Real Happiness Meditation Challenge

• Let's get to know accomplished Theravada JuBu meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg, best hippie friend of Jack Kornfield, Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein, Dipa Ma (Nani Barua), Dipa, and countless meditation practitioners at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and Los Angeles

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• If I am locked out of Teachable, how do I access the course?

Login to Teachable using the Teachable password right here or login with a temporary code right here.

• My Teachable password isn’t working, and I can’t login!

Login with a temporary code right here or reset your Teachable password right here.

• Real Happiness — Sharon Salzberg
• Real Happiness Meditation Challenge 2026

• I signed up for the Challenge but have not received anything.

Registrants should receive a confirmation within a few minutes of signing up from Teachable. If not and no emails have been received, check the spam/junk and “promotions” folders. Still can't locate any emails from Teachable, contact support team right here.

• How long are the lessons?

Daily lessons vary in length ranging from 7-10 minutes. Practice for longer if you wish. That is always welcome.

• When does the Challenge start?

The Challenge begins Sunday, February 1, 2026. Each lesson in February becomes available daily as we move through the month. Lesson One becomes available on February 1st...Lesson Five becomes available on February 5th, and so on.

• Can I join the challenge late?

Registration for the 2026 challenge closes at 11:59 pm EST on January 31st. Unfortunately, we cannot take late registrants beyond that date. So do it now, not in a minute, NOW.

• Is the Challenge free?

The Challenge is offered on a sliding-scale basis with a suggested contribution of a dollar-a-day ($28); however, a donation is not required to participate. If you are inspired to make a larger contribution to support the Challenge, you can do so here via PayPal.

• Does the course have lifetime access?

No, there is no lifetime access to course materials, as they are owned by happify.com. Once a lesson becomes available, you have until May 31st, 2026, to access it.

• How do I access meditations?

Once you sign up for the Challenge, you will receive an email to verify your account in Teachable. Once setup, you will need to log-in to Teachable each day to access lessons. You will receive a daily email from us each day with the link to the day's lesson. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact our support team right here.

• Can I download lessons?

No, the lessons are not available to download. Video components, including the guided meditations, are only available to stream.

• What time are lessons available each day?

Daily lessons are released at midnight/0:00 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) on the day prior. To see what midnight/0:00 UTC corresponds to in your local time zone, use this UTC converter.

• If I get busy and skip some days of the Challenge, should I stop all together, or can I continue forward?

You are either welcome to continue onward either at your own pace doing the lessons in order or pick back up on the current day’s lesson the group is currently on. You can then go back later to the lessons you missed since you will have access to the materials until May 31st, 2026.

• Do I need to purchase a copy of the book to participate in the Challenge?

Real Happiness: Power of Meditation: 28-Days

No, the book Real Happiness is not required to participate in the Challenge. However, if you would like to supplement your experience, it is a great way to deepen your experience. For anyone wanting to purchase the book, you can use the code MEDITATION20 to receive a 20% discount via Hachette (US orders only). This discount also applies to Real Happiness at Work and Finding Your Way.

• Does it matter if I buy the physical book or the eBook?

All forms of the book are the same. Choose whatever format you prefer for yourself.

• Are there guidelines for comments?

Kindly limit sharing in the comments section to the scope of this Challenge and how it affects your life. Our intention is to foster a community of encouragement and support for this practice. We ask that comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• When are my comments published?

"We can always begin again." - S. Salzberg

Our team reads all comments before they are published within 24 hours. We ask that all comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• Why wasn’t my comment published?

If your comment doesn’t meet our guidelines, it will not be published. If you still have a question or concern, please contact our Challenge Support Team by direct email right here.

