Maya Shankar is a cognitive neuroscientist and host of the award-winning podcast A Slight Change of Plans. As a girl, she struggles with taking things too seriously: herself, the sufferings of others, the hypothetical misfortunes she imagines for the future. She turns to her father for perspective — and he takes her on a memorable walk, one that helps her un ... Show More
Jul 28
The stuff I'm here to study: Life on life on life, by Nalini Nadkarni
Ecologist Nalini Nadkarni – known as the "Queen of the Forest Canopy” – has spent a career clambering around tree tops, studying the interdependence of plants and animals in an ecosystem. But when an accident in the canopy brings Nalini's work to an abrupt halt, she is forced to ... Show More
31m 8s
Jul 21
You are enough, messiness and all, by Jessamyn Stanley
Jessamyn Stanley, author of Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance, realizes one day that her life has become filled with unwanted clutter. Suddenly, how she’s perceived on the outside no longer reflects what she feels on the inside. But in her efforts to minimize her footprint and liv ... Show More
34m 13s
Jul 14
There’s beauty in breaking the rules, by Felix Barrett (Sleep No More, Punchdrunk)
Growing up in the suburbs of England, Felix Barrett — founder of immersive theater company Punchdrunk — considers himself a good kid. He’s a rule-follower with a deep respect for authority. But a few eye-opening evenings at the theater introduce him to the exciting, and sometimes ... Show More
39m 59s
May 2022
Headspace x Dr. Maya Shankar: Control is an Illusion
Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Dr. Shankar hosts “A Slight Change of Plans,” a podcast all about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Over the next several episodes, she’ll talk about how to work with change, instead of agains ... Show More
6m 40s
Oct 2021
Dr. Maya Shankar | Change Happens
<p>Imagine being so drawn to a pursuit as a kid, it consumes most of your waking hours, rapidly becomes your identity, and is the thing you believe you’ll devote your life to, and then, in the blink of an eye, it’s taken away. That’s what happened to Maya Shankar, who fell in lov ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2022
What Motivates Us: Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar on the Power of Change, Habit Formation, And Behavioral Science
<p>On this week’s episode, Dr. Maya Shankar – a cognitive neuroscientist and creator and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans – sits down with VP of Performance Kristen to how to change our patterns of behavior when it comes to our health. Maya shares the secrets of stay ... Show More
39m 4s