As the pandemic drags on, Vanessa Hua finds herself in a dark place of panic and doom-scrolling. But that begins to change on one spring day, when she takes a walk outside with her kids – and recognizes a small jewel-green plant growing on the forest floor. Her discovery of wild food foraging helps her tap into a body of shared, ancient knowledge, one that helps her find steadiness within the chaotic present moment. If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take...

As a boy in Oxford, Henry Shukman seeks refuge from a painful childhood by disappearing into poetry, immersing himself in nature. But the beauty and clarity he finds there is only fleeting. A series of visits with a mysterious old family friend help him to understand that experiencing beauty — and its extraordinary gifts — doesn’t have to be a chance encounter. In fact, it could become a guiding principle of his life. Through listening deeply, she shows him how to unlock beauty at every...

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is the first openly lesbian woman to climb the famous Seven Summits, a bucket list of the highest mountain on every continent. But while preparing for the seventh summit, a peak that has eluded her climb after climb, she realizes that she can’t charge forward with the same conquering mentality. Denali — the highest mountain peak in North America — leads her to discover the importance of self-compassion over the desire for conquest when dealing with life’s greatest...

Jacob Sartorius has been making music and short videos since he was a kid. By age 14, he had millions of social media followers who loved his honest, heartfelt content. But on the flip side of that love, he discovered a darker side to his celebrity — one that took him by surprise and threatened his own well-being. Until a simple technique, and a new friend, helped him find a way back to himself, one breath at a time. Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of...

As the wind howls around his camping caravan on a remote Welsh farm, poet David Whyte sits at a table, trying – and failing – to write. He's worried he has lost his gift. He's worried he never had a gift at all. But just outside, invisible and unexpected, is someone who offers him help – and friendship – at the exact moment he needs it. Their lifelong friendship takes root here, in the magical, windswept landscape of Wales, where place-names are poetry, where memories live long in the rolling...

When young Nate Berkus pushes open the door to his new bedroom, an unfinished space in his family home, he doesn’t know it yet – but he’s opening the door to a new vision of what his life can be. A life that he can design for himself. Because sometimes, choosing a new paint color is shorthand for choosing a new path. If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player....

Restaurateur Danny Meyer takes us back to where it all began for him: a family trip to Europe and a simple plate of pasta. That memorable meal sparked a lifetime practice of discovery that continues to feed his creativity and his soul. If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to the show, and we’d be so grateful. Each...

Stephen Wilkes has a unique approach to photography that requires a sustained focus to capture subtle changes in light and perspective. The same could be said of the way he cared for his mother, whose resilience and love belied the trauma she experienced as a refugee from the second world war. Though it often falls on young Stephen to manage her spells, he is able to transcend his family’s haunted past by turning his gaze outward when the darkness threatens to consume him, transforming it...

There he is: pacing around the campfire, contemplating, ruminating. Then, with a crooked, mischievous smile, he begins. “Here’s a story…” This is a memory violinist Lindsey Stirling will always carry of her dad, the tireless storyteller, telling the tallest of tales, dreaming the biggest of dreams. But also a man who couldn't quite see his life-changing impact on others because of the disappointments that befell his own life. In looking back, Lindsey comes to realize that whatever becomes of...

Rural California is all Kristin Windbigler knows as a child — its wild, green pastoral landscape, where living off the land and self-sufficiency is a choice to live abundantly. One evening, gathered around the television with her mom and dad, Kristin watches a news report that suggests families like hers, living below the poverty line, are in critical need of help. What the TV journalist misses is that it’s possible to live abundantly without a big paycheck, without the need for anything...

Throughout his life, pastry chef Duff Goldman — best known for his long-running Food Network show Ace of Cakes — is driven by his desire to make things and see them out in the world. As chef, painter, woodworker, and musician, he strives to deliver a visceral sensation with his art that is sometimes hard to express in words. This week, Duff shares the story of how the things we create often communicate our thoughts and feelings more clearly than spoken language ever could. Find Duff...

When Nataly Dawn’s family moves from the U.S. to a tiny town in the middle of France, she finds herself unable to speak, read, or even play the way the other kids do. It’s embarrassing, being a rock-bottom beginner in 5th grade — but as she slowly learns the language, she finds a new kind of joy in the process of discovery. The singer-songwriter who is one-half of the band Pomplamoose shares how a beginner’s mindset — even if it’s uncomfortable at first — can be a doorway to connection and...