• Week 1 • Concentration | Sharon Salzberg
• Real Happiness Meditation Challenge 2026
• Remember, it BEGINS on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026

American Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg

ABOUT: Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of Buddhist meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She has played a pivotal role in bringing Buddhist insight meditation (vipassana) and mindfulness (sati) into mainstream American culture since 1974. She is cofounder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and has authored 10 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth and relatable teaching style, she offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. Her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. She is also the host of her own podcast The Metta Hour, with 100+ episodes, featuring interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement. Learn more at sharonsalzberg.com.

• Sharon Salzberg, FAQs, 2026; Crystal Q., CC Liu, Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven, The New Real Happiness Crew (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Am I 'spiritual,' Joe Rogan? Levels of awakening

Joe Rogan: The Path to Roganlightenment | The Daily Show

(The Daily Show) July 30, 2025: From his humble beginnings in Newark to his scrappy days in Boston, Joe Rogan has always pushed his brains to the limit. Rogan's stand-up comedy led him to a career in television, eventually inspiring him to start his own podcast where he could ask the really important questions, like, "Wouldn't it be crazy if a wolf wore a fedora?" This is The Daily Showography of Joe Rogan.

Samurai clean their minds every day

Don't buy love: Rent-a-Grandma 👵

(Solace Fox) Nothing changes until we do this. (Just do this)

Granny, can you get us some chocolate?

Motherhood is strange. It leads to motherhood. Every mother has a mother, who for the next generation is called the grandmother. But not every individual has the luck, karma, or good fortune to have a Grandma to rely on. Thems is the breaks.

"Always Trust Your Grandma" childcare, nannies, and pet care to the rescue. Welcome to Rent A Grandma (RAG), which provides vital, healthy, safe "care providers." RAG specializes in placing caring women, possessing deep life experience with families as nannies, babysitters, and in-home care providers, as well as chefs, cooks, and highly experienced domestic staff.

Learn more about RAG's services or contact the with any questions or comments. Check out Rent A Grandma in the App Store. Browse grandmas and create an account from an iPhone or iPad.

Remember, these Grandmas offer excellent care as: babysitters, nannies, baby caregivers, after school care, special needs care, housekeepers, senior care/companions, personal assistants, pet care/sitting, cooks, tutors [but not call gals, dates, or Vegas ranch workers, so don't ask, or ask very gingerly because it's not legal outside of Nevada]. Subscribe to mailing list: rentagrandma.com

Fourth State of Consciousness (Eckhart Tolle)

Eckhart Tolle (YouTube.com); Kelly Ani and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; LaleoCafe

Marriage is another state of consciousness when familiarity breeds contempt (LaleoCafe)

The Fourth State of Consciousness

He's becoming a Buddhist.

(Eckhart Tolle) Aug. 30, 2022. According to Eckhart Tolle, there are a lot of people who believe they need to do a lot in order to enter the Fourth State. But this higher level of consciousness (turiya) is already within us and ready for us to use when we are ready. 

What is it that brought you to this video? What are you seeking? Did you find it — or perhaps just a piece of it — here with Eckhart Tolle? No? Well, go ask the Buddha.

Enjoy a FREE 10-DAY TRIAL NOW.

For more than 20 years, Eckhart Tolle has taught about the workings of the egoic mind, the dynamics of interpersonal conflicts, how to touch into the Presence beyond consciousness, and much more. No matter what anyone is seeking — whether it's a little stress relief or advice on how to handle a significant life challenge — that person will find dozens of practices and other resources at Eckhart Tolle Now. Sign up today and you'll gain access to almost two decades' worth of archival recordings and new monthly sessions from the cutting edge of his teachings. Enjoy a FREE 10-DAY TRIAL with Eckhart Tolle Now: members.eckharttolle.com.

World's Worst Public Toilet (Meditation)

Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Yum, potpourri! My loo is beautiful and healthy with a Buddha to remind me to be mindful.

What does it mean to be "mindful" (sati)? It is being aware and accepting what is.

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"Let that sh*t go" (The Buddha)

A British writer traveled the planet to find the world’s worst public toilet. He says it’s in the country of [formerly Buddhist] Tajikistan, once a part of the Czar's Empire, The Stans, the old USSR or Soviet Union.

