Heart Haven Meditations

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Can We Summon a State of Being by Writing about It? Ayad Akhtar on The Radiance

2026-09-2958:34

Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and novelist, author of American Dervish and Homeland Elegies, joins host Tess Callahan to talk about his new novel, The Radiance. The book follows a writer (also named Ayad) who wakes from a hit-and-run accident into an unbidden state of heightened perception that unfolds over eight months as he navigates an academic scandal in a politically divided town. Ayad talks about writing as “melding” with a register of experience rather than execu...

Back to Sleep: Let the River Carry You

2026-08-1701:00:49

Wake up at night with your mind racing? Or have trouble getting to sleep to begin with? This guided meditation uses breathwork and a gentle river visualization to help you let go of the day and drift back to sleep. Picture yourself releasing worry, heartache, and tension into the softly flowing water, until there’s nothing left but stillness. Audio editing and music by Eric Fischer. Support the show Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Interview Podcast: Writers at the Well Medit...

Riding the Waves of Hard Times: Guided Meditation

2026-08-1311:08

This guided meditation invites you to ride the waves of your life, the grief and the joy, the storms and the sun, trusting Life to hold you throughout. I hope you enjoy. Music and editing by Eric Fischer. Support the show Host: Tess Callahan Substack: Writers at the Well Interview Podcast: Writers at the Well Meditations on Insight Timer Meditations on YouTube Tess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/ Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd Clark Audio Editing: Eric...

Reset and Rebalance: Alternate Nostril Breathing Guided Practice

2026-06-0414:42

Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhana is breathing technique from yoga that promotes relaxation, clarity, and stress relief. It involves inhaling and exhaling through one nostril at a time, alternating sides, and can benefit the cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems. It aids in lowering blood pressure, improving heart rate variability, enhancing lung function, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Mentally, it calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and improves focus....

Savasana Deep Relaxation with Gentle Ocean Waves

2026-05-2816:56

Though Savasana (or shavasana), the “Corpse Pose,” is a relaxation practice often used at the end of a yoga session, it can be done anytime to cultivate rest, rejuvenation, and wellbeing. It invites you to release tension, surrender to gravity, and allow the body-mind to come into a state of ease. Imitating a corpse helps you to release your grip on the impulse to alter or fix the present moment in any way. By symbolically surrendering to death, you relinquish worry and relax into stillness. ...

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