Meditative Story

Mindfulness podcast
Podcast
Meditative Story
Presentation
Hosted byRohan Gunatillake
GenreMeditation / Society & Culture
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Production
No. of seasons6 (as of August 9, 2023)
No. of episodes100+
Publication
Original releaseJuly 2019
ProviderWaitWhat
Related
Websitemeditativestory.com

Meditative Story is a podcast that combines first-person storytelling, mindfulness prompts and original cinematic music, to create a unique listening experience.[1][2][3] It is owned and produced by WaitWhat, the media company founded and led by former TED executives, Deron Triff and June Cohen. The first three seasons were created in partnership with Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company led by Arianna Huffington and Dan Katz.[2] Variety describes Meditative Story as “part first-person narrative podcast and part guided meditation.” [4] The podcast is hosted by Rohan Gunatillake and has featured guests such as On Being’s Krista Tippett, A Slight Change of Plans’ Maya Shankar, travel writer Pico Iyer, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, journalist and amateur boxer Thomas Page McBee, award-winning writer Isabel Allende, comedian Tig Notaro, Grammy award-winning composer and musician Terence Blanchard, actor Randall Park, musician and Leinster Rugby player Niall Breslin, NASA astronomer Michelle Thaller, Peloton exercise instructor Robin Arzón, and MOMA curator Paola Antonelli, among others.[5]

History

The idea for Meditative Story originated with the show's executive producer Deron Triff, who told Forbes “[We're] big believers in storytelling as a vehicle to transform people’s lives... We wanted to blend the storytelling experience with tools and strategies for mindfulness and wellness. Our first call went to Arianna and her team, and we embarked on this venture together." Huffington described the series as “a response to a deep cultural need in our hyper sped up world to have a moment to recharge."[2]

The first episode of Meditative Story, featuring author and surgeon Lucy Kalanithi, aired on July 29, 2019.

In 2021, the team behind Meditative Story launched a spinoff audio series, Meditative Story: Sleep Song, which is available in the Meditative Story podcast feed.

In 2022, the show was distributed by public media organization PRX's Dovetail publishing platform; PRX also provided sponsorship and promotional support.[6]

Format

In each classic episode of Meditative Story a different guest narrates a personal story about a time and place where everything changed for them. All of the stories reflect on a broad theme, like friendship, discovery or loss. The stories are scored with original music, and punctuated by mindfullness prompts from the host Rohan Gunatillake, who also ends each episode with a guided meditation.[7]

The brief mindfulness prompts, which are inserted directly into the narrative, invite listeners to observe and reflect on the details of the scenes and moments the storyteller is describing. And the original sound design for each episode is composed to complement the storyteller’s narrative.

There are also meditation episodes which solely feature host Rohan Gunatillake, who walks listeners through a meditation centered on a specific theme, topic or event.

Meditative Story: Sleep Song was created as a “dream score” - a bedtime experience born out of the positive feedback from listeners about the original music composed for the podcast. The immersive melodies from each Meditative Story episode are used to create these custom music-only soundtracks, which are available on the Meditative Story podcast feed.