It looks like an outhouse that’s about to fall down. It’s built on a pile of rocks with filthy rats and venomous snakes all around.

There are two walls are just a sheet for a third wall, which people sometimes use as toilet paper with which to wipe (929Rock).

By the way, most of the world uses and has always used water for wiping, even before the fancy French bidet craze caught on.

Classy French female riding the "pony" or toilet bidet cleaning herself.

I'm an American hard ass from the no-nonsense Midwest. We take our outhouses seriously.

Women will have to hold it in.

If we had £150,000 to spend, the last thing we would want to do is tour Planet Earth looking for the very worst public toilet. Butt to each his own.

That being said, that's exactly what travel writer and blogger Graham Askey (pronounced \ass-key\ or Phileas Bog) -- also known as the "King of Porcelain" -- did when he trekked terra firma to find the world's worst lavatory.

He believes he has found it -- in faraway Tajikistan of all places. The toilet in question has been dubbed the "perfect hell hole" -- a poorly constructed tent where the walls double as a loo roll (reusable cloth toilet paper rag). Not gonna sugarcoat it, but that sounds disgusting. More

• There are worse places to meditate than toilets: For example, charnel grounds
• Lust? Contemplate foul aspects of the body mindfully
• Meditate (be mindful and clearly comprehend) on the foul

The world's worst toilet

Brit blogger says he's found the world's worst toilet where walls are used as TP (Daily Mail)

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Toilet investigator Graham Askey

According to Mr. G. Askey, the toilet in the Ayni region of Tajikistan, on the western edge of the Pamirs and not far from the Afghanistan border, is so vile that the locals refuse to use it unless "absolutely desperate."  Askey, a self-confessed "squatter spotter" [and loo investigator], visited hundreds of public toilets in six of the world's seven continents before crowning the Tajikistan, Central Asia, outhouse the worst of them all. More

Doesn't seem so bad except for the poop, rats, and snakes

We sell butt-washing bidets (myomigo.com)

Why in the heck would I let go?! (video)

Fearless Soul (YouTube, Aug. 28, 2018); Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How to move on, let go, and leave the past in the past (powerful speech)

(Fearless Soul) If I want to let go and know that it's good to let go, but I can't let go, what can I do? One thing is to listen to or read this: TRANSCRIPT.

It's a monkeypot trap! Let go ASAP! Now!!!

"Let it go. The things that have happened in the past... the things that aren’t happening right now... Let it go. If you want to be free, stop locking yourself into the prison of your past. If you want to see the light... Stop holding yourself in the darkness of your past."

Speakers: VIDEO ONE: Tyrone Stokes. VIDEO TWO: Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle, William Hollis CREDITS: Video ONE: Filming by: Adele Brodskaja. Cast: Jonathan Salem. Achraff E. Lucy Wrede, Catalina Nunez. Assistance: Thomas & Zoe d’Aboy. VIDEO TWO: Footage from StokHub Speech is "BEST REVENGE."

Download or stream speeches by Fearless Soul now on iTunes, Spotify, GooglePlay, AmazonMP3, Apple Music, Worldwide MP3 Download. 

Official website: iamfearlesssoul.com, facebook.com/iamfearlesss..., twitter.com/911well, twitter.com/iamfearlesssoul, instagram.com/iamfearless.... Listen to Fearless Soul every day by phone: iTunes, Spotify,  GooglePlay, AmazonMP3, Apple Music, Worldwide MP3 Download. Loved this? Please share it and spread the message on social media. #LetGo #MoveOn #OprahWinfrey

Yogi Gurudev on SEX (video)

Balance -- not strength, stamina, or flexibility -- is by far the toughest thing in yoga.

Why should we conserve our sexual energy? | Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

(Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, premiered March 26, 2022) Why did ancient yogis, wandering ascetics, monks, and intensive meditators give up sex and take on vows of celibacy and brahmacharya?

