# Susan Piver on why meditation isn't a life hack

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/firestarters-with-shannon-watts-6727386/susan-piver-on-why-meditation-isn-t-a-life-hack
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/firestarters-with-shannon-watts-6727386/susan-piver-on-why-meditation-isn-t-a-life-hack.md
Podcast: [Firestarters with Shannon Watts](https://stenobird.com/podcast/firestarters-with-shannon-watts-6727386)
Published: 2026-06-10T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shannonwatts.substack.com/p/susan-piver-on-why-meditation-isnt
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/201168785/2db68a224b878cc6ddf6902d79e34908.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1948

## Resource

Susan Piver is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, but her latest is Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics . Susan has an international reputation as a skillful meditation teacher. She’s been a student of Buddhism since 1993, and in 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world’s largest online-only dharma center. In this conversation, we discussed what inspired Susan to write her latest book, why meditation is self-optimization and not just a “life hack”, how meditation wakes up our own wisdom, why the goal of Buddhism is to supersede the ego, how to balance being open and spiritual with having boundaries, and how you don’t have to be religious to take part in meditation. Connect with Susan: Instagram | Substack | Website | Buy the book If you’re looking to unleash your potential, find your personal, professional, or political fire, and to connect with a community who is doing the same, click here to learn more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe

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## Transcript

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