Meditative Story

As he helps his youngest child prepare for her first day of school, Rohan offers us all a chance to practice three unique approaches to learning. Whether we’re hearing a new idea, analyzing that new idea, or putting that idea into practice, the steps laid out in today’s meditation lead us towards deeper understanding. Above all, Rohan suggests infusing our studies, or mindfulness practice, with a...

Kathryn Nicolai, creator of the Nothing Much Happens podcast, learns at an early age to diminish her own needs. She never wants to become a problem for other people, so she pretends like she’s always okay. When she gets an opportunity to study abroad in Italy, a difficult experience with her host family causes her to retreat further into herself. It’s only when she feels the compassionate concern...

As Rohan prepares to sell his home, he guides us through a meditation on our mind’s capacity to hold memory, impart meaning, and attach emotions to everyday objects. Reflecting on the duality of emptiness and fullness in his house — where everything has been boxed up for the movers — Rohan invites us to explore this same dance between the substance and impermanence of the things that surround us....

In 2009, Eddie Huang, author of the acclaimed memoir Fresh Off the Boat , opens Baohaus, his first Taiwanese restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It’s a wild, chaotic gamble that exemplifies Eddie’s spirit. But as the restaurant’s success grows, Eddie is faced with the challenge of either sticking to his principles or living someone else’s dream for his life. Find Eddie on YouTube: https://w...

Growing up, actress, writer, and director Zoe Lister-Jones admires her mother’s confidence and her willingness to stand up for what she believes. But as a shy kid that’s wary of the dangers in the world, Zoe isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to use her voice the same way. It’s not until she’s confronted by a dire situation that Zoe learns her self confidence can come from difficult circumstances, as...

Robin Arzón is a star fitness coach at Peloton, beloved for her high-energy coaching with more than a dash of tough love. In this story, join Robin on the longest run of her life: the Florida Keys 100 Ultramarathon. As difficult as it is to run 100 sweaty miles in the South Florida heat, far more challenging is the mental fortitude to keep doubt at bay. If this episode resonates with you, we’d lov...

In the UK, Joe Wicks became a household name early in the pandemic with his daily workouts, called “PE with Joe,” that helped millions of us keep moving and laughing. Early on in his own life, Joe learns first-hand how fitness can help people survive hard times, as he runs miles to escape from a chaotic childhood. As he begins his adult life, he embarks on a 2,000-mile bike ride — but this time, h...

Journalist and beloved podcast host Leila Day grows up being told that she should “tone it down.” When she moves to Cuba in her early twenties, she finally finds a place that embraces her whole identity — or so she thinks at first. It’s only after making one simple change that Leila sees how quickly others treat her differently, and she realizes she has something to say about it. By expressing her...

Rohan offers strategies for clear transitions from the demands of work, to being present with our families, pets and friends. Whether it’s putting on a record, lighting some incense, going for a walk, or noticing the patterns in your own breathing, join us in exploring how clear transitions help set a fresh, new tone, and allow us to move more peacefully through our day. If this episode resonates...

As a former broadcast journalist and anchor for major networks like NBC and CNN, Soledad O’Brien understands the value of telling people’s stories in the correct light. In this week’s episode, she shares how experiences from her own life helped her recognize the importance of identifying people’s strengths and how reflecting those strengths back to them allows people to achieve their full potentia...

Many of you have let us know how much you love the music which accompanies each episode of Meditative Story. You’ve also expressed that Meditative Story helps you wind down and get a better night’s sleep. So today, we’re introducing Sleep Song, a beautiful companion to our classic Meditative Story episodes. Created by our gifted in-house composers, Sleep Song is designed to help you enter a relaxe...

Meredith Goldstein writes the wildly popular Love Letters column in the Boston Globe, but for much of her life, she’s viewed romantic relationships as a trap. Meredith grows up seeing the limitations of her mom’s insular life, and knows she wants more for herself. It’s only when the pandemic forces her to slow down that she realizes the beauty in giving attention to each moment, rather than always...

Today’s special meditation features a parable from our friends at The One You Feed podcast. If there are two opposing forces working within us, a proverbial good wolf and a bad, how do we foster the positive attributes we’d like to see grow, while keeping the less desirable traits at bay? In celebration of our collaboration with The One You Feed, Rohan leads us through a meditation on how to defan...

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 im...

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 commun...

Garrett McNamara is a legend in the surfing world who’s ridden some of the biggest waves on the planet. To maintain his surfing career, Garrett spends all his time and energy chasing the next big swell. But when he unexpectedly gets knocked off his board, he has to step away from doing the thing that makes him the happiest. He tells the story of how he learns to embrace all the moments life has to...

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, Sh...

The many highs of Tig Notaro’s comedy career (Emmy and Grammy nominations, creating TV shows, and hosting the “Don’t Ask Tig” podcast) may seem predestined. Yet these are all things that seem beyond the realm of possibility for young Tig. In the early 2000s she’s told that because she’s a woman, and she’s gay, and she’s low-key and deadpan, she’ll never make it. Today, she shares the story of how...

From the outside, Niall Breslin — known by legions of Irish fans as Bressie — appears to have led a charmed life. He’s had a professional Rugby career, achieved national stardom as a musician, and been a coach on The Voice of Ireland . But behind all those achievements lies Niall’s struggle with repressed emotions and generations of unresolved pain. In this week’s Meditative Story, Bressie shares...

In today’s Meditation, Rohan reflects on the theme of creating calm, inside and out. Please join us in applying some simple practices to help balance our outer and inner worlds. This year, we’re again marking Mental Health Awareness Month, an important campaign started by Mental Health America all the way back in 1949. The position of mental health and mental illness in our cultures has changed so...

As a legendary Jazz trumpeter, winner of 5 Grammy Awards, and composer of over 60 films including the works of director Spike Lee, it’s easy to assume Terence Blanchard is someone with a lot of confidence. But growing up in New Orleans, he’s just a shy kid with glasses and a lot of uncertainty. In this week’s episode, Terence tells the story of how his mentors, teachers, and heroes gave him the co...

Growing up in the suburbs of England, Felix Barrett — founder of immersive theater company Punchdrunk — considers himself a good kid. He’s a rule-follower with a deep respect for authority. But a few eye-opening evenings at the theater introduce him to the exciting, and sometimes dangerous, world of rule-breaking. Later, on an unplanned trip to Thailand, Felix learns to embrace a life without rule...

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: https://me...

Today’s meditation features a special guest, Rohan’s 7 year-old son, Arne.  Letting go can come in stages, or so Rohan experiences on a recent holiday with his family. As his 7 year-old son Arne builds his swimming skills, Rohan realizes he’s gone from an active, hands-on support role, to one of a patient observer. It’s in this letting go that both he and Arne can progress, enjoying the freed...

"Why?” asks an insistent high school art teacher. “Why? Why? Why?” Staring blankly back, a young Jay Shetty has nothing to say. It’s an art project, it's just homework. A collage. It’s just … layers. The next day in a subway station, Jay's chance encounter with an ad peeling off the wall unlocks the truest answer. What he discovers that day about himself carries forward into college, when Jay meet...