Sleep Song

After hearing the sound of a wind chime floating through his neighborhood, composer Eduardo Rivera is reminded of a stay in the mountain town of Idyllwild. "The house had these huge wind chimes, that I later learned are called 'King David's Wind Chimes.’ These chimes are larger, deeper, and more sonorous than the ones you typically imagine. They're also in a specific key, so they sound beautiful when you hear all the notes playing together. Because they're so big, you get really wonderful harmonic richness when they ring together and you start to hear overtones.” Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Created using a new musical software called Collage, today's Sleep Song begins with a chord like a question, as if asking whether it's alone in the universe. The response is soothing and celestial, elegant, a drone of chords, rippling out like ribbons of color in deep space photography. There's a quiet assertion in the synth voices, that we are are not alone and are always held safe. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today's Sleep Song is all about movement. Almost every track in this piece is constantly shifting with panning or through the use of an LFO (low frequency oscillator), creating a sense of undulation, motion, and flow, of coming and going. The strings are constantly moving, holding one note, but being bowed at different times and by different parts of the bow. The dynamics too are constantly in a gentle flux, creating an effect reminiscent of ocean waves perpetually lapping at carefully constructed sandcastles, resetting the scene again, and again, and again — an invitation to allow change to happen and to let go of what came before. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Inspired by surfer Garrett McNamara's episode of Meditative Story and his reflections on staring up at the clouds or, as he puts it, "waves in the sky", this piece reimagines the sounds of surf guitar as an unfurling ribbon of notes, echoing and looping over endless blue horizons. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. Music adapted from Garrett McNamara’s Meditative Story, "Embracing everything life has to offer": https://listen.meditativestory.com/hSO8X6ye 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Composer Eduardo Rivera shares, "I've been using a wonderful felt piano lately that sounds incredibly intimate. It's been my main instrument for our sister podcast Spark & Fire these last few months. The piano brings out a certain introspection in me, and I let this song evolve naturally. Not forcing anything. It starts with the first note that we're all taught on the piano, C. From there, the melody moves with a 3rd as the interval. While the 3rd packs so much genetic information about a chord (it determines whether the chord is major or minor), I find that it also has an unintrusive quality … like a passerby." Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Varshini Prakash’s Meditative Story, "Together, we move from fear to hope." Taken from the musical world of Varshini Prakash’s Meditative Story, this sleep song is built around a world of voices. Some melodic and distinguishable, others smeared and abstracted beyond recognition to create a sonic universe of the human voice to lull you to sleep. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Like the best part of an ’80s pop song, this Sleep Song celebrates the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, and answers the question: What would happen if a song like "Boys of Summer" was stretched like taffy and transformed into an extended soothing melody? The throughline of this piece stems from one sound, a chord reminiscent of pastel sunsets when you cycled until the dinner bell rang. From there, pads, bass, and those classic DX7 chimes will have you drifting off into nostalgic bliss. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Isabel Allende's Meditative Story, "From great loss, a great freedom." A quiet stirring of high strings is followed by an exhale of bass and cello. The grounding chords of a piano then lead to reverberant synth drones, like a sifting up of anything we've been carrying, followed by the assurance that we can put it all down ... let it all go. A soulful viola duet begins, a bittersweet melody, ascending and taking the weight from our shoulders. It's a haunting, rising conversation, both longing, and accepting, opening our hearts, making space for any feelings that arise. Next, a shimmering wash of drones and strings sets a new tone, a new space, acknowledging we can release what just was, until the duet begins again. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today's Sleep Song is an invitation to explore stillness. Picture yourself standing in a body of water and not wanting to create any ripples, gently centered, quiet, and surrounded by the seductive lulling of piano, synth, and delicate cymbal. Composer Eduardo Rivera shares, "I'm keenly aware that I rush too much. This song will hopefully serve as a gentle reminder to slow down. Breathe. Listen. Connect. Disconnect." Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Like a fuzzy shag carpet metronome, this Sleep Song begins with the metered pads of a synth rippling out, and reverberating to the edge of awareness. A reassuring celeste seems to voice that it's truly okay to let the day drift away, to let its joyful voice take you. Falling further in, the sounds move apart, separating from one another, and sliding out of sync. But the charming tintinnabulation of the celeste catches everything, gathering discord into slow drifts of assurance, encouraging a transition to deep rest. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Can you zoom in and notice the fine sounds of finger pads pressing keys, the piano's felted hammers making contact? Today's Sleep Song is an invitation to play with perspective. Written during a California rainstorm, it's a cozy blanket of comfort and hope for moments when the world is topsy-turvy. Kick drums, ride cymbal, and synth drones knit the piano's contemplative musings into a window-box scene, peering through glassy panes streaked with raindrops. Take refuge here as long as you need. Original music from Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Like the chime of Dickensian church bells, or the twinkling of a star high in the heavens, piercing the night sky, this Sleep Song opens with a sonic beacon. Synth pads sparkle and ignite, like dancing satellites, passing comets, and every point of light across the darkest night. The steady, shiny pulses radiate effervescently, lifting hearts, and calming neural networks, with the assurance that we will always find our way. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