Is sex detrimental to spiritual growth? Are there any special powers that get unlocked by abstaining from sex? The no-fap (abstaining from masturbation) movement has become big in recent times even among non-spiritual people.

But if the urge for sex should come, what to do? Breathe (pranayama).

Humans (along with eating) have been having sex since always. So what is the basis for humans trying to move to a practice of semen or essence retention?

Is sex a problem, or is an obsession with it unhealthy? Does it make us weak, stressed, angry, frustrated, anxious, or sad whatever immediate pleasure it gives (which if it did not we would not do it)?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in this commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, shares some incredible knowledge on sexual energy (shakti) and how conserving it could unlock doors to limitless happiness and aid us in our path to enlightenment.

• 0:00 - Is obsession of sex healthy?
• 1:26 - The concept of kama-agni or "fire of passion"
• 3:43 - The role of celibacy for growth
• 5:32 - How is brahmacharya or renunciation different from celibacy?
• 7:07 - What is the importance of brahmacharya for spiritual growth?
• 8:19 - Is sanyasa or monasticism a prerequisite for enlightenment?

ABOUT: #Gurudev is a world-renowned humanitarian, spiritual leader, and ambassador of peace and human values. Through his life and work, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has inspired millions around the world with a vision of a stress-free and violence-free world. Gurudev founded The Art of Living, a non-profit organization that is engaged in stress-management and service initiatives across the world.

Learn Sudarshan Kriya the world's most powerful breathing technique: aoliv.in/learnsudarshankriya. Gurudev's YouTube channel: youtube.com/srisri.

🎧Listen to Gurudev on Spotify: Talks - open.spotify.com/show/75Wx1Zy... Meditations - open.spotify.com/show/6INVWvh.... Instagram.com/srisriravishankar, Facebook.com/gurudev, Twitter.com/srisri, in.linkedin.com/in/srisriravi... Gurudev's website: srisri.org. Visit the Art of Living website: artofliving.org.

UCLA: Free Weekly Mindfulness Meditation

Director of Mindfulness Education Diana Winston (Mindful Awareness Research Center @ UCLA); Dhr. Seven, Ananda M., Jen B. (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center

The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama

For an introduction to mindfulness meditation to practice at home, download the UCLA Mindful App (iTunes/Google Play) or stream them by clicking "play." To download, right-click "play" then click "save link as." Recorded by UCLA MARC's Director of Mindfulness Education Diana Winston.

• For an in-depth class experience, see MARC's 6-week online classes.
• AUDIO: UCLA Guided Meditations

Dharma Buddhist Meditation @ MARC.UCLA.edu Mondays and Thurs. 12:30-1:00 PM

UCLA's MARC guided meditations online (zoom.com) Mondays and Thursdays.

Going Beyond Theory (Ajahn Chah)

Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org) via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

"It's not on sale!" We're not plastic dolls with plastic cards. Bye-bye, money.

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Beyond Theory

"We love to shop!" - Consumer Dollies

From what I’ve heard there are a number of Buddhist scholar-monks who search and research in accordance with the texts.

There’s no reason why we shouldn’t experiment. When it’s time to open our books and study, we learn in that style.

But when it’s time to take up arms and engage in [spiritual] combat, we have to fight in a style that may not correspond with theory.

If a warrior enters battle and fights according to what’s been read, one will be no match for the opponent.

When the warrior is sincere and the fight is real, one has to battle in a style that goes beyond theory. That’s how it is.

The Buddha’s words in the texts are only guidelines and examples to follow, and studying can sometimes lead to carelessness.

Beyond good and evil

If we're not extremely careful, unrestrained harm will bite us like a baby gator (AP).

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The Buddha taught us to refrain from all that is bad, to do all that is good, and to purify the heart/mind.

Our practice, then, is to get rid of what is worthless and preserve and increase what is valuable.

