Meditative Story

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 offer, rather than always chasing the next wave. Listen to Keith Yamashita's Meditative Story, "Starting the story of my life again": https://listen.meditativestory.com/KeithYamashitaPIO Find out more about Garrett and the McNamara Foundation: https://www.garrettmcnamara.com Find Garrett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcnamara_s/?hl=en 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, Sharon talks about how being kind, especially to herself, became her biggest mountain to climb. Learn more about Sharon: Website: sharonsalzberg.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/sharonsalzberg Twitter: www.twitter.com/sharonsalzberg Facebook: www.facebook.com/SharonSalzberg YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/SharonSalzbergVideo Medium: www.medium.com/@sharonsalzberg Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsalzberg 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 she learns to keep going, no matter how impossible the road may seem, and to remember that there’s no one way to get somewhere. Listen to Michael Imperioli's Meditative Story, "The courage to trust, the courage to create": https://listen.meditativestory.com/MichaelImperioliPIO Find Tig’s tour dates, including her upcoming appearance in Las Vegas on June 2nd: tignotaro.com Listen to Tig’s podcast, Don’t Ask Tig: dontasktig.org and Listen to Tig's podcast True Story: headgum.com/tig-and-cheryl-true-story Follow Tig on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TigNotaro Follow Tig on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealfluffnotaro/ Follow Tig on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tignotarocomedy/ If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 how he learned to embrace the parts of himself he once buried. The parts that showed him how to heal and led him to become one of Ireland’s leading mental health advocates. Listen to Henry Shukman's Meditative Story "What deep listening unlocks for me": https://listen.meditativestory.com/HenryShukmanPIO Find out more about Bressie: https://www.niallbreslin.com/ Follow Bressie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bressie/ Discover Niall’s podcast, Where is my mind: https://lemonadamedia.com/show/where-is-my-mind/#! Learn about Bressie's mental health charity, Lust for Life: https://www.alustforlife.com 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 much in those seventy odd years, but despite that change there still remains issues such as stigma, access to care and finding the right kind of support at the right time. Today’s meditation originates from the theme of this year’s campaign, Look Around, Look Within. For more information on this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month campaign, Look Around, Look Within, please visit Mental Health America’s website: https://mhanational.org Tools and resources for organizations, businesses and individuals: https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month We’d love to hear your tips and insights for creating harmony between our external and internal environments. Please send your thoughts to hello@meditativestory.com. We’ll then share back some of your ideas with the Meditative Story community later this month! 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. Listen to Lang Lang's Meditative Story "The teacher who asked a new question": http://listen.meditativestory.com/LangLangWW Learn more about Terence: http://www.terenceblanchard.com/ Find Terence on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terence_blanchard/ 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 rules and finds the beauty that exists in the extreme. If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. Listen to Joe Wicks' Meditative Story "Riding 2000 miles to find my purpose": https://listen.meditativestory.com/JoeWicksPIO Find out more about Punchdrunk here: www.punchdrunk.com Find information on Punchdrunk’s Burnt City: www.theburntcity.com Find information on Sleep No More: https://mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more/#/ 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"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 meets a fellow student who's consumed by negativity and pain. There, the art project from so many years ago comes in handy in ways he never anticipates. If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. Read Jay Shetty's book, "Think Like a Monk": https://amzn.to/43ZpwdZ Listen to "Think Like a Monk" as an audiobook, read by Jay: https://amzn.to/40D5IKr Listen to Jay's podcast, "On Purpose with Jay Shetty": https://jayshetty.me/podcast/ 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 the curiosity that once drove him to innovate and explore. In his story, Chip shares the journey that led him to founding the Modern Elder Academy and how he learned to embrace his own aging and appreciate the wisdom of the elders in his life. If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. Listen to Andrew Bird's Meditative Story "Listening to the space around you": https://listen.meditativestory.com/AndrewBirdPIO Visit Chip's website: chipconley.com Visit the Modern Elder Academy's website: modernelderacademy.com Read Wisdom Well: https://wisdomwell.modernelderacademy.com/ Read Chip’s book, Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Work-Making-Modern-Elder/dp/0525572902 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 of the universe. As Rohan shares, kindness is a natural quality of the heart that we all have to some degree — and with the right techniques and the right environment, it can be grown, cultivated. If this meditation 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. Listen to Sharon Salzberg's Meditative Story, "How I found kindness as my compass": https://listen.meditativestory.com/SharonSalzbergMedStory Read Sharon Salzberg's "Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness": https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157062903X 