For this week's Sleep Song, composer Eduardo Rivera experiments with generative synthesis, a concept in which digital sounds influence each other with very little human interaction. Chords swell and fall as they ride the wave of preceding notes, creating a surreal and dreamy Viva Magenta swirl of calming tones, like the marbling, iridescent trails of oil in rain puddles, with cymbal, kick drum, and piano laid out to complement this improvisational unfolding. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

When you’re too sleepy to turn the record over on the turntable, new melodies start to emerge from beyond the crackle of the vinyl. As the record spins slowly, it opens a doorway to a soft and nostalgic standup piano. Falling farther into the piano’s chords, we’re led to a cascading sheet of tones, fields of evening cricket call, a calming open drone … all in turn giving rise to muted mellow notes like a lullaby out of time. Original music from composers Ryan Holladay and Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Composer Eduardo Rivera tells us that he recorded this week's Sleep Song by time-stretching a ten-minute piano piece, leaving behind an overlay, like vellum gently settled over sepia-toned photos, or forgotten images on film reels suddenly brought to life again by projector light. The sound of the piano pedal, the sounds of the hammers hitting the strings, notes, air, everything is pulled out of time. Bells. cello, and chamber strings complement, creating a sense of hopeful remembering our sweetest memories can yield. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Warm, inviting tones, and the call of a piano's voice, announce it's time for tranquility and rejuvenation. Guided by light synth breezes and Una Corda, the sound of single string piano drenches the scene in a sea of cascading petals. The sound bath then dissolves into extended drones, collecting the day's fragments into unity, reverberating chords gathering our attention into a single soft focus. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

In today's Sleep Song, composer Eduardo Rivera follows the path of least intrusion, creating a synth sanctuary for weary bodies and minds. The Yamaha DX7 (an instrument made famous in the ’80s by the Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Level 42, Supertramp) takes center stage with its distinct tone, created by its unique frequency modulation synthesis. Attune your ear to the higher melodies, and you may notice a more glassy sound this kind of coalescence creates. Or … just float on the rolling current of tranquil vibes. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week's Sleep Song finds composer Eduardo Rivera going back to basics with his beloved old acoustic guitar. Says Eduardo, "I bought this guitar in 2009 for $200. I never meant to keep it for as long as I have. By all means, it's lived longer than it really should have. It's been on tour with me all over the U.S., all over Europe, I ran over part of it with a van accidentally, it's been stolen and later recovered at a pawn shop." In keeping with the theme of his well-worn guitar, this Sleep Song has a lo-fi quality, a transparency that says: everything is okay just as it is, our stories can come with us, the rough-and-tumble times as well as the triumphs, all blending together into a sweet, sweet song. As our composer says: "Sometimes it's nice to hear the imperfections. There's something comforting about it. Like hearing a story from a grandparent and appreciating their time-worn wisdom." Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

In a long hallway, curious echoing sounds leak through the walls; a piano's chords ground our footfall, assuring us we are not alone. Rainforest and jungle sounds manipulated into white noise pads call out from the periphery, until gentle cello takes us by the hand, leading us through the wilds beyond our seeing. Woodwinds and skipping synth say, "nothing is quite what it seems." We are in worlds within worlds, layer upon layer peeking through. A wash of reverb and keyboard melt the walls, the noise outside quickly hushed. A cradling bed of synth shines through, resetting the landscape, revealing the possibilities of this other world. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Pulsing rhythms and gauzy sonic breezes introduce this week's Sleep Song. Here, composer Eduardo Rivera experiments with what it means to feel a human connection to instruments that are completely digital. There is no wood, no metal in these instruments, they have never known air, they have never known touch — they are completely self-contained and completely isolated, yet this electronic world sings of tranquility and deep rest. What is our dance with this digital universe, and how will we chart these new landscapes? Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