Episodes

Season 1
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
1 Lucy Kalanithi Learning to see things as they are 7/30/2019
2 Pico Iyer A home that had been waiting for me forever 8/2/2019
3 Arianna Huffington Life and love and the moment 8/6/2019
4 Larry Jackson To visualize ... and then make it so 8/13/2019
5 Michelle Thaller Finding meaning in the vastness of the universe 8/20/2019
6 Dan Harris Building a bond with my son 8/27/2019
7 Thomas Page McBee Fighting my fears – and winning in spite of losing 9/3/2019
8 Krista Tippett What we discover when we're not looking 9/10/2019
9 John Moore The perfect photograph I never took 9/17/2019
10 Danny Meyer How to find – and feed – your passion 9/24/2019
11 Jane McGonigal Finding my own reflection 10/1/2019
12 Peter Sagal Hitting the open road to find my way home 10/8/2019
13 Josh Radnor Finding permission to pursue my own dreams 10/15/2019
14 Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Navigating life in my own skin 10/22/2019
15 Hannah Brencher One envelope at a time 10/29/2019
16 Stephen Kuusisto Allowing sound to reveal life’s wonder 11/5/2019
17 Catherine Reitman Surrendering my old identity — and finding myself 11/14/2019
18 Keith Yamashita Starting the story of my life again 11/19/2019
19 Moj Mahdara Standing in my own truth 11/26/2019
20 Siri Hustvedt Learning to see what is in front of me 12/3/2019
21 Susan David Creating space to stand in truth 12/10/2019
22 A.J. Jacobs Acting as if you are bold 12/17/2019
23 Sinéad Burke Finding a way in 1/7/2020
24 Reid Hoffman Through friendship, a better version of myself 1/13/2020
25 DeRay Mckesson Making humanity appear, magically 1/20/2020
26 Paola Antonelli Riding waves 1/27/2020
Season Two
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
27 Jay Shetty Learn to see the layers in everyone 3/2/2020
28 Lindsey Stirling Stories my father told me 3/10/2020
29 Forrest Galante Adapting to life's unexpected nature 3/17/2020
30 Shea Hembrey Trust the world to show its goodness 4/4/2020
31 Carl Safina Loving our living world 4/14/2020
32 Jule Hall Changing the soundtrack of our lives 4/22/2020
33 Thomas Chatterton Williams When words fail 4/28/2020
34 Lehua Kamalu Tracking the path of the sun 5/13/2020
35 Andrew Bird Listening to the space around you 5/20/2020
36 Elizabeth Lesser Giving birth to a wiser self 5/27/2020
37 Gretchen Rubin It's ok to be wrong 6/10/2020
38 Judith Grisel A more spacious response to life 6/17/2020
39 Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III Finding unity, through our differences 6/24/2020
40 Angela Ahrendts Creating my own sanctuary 7/8/2020
41 Donald Miralle Where the water takes me 7/15/2020
42 Shawn Colvin What my father gave me 7/22/2020
43 Wajahat Ali Have faith, but tie your camel first 7/29/2020
44 Lang Lang Lang Lang: The teacher who asked a new question 8/19/2020
45 Jennifer 8. Lee That thing I'm missing is what makes me happy 9/2/2020
46 Mickey Guyton Lean into your uniqueness 9/9/2020
47 Waddie Mitchell A cowboy’s rules for living 9/16/2020
48 Ghuan Featherstone Discovering the path to honor 9/23/2020
49 Cal Ripken Jr. Showing up is never an end in itself 10/7/2020
50 Ginger Zee I'm not just observing the winds, I'm riding them 10/14/2020
Season Three
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
51 Stephen Wilkes What's most vital is right in front of me 12/9/2020
52 Nadia Owusu Home will be with me wherever I go 12/16/2020
53 Kaya Henderson Nothing beats a failure but a try 12/23/2020
54 Diana Nyad I couldn't have done it a fingernail better 1/6/2021
55 Jai Punjabi Twenty-one meals with my family, in seven days 1/14/2021
56 Nalini Nadkarni The stuff I'm here to study: Life on life on life 1/20/2021
