A Meditation Scientist Changes My Mind

A Meditation Scientist Changes My Mind

Author: Pushkin Industries June 19, 2023 Duration: 46:33

After a life-changing experience in India, Dr. Richie Davidson tried to convince his Harvard professors to let him study the science of meditation. No one took him seriously. Half a century later, Richie has measured the undeniable impact of meditation on our brains. And here’s the good news for people who know the benefits of meditation but struggle to actually do it: you don't need to carve out separate time for a practice. Richie walks Maya through how to integrate meditation into daily activities.

For more on Richie’s work, check out his book “Altered Traits" and learn more at the Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations.

And if you enjoyed this episode, we recommend this one from the archives: “Maya’s Slight Change in Perspective.”

For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, follow @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Life has a way of rewriting our scripts, often when we least expect it. A Slight Change of Plans, from Pushkin Industries, sits with that universal truth through conversations that feel both intimate and expansive. Hosted by cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar, the podcast is shaped by her own pivotal shift-a violin career ended by injury, which led her to professionally examine how we process transformation. Each episode moves beyond theory, featuring deeply personal stories from a wide range of guests who share their own encounters with upheaval. What you’ll hear isn’t just about resilience, but the nuanced science and practical strategies that can help anyone navigate a redirected path. It’s this thoughtful blend of human experience and grounded research that earned the series Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year. Listening feels like gaining a wiser friend, one who helps you reframe life’s unexpected turns not as disasters, but as complex chapters in a continuing story. The podcast ultimately explores how our identities adapt, how we find meaning, and how even the most disruptive changes can lead to growth we never planned for.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 182

A Slight Change of Plans
Podcast Episodes
Sneak Peek: Season 4 of A Slight Change of Plans! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:30
A Slight Change of Plans returns next week with guests who will help us think differently about change so we can live happier, more fulfilling lives. Here's a sneak peek of the upcoming season! You can follow the show at…
A Conversation About A Slight Change of Plans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:42
Hi Slight Changers! We’re back at the end of this month with Season 4 of A Slight Change of Plans! In the meantime, we wanted to share a very special conversation Maya had with Max Linsky for his podcast, Longform. Maya…
The Thai Cave Rescue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:51
Dr. Richard "Harry" Harris is an anesthesiologist and expert cave diver who was tasked with a seemingly impossible mission: to rescue a boys' soccer team trapped 2.5 miles deep within a flooded cave in Thailand. He talks…
Lessons From a Grief Therapist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:46
Julia Samuel is one of the world’s leading grief therapists. She joins Maya to talk about why it’s important to engage with our grief, and offers strategies for how to do that.You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on…
Losing Dixie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:49
Quinn Lewis’ sister Dixie was 19 years old when she tragically died in a car accident. In the months that followed Dixie’s death, Quinn was left to grieve the loss of her little sister and the future relationship she had…
The Science of Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:26
Dr. Dixon Chibanda, a psychiatrist in Zimbabwe, has been on a mission for years to help people gain access to mental healthcare in his community, where there's only one psychiatrist for every 1.5 million people. To bridg…
Captured in North Korea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:20
Korean-American journalist Euna Lee was captured by North Korean soldiers in 2009, and forced into captivity for 140 days. While Euna’s time in North Korea was harrowing, there was one aspect of her experience that surpr…
How Psychedelics Can Change Our Minds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:57
Author Michael Pollan chats with Maya about the science of psychedelics — what’s going on in our brains that give rise to the extraordinary experiences people describe. Michael also gives us a glimpse into his personal e…
Life After Surviving Stage-Four Cancer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
When we first talked to Scott (E10 “The Life-Changing Diagnosis”), he was in the midst of treatment for stage four bone cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Since then, he has successfully completed his treatmen…
Turning the Page with Well-Read Black Girl [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:06
Sharing a sneak preview of Pushkin's new show, Well-Read Black Girl. Glory Edim started the Well-Read Black Girl book club in 2015, and since then it's exploded into a passionate, worldwide reading community. She aims to…