Biz Markie, Puppies, and Smoothies

Welcome to your weekly, barely-coherent potpourri of recommendations, behind-the-scenes stuff, and general updates.

Fixations

I’m constantly falling in love with shit (meditation/dharma/happiness-related and otherwise). This is where I’ll endeavor to convert you to whatever benevolent cult I’ve recently joined.

As a motif, my colleague Marissa Schneiderman suggested we use the Buddhist notion of the “sense doors.” In the West, we have the five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touch. In Buddhism, they include a sixth sense: the mind. As my meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein likes to point out, at any given moment, whatever’s happening in your head, no matter how complex or operatic it may seem, is just some medley of these six senses.

See

All Up In The Biz. I really enjoyed the new Showtime documentary about the late legend Biz Markie. The man had an effortless, fearless realness. He took authenticity beyond the cliche. It’s part of what allowed his utterly off-key ballad, “Just a Friend,” to become iconic. Also, as I learned by watching this film, his rise was not individualistic; he pulled everyone up with him.

Touch

Studies have shown that having a pet can improve your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and anxiety.

Most people think of me as a cat guy, but this video is impossible to resist.

Also, this one, which includes some animal diversity. If you don’t have one, go adopt. You will save a life—and improve your own.

Taste

I’ve referenced my daily smoothie on my podcast a few times, which has provoked some people to ask me for the recipe. So here it is:

• 1 banana

• 1 handful of frozen blueberries

• 1 handful of frozen strawberries

• 1 handful of raw spinach

• 1 large scoop of almond butter

• 1 large scoop of greek yogurt

• Almond milk

Hear

Ever since sophomore year in high school, I have been a huge indie rock fan. I still compulsively scour the internet for new bands. Fiddlehead is a Boston-based group whose lead singer, Patrick Flynn, is a junior high school teacher. I loved their last album, and their newest one is also fantastic. It’s part of a three-record cycle about death and grief. But it’s also melodic! Love this album.

Pod BTS

Words like delight, and joy… yeah, on one level, they sound great. But on another level, especially when you’re as persnickety about language as I am, they can come off as clichéd to the point of meaninglessness.

Essayist & Poet Ross Gay, though, casts these terms in a whole new light. He makes them concrete and attractive—and most of all actionable.

And I was also joined by my favorite co-host, my wife, Dr. Bianca Harris, to interview comedian Aparna Nancherla. Her new book is “Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself and Impostor Syndrome.”

If you want more on this subject, check out our first-ever episode on Imposter Syndrome, with expert Dr. Valerie Young (also co-interviewed by Bianca).

App

The “One-Minute Stressbusters” meditation pack in the Ten Percent Happier app is available for free until September 30. These meditations are all just sixty seconds long.

Download the Ten Percent Happier app today wherever you get your apps and get started for free.