57 David Duchovny Some lessons take years to sink in 1/27/2021
58 Aasif Mandvi Getting out of my own head 2/10/2021
59 Sam Harris Finding happiness amid the ordinary collisions of life 2/17/2021
60 Adam Grant The fear never goes away. But it can be tamed. 2/24/2021
61 Nate Berkus Designing your space in the world 3/10/2021
62 Florence Williams To chase the sunset 3/24/2021
63 Franklin Leonard Writing the main character 4/2/2021
64 Majora Carter Do great things – and take your flowers 4/8/2021
65 Michael Imperioli Having the courage to create 4/15/2021
66 David Whyte We become the places we love 4/22/2021
67 Omar Wasow Getting unstuck, reframing the question 5/6/2021
68 Tony Tjan Learning resilience from earth's edge 5/13/2021
69 Scott Nicholson Alright after a fateful night 5/19/2021
70 Max Richter Music, memory, moments 5/27/2021
71 Tri Robinson To walk the Earth 6/2/2021
72 Robert Reich The accounting of this parenting business 6/17/2021
73 S.G. Goodman What holds the world together 6/24/2021
74 Wayne Little A nurse's story 6/30/2021
Season Four
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
75 Joel McHale Appreciating life's random miracles 8/18/2021
76 Laurie R. Santos My monkey teacher 8/25/2021
77 Kaywin Feldman Derailed by beauty 9/1/2021
78 Robin Arzón Do big things one step at a time 9/8/2021
79 Randall Park The Hollywood version doesn't go like this 9/15/2021
80 Mariann Budde It doesn't have to be this hard 9/22/2021
81 Russ Ellis The call of the life that wasn't 9/29/2021
82 Andrew Rea Living into my true self 10/4/2021
83 Milana Vayntrub Learning to love my long-distance dad 10/6/2021
84 Dr. Marla Spivak How the bees saved me 10/13/2021
85 Rev. Monique Ortiz The heart comes out at night 10/28/2021
86 Steve Almond My roads diverging 11/3/2021
87 Meredith Arthur Ignoring inner me 11/12/2021
88 Courtney E. Martin Finding her to find me 12/1/2021
89 Austin Mao Peeling back these layers of my inner truth 12/14/2021
90 Beth Lisick Who is leading who? 12/23/2021
91 Vanessa Hua From dark times come new discoveries 1/5/2022
92 Gracia Maria Magic is a serious business 1/28/2022
93 Keith Ferrazzi The human truth underneath our armor 2/3/2022
Season Five
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
94 Jacob Sartorius I take a breath. I buy myself a moment. 3/9/2022
95 Fred Minnick Experiencing the world through my senses 3/16/2022
96 Morgan Saylor Trusting love’s infinite possibilities 3/23/2022
97 Al Harris Celebrating a life beyond the score 3/30/2022
98 Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Discover the power of self-compassion 4/6/2022
99 Kristin Windbigler We're doing this thing together 4/22/2022
100 Chad Sanders Finding my flow state 4/28/2022
101 Matthew Mercer The magic that ripples out when we share our passions with others 5/12/2022
102 Isha Sesay Forging my own path 5/19/2022
103 Dallas Taylor I focus on sensations that ground me 5/28/2022
104 Gordana Biernat A funny rush of surprise 6/8/2022
105 Sharon Salzberg How I found kindness as my compass 6/24/2022
106 Hrishikesh Hirway Giving myself permission to create 6/30/2022
107 Maya Shankar The joy of being an unwilling traveler through life 7/14/2022
108 Morgan Harper Nichols Belonging can be found far from home 7/23/2022
109 Steven Ho The magic beyond our boundaries 7/29/2022
110 Henry Shukman What deep listening unlocks for me 8/19/2022
111 Nataly Dawn My battle as a beginner opens up a world of wonder 8/26/2022
112 Lex Gillette To be seen on my own terms 9/1/2022
113 Joe Wicks Racing toward passion and away from fear 9/8/2022
114 Carla Hall My year of play 9/15/2022
115 Mark Nepo On board with my dad 9/22/2022
