Meditative Story

By WaitWhat

Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality Spirituality

What's Meditative Story about?

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!

4.5

1,950 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Sharon Salzberg: How I foun...

05.30.2023

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. ...

Meditative Story episodes:

05.30.2023 Sharon Salzberg: How I found kindness as my compass 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. ...
05.23.2023 Tig Notaro: There’s more than one way to get there 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. ...
05.16.2023 Learning to heal by learning to feel, by Niall Breslin 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 ...
05.11.2023 Creating calm, inside and out, by Rohan Gunatillake 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 ...
05.09.2023 Reaching our full potential is not a solo act, by Terence Blanchard 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 ...
05.03.2023 There’s beauty in breaking the rules, by Felix Barrett (Sleep No More, Punchdrunk) 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 ...
05.01.2023 Building a bond with my son, by Dan Harris 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 ...
04.27.2023 Building trust in ourselves, by Rohan Gunatillake 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 ...
04.25.2023 Learn to see the layers in everyone, by Jay Shetty "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 ...
04.18.2023 The secret to aging well, by Chip Conley A California native, Chip Conley grew up visiting the towering redwoods and indulging his curiosity about wise and aging things. But as an adult pioneering a boutique hotel company, he begins to feel the weight of middle age and loses ...
04.13.2023 Learning to show love and kindness to ourselves, by Rohan Gunatillake Today, Rohan shares a Lovingkindness Meditation born out of a Spring walk around Oxford. In this practice, phrases are repeated that gradually move our focus from another, back to ourselves, and, finally, to larger and larger circles, encompassing the entirety ...
04.06.2023 Reducing anxiety 24 hours at a time, by Bakari Sellers Bakari Sellers made history when he became the youngest African American elected official in the United States. But beneath the surface of his successful career, Bakari is consumed by anxiety about his own mortality. This week, Bakari shares how living ...
03.30.2023 How I connect to my unique place in history, by Zuri Adele 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 ...
03.23.2023 Together, we move from fear to hope, by Varshini Prakash Climate activist Varshini Prakash first became aware of the effects of a changing planet when her grandparents’ village in India was flooded in a monsoon. A child then, she felt overwhelmed and powerless. In this week’s episode, Varshini shares how ...
03.16.2023 There's no one way, by Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin is an expert on happiness, and she's spent her career helping people build the habits to achieve it. But she assumed that if something works for her, it should work for just about anyone. A series of chance ...
03.14.2023 A meditation for balance, renewal, and reframing, by Rohan Gunatillake Sometimes on Meditative Story, we break from our usual episodes to share a reflection from our host, Rohan Gunatillake, occasioned by moments that we might like to take a beat to sit with. Today, Rohan welcomes the interstellar shift in ...
03.09.2023 Finding possibility in life’s forced pauses, by AD As a WNBA player, AD is used to saying, “I’m good” as an automatic response, no matter the injury. It’s what allows them to be a successful athlete, and to wrap their whole self around that identity. But when basketball ...
03.02.2023 From great loss, a great freedom, by Isabel Allende Best-selling author Isabel Allende has led an extraordinary life marked by moments of tragic loss. A coup in her home country of Chile forces her family into exile, and an unexpected illness takes away one of the most important people ...
02.23.2023 Finding my flow state, by Chad Sanders Like so many of us, Chad Sanders wants to feel a sense of belonging — but as he grows up, he feels too often like he's living in the shadows of other people’s judgment. Fortunately, life has a way of ...
02.16.2023 Making adjustments in free fall, by Curtis Rivers Through his long and storied career as a stuntman, Curtis Rivers has appeared in scores of films and television shows, ranging from James Bond movies to Captain America to Game of Thrones. He has won a Screen Actor Guilds Awards ...
02.14.2023 A self-love meditation, by Rohan Gunatillake Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate love of all kinds — whether it’s the unconditional love of a pet, the instinctual reflex to help those who are suffering, or, perhaps most important, the time we take to send love ...
02.09.2023 The power of a simple loving presence, by Hannah Cross Hannah Cross is a licensed clinical social worker, devoted to helping people with emotional and behavioral concerns. The way she approaches her work is rooted in a life-changing early job, one she almost didn’t take — at a youth incarceration ...
02.03.2023 Writing the main character, by Franklin Leonard What’s the hardest part about being the main character in your own life? You’re also writing the script as you go along. And sometimes it’s hard to know when you need a scene change. Filmmaker Franklin Leonard encounters plenty of ...
01.26.2023 Finding magic in the quiet moments, by Jade Bowler As a teenager, Jade Bowler is laser-focused on her dream of leaving home, with ambitious plans for the future. It’s only after her plans fall apart that Jade realizes big achievements aren’t the only thing that can bring her happiness. ...
01.24.2023 Eric Whitacre: Soul Curriculum Figuring out how to express your authentic self is a journey in discovering what lights you up. For Eric Whitacre, the choral composer and conductor, these lessons came to him through his passions for outer space, water, and music. Join ...
01.17.2023 Our tiny meaningful lives in the vast universe, by Michelle Thaller Michelle Thaller is an astronomer and science communicator who helped unveil the latest images from the Webb Telescope — the one that's currently sending us never-before-seen images of deep space. In her Meditative Story, she explores the significance of a ...
01.12.2023 To swim in a sea of stars, by Eric Whitacre Choral music composer and conductor Eric Whitacre directs choirs around the globe, but as a kid in northern Nevada, he feels like the black sheep. He doesn’t know how to channel his endless energy to create meaningful connections or find ...
