Meditative Story combines extraordinary human stories with meditation prompts embedded into the storylines — all surrounded by breathtaking music. Think of it as an alternative way into a mindfulness practice, through vivid stories and cinematic music and production values. Meditative Story is an original series produced by WaitWhat and supported by our members. Our community tells us that they listen to the same episodes over and over again, and according to data provided by Apple Podcasts, Meditative Story may have the highest engagement of any podcast in the world. And that makes us proud!
Maya Shankar is a cognitive neuroscientist and host of the award-winning podcast A Slight Change of Plans. As a girl, she struggles with taking things too seriously: herself, the sufferings of others, the hypothetical misfortunes she imagines for the future. She turns to her father for perspective — and he takes her on a memorable walk, one that helps her understand her place in the universe (spoiler: it’s not not at the center of it). When her adult life brings a new and unexpected kind of sorrow, she turns to these lessons from her father again, to find a balance between the seriousness that comes with loving life and the wise perspective of knowing we're all just passing through. Listen to Dr. Laurie Santos' episode of Meditative Story, "My monkey teacher": http://listen.meditativestory.com/LSantos_WW Listen to Maya Shankar's podcast (selected as the Best Show of the Year by Apple in 2021), A Slight Change of Plans: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans Follo...
In this special episode, we spend more time with a storyteller who recently shared their Meditative Story with us, Sharon Salzberg. Rohan and Sharon wind their way back through Sharon’s story, exploring the key theme: Being kind, loving, patient with yourself. Together, they dive deeper into this idea, in a way that may just open up something special in you. Did you relate to Sharon’s story? Email us at hello@meditativestory.com Learn more about Sharon: sharonsalzberg.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On his podcastand TV show Song Exploder, Hrishikesh Hirway digs deep into the creative process of legendary songwriters. But before Hrishikesh becomes a podcast creator, he's a working musician himself … who finds his ability to create being slowly drained away by self-doubt. He stumbles into a case of songwriter’s block that lasts him nearly seven years. Today, Hrishikesh shares the story of how he gets drawn back into creating music through an unexpected collaboration. Listen to Andrew Bird's episode of Meditative Story, "Listening to the space around you": https://listen.meditativestory.com/AndrewBirdSpaceAroundYou Learn more about Hrishikesh Hirway: https://hrishikesh.co/ Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at:www.meditativestory.com Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
By the time Sharon Salzberg is 16 years old, she knows the people around her don’t admit to suffering, much less talk about it. A year later, she makes a life-changing decision to travel alone to India to study meditation. It doesn’t all go as expected. Through the journey’s disappointments, discomforts, and surprise lessons, she finds an unexpected friend: herself. In today’s Meditative Story, Sharon talks about how being kind, especially to herself, became her biggest mountain to climb. Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at:www.meditativestory.com Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD Learn more about Sharon: Website: sharonsalzberg.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/sharonsalzberg Twitter: www.twitter.com/sharonsalzberg Facebook: www.facebook.com/SharonSalzberg YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/SharonSalzbergVideo Medium: www.medium.com/@sharonsalzberg Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsalzberg See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Broadcaster Dan Harris shares a candid look at his attempts to connect more with his son, Alexander, on their first father-son trip. Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at:www.meditativestory.com Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Gordana Biernat grows up in a household full of mayhem and darkness. But there’s one saving grace: her grandfather, who spins legendary stories of the quirky folkloric magic he sees all around them. In today’s Meditative Story, Gordana talks about reopening herself to the unseen and the “funny rushes of surprise” she encounters all around her when she stops dodging fear and starts seeking new chances to grow. Read a transcript of this episode:https://meditativestory.com Sign up for the weekly Meditative Story newsletter, to get a timely episode reminder and a mini meditation in your inbox each week:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD Learn more about Gordana Biernat’s work at: www.mypowertalk.com You can email her at info@mypowertalk.com Follow Gordana Biernat at: https://twitter.com/MyPowertalk https://www.facebook.com/SuperSoul100/ https://www.instagram.com/mypowertalk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordanabiernat http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-100/soul-teachers/gordana-biernat See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Growing up on his father’s ranch in Elko, Nevada, Waddie Mitchell watches the cowboys around him with awe, silently absorbing their stories and manners – how to shoe a horse, start a colt, lead a crew and tell a tale. Through the buckaroos he learns that adventure and freedom aren’t things to seek elsewhere – that embedded in the raw materials of his own life, in the sounds and smells of the ranch itself, are the real rules for living that don’t get written down. Learn more about Waddie Mitchell:waddiemitchell.com Read a transcript of this episode:https://meditativestory.com/waddie-mitchell/ Sign up for the weekly Meditative Story newsletter, to get a timely episode reminder and a mini meditation in your inbox each week:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today, Dallas Taylor is a creative director and creator of the beloved podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz. But before this, he had another life – one that brought immense pressure. He shares the story of how he comes to realize that feeling the weight of anxiety and fear doesn’t mean he’s broken. It means he’s human. Listen to Dallas Taylor's podcast, Twenty Thousand Hertz: (Apple | Spotify | Web) Listen to Aasif Mandvi's episode of Meditative Story, "Getting out of my own head":http://listen.meditativestory.com/AasifMandvi_WWs Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at:www.meditativestory.com Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Writer Isha Sesay is happiest when she is caring for others; it’s a lesson she learns from her mother while growing up in Sierra Leone. But as an adult, there’s another lesson her mother teaches her, in quite another way: that even the most caring and giving among us must learn to receive help too. It’s through both giving and receiving that we become whole. Listen to Arianna Huffington's episode of Meditative Story, "Life and love and the moment": https://link.chtbl.com/ArianaHuffington-IshaSesay Follow Isha Sesay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamishasesay/ Isha Sesay’s podcast, The Accidental Activist:https://the-accidental-activist.simplecast.com/ Isha Sesay’s 2020 book, Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/beneath-the-tamarind-tree-isha-sesay?variant=32131159752738 Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive ...
Every Thursday night, Matthew Mercer leads a merry band through a maze of goblins, spells, and enchantments, as he plays an immersive role-playing game. In our story, Matthew explores what these creative games open up in him and how shining his light into the world gives others permission to do the same. Learn more about Critical Role:https://critrole.com/foundation/ Listen to Reid Hoffman's episode of Meditative Story, "Through friendship, a better version of myself":https://listen.meditativestory.com/ReidHoffman-Mercer Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at:www.meditativestory.com Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.