116 Kino MacGregor My grandfather the Aikido master 9/29/2022
117 Shani Tran Mud, sweat, and tears 10/13/2022
118 Rachel Cargle My side hustle to a better life 11/3/2022
119 Alex Morris Dancing on my own 11/10/2022
Season Six
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
120 Case Kenny Notes to self 11/17/2022
121 Sara Benincasa The last laugh 12/1/2022
122 Tom Mustill The beetle and the whale 12/8/2022
123 Cristina Mittermeier When the sharks start to circle 12/22/2022
124 Timothy Shriver Changing the game 1/5/2023
125 Eric Whitacre To swim in a sea of stars 1/12/2023
126 Jade Bowler Finding magic in the quiet moments 1/26/2023
127 Hannah Cross The power of a simple loving presence 2/9/2023
128 Curtis Rivers Making adjustments in free fall 2/16/2023
129 Isabel Allende From great loss, a great freedom 3/2/2023
130 AD Finding possibility in life’s forced pauses 3/9/2023
131 Varshini Prakash Together, we move from fear to hope 3/23/2023
132 Zuri Adele How I connect to my unique place in history 3/30/2023
133 Bakari Sellers Reducing anxiety 24 hours at a time 4/6/2023
134 Chip Conley The secret to aging well 4/18/2023
135 Felix Barrett There’s beauty in breaking the rules 5/3/2023
136 Terence Blanchard Reaching our full potential is not a solo act 5/9/2023
137 Niall Breslin Learning to heal by learning to feel 5/16/2023
138 Tig Notaro There’s more than one way to get there 5/23/2023
139 Garrett McNamara Embracing everything life has to offer 6/6/2023
140 Jason Mraz Finding the energy we need, all around us 6/13/2023
141 Duff Goldman Speaking without words 6/20/2023
142 Meredith Goldstein Letting go of the need to do it all 7/5/2023
143 Soledad O’Brien Seeing the potential in others and ourselves 7/11/2023
144 Leila Day Learning to share our honest, imperfect stories 7/20/2023
144 Zoe Lister-Jones Finding your voice when you need it the most 8/8/2023
Season Seven
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
145 Eddie Huang There’s nobody like you 8/15/2023
146 Rohan Gunatillake The spaces that give our lives meaning 8/17/2023
147 Kathryn Nicolai Asking for what we need 8/22/2023
148 Rohan Gunatillake Getting curious about how we learn 8/24/2023
149 Andrea Gibson Let your body be the guide 8/29/2023
150 Adam Grant Practice taming your fear 9/5/2023
151 Tamron Hall Give yourself permission to believe 9/12/2023
152 Martha Beck Letting our hearts take the lead 9/19/2023
153 Jessamyn Stanley You are enough, messiness and all 9/26/2023
154 Rohan Gunatillake Calming the mind and body for sleep 9/28/2023
155 Joseph Goldstein It's ok not to know 10/3/2023
156 Carla Hall The power of play 10/10/2023
157 Rohan Gunatillake Embrace a life full of possibility 10/17/2023
158 Indy Officinalis How the natural world connects us all 10/19/2023
159 Louie Schwartzberg Cherishing every moment in time 10/25/2023
160 Rohan Gunatillake A trick for finding warmth and comfort 10/30/2023
161 Mirna Valerio The strength we seek is all around us 11/7/2023
162 Rohan Gunatillake Small acts of kindness for ourselves and others 11/9/2023
163 Kim Fields Rewrite your inner monologue 11/14/2023
164 Diana Nyad Giving life everything we’ve got 11/21/2023
165 What kindness means to us - 11/28/2023
166 Suneel Gupta Embrace every part of yourself 12/5/2023
167 Matthieu Ricard Let the symphony of life unfold all around you 12/12/2023
Season Eight
Episode Storyteller Title Airdate
168 Rohan Gunatillake Feeling safe, sound, and at peace while you travel 12/14/2023
169 Rohan Gunatillake New beginnings, endless possibilities 12/28/2023
170 Jon Foreman Creative potential is everywhere 1/9/2024
171 Dr. Kwane Stewart Rediscover the roots of your joy 1/16/2024