An expectant thrum sets the tone, as the softest strings begin to slowly strum. With intentions of being the truest form of a lullaby, this Sleep Song is a duet between a Delta Wave binaural beat, known to enhance sleep, and the most diaphanous of voices. The delta wave acts as a constant pulse, much like the trusted tidal movement of the deepest ocean, as quiet and comforting voices sway in its sea, like sunlight streaming through underwater realms. Chamber strings and woods tiptoe throughout, laying down meditative motifs around the reassuring undercurrent. Original music from composer Hil Jaeger. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

For this Sleep Song, our composer Eduardo Rivera was wondering: At what point does something new feel familiar and comfortable? A piano motif floats through a bed of textures and accompanies us throughout the song. Over time the piano melody embeds itself into the backdrop of our consciousness, like the rhythmic pendulum swing of a grandfather clock, a gentle presence, the steady repetition inviting us to investigate other elements in the music. The reliable landscape feels comfortable now, with a deeper sense of familiarity, allowing us to still our mind and surrender. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Our composer, Ryan Holladay, writes: On a recent Sunday drive in East Los Angeles, I came upon an estate sale in my neighborhood of Mount Washington. As I rummaged through the items throughout the rooms, it became clear that this home had belonged to a meditation teacher as the house was full of Ram Dass LPs, bells, even a singing bowl. One item stuck out: a Magnus Electric Organ, which looked to be built in the 50's or 60's. It essentially pumps air like an electric accordion and allows you to play the notes like a keyboard. I purchased it for $30, brought it home, and set it up to record, running it through chorus and phaser pedals. But as I was recording it, the machine began to fade — certain notes became unreliable, even disappearing altogether and melting into the sound of the fan. The organ was failing. And as I played it, it struggled to maintain the integrity of the tones. At the end of the recording, I turned it off for the last time. It wouldn’t turn on again. This is a recording of this humble machine, at the end of its life, offering its peaceful sounds one last time. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Deep resounding cello opens a pathway to an unknown world, where violin, harp, and piano dance, where echos of gentle voices breathe sung revelations. Trembling strings build to crescendos, as if this new world waits eagerly for our arrival, our acceptance of this invitation. Underneath it all, the constant beat of two sine waves pulsing 98hz in your left ear and 100hz in your right, creating a delta wave. Feel it steady and massage the mind and heart, as glissandos of harp lighten and uplift, ground and regenerate. Original music from composer Hil Jaeger. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

An opening chord like warm rays of the sun greets us as soft flute duets with piano. The grounding thrum of stringed instruments, violins, cellos, violas, and contrabass, invites the heart space to open, while vintage Celeste and synth ebb and flow throughout the piece like ocean waves, whisking away the day. A slow build in pitch lifts off into wave upon wave of soundscape while bubbling arpeggios add levity and joy, as a wandering piano guides us on our journey into sleep. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Matthew Mercer’s Meditative Story, "The magic that ripples out when we share our passions with others." A pan-like flute sets an invitation to a world of possibility and wonders to explore. Delicate strings and open synth keys entice down a path unknown, toward verdant nooks and crannies that lay just around the corner of awareness. A soothing piano melody suggests that the day's tasks can be put aside for playful dreaming. Flutes rise in crescendo, and warm vibrations reveal lush and magical forest trails awaiting footfall. Spritely flutes call to the wise and knowing sense within, that we're safe, and seen, and heard. Repeating waves of looping bass and piano feel at once nostalgic and knowing, grounded in this moment. Trumpets hail all good hearts and are countered by an insistent piano melody reaching out across vast spaces. The returning synth theme nudges the young one within, eager to remind us we already know how to play. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Silvia Vasquez-Lavado’s Meditative Story, "Choosing compassion over conquest." Greeted by an ethereal choir, the soft echoing voices invoke a sloughing off of doubts and the revealing of untapped stores, a journey about to begin. The next movement yields an orchestral string section and waves of reverberating tones with a definitive piano theme, solidifying and grounding the listener in quiet confidence. Plucking bass and cello strings mimic carefully placed footsteps, to emphasize the precipices we reach with determination and time. Contemplative piano melodies duet with string-like synths, wrapping the song in the safety to reconsider our approach. An escalating crescendo mirrors ascent, while a penetrating piano theme asks us to stop, soften, and allow our heart's compassion to turn inwards, cradling suffering in kindness, and fostering a fresh way forward. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

