Meditative Story Meditative Story

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 missing. In this episode of Meditative Story, Sara shares how she came to look inward, instead of outward, for richer feelings of worth. 

Sara Benincasa’s monthly podcast, "Well, This Isn't Normal," is about mental health and stress relief. Find it on Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher.

More about Sara Benincasa: 

Her website: SaraBenincasa.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/SaraJBenincasa

Find her weekly newsletter, Saratonin: SaraJBenincasa.Substack.com

She writes essays here: SaraJBenincasa.Medium.com

Sara’s Patreon includes the newsletter, access to private essays, and an exclusive weekly podcast: Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa

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/sarabenincasa

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.

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 work, and the loneliness that can arise at even the most joyful times of year. Notice them, name them, release them.

To learn more about the RAIN mindfulness technique – an acronym first coined by senior Buddhist teacher, Michele McDonald – visit Tara Brach’s website (you’ll see how Rohan’s version relates to Michele's original technique and Tara’s revised one): https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/#rainchange

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: www.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.

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 might know him as the voice of Remy in “Ratatouille”) shares a powerful story about how he slowly reclaimed his creative spirit after a tragedy that left him questioning everything. It’s a story of family, community, and connectedness, co-hosted by Rohan and Spark & Fire host June Cohen.

Listen to the full episode of Spark & Fire at sparkandfire.com.

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

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 acclaimed podcaster (New Mindset, Who Dis?), Case shares three stories from his early life about being wrong, and how he slowly learns what’s right for him. The key: Learning to see wrongness as a chance to re-examine who he is and what his right next step might be.

Find Case Kenny on Instagram: @case.kenny

Explore Case’s podcast: New Mindset, Who Dis

Case is the creator of mindfulness journals like The New Mindset Journal and But First, Inner Peace. 

AND: he’s the creator of the dance music x mindfulness show Zen Disco.

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/

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.

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 hiding a secret — one that only his family and a few close friends know: he’s slowly losing his sight. He shares a story about his struggles living with a degenerative eye disease and the lengths to which he would go to pretend he didn’t need help.

Listen to Tony Tjan’s episode of Meditative Story, "Learning resilience from earth's edge": http://listen.meditativestory.com/TonyTjan_WWs

Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexinwriting/

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/

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.

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. It’s a Soul Curriculum episode filled with wisdom and assurance that we too can accept our scars, and even learn to see the gifts they offer.

Listen to Florence Williams' full episode of Meditative Story, "To chase the sunset": https://listen.meditativestory.com/Florence2

Purchase Florence Williams' book, Heartbreak: http://www.florencewilliams.com/new-page

Or the audiobook here: https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobooks/heartbreak

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

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.