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Five Ways to be Less Distracted | Shaila Catherine

Five Ways to be Less Distracted | Shaila Catherine

10% Happier with Dan Harris
Mar 11, 2026 1h 10m
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About this episode

<p dir="ltr">Practical Buddhist strategies to focus the mind.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://shailacatherine.com/">Shaila Catherine</a> is a dharma teacher and author of the book titled "<a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Distraction-Five-Practical-Focus/dp/1614297878">Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind</a>." She authored two additional books on the concentration practices called jhana and approaches to insight meditation. She has practiced for more than 45 years, including nine years, cumulatively, of silent retreat. Shaila has been leading meditation retreats for 30 years, and has developed an array of in-depth online courses offered through <a href= "http://bodhicourses.org/">BodhiCourses.org</a>.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The Buddha's struggles with distraction</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Shaila's attempts to make the teachings of the Buddha accessible to contemporary minds</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The importance of getting to know your own thought patterns</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">the counterintuitive strategy of "avoid it, ignore it, forget it,"</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Replacing seduction with mindfulness</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Developing a flexibility of mind</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">And why we're vulnerable to our own tendencies when we're not mindful</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong><br /></strong><em>This episode originally aired June 29th, 2022.</em><strong><br /></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Related Episodes:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/348-how-to-focus-shaila-catherine-ten-percent-happier/id1565881742?i=1000522972700"> How to Focus | Shaila Catherine</a><strong> </strong></li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Get the 10% with Dan Harris app <a href= "https://app.danharris.com/membership">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's free newsletter <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" role="presentation"><a href= "https://bodhicourses.org/beyond-distraction-practical-strategies-to-free-the-mind/"> Shaila's upcoming course: Beyond Distraction</a></li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href= "https://shailacatherine.com/books/">Shaila's books</a></li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href= "https://www.imsb.org/">Insight Meditation South Bay</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>This episode is sponsored by:</strong></p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> <strong>LinkedIn Ads</strong> — Reach the right professionals with precision targeting. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at <a class= "underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href= "http://www.linkedin.com/happier">http://www.linkedin.com/happier</a></p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> <strong>Quō</strong> — The smart business phone system with AI call logging and summaries. Try free + 20% off your first six months at <a class= "underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href= "https://www.quo.com/happier">https://www.quo.com/happier</a></p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> <strong>Rosetta Stone</strong> — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start learning at <a class= "underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href= "https://www.rosettastone.com/happier">https://www.rosettastone.com/happier</a></p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> <strong>Northwest Registered Agent</strong> — LLC formation, registered agent service, and free business resources at <a class= "underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href= "https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happier-free">https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/Happier-free</a></p> <p><strong id= "docs-internal-guid-b1c39ffc-7fff-f76a-5bdc-57abb18d78b1"><br /> <br /> To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href= "https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></strong></p>

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