Do we still have anything unskillful in our heart? Of course! So why not clean house? But true practice is not merely getting rid of what is bad and cultivating the good. This is only part of it.

In the end we must go beyond both good and bad. Finally, there is a freedom that includes all and a dispassion/desirelessness from which loving-kindness and wisdom naturally flow.

Beyond teaching

WTF?! I said it's not on sale!

Ajahn Fuang: "If I have to explain everything, you'll get used to having things handed to you on a platter.

"And then what will you do when problems come up in your meditation and you don't have any experience in figuring things out on your own?”

Today is the first day of school (in the massive Los Angeles School District system), so summer's over. And it couldn't come too soon. School-age kids will be the death of me! Where's all the serenity I gained in Thailand, where the forest tradition monastics touch nirvana?

Rallies around US against white supremacists

AP.org via mail.com; Ashley Wells, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Police state: state police guard racist Gen. Robert E. Lee statue in Virginia (AP).

Listen up, hippie white people: we are a racist country for Hitler and Trump (AP)

NEW YORK - Demonstrators decrying hatred and racism planned to converge Sunday in front of President Donald Trump's New York home and elsewhere around the country, saying they felt compelled to counteract the white supremacist rally that spiraled into deadly violence in Virginia.

Demonstrators listen during a "Peace and Sanity" rally Sunday Aug. 13, 2017, in Brooklyn NY, during a rally countering white supremacy and the violence it has been causing in Va.

Protesters listen during a "Peace and Sanity" rally Sunday Aug. 13, 2017, in NY, as speakers address white supremacy violence in Charlottesville, Va., yesterday.

Protests, vigils around US decry white supremacist rally

 

(August 13, 2017) The planned gatherings spanned from a march to Trump Tower in New York to a candlelight vigil in Florida to a rally in a public square in Cleveland.

Some focused on showing support for the people white supremacists are attacking. Other demonstrations were pushing for the removal of Confederate monuments -- the issue that initially prompted white [neo-Nazi] nationalists to gather in anger this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

Still other gatherings aimed to denounce fascism and a presidential administration that organizers feel has let white supremacists feel empowered.

 

"People need to wake up, recognize that, and resist it as fearlessly as it needs to be done," said Carl Dix, a leader of the Refuse Fascism group organizing demonstrations in New York, San Francisco, and other cities.

"This can't be allowed to fester and to grow because we've seen what happened in the past [during the rise of Adolf Hitler] when that was allowed.

"It has to be confronted," said Dix, a New Yorker who spoke by phone from Charlottesville Sunday afternoon. He'd gone there to witness and deplore the white nationalist rally on a Saturday that spiraled into bloodshed.

Meanwhile, dozens of people carrying signs with such messages as "White Supremacy is [Christian] Terrorism" and "Another Suburban Mom Against White Supremacy" were rallying in Greenville, South Carolina, video footage from The Greenville News showed. More

World Laughter Day (video)

Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberdon, Wisdom Quarterly; WorldLaughterDay.com; LaughterYoga.org

World Laughter Day is a FREE event celebrated in Los Angeles on the first Sunday of May since 2005 at the initiative of Sebastien Gendry, creator of the Laughter Wellness method.

Thich Nhat Hanh (tinybuddha.com)

It started in India in 1998 and now takes place in all the world's major capitals and many other cities.

The aim is to promote intentional laughter with its many healing benefits to raise awareness about the thousands of community laughter clubs around the world.

• Several listed below are in the Los Angeles area.

Everybody knows laughing and hugging feel good. Few realize how valuable these simple tools can be in improving everyday well-being.

Laughter cannot heal or solve anything, but it can help to heal and dissolve everything.

In a gloomy economic climate, we need to lighten up. We need it more than ever. Laughter is an expression of a positive and powerful emotion. It has all the ingredients required for individuals to change themselves and to change the world in a peaceful way. More