Meditative Story

Latest Episodes:

Creating my own sanctuary, by Angela Ahrendts Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

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 to visualize what her next big decision might lead to, to stay open to the signs that help guide her. Now, after a series of bold career choices, Angela reflects on the decades-long journey that has brought her to this moment, and comes to realize that with each new day she has an opportunity to discover a new sanctuary – because the truest sanctuary is the one within us all.

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Navigating life in my own skin, by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

In precisely chosen words, the writer, artist and Zen priest Zenju Earthlyn Manuel tells a story from her girlhood, a road trip from LA to Louisiana in 1957. While five-year-old Zenju sits in the back seat dreaming of cowboys, her parents navigate an altogether different landscape. From them, from the trip, Zenju now believes she’s learned how to find her way in the world, in her skin.

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Through friendship, a better version of myself, by Reid Hoffman Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

How do you find joy in your life? For entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Reid Hoffman, it’s through the act of genuine, honest, and intimate conversations with friends. Once a self-described misfit, in college, Reid finds his place. He connects with people who share not necessarily his interests but his curiosity, and his dedication to asking big questions. It is in asking the big questions, in discussing the answers, that Reid learns and grows – and begins to discover the meaning of his life.

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Calming the mind and body for sleep, by Rohan Gunatillake Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Having trouble quieting your mind at night? Join Rohan for this soothing, nighttime meditation designed to ease your body and mind into a restful sleep. Drawing on the close connection between mindfulness and relaxation, Rohan takes you step by step through the process of turning down your senses until all that remains is the quiet calm of rest.

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Trusting love’s infinite possibilities, by Morgan Saylor Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Morgan Saylor is an actor of stage and screen, best known for her portrayal of the teenage Dana Brody in the series “Homeland.” But, before acting, her first passion was mathematics. Morgan unfolds how math has given her a way to approach the unknown with trust and openness, accepting that each moment and every relationship contains infinite possibilities.

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Diana Nyad: Giving life everything we’ve got Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

By the 1980s, Diana Nyad had left competitive swimming behind, embarking on a successful career as a sports broadcaster. But after a meeting with “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve — whose throw from a horse left him paralyzed from the shoulders down — she is reminded of a challenge that fueled her early athletic ambitions, and re-commits to living everyday just past the limit of what seems endurable.

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Reaching our full potential is not a solo act, by Terence Blanchard Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

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 confidence to find his voice and live to his full potential.

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: meditativestory.com

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Asking for what we need, by Kathryn Nicolai Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

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 of someone who tells her it’s okay to have needs that she learns that it’s okay to take up space.

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: meditativestory.com

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Building trust in ourselves, by Rohan Gunatillake Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

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 freedom and confidence Arne has garnered through his hard work and perseverance. Today’s meditation offers us all a chance to practice letting go — knowing that, when the training wheels or floaties come off, we may at first stumble in order to soar.

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: meditativestory.com

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Loving our living world, by Carl Safina Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

We all need to love and be loved, we all want to feel not alone in this world. And this is true for all of the living world, says ecologist and author Carl Safina. Carl has spent his whole life interacting with the wild, from raising pigeons on a Brooklyn rooftop to trekking through the frozen landscape of Antarctica and the vast African savanna. And one thing he’s learned is that humans and animals alike, we’re all striving to connect. We’re all craving to establish bonds, to reach out, and to hold someone close. We all want to be loved – and to love ourselves.

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: meditativestory.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.