A whimsical synth and piano line seems to recontextualize the day’s ups and downs, suggesting a more playful lens with which to frame the view. It’s a sunny, joyful melody, and a kind of nostalgic reminder that the child within is always available. We’re then met with an expansive sound wash, like the unveiling of a vista overlooking a vast shore of what might be. Shimmering synth samples and washed out tones introduce an entirely new celestial theme — leaving the known behind, as a slow flux of gauzy waveforms softly assert inner resolve. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

We're greeted by a deep sine wave, reminiscent of muted brass, like calls from mountaintop to mountaintop heralding the arrival of night. The introduction of a twinkling, percussive pulse grounds the body-mind. It's a quiet repetitive rhythm, the persistence of something hopeful in the midst of supporting open chords. Held by this foundation, synth vibrations, layered strings and cascading chimes undulate, folding in on themselves, opening the heart, kindling what's possible. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Warm, inviting tones, and the call of a piano's voice, announce it's time for tranquility and rejuvenation. Guided by light synth breezes and Una Corda, the sound of single string piano drenches the scene in a sea of cascading petals. The sound bath then dissolves into extended drones, collecting the day's fragments into unity, reverberating chords gathering our attention into a single soft focus. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

A quiet trembling begins, and something deep underground beginning to stir, while steady chords mirror the sun's encouraging rays warming the damp earth. Shakers, like the flight of winged insects and quiet rain, appear and recede. A refreshing wind of sound clears the scene, taking us to the misty exhalation of an inviting forest cave, as expansive drones encourage mental liberation and muscle melt. The stirring comes full circle, a reminder of all the promise awakening within, as warm, pulsing tones lead into blankets of reverb and comfort. Original music from composers Ryan Holladay and Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Austin Mao’s Meditative Story, "Peeling back these layers of my inner truth." We're met with a solo piano's lilting melody, strings joining in the spinning, circling tune, lifting the mind and spirit, ascending. Like visiting rehearsal rooms behind the curtain of everyday thoughts, we're guests to conversations between piano and violin, finding new ways to elevate each other's voices, and resolving into harmony and balance. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tremulous snare sounds and open notes gather the day's scattered thoughts, as a cello assures that it's time for new beauty, fresh unity of mind, and body. A new old memory of sloping panoramas, rolling fenced pastures, and worn dirt road, a place of comforting sunlight and abiding peace, where there's always enough time. Surreal porch chimes melt edges into watercolor blur, as the rising and falling of a harmonium mirrors the arrival and departure of each calm breath. The slow compression of organ pedals and joyful swells of strings, sax, and muted horns then paint the space with further reassurance of a restful night ahead. Original music from composers Ryan Holladay and Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

A celestial orchestra softly tunes, becoming the quietest invitation to coast across a wintry landscape of glassy crystalized sheets and aurora polaris glow. Piano trills joyously mimic the grace of figure skaters spiraling and sailing across a frozen forest lake. Looping guitars shift the panorama into a serene and contemplative journey through evergreen forest glades, while cheerful, spritely tones like twinkling lights guide the way to temple gongs and chimes suggesting deeper layers of inner grounding beneath the snowy scene. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Rev. Monique Ortiz’s Meditative Story, "The heart comes out at night." Sonorous cello, and lilting piano provide an invitation for an evening's dream stroll, as soft saxophones lull into a rhythmic lullaby. A midnight fanfare of expectant woodwinds drift us into soaring starlit cloud sky, finally resolving into quiet touchdown ... a space ripe for seedling worlds the heart can meet at night. Original music from composer Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Meredith Arthur’s Meditative Story, "Ignoring inner me." Greeted by a gentle piano, a melody conjuring childhood curiosity and innocence soon begins. Deepened by strings and open drones - the melody shifts to one of reflection and contemplation – like the coziest window nook on a rainy day. We’re then led into a world of ambient noises – the inner machinations of gray matter – made smooth with sampled guitar, uncoiling tensions, and inspiring deep rest. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

