The counterintuitive approach to life that Lee Holden calls the Slow Method has an immediate power to decrease your stress levels, boost your energy, and improve your overall health and well-being in remarkable, seemingly miraculous ways. But why is it so hard for us to slow down, even when we understand intellectually how ineffective and miserable…

Imagine how our world would change if all of our actions were rooted in love and compassion. Is that even possible? In this podcast, Tami Simon sits down with Dr. Cortland Dahl, the renowned Buddhist scholar, translator, scientist, researcher, and author of several books including his newest, A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism, to discuss how compassi…

Can you recall an experience from your past that felt simply awful at the time, but you now see as something positive and necessary for your personal growth? When we’re in the midst of a painful situation, it’s natural for us to resist, complain, or wish it would just go away. The last thing we want to hear from someone is, “Be grateful for this le…

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is at the forefront of a historic expansion in the field of contemplative science—or the study of inner practices like meditation, prayer, and mindfulness. Until recently, researchers have primarily focused on major religious traditions such as Buddhism or Christianity. Today, Dr. Celidwen is bringing the long-overdue perspective…

Our understanding of the human nervous system has grown exponentially in recent years, thanks to astounding discoveries from neuroscience, Polyvagal Theory, trauma research, Attachment Theory, and other emerging fields. No longer do we see the functioning of the nervous system as an unconscious process outside of our control. Today, we know that yo…

The term Ayurveda is traditionally defined as “the science of life.” Physician and leading Ayurvedic teacher Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh has another definition: she calls it “the knowledge of longevity.” In this podcast, join Tami Simon in conversation with Dr. Kumar-Singh about her new book, The Longevity Formula. Take a listen as they discuss the many…

Millions of women experience the loss of a pregnancy every year. Yet too often these individuals are not afforded the same dignity, support, and reverence we extend to other people facing grief after the death of a loved one. “We, too, are postpartum after pregnancy and infant loss,” says grief educator and doula Eileen Santos Rosete. “And we deser…

Have dreams become a kind of endangered species? When a third of adults report an inability to recall their dreams, this may very well be the case. Jungian analyst Lisa Marchiano has a new book to shift the tides and help readers reclaim the vast wisdom and power awaiting our discovery in the world of our dreams. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks …

Every competitive sport has its icons. To reach the top of their game, each of the champions we celebrate and adore must travel a difficult, often grueling path. And then there is Jessica Long—one of the most decorated American athletes of all time, a six-time Paralympic Games swimmer who in September 2024 won her 31st Paralympic medal (at the time…

Internal Family Systems therapy (or IFS) is transforming the field of psychology, captivating interest among professionals and laypeople alike in the relatively few years since Dr. Richard C. Schwartz first introduced his revolutionary model. Bestselling author Gabby Bernstein proclaims herself to be among the growing number of people whose lives h…

All of the myriad forms of life on our planet, whether plant or animal, predator or prey, contribute to our survival. And when any one of the fragile threads of the web of life begins to fray, all of us are threatened. Craig Foster—the Academy Award–winning creator of My Octopus Teacher—has since the age of three spent his life intimately connected…

Meghan Riordan Jarvis had been a practicing trauma therapist for almost 20 years. Then, in the course of two years, she lost both of her parents. “I came to understand what my clients had been telling me about for decades really, really differently,” she reflects. In this podcast, join Tami Simon in conversation with Meghan about Can Anyone Tell Me…

Too many Black women are living other people’s stories for their lives, making themselves smaller to serve other people or society’s expectations. Shelah Marie is here to inform us that we can break free from cultural restrictions and our self-imposed barriers and unabashedly be who we really are, including our imperfections, our growth areas, our …