A Slight Change of Plans

Korean-American journalist Euna Lee was captured by North Korean soldiers in 2009, and forced into captivity for 140 days. While Euna’s time in North Korea was harrowing, there was one aspect of her experience that surprised her and challenged some long-held beliefs she had about 'the enemy.' You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news...

Author Michael Pollan chats with Maya about the science of psychedelics — what’s going on in our brains that give rise to the extraordinary experiences people describe. Michael also gives us a glimpse into his personal experience with psychedelic trips. You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be...

When we first talked to Scott (E10 “The Life-Changing Diagnosis”), he was in the midst of treatment for stage four bone cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Since then, he has successfully completed his treatment and shares what it’s like to adjust to life back home. You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and ot...

Sharing a sneak preview of Pushkin's new show, Well-Read Black Girl.  Glory Edim started the Well-Read Black Girl book club in 2015, and since then it's exploded into a passionate, worldwide reading community. She aims to amplify the voices of BIPOC writers and celebrate their literary achievements, using the power of conversation to help members connect and grow.  On the Well-Read Black Girl podc...

Christine Ha fell in love with cooking in college when she tried to recreate the Vietnamese dishes her mother had cooked for her as a child. But when a rare neurological condition left Christine legally blind by age 24, she worried she might never be able to cook again. You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pu...

A Slight Change of Plans returns February 28 with guests who will help us think differently about change so we can live happier, more fulfilling lives. Here's a sneak peek! You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list here . Learn more about your ad-choices at h...

Hi Slight Changers -- We'll be back with fresh episodes for you on Feb 28th!! In the meantime, I wanted to share a new audiobook from Pushkin, the company behind A Slight Change of Plans. It’s called Heartbreak and it’s written and read by Florence Williams. Florence is a science journalist, and when her husband of 25 years broke up with her, she set out to understand what was happening to her, em...

Sharing something special this week while we’re working on new episodes. It’s a preview of the new season of The Happiness Lab, hosted by Maya’s friend Dr. Laurie Santos. On The Happiness Lab, Laurie shares evidence-based research that will challenge your understanding of means to live a happy life. Based on the popular psychology course she teaches at Yale, you’ll hear inspiring, surprising stori...

Shapearl Wells' son Courtney Copeland was fatally shot in 2016. He was 22 years old. Shapearl wanted answers to what had happened to her son in his final moments, but when she wasn't getting them, she decided to take matters into her own hands.  You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

In an effort to bring an end to violence in northern Uganda in 1993, Betty Bigombe decides to engage directly with the notorious warlord, Joseph Kony. Today we hear about one woman’s approach to unlocking peace in the enemy. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Amanda Knox was just 20 years old when she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit — the murder of her roommate. Amanda spent four years in an Italian prison before she was finally exonerated and allowed to return to her life back home in the U.S. But she soon discovered that that life didn't exist anymore. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at...

What makes a ballerina, a world-class chef, or a civic activist great? Psychologist Angela Duckworth says the answer is GRIT — a power combo of passion and perseverance. Angela teaches us how to become the grittiest versions of ourselves, and gives us valuable advice on when to quit and when to grit. You can follow the show @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...

Eric Vetro is the vocal coach to stars like Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, and John Legend. He’s also the host of the exciting new Pushkin show, Backstage Pass. Maya and Eric talk about the show’s genesis and their shared appreciation of the human voice. And Eric gives Maya a quick tease of his coaching skills -- to help her recover from some vocal pain she’s been experiencing in her role as podcast...

Gabby Thomas became the second-fastest woman ever when she ran the 200m in 21.61 seconds at the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials. She then won two medals at the Tokyo Olympics. But her relationship with running isn't as straightforward as you might think, and competing interests have continually led Gabby to question whether running is the path she should be on. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on In...

John Elder Robison is a gifted sound engineer whose rare ability to understand machines propelled him to work with the likes of Kiss and Diana Ross. But the one thing he always felt was lacking was his ability to understand people emotionally. In an effort to see if he could change that, he volunteered to participate in an experimental brain study. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram....

Annie Duke believes we should be quitting things more often, a skill she honed during her lucrative years as a professional poker player on the world stage. Annie talks about the science of quitting, and shows us how to get out of our own way and learn to quit when we should. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com S...

Oscar-Nominated actor Riz Ahmed shares how the roles he’s played have changed not only how he sees the world, but also how he sees himself. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Maya Shankar recently experienced a heartbreaking change in her personal life, while on her way to becoming a mom. Two days after it happened, she felt the need to process it out loud, like so many of her guests have done on her show. In this episode, Maya asked her producer, Tyler, to interview her about her own “Slight Change of Plans.” You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn...

Susan Messing and Michael McCarthy were a beloved couple in the Chicago comedy scene. Michael passed away from cancer in 2020. As part of Susan’s grieving process, she began to sift through the 50 or so boxes of his writing that he had left behind for her. What followed was a complicated grief. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...

Hey Slight Changers - y'all good with this nickname? We’ve been working hard on fresh episodes for you and put together this teaser to give you a sneak peek of what we’ve been cooking up in the Slight Change kitchen... You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New episodes of A Slight Change of Plans coming every Monday starting October 11th! Maya joins Dr. Laurie Santos (host of The Happiness Lab) to talk about how we can reframe the change in our lives and learn to fear it less; and also how we can inspire far greater changes in ourselves than we ever thought possible. Maya and Laurie also take a few listener questions. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShan...

Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves has never been willing to change herself or her music for anyone else. But a recent psychedelic trip allowed her to change on her own terms and inspired her upcoming album. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Ramsey Khabbaz was 20 years old, he woke up to the sound of a blaring fire alarm. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was originating from within his own head. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morgan Givens was initially filled with joy when he came out as transgender and began hormone therapy. But his joy was soon pierced when he confronted the reality of being a Black man in society. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott, a young researcher who builds cancer detection tools, has spent his entire adult life trying to avoid getting cancer. He is now facing his own stage 4 diagnosis. You can follow Maya @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.