less about silencing thoughts, and more about cultivating a nonjudgmental, even celebratory awareness of the mind’s activities—within community, with plenty of self-kindness, and wherever you happen to be.

For newcomers or experienced meditators, the episode offers compassionate wisdom, actionable tools, and memorable reminders that waking up—even in small bursts—can be something to truly celebrate.