The best podcasts for mindfulness, meditation and good mental health

Tara Brach is a really relatable teacher who tells stories from her own life in order to illustrate concepts. One of her most powerful concepts is radical acceptance - the idea of saying "yes" to events in our lives (even the difficult ones) and our thoughts (even the difficult ones!). By saying yes we're not agreeing or disagreeing, we're simply accepting that reality is reality - the first step towards letting go of our suffering.

"The Way Out is In" is co-hosted by Brother Phap Huu, Thich Nhat Hanh's personal attendant for 17 years and the abbot of Plum Village's Upper Hamlet, and Jo Confino, who works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change. As someone who practices in the Plum Village tradition, this podcast offers great insights into Thich Nhat Hanh's view of the world. Brother Phap Huu explains complex ideas in very simple ways and with great humour and honesty. When I stayed at the Plum Village Buddhist monastery in France his wonderful teaching style and calmness were incredible to experience.

Wake Me Up is a one-of-a-kind podcast that uses mindfulness, meditation, affirmations, movement, and motivation to start your day on a positive note. It's the ultimate morning routine podcast. Change your life by changing how you start the day. Tyler excels as a mindfulness teacher, understanding the pivotal role the beginning of the day plays in setting a positive tone. By emphasizing the practice of morning meditation, he advocates for cultivating a sense of calm and tranquility that permeates throughout the day. Tyler's teaching style is both captivating and accessible, drawing learners in with his engaging manner and soothing voice.

This almost feels like its 'too easy' a pick as its a popular show but its worth listening to if you haven't already. What distinguishes Harris is his approachability; he's really just a normal person who practises meditation. He has anxieties and struggles like the rest of us, and that can sometimes feel missing in those who share the practice. Through his excellent podcast, Harris delves into the intricacies of happiness, offering a unique blend of discussions infused with Buddhist wisdom and practical insights. While some episodes delve deeply into Buddhist philosophy, others explore broader themes such as anxiety, meditation, and mindfulness, making it an indispensable resource for anyone seeking solace and clarity in the modern world.

Yes, cheeky I know to pick my own... The reason I picked this is because mindfulness and meditation podcasts tend to be aimed at an older audience. Not unreasonable as those that are interested tend to be 40 plus - the demographics on my other podcast confirm this. I think we are facing a mental health crisis in younger people, particularly after the pandemic, and its really important to make mindfulness as accessible as we can so that they have another tool to support their wellbeing. I like games and they're a great vehicle to communicate concepts within mindfulness - Pokemon was a great way to talk through anxiety, I'll be talking about how Minecraft can teach us the power of gratitude. Why not give it a try?