Day of the Dead meditation: a celebration of life

Day of the Dead meditation: a celebration of life

Author: WaitWhat October 28, 2025 Duration: 16:06
On the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, we allow ourselves space for our memories and our grief about those we’ve lost — as well as for joy, and even humor, around the continuity between life and death. While many cultures try to tiptoe around death, the rituals of Día de Muertos ask us to look clearly at it, recognize death’s place in our lives, and honor both its everyday-ness and its mystery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s a particular kind of quiet that happens when a story pulls you in completely, and that’s the space where Meditative Story lives. Produced by WaitWhat, this series weaves extraordinary, personal narratives from all walks of life with gentle meditation prompts that arise naturally within the tale itself. It’s not a guided meditation followed by a story, or vice versa; the two are seamlessly blended, all set against an original score of breathtaking, cinematic music. The result feels less like a traditional mindfulness exercise and more like being transported into a deeply reflective state through the power of nuanced storytelling and immersive sound design. Listeners often find themselves returning to favorite episodes, discovering new layers of meaning or calm with each revisit. This podcast sits at a unique crossroads of human experience, touching on themes of society, culture, health, and spirituality without prescribing a single path. It’s an invitation to pause, to listen closely, and to find a moment of mental clarity within the flow of a compelling human story. The production values are intentionally high, making each episode a rich audio experience that supports both engagement and relaxation. For anyone curious about an alternative, narrative-driven approach to mindfulness, this series offers a resonant and beautifully crafted journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Meditative Story
Podcast Episodes
Learning to heal by learning to feel, by Niall Breslin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
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 Voi…
Rewrite your inner monologue, by Kim Fields [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:58
When the way we talk about our own bodies becomes negative and self-deprecating, it’s time to rewrite that inner monologue. Actress and director Kim Fields, star of The Facts of Life, Living Single, and the Netflix serie…
Joseph Goldstein: It's ok not to know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
Co-founder of Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and author of several popular books on Buddhism, Joseph Goldstein has been a legend in the world of mindfulness for nearly half a century. But when he returned to US from In…
Finding possibility in life’s forced pauses, by AD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:38
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…
Staying insightful, playful, and alert, by Rohan Gunatillake [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:06
This April Fool’s Day, Rohan embraces the sense of play that exists in all of us, designing a unique meditation to foster a feeling of alertness on this day of pranks. He then invites you to take on the mantle of the wis…
To swim in a sea of stars, by Eric Whitacre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:38
Choral music composer and conductor Eric Whitacre directs choirs around the globe, but as a kid in northern Nevada, he feels like the black sheep. He doesn’t know how to channel his endless energy to create meaningful co…
My monkey teacher, by Dr. Laurie Santos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:48
Psychology professor Dr. Laurie Santos is the host of The Happiness Lab podcast – and of Yale’s most popular course ever. (More than 3 million people have taken her "Science of Wellbeing" course online.) In this story, j…
I focus on sensations that ground me, by Dallas Taylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:28
Today, Dallas Taylor is a creative director and creator of the beloved podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz. But before this, he had another life – one that brought immense pressure. He shares the story of how he comes to reali…
Belonging can be found far from home, by Morgan Harper Nichols [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:07
Morgan Harper Nichols is a songwriter, poet, artist, and musician who was diagnosed with autism as an adult. Growing up, she yearns to see the wider world outside her rural home, and to embark on adventures like Bilbo Ba…
Jason Mraz: Finding the energy we need, all around us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:09
In 2009, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is having one of the busiest years of his life. A nonstop tour schedule and monotonous daily routine have completely drained him of the energy he needs to create…