When you’re too sleepy to turn the record over on the turntable, new melodies start to emerge from beyond the crackle of the vinyl. As the record spins slowly, it opens a doorway to a soft and nostalgic standup piano. Falling farther into the piano’s chords, we’re led to a cascading sheet of tones, fields of evening cricket call, a calming open drone … all in turn giving rise to muted mellow notes like a lullaby out of time. Original music from composers Ryan Holladay and Eduardo Rivera. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

A slowly rising sonic wave is met by the call of a single piano key, awakening a chorus of gentle wind instruments. Massaging tonal pulses dance along behind a winding piano, from which the sound space resolves into new vistas – the quiet voice of a peaceful stream – a cleansing cascade of shimmering tones, bathing the space in serenity, while a solo flute sets evening wishes aloft. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Dr. Marla Spivak’s Meditative Story, "How the bees saved me." Above a bed of colorful strings, a sprightly piano picks its way, moving through a bright melody. Others join, moving in harmony to create a web of busy, happy sound. The melody moves through into a musical wash of strings and heartbeat drums, carrying us to a wider, yet still deeply connected, space of peace and deep thought. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III’s Meditative Story, "America’s jam session." An hour of music that moves from action to contemplation, from solo sounds to ensemble magic. A jazz combo comes together on the fly, each instrument – piano, harp, bass, and more – playing a singular part in a gently energizing tune that shifts from jazz-club swing to a nightclub groove. The instruments are joined by a glorious human voice, as the music coalesces into a shimmering chorus that channels the energy of each instrument and allows the tune to travel to a place of reflection and rest. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Bishop Mariann Budde's Meditative Story, "Three moments of clarity across the arc of a life." This spacious hour of music is anchored by a mellow piano line that repeats and varies, twists and turns. Clouds of sound drift across the melody, pulling in and out of focus, creating a sense of movement in a direction yet to be known. A gentle rumble of low tones begins a passage that evokes the global palette of sacred music, from singing bowls to devotional organ, creating a space made expressly for contemplation. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Robin Arzón's Meditative Story, "Even a superhero starts with small steps." As the music begins, a bed of synths and strings creates a quiet starting point for this composition that mixes gentle rhythm and wide-open sonic space. Shakers and subtle percussion move the music along at a soft, steady trot, propelling forward to meet a chorus of violins that lift a bright melody. Rich, chiming electronic sounds connect and diverge, loop and stretch, like electric wires high above the roadside as you pass by. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Joel McHale’s Meditative Story, "One beating heart." As our Sleep Song begins, a lilting melody on guitar plays against a chorus of delicately ringing celesta and chimes. The sound of a singing bowl cues in a mood of reflection, introducing a passage of swirling synth lines. The mood of the music smoothly alternates between bright and quiet, as between scenes of action and scenes of reflection, each in turn, before we move into a contemplative space of piano and glowing synths, where notes and chimes drift in and out as the mind grows quiet. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Omar Wasow’s Meditative Story, "Getting unstuck, reframing the question." In this quiet gathering of sounds, a soulful chorus of voices and guitar vibes play above a gentle bed of echoes. As the music progresses, a synth line rises ever so slowly into a bright open soundscape, creating a space for slow realizations and spacious thoughts. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Majora Carter’s Meditative Story, "Do great things – and take your flowers." As our dream scene opens, a quiet piano theme evokes a feeling of childlike curiosity – looking this way and that, walking slowly, lightly, with no destination in mind. A subtle wash of synthesizer mimics the clouds drifting overhead in the blue sky. The dream scene shifts into a relaxed groove, with a chatty piano line and brushy cymbals, creating a rhythm as we walk along. As in a dream, we pause, contemplate the sky, then keep moving down the sidewalk on this perfect day. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Wayne Little’s Meditative Story, "A nurse's story." This sweeping composition begins with a single piano describing a plainspoken melody. As the piano strums along, synth effects join the sonic field, creating small slivers of space to reflect on the passage of time forward and backward. More musical voices begin to join in: rich bells chiming, beds of strings creating a wash of quiet drama. The composition returns again to this simple melody on piano, now joined by more voices, complementary sounds that draw together in this shared space. