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).
Related Episode:
On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!
Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more here!
Episode cheatsheet
The big takeaway
Sister Dang Nghiem (“Sister D”) shares a powerful four-part Buddhist process called "Beginning Anew," which helps us transform our inner dialogue, heal old wounds, and create healthier relationships—starting with ourselves. Through practical steps rooted in both ancient tradition and modern science, Sister D explains how self-care is not self-indulgent, but essential for genuine transformation that ripples out into the wider world.
Rewiring your inner critic: Beginning Anew for self-compassion and connection
Healing starts inside: Instead of seeing self-care as selfish, learn to treat yourself with kindness, honesty, and accountability. When you heal your own hurts, you’re less likely to transmit pain to others.
Four steps to reset your relationship with yourself or others (Beginning Anew): Start with gratitude, then express regrets, acknowledge hurts, and find actionable resolutions. These steps help clean up inner negativity and build genuine connection.
Being your own soulmate: According to Sister D, genuine self-love is about remembering, caring for, and mastering yourself—not being a “diva,” but nurturing what’s best in you so you can help others.
The myth of “separateness”: Our well-being is connected to others through the Buddhist insight of “interbeing”—take care of yourself, and you help the collective.
6 practical ways to put self-compassion into everyday action
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Dan Harris to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