01.10.2023 Jai Punjabi: Soul Curriculum Staying connected with our loved ones is not always easy, especially if, like Jai Punjabi, you live far away from home. As a founder of Wait What, the company behind Meditative Story, Jai’s work in New York means his once-a-year ...
01.05.2023 Changing the game, by Tim Shriver Growing up in the Kennedy family, Tim Shriver sees close relatives compete at the highest level of U.S. politics and learns a very specific definition of what it means to be a winner. As a result, a fierce competitiveness finds ...
12.29.2022 Small victories — a celebration of the past year, by Rohan Gunatillake What would it be like to turn your New Year’s resolutions on their head, by resolving to focus our attention in an entirely different way? That’s what Rohan is proposing with this holiday meditation designed to zoom in on the ...
12.22.2022 When the sharks start to circle, by Cristina Mittermeier When life is overwhelming, sometimes the smallest action — even one that seems insignificant in the moment — is what helps us move forward. Cristina Mittermeier is a nature photographer and adventurer who's used to navigating treacherous situations in the ...
12.20.2022 Tom Mustill: Soul Curriculum How can we maintain a sense of freshness, awe, and wonder in our perspective on the world? Today’s Soul Curriculum episode finds Rohan diving deeper into this question with nature filmmaker and author Tom Mustill. Tom shares more about his ...
12.15.2022 Waking up to change: Stories of hearing the call Over a tiny table in a crowded bar … on a bike crossing at the Mexican border … standing at the edge of a windswept cliff: There are places and moments where life comes into crystal-clear focus, and you realize ...
12.14.2022 David Duchovny: When the student is ready, the master is long gone Before his rise to fame, David Duchovny is a popular kid – charming, funny, bright, and athletic, beloved by friends and teachers alike. But there’s one teacher who puts David off-balance, calling him out for foolishness where others see charm. ...
12.08.2022 The beetle and the whale, by Tom Mustill Nature filmmaker Tom Mustill travels the globe capturing breathtaking footage of animals while highlighting the work of the world’s leading conservationists. But one summer day, on a vacation kayak trip, he comes face to face with nature in a way ...
12.06.2022 Alex Morris: Soul Curriculum In today’s Soul Curriculum, Rohan speaks candidly with writer Alex Morris about how to become more comfortable asking for help. As Alex shares, it’s often our preconceptions of how we will be received that prevent us from reaching out. However, ...
12.06.2022 Michael Imperioli: The courage to trust, the courage to create When actor Michael Imperioli is 17, he makes an impulsive move: on the day he's supposed to drive up to college, instead he takes the train down to New York City and signs up for acting classes. His parents are ...
12.01.2022 The last laugh, by Sara Benincasa As a young writer and performer, Sara Benincasa found her voice doing stand-up comedy. For years, it seemed better than therapy. But slowly, doubts surfaced. While the external validation she received made her feel successful and even loved, something was ...
11.23.2022 Three tools for happy, healthy gatherings, by Rohan Gunatillake No matter what emotions are brought up for you during the holiday season, the mindfulness techniques explored in this episode will leave you feeling relaxed even when the holiday brings challenges like tricky family dynamics, the difficulty of disconnecting from ...
11.21.2022 Patton Oswalt: It's chaos, be kind When life hands you an unimaginable sorrow, how do you begin to recover your joy, your connection, your creative spark? In a special crossover episode with our friends at the Spark & Fire podcast, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt (you ...
11.17.2022 Notes to self, by Case Kenny Sitting in the school library, staring down at his unfinished chemistry homework, pre-med student Case Kenny feels helpless. He faces a difficult choice: did I choose the wrong major? And who will I disappoint if I admit that? Now an ...
11.10.2022 Dancing on my own, by Alex Morris Just out of school, writer Alex Morris gets a job performing and teaching improv comedy in London, playing absurd characters night after night. But his knack for hiding his true self starts long before he ever steps onstage. Alex is ...
11.08.2022 Florence Williams: Soul Curriculum Rohan sits down with author Florence Williams to talk about her award-winning Meditative Story, “To chase the sunset.” In conversation, Florence offers her candid perspective on how to face heartbreak with patience and compassion, by letting beauty mend our hearts. ...
11.03.2022 My side hustle to a better life, by Rachel Cargle 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 ...
11.01.2022 Kino MacGregor: Soul Curriculum How do the challenges and trauma we encounter in our lives tie to our ancestral roots? How do we hold on to these experiences in our physical body? These are questions that we explore on today’s Soul Curriculum episode featuring ...
10.27.2022 Day of the Dead meditation: a celebration of life On the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, we allow ourselves space for our memories and our grief about those we’ve lost — as well as for joy, and even humor, around the continuity between life ...
10.18.2022 Creating my own sanctuary, by Angela Ahrendts The strawberry field past the maple tree. A hidden nook beneath the stairs. The magical hour before anyone else is awake. Throughout her life, Angela Ahrendts has sought out sanctuaries – sacred spaces to reconnect and to dream, quiet moments ...
10.13.2022 Mud, sweat, and tears, by Shani Tran Midway through a grueling, muddy obstacle course, Shani Tran is so grateful for the support of her father, her teammate, who cheers her on and pulls her through. But in other parts of life, she knows, he’s just not there ...
10.11.2022 Lex Gillette: Soul Curriculum In today’s Soul Curriculum episode, Rohan talks with the Paralympian and current world record holder in the long jump Lex Gillette. Lex shares his insights into how music allowed him to define himself on his own terms, and elaborates on ...
10.06.2022 The call of the life that wasn’t: Russ Ellis and what could have been Russ Ellis has led the kind of life they write books about. The first full-time Black professor at California’s Claremont Colleges. Acclaimed sociologist. Celebrated sculptor and painter. Even a recording artist. But as he reveals in this episode, even the ...

Older episodes