Looking for a Mindful Podcast on Your Commute? Here are 10 Great Ones:

By Jennifer Mazzoni

Podcasts are a great way to listen to gripping stories, keep up with current events, or learn something new.

There is an abundance of podcasts that offer guided meditations and mindfulness advice. Here are 10 of the best podcasts on mindfulness and meditation currently available.

1. 10% Happier

ABC News anchor Dan Harris turned to meditation after having a panic attack on live television during a Good Morning America broadcast. (He also wrote a book featuring the same title.)

In his podcast, Harris interviews a different guest each week as they seek to answer “Can you be an ambitious person and still strive for enlightenment (whatever that means)?”.

2. Meditation in the City

The Shambhala Meditation Center of New York offers teachings on meditation and it’s real-life application. If you’re interested in learning about meditation from a Buddhist perspective, this podcast is one option.

Ethan Nichtern, Shante Smalls, and Rev. angel Kyodo Williams have been guests on this spiritual podcast.

3. Untangle

Untangle is a podcast from the Meditation Studio app. Each week a different guest speaks about how mindfulness changed his or her life. The guests come from a variety of backgrounds and range from business leaders to cancer survivors. Topics include the importance of meditation, self-compassion practice, anxiety, and more.

Guests have included Dr. Rick Hanson, Joan Halifax, Elisha Goldstein, Dan Harris, Sharon Salzberg, and Susan Piver.

4. The Daily Meditation Podcast

Mary Meckley is a meditation coach who provides 15 minute guided meditations each episode. Her main goal is to teach you how to make meditation part of your daily routine.

Each week is a new theme, such as manage stress, manage anger, reduce anxiety, and improve confidence and self-esteem. If you’re looking for guidance in maintaining a daily practice, this podcast may be the one for you.

5. Meditation Oasis

Hosts Mary and Richard Maddux offer a wide variety of guided meditations. Each episode provides a different type of meditation, such as walking meditation or body scan. They even offer specialized meditations for pregnancy, a work break, and relaxation for sleep.

Some of the guided meditations include music. Mary and Richard also provide instructions so that you can meditate on your own as well. This podcast does not update as frequently as the ones mentioned previously, so I recommend looking through their back catalog for types of meditation you would like to try.

6. The Greater Good Podcast

This was a nine-episode podcast series offered by UC Berkeley. Each episode is a conversation on the science of a meaningful life. Each episode a different guest tackles subjects such as happiness, death, pleasure, and self-compassion.

Guests of the podcast included Dr. Rick Hanson, Stephen Batchelor, and Kristin Neff. For those of you who enjoy a scientific investigation of mindfulness and life in general, this is a series worth a listen.

7. Invisibilia

NPR offers some of the best podcasts as well as the most popular. Invisibilia is Latin for invisible things, and this podcast focuses on the “unseeable forces” which shape our ideas and control our behavior. Each episode uses science and narrative storytelling to offer a different perspective on how you view your life.

This is one of the most entertaining podcasts that examines mindfulness, with episode titles such as “How to Become Batman” and ” The Personality Myth.”

8. On Being with Krista Tippett

This thought-provoking podcast examines human life. Each episode features a conversation on a variety of topics, such as spiritual inquiry, social healing, the arts, and science.

9. Mindfulness Mode

Host Bruce Langford offers a podcast on mindfulness for parents, educators, and entrepreneurs. The purpose of Mindfulness Mode is to increase “calm, focus, and happiness.”

Each week he interviews a guest on how they practice mindfulness in their daily lives. Past guests have included a marathon runner, a quantum physicist, an author who overcame addiction, and a Kung fu master. He also provides tips and resources.

10. Meditation Minis

Chel Hamilton offers brief guided meditations designed to help overcome negative thinking and self-doubt. Her most popular playlists of guided meditations are anxiety, insomnia, and relaxation.

Hamilton aims for a secular approach to meditation. If you’re looking for a short guided meditation to help you get through the day, give Meditation Minis a try.

Jennifer Mazzoni M.S. CCC-SLP, is a full-time mom, part-time Speech Language Pathologist, and she works part-time in a rehabilitation setting. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the Chicago area. Follow her blog, Help Mama Meditate, and catch her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Photo: Pixabay

Editor: Dana Gornall

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