Reception & Awards

Meditative Story has received strong praise from Variety,[4] Forbes,[2] Wired,[7] The Today Show,[3] CBC Radio[8] and others. Forbes describes it as "a completely new kind of listening experience that blends intimate first-person stories with mindfulness prompts, enveloped in beautiful music composition.”[2] It was named one of the Top Podcasts of 2019 by Canada's CBC Radio[8]

Awards
Award Year Category Recipient Reslt Ref.
Webby 2024 Best Original Music Score / Sound Design Ep: "From great loss, a great freedom" by Isabel Allende Won [9]
Webby 2024 Best Featured Guest Ep: "From great loss, a great freedom" by Isabel Allende Honoree [9]
Webby 2023 Best Episode, Health & Wellness Ep: "Heading halfway around the world to find myself" by Morgan Harper Nichols Nominated [10]
Best Individual Episode Honoree [10]
Best Episode, Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle Ep: "The joy of being an unwilling traveler through life" by Maya Shankar Nominated [11]
Best Episode, Lifestyle Ep: "Finding magic in the quiet moments" by Jade Bowler Honoree [12]
Signal Best Bedtime Podcast Ep: "Finding My Flow State", by Chad Sanders Won
Best Driveway Moment Podcast Choosing compassion over conquest, by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Nominated
Best Health & Wellness Podcast Meditative Story: Learning to heal by learning to feel, By Niall Breslin Won [13]
Best Self-Improvement & Self-Help Podcast From great loss, a great freedom by Isabel Allende Won [14]
2022 Best Individual Episode: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Writing the Main Character, by Franklin Leonard Won [15]
Best Individual Episode: Religion & Spirituality Sharon Salzberg: How I Found Kindness as My Compass Won [16]
Best Commute Podcast Robert Reich: The Accounting of This Parenting Business Won [17]
Best Individual Episode: Health & Wellness I Focus on Sensations That Ground Me, by Dallas Taylor Won [18]
Most Inspirational Podcast Meditative Story Won [19]
Most Innovative Audio Experience Won [19]
Best Religion & Spirituality Podcast Won [19]
Best Episode, Health and Wellness Ep: "Finding My Flow State", by Chad Sanders Won [20]
Webby Best Episode in Television and Film Ep: "The Hollywood version doesn’t go like this" by Randall Park Won [21]
Best Episode in Health & Wellness Won [21]
Best Individual Episode Eps: "When the student is ready, the master will be long gone" by David Duchovny and "One beating heart" by Joel McHale Honoree [22]
Best Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Podcast Robin Arzón on Meditative Story: Even a superhero starts with small steps Honoree [23]
Best Individual Episode - Television & Film Meditative Story Nominated
Ambie Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast Nominated [24]
2021 Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast Nominated [25]
Webby Best Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Podcast Honoree [26]
Best Individual Episode, Arts and Culture Ep: "America’s Jam Session" by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III Honoree Cite
Best Individual Episode, DEI Ep: "Discovering the path to honor" by Ghuan Featherstone Honoree Cite
Best Arts & Culture Podcast Pastor Otis Moss Honoree [27]
2020 Best Health, Wellness, & Lifestyle podcast Meditative Story Honoree [28]

References

  1. ^ Robinson Ph.D., Bryan E. (2020-05-13). "Meditative Story: A New Type of Mindfulness Meditation". Psychology Today.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bryan, Robinson (August 1, 2019). "'Meditative Story': Arianna Huffington And Deron Triff's New Approach To Mindfulness". Forbes. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "'Meditative Story': New podcast helps you stay mindful". The Today Show. August 14, 2019. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Spangler, Todd (July 31, 2019). "Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global Teams With Former TED Execs for Mindfulness Podcast Series". Variety. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Meditative Story on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Feb 4, 2020. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Spangler, Todd (12 January 2022). "Siegfried & Roy Podcast From Apple TV Plus Uncovers Duo's Private History (Podcast Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b Myerson, Collier (Aug 16, 2019). "Anxiously Seeking the Perfect Anti-Anxiety App". Wired Magazine. Retrieved Feb 4, 2020.
  8. ^ a b CBC Staff (December 20, 2019). "Best of 2019: Podcasts we loved this year". CBC Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corp). Retrieved Feb 9, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "2024 Webby Award: Best Original Music Score / Sound Design". The Webby Awards. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Heading halfway around the..." Webby Awards.
  11. ^ "The joy of being an unwilling..." Webby Awards.
  12. ^ "Finding magic in the quiet..." Webby Awards.
  13. ^ "Individual Episodes that examine health and..." Signal Awards.
  14. ^ "Self-Improvement & Self-Help". Signal Awards.
  15. ^ "Individual Episodes that aims to..." Signal Awards.
  16. ^ "Sharon Salzberg: How I Found Kindness As My Compass". Signal Awards.
  17. ^ "Individual Episodes that are the..." Signal Awards.
  18. ^ "Individual Episodes that examine health and..." Signal Awards.
  19. ^ a b c "Shows devoted to religious or spiritual topics". Signal Awards.
  20. ^ "Individual Episodes whose topics..." Signal Awards.
  21. ^ a b "The Hollywood version doesn't go like..." Webby Awards.
  22. ^ "David Duchovny: When the student is ready..." Webby Awards.
  23. ^ "Podcasts Health & Wellness 2022". Webby Awards.
  24. ^ "2022 Winners & nominees". The Ambies.
  25. ^ "2021 Winners & nominees". The Ambies® — Awards for Excellence in Audio.
  26. ^ "Podcasts, Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Honoree, 2021". Webby Awards.
  27. ^ "Arts & Culture (Ind. Episodes) 2021". Webby Awards.
  28. ^ "Health, Wellness & Lifestyle 2020". Webby Awards.

External links

  • Official website