Reshma Saujani, activist and founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, prides herself on being in control. She’s always been the one to say “I got this.” But after years of struggling to achieve her lifelong goal of being a mother, the weight of powering through the pain gets to be too much. In this week’s story, Reshma learns that instead of white knuckling through life’s unexpected changes, she can allow herself the time and space to properly feel them. If this episode resonates with you,...

Actor, writer and comedian Aasif Mandvi has given us so many laughs in his role as a correspondent on The Daily Show – on stage and in television and films. But when a doctor diagnoses him with tinnitus (ringing in the ears), he has to come to terms with his own vulnerability and the unpredictability of life. This eventually leads him to imagine a world with more possibilities, including falling in love – when he asks himself, "What could life be like, if I wasn't trapped in my own head?" If...

From the team behind Meditative Story, we're happy to share the first episode of Offsite Adventures, our newest show uncovering the gems, magical moments, and unique learnings in iconic business travel destinations. Three minutes before midnight in Times Square, one of the most trafficked commercial centers in the world momentarily transforms into a vibrant digital art installation, providing a refreshing pause for locals and tourists alike. It’s called the Midnight Moment, and you won’t...

When Kelly Rizzo’s husband Bob Saget passes away without warning, she’s faced with the challenge of moving forward day by day without leaving her memories of Bob behind. As she processes her grief, Kelly reflects on the way her father left his home country and never returned, but realizes that his memories of that place will always be a part of him. Now she must find a way to honor her own memories even as her life moves forward. Visit Kelly's website: http://www.eattravelrock.com Follow...

This April Fool’s Day, Rohan embraces the sense of play that exists in all of us, designing a unique meditation to foster a feeling of alertness on this day of pranks. He then invites you to take on the mantle of the wise fool, that all-seeing court jester who upends convention and ensures that we all see the world through a brighter lens. Meditative Story has received two nominations for this year's Webby Awards. Please consider voting for both categories: Original Music Score / Best Sound...

Alex Honnold, renowned rock climber and the subject of the documentary Free Solo, has always known how to do hard things. Yet he’s also had to learn that his drive to push himself will only take him so far. In today's episode, he tells the story of how he’s come to understand the importance of reading the conditions of the environment, and learning to adapt. Meditative Story has received two nominations for this year's Webby Awards. Please consider voting for both categories: Original Music...

In honor of International Women’s Day, Rohan relates the story of a woman who greatly influenced his journey towards mindfulness and unknowingly helped shape the course of his life — Gaia House co-founder Christina Feldman. As this calming and enlightening anecdote unwinds, Rohan invites you to reflect on the strong women in your own life and examine how they embody the qualities you wish to see in yourself. Meditative Story has received two nominations for this year's Webby Awards. Please...

Actress Zuri Adele, known for playing Malika Williams on the popular Freeform show Good Trouble, spent parts of her childhood largely isolated. But while attending Spelman College in Atlanta, Zuri becomes immersed in the rich history and ritual of the African diaspora. This week, Zuri shows us how embracing her community and her unique place in history allows her to trade her feelings of isolation for connection. Listen to Morgan Harper Nichols' episode of Meditative Story, "Belonging can be...

Tami Simon, founder of the spiritual wisdom publishing house Sounds True, goes through much of her life feeling like an alien. Often misunderstood, Tami yearns to discover where she fits in. In today’s episode, she shares the story of how an otherworldly experience teaches her that she can tune into the frequency of finding belonging. Listen to Henry Shukman's Meditative Story here: https://listen.meditativestory.com/HenryShukmanNL Find out more about the incredible offerings from Sounds...

What can we discover about time when we slow down and focus on each passing moment? This Leap Year gives us a special opportunity to reflect on our relationship with time. Join Rohan in this guided meditation about the nature of time, and how to embrace the fact that time, at its core, means change. We value your input. Please find the Meditative Story Survey here: https://meditativestory.com/survey If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to...

Tony and Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden recognizes that, like so many of us, she is who she is because of the people that raised her. In this episode, Marcia Gay tells the story of how she’s learned to reevaluate all that she inherited from her parents, and to let go of learned patterns that no longer serve her. To hear more from Marcia Gay, check out her upcoming children’s mindful bedtime podcast “Snoriezzz,” co-produced by Natalie Peyton. Listen to Shawn Colvin's...

Growing up, Rachel Cargle was used to seeing things her family couldn’t afford. As she got older, became a writer, lecturer, and philanthropist, she continued to seek opportunities just beyond her grasp. Hard work and creativity allowed her to grow successful as an entrepreneur, but deeper challenges still remained. In this episode of Meditative Story, Rachel unfolds how she found fulfillment by turning her gifts outward. Listen to Larry Jackson’s episode of Meditative Story, "To visualize...