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 life in 24-hour increments empowers him to contend with his greatest anxieties and get more out of every moment. If this story 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 show, and we’d be so grateful. Listen to Al Harris' Meditative Story "Celebrating a life beyond the score": https://listen.meditativestory.com/AlHarrisPIO Learn more about Bakari: https://bakarisellers.com Read Bakari’s children’s book, Who Are Your People?: https://amzn.to/40HVIjY Read Bakari’s New York Times Best Seller, My Vanishing Country: A Memoir: https://amzn.to/40YOeZS 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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, "Heading halfway around the world to find myself": ​​https://listen.meditativestory.com/MorganHarperNicholsPIO Follow Zuri on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/zuriadele/ 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 she came to find hope and build courage through the large and small communities in her life. Varshini Prakash began her activist career protesting university policies while a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 2017, she co-founded the Sunrise Movement, which has galvanized youth throughout North America to demand a green economy and hold elected officials accountable. In addition to her position as Sunrise’s executive director, Varshini co-edited the book Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can. Listen to Kristin Windbigler's episode of Meditative Story, "We’re doing this thing together": ​​https://listen.meditativestory.com/KristinWindbiglerPIO Read Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Winning-the-Green-New-Deal/Varshini-Prakash/9781982142438 Follow Varshini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/varshprakash Learn more about Sunrise Movement: https://www.sunrisemovement.org Jump into a virtual welcome call for people interested in learning more about Sunrise Movement: https://www.mobilize.us/sunrisemovement/event/354486/ Read the transcript for this story: https://meditativestory.com/varshini-prakash/ Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 encounters, and a healthy helping of curiosity, makes Gretchen realize that maybe there isn't one path to happiness after all. That there's no right or wrong way to build a meaningful life, just the way that works for you. Learn more at https://gretchenrubin.com/ Find the Happier podcast at https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/ 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 https://meditativestory.com/gretchen-rubin/ Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 our solar system that produces the Spring Equinox. On our special planet we call home, we only experience two days per year where day and night measure equal length. For Rohan, the arrival of Spring is an opportunity to reflect on balance, on renewal, and yes, on the welcome perspective of being one speck of creation in this incredible, dynamic cosmos. Listen to Isabel Allende’s episode of Meditative Story, "From great loss, a great freedom": https://listen.meditativestory.com/IsabelAllendePIO. 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 is fully stripped away from them, they have to look inward to explore who they are — and the full range of identity available to them. Listen to Dallas Taylor's episode of Meditative Story, "I focus on sensations that ground me": https://listen.meditativestory.com/DallasTaylorPIO 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 in her life. And yet, at 80 years old, Isabel feels a lightness that contradicts the attachment she felt in her youth. In this episode, Isabel teaches us how the most unbearable losses can sometimes offer the most profound gift: the freedom to live a joyful, fearless life. Isabel's website: https://isabelallende.com/ Isabel's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allendeisabel/ Isabel's Twitter: https://twitter.com/isabelallende Isabel's episode on our sister podcast, Spark & Fire: https://sparkandfire.com/isabelallende/ 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 giving us glimpses into our limitless possibility. A magical high school English class and, later, an auspicious walk with the filmmaker Spike Lee give Chad two unforgettable windows to his creative flow. Turns out, by letting go of how others think he should be, Chad learns he can walk into every room as himself. This episode is a Signal Awards Silver winner for Best Individual Episode — Bedtime Podcast. Listen to Franklin Leonard’s episode of Meditative Story, "Writing the Main Character": https://listen.meditativestory.com/LeonardSandersep 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 Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 as well as membership in the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame. The Briton is also a two-time Guinness World Record Holder, in the longest-duration parachute jump (45 minutes) and the longest bungee cord jump (from a hot-air balloon just above 15,000 feet). In today’s Meditative Story, Curtis shares how his ability to visualize the path ahead became a key component to his success, and allowed him to forge a new future for himself along the way. Curtis now works primarily as a stunt coordinator and inspirational speaker. He is the author of The Fearless Path: What a Movie Stuntman’s Spiritual Path can Teach You about Success. Listen to Forrest Galante's Meditative Story "Adapting to life's unexpected nature": https://listen.meditativestory.com/ForrestGalantePIO Information on Curtis' book: https://www.curtisrivers.co.uk/the-book Curtis' Website: www.CurtisRivers.com Curtis' LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/curtisrivers/ 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: https://meditativestory.com/ Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgD See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.