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Stephen Wilkes’s Meditative Story, "What's most vital is right in front of me." A movable feast of sound, this Sleep Song mixes a gently rippling synth melody with piano pauses and bright sprays of harp and strings, perhaps evoking the motion of the African savannah as animals large and small, walking and flying, move across a landscape as old as time. As the scene changes, a cello theme evokes an early-morning scene on a city street, following the sun as it begins to move across stone facades. In another scene, intimate piano makes way for synths that evoke the anonymous bustle of a public gathering, or a rippling field of flags. Scene follows scene as the music threads through your dreamscape. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Florence Williams’s Meditative Story, "To chase the sunset." Shimmering strings hover above a quiet piano line, evoking the wide sky and far horizons of the Oklahoma plains, and creating a spacious music that allows room to pause and breathe. Gliding harps come in, holding a conversation with voice lines as they explore and embellish a simple theme, questions and variations playing one after another. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Nate Berkus’s Meditative Story, "Designing your space in the world." After a short welcome from Rohan, the listener enters a musical landscape inspired by a curious young collector. Linked by a quiet piano theme, the music wanders from sound to sound, exploring potential in airy synths, organic found sounds and the many timbres of the human voice – from a soaring chorus to an intimate whisper. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Tri Robinson’s Meditative Story, "To walk the Earth." Inspired by our storyteller's morning ride through a wide-open valley in the American West, the music in this Sleep Song begins with a gentle, ambling melody on guitar, recalling a half-remembered folk tune as the music walks along through familiar, beloved country. Every so often a pause, a shift from guitar to an airy synth, offers space to marvel at the beauties of the landscape passing by. Synths with bright, celestial tones recall the morning stars above – and the expanse of the universe beyond. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Krista Tippett’s Meditative Story, "I let go of my plan — and found myself." A piano melody echoes over water, evoking a voyage across the sparkling ocean and over the wall into a quiet garden. Synths and a chorus of human voices soar by like a breeze above the patient piano theme that holds the center of this calm green island in a warm sea. The music pauses on a subtle chord, creating an open space, before gathering itself into an urbane piano melody, playing gentle bluesy changes across a contemplative landscape. The music modulates into quiet waves of peaceful synths as you drift away. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Shea Hembrey's Meditative Story, "Trust the world to show its goodness." After a short welcoming meditation from Rohan, the music begins, evoking the sounds of an early fresh-aired country morning, dew on the branches, bare feet running on green grass, light and birds flaring and soaring in the sky. Piano and harp play in bright patterns, echoed by a sprightly theme played on folk instruments. Voice and strings join in a gentle chorus as the music transitions into a quiet space of dreams and contemplations, where simple piano lines, like slow waves, roll in and out. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Michelle Thaller's Meditative Story, "Finding meaning in the vastness of the universe." As Rohan invites you to prepare for rest, a still, small piano theme begins to play, quietly echoing, sounding vulnerably human. As this theme fades, a sweep of cosmic sounds leap and bound into the soundscape, suggesting the glitter of infinite space, a progression of sounds and colors beyond our knowing. A low, tender theme that suggests love and longing blends these two moods, the warmly human and the cosmic, as the music moves us through time. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Moj Mahdara’s Meditative Story, "Standing in my own truth." As this Sleep Song begins, a simple musical theme evokes lost melodies from another time and place, then slowly expands, adding voices in layers, to create a sense of open space and possibility. Listen for the small musical questions being asked by quiet strings and synths, then explored and answered by harp and piano. It's music that invites you to think deeply on a question of your own as the themes play against one another other, moving in and out of the foreground as question follows answer follows question. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Music adapted from Sam Harris’s Meditative Story, "Finding happiness amid the ordinary collisions of life." As the Sleep Song begins, you’ll hear a searching, questioning synth line playing over a wash of tones, resolving into a chorus of human voice. Smooth electronic sounds blend with curious woodwind, harp and pizzicato string passages that disperse, recombine and settle again. As the music evolves, the tones become quieter, rounder, and more contemplative — creating space for the opening passages to ripen and resolve themselves. Original music from composer Ryan Holladay. 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. Find Meditative Story wherever you listen to podcasts.