There was a time not long ago when mentioning a meditation podcast would have elicited skeptical looks from your co-workers. “Oh dear, Steve’s gone New Age. Next thing, he’ll sell his condo and move to a Tibetan monastery.” Little did Steve’s colleagues know, but becoming a monk might be the best business decision he ever made. There’s big money in mindfulness apps these days, and meditation podcasts have similarly gone mainstream.
Mindfulness has become a way for secular people to feel connected to a form of spirituality that requires no faith-based beliefs, providing life advice and guided meditations to help us navigate the modern world. Mindfulness and meditation are recommended to almost everyone: school kids and depressed mothers, even millennials with no friends. Many claim that a daily practice saved their lives. But is this new generation of mental health content designed to help us — or keep us productive?
The best meditation podcasts avoid association with hustle culture. If they choose to engage with “self-optimization,” they do so with awareness. With many people struggling with burnout, the last thing we should be listening to is a meditation designed to numb us to our need for rest, purpose, and friendship. Instead, the best mindfulness podcasts reach for something deeper: radical compassion, self-acceptance, and fulfillment at any age.
Dan Harris came to meditation in dramatic circumstances. A former news anchor on Nightline and Good Morning America, his daily routine became so overwhelming that he experienced a panic attack live on television. After retiring from his career on screen, Harris found meditation. He claims that the practice transformed his life, making him feel calmer, less reactive, and better able to handle the pressures of daily life.
Harris started Ten Percent Happier, a podcast based on his best-selling book, to share the scientific evidence behind meditation with other fidgety skeptics. The premise behind the show is simple: happiness is a skill that you can train, just like your muscles can be strengthened in the gym. Harris invites meditation teachers and self-help speakers onto the show to discuss the latest research, making him the perfect gateway podcast to meditation for fans of Huberman Lab and other science-heavy shows.
If you are interested in meditation sessions and mindfulness practices, A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment is a weekly podcast based in traditional teachings. Its mission is to make Buddhist philosophy accessible to everyone — including your stressed-out dad who won’t go to therapy.
Most of the meditations last around thirty minutes; the time is used wisely, allowing space to fully prepare for the session. The show’s host, Scott Snibbe, spends time guiding listeners through traditional postures and mudras. He incorporates useful metaphors to make the concepts easier to understand, such as inviting you to tune your mind like a radio by locating the perfect frequency. With Snibbe’s comprehensive direction, it won’t be long before a meditation practice feels like second nature.
Krista Tippett’s On Being is a podcast that places spirituality at the center of empathy, self-growth, and communication. If you are someone who naturally avoids spiritual content, don’t let this put you off. Tippett is a Yale graduate and Peabody award-winning broadcaster who ensures her podcast episodes are grounded in research. She speaks to thinkers and researchers like Jane Goodall, Alain De Botton, and Brené Brown about matters of the head and the heart.
Tippett has been quoted as being “a little bit allergic” to some of the language we use to discuss belief. But she argues that ignoring the importance of faith, secular or otherwise, risks erasing an important realm of human psychology. On Being makes for contemplative, gentle listening. If you find a conversation particularly engrossing, the unedited versions are often posted alongside each episode for even deeper insights.
Headspace is one of the mainstream meditation apps that became popular in the early 2010s. It was founded by a former Buddhist monk, Andy Puddicombe, who realized that the best way to use everything he’d learned in Tibet was to instantly monetize it.
Cynicism aside, Headspace has become an indispensable resource for many. Their daily podcast, Radio Headspace, is thoughtful and effective. It’s also free. It makes it onto this list because its producers have found the perfect tone for their format: comforting and friendly, without the many animations that make the app somehwat infantilizing.
Each episode is less than ten minutes long. They cover highly relevant topics, such as social media addiction and anger in the workplace. After all, enlightenment can be a little abstract when your boss loops the wrong person into your email thread. Deep breaths, anyone?
Letting It Settle is a recent debut in the mental health space from QCODE, a network better known for its fiction podcasts. Hosted by Michael Galyon, the show is a blend of guided meditations and deep dives into topics including loving kindness and developing self-worth. But if we’re honest, it also feels therapeutic. Galyon is like a mindfulness coach in your pocket.
Taking a holistic approach to mental health, Letting It Settle is designed to be incorporated into your daily routine, even if you only have a few mindful minutes to spare. Best of all, the advice is actionable. We recommend this podcast to those looking to deepen their self-growth journey without a huge financial investment. Skip the expensive courses and try Letting It Settle first.
When you picture a meditation retreat, do you think of a barn in upstate New York? Does your idea of “New Age” thinking still involve Woodstock and windchimes? Then a veteran teacher like Tara Brach might be the meditation teacher you are looking for.
Brach is the author of several books on radical compassion and acceptance. Her style of meditation is slow, deep, and contemplative. In her talks and meditations, she communicates in romantic metaphors, often invoking nature and universal themes. Brach isn’t afraid to examine our darker natures — whether we are prone to blame, self-criticism, or social disconnection. Her podcast brings the best of her teachings into a single resource. The episodes range from less than twenty minutes to over an hour and require your full concentration. If you want to “do the work,” turn to Brach.
The Rubin Museum of Art is a global hub for Himalayan art based in New York City. A museum might not be the first place you turn for your mindfulness practice, but is it really any stranger than taking a yoga class on an office rooftop?
Every week, The Rubin’s staff invite esteemed meditation teachers to provide sessions to a live audience. Each meditation is inspired by an artwork in the museum’s collection and preceded by an opening talk. The experience is immersive and unique; by taking the time to learn about Himalayan art and eastern spiritual practices, the meditation experience is enriched. Meditating with The Rubin isn’t a quick fix, but it’s certainly rewarding.
Alice Florence Orr is a staff writer and assistant editor for Podcast Review. She is based in Edinburgh. You can connect with her on Twitter or read her work on aliceflorenceorr.com
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