logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
1h 11m

Buddhist Strategies For Reducing Everyda...

10% Happier
About this episode

A Buddhist doctor/nun on how we’re all addicted to something—and how to reduce craving.

 

Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, (“Sister D”) was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).

 

This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series. 

We talk about:

 

  • Sister D’s Buddhist version of the 12 step program, which is a combination of two canonical buddhist lists: the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
  • How willpower doesn’t fit into the Buddhist path of understanding and working with addiction 
  • How to change addiction at its root
  • Practical applications of mindfulness
  • Self-compassion
  • The importance of social support
  • Her thoughts on our relationships to our phones 
  • And more

 

Related Episodes:

 

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

 

 

Up next
Jul 7
Ezra Klein On: Sane News Consumption; The Power of Meditation; The Future of the Species; And the Message of His Tattoo
On maintaining sanity in insane times. Ezra Klein is an opinion columnist and host of the award-winning Ezra Klein Show podcast at The New York Times. His latest book is Abundance, co-authored with Derek Thompson. He is also the author of Why We’re Polarized, an instant New York ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 6
How Meditation Can Help You Handle Injured Feelings and Injured Muscles | Dawn Mauricio
Plus: How to build a meditation practice you keep coming back to. We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – ... Show More
24m 38s
Jul 4
Allison Williams On: Perfectionism, Defensiveness, and the Horror Movies We All Make in Our Minds
A scream-queen (and Dan’s old friend) talks control, insecurity, friendship, and parenthood. Allison Williams is an actress, producer, and singer best known for her breakout role on HBO’s award winning TV series GIRLS, the blockbuster film GET OUT, the science fiction horror film ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
A Monk's Guide To Finding Happiness, Cultivating Inner Peace & Slowing Down In A Fast-Paced World: Haemin Sunim #476
What if the key to happiness and fulfilment was not changing our external circumstances but learning to appreciate and understand our inner world? This powerful idea is at the heart of this week's conversation with Buddhist monk and author Haemin Sunim. Haemin is a Zen Buddhist t ... Show More
1h 53m
Jul 2024
259: The Sovereignty Mindset: A Path to Happiness with Dr. Emma Seppälä
Explore the path to happiness and fulfillment through personal sovereignty. This episode is all about reclaiming your power, overcoming fears, and cultivating resilience for inner peace and personal strength. Discover the transformative power of mindfulness and breathing techniqu ... Show More
56m 54s
Nov 2024
#378 A Little Less Toxic with Shawna Holman
Send us a textThis week on The Less Stressed Life, I’m so excited to welcome Shawna Holman, founder of A Little Less Toxic and bestselling author of A Healthier Home and her latest must-read, A Healthier Home Cook.In this episode, we talk about Shawna’s journey to health, from ch ... Show More
45m 39s
Apr 4
1203: Psilocybin, Plant Medicine, Psychedelics: A Journey Into Surrender & Emotional Freedom with Eddy Tony
What if the freedom you’re craving isn’t on the other side of doing more—but of letting go in a way you never have before? In this deeply personal episode, Heather sits down with ceremonial guide and psychedelic facilitator Eddy Tony, the man who held space for her own ceremonies ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2024
Why You Need a Dopamine Detox: The Science Based Way to Master Self Control & Break Addiction Patterns with Dr. Alok Kanojia
This episode is brought to you by Momentous, Lifeforce, and One Skin. In today’s world, addiction takes many forms—whether it’s alcohol, drugs, social media, or snacking on ultra-processed foods. Certain key factors drive these behaviors and make breaking the cycle of addiction c ... Show More
1h 26m
Feb 2025
Eating Disorder Recovery and Navigating Health and Fitness with Hope, Habits, Happiness and Health, with Michelle Rosko
Today I’m talking to Michelle Rosko, who is a holistic health & fitness coach, certified personal trainer, & nutrition coach. Michelle has been on her own eating disorder recovery journey and now comes to the health and fitness space with a compassionate, sustainable, & holistic ... Show More
31m 39s
Mar 2025
How to Cultivate Inner Peace: Lessons from a Former Buddhist Monk with Stephen Schettini
What does it mean to cultivate inner peace, resilience, and wisdom in the modern world? How can we apply the teachings of monastic life to our daily struggles?In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo sits down with Stephen Schettini, known as The Inner Mon ... Show More
45m 42s
Apr 2019
Ep36 - Haemin Sunim | How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection
One of the world’s most prominent Buddhist monks, Haemin Sunim, joined us at Google in London to talk about self-care, discussing that only by accepting yourself - and the flaws which make you who you are - can you have compassionate and fulfilling relationships at home and work. ... Show More
46m 58s
Mar 2023
Meghann Birks: Embodiment practices & overcoming shame
Episode 127 with Meghann Birks.“I remember always being surprised when people would say, ‛Stop interrupting!’ because I didn’t even know I was doing it.”Meghann is a Certified Professional Coach, embodiment educator and Steel Mace flow teacher based in Australia. She was diagnose ... Show More
1h 3m
Jul 2024
Ep 76: What Heart-Led Living Means To Live A Calmer, More Fulfilled Life with Kimberly Snyder, NY Times Best-Selling Author and Wellness Expert
In this enlightening episode, Melissa reconnects with a longtime friend and fellow wellness advocate, Kimberly Snyder, who has been a pioneer in the space for many years. They discuss the powerful practice of heart coherence, which brings calmness and helps reduce erratic emotion ... Show More
1h 10m