Best Podcasts to start your spiritual journey
We’re just as fascinated by true crime as anyone else, but listening to a podcast doesn’t have to mean streaming the grisly details of a notorious murder right into your ears.
Listening to podcasts can be a pretty meditative activity, and it can even become a spiritual experience if you listen to the right ones.
There are tons of faith and spirituality-themed podcasts to listen to.
There are ones for meditating and self-help, as well as ones that specifically focus on the teachings of mainstream religions.
It can be intimidating to know where to begin, especially if you’re not familiar with exploring that part of yourself.
Ahead, we’ve gathered some of the best spiritual podcasts available right now.
Read on to find out if there’s a show that might enlighten you – and maybe even make your commute a little less stressful.
What are these spiritual podcasts about?
Spiritual podcasts usually feature talks from people who are spiritually minded.
They are meant to explore different belief systems without perpetuating stereotypes or reinforcing dogma.
The list of podcasts compiled by us includes shows that don’t promote or criticize any particular religion.
Instead, they help us think deeper about the meaning and purpose of our lives, the nature of humanity, and other aspects that humans have historically been trying to understand.
So just sit back, relax, enjoy the ride, and don’t worry too much about anything.
A list of our favorite spiritual podcasts to follow
On Being – With Krista Tippet
On Being explores what it means to live well, through conversations between the show’s host, Krista Tippett, and guests from diverse fields including science, politics, art, religion, business, and more.
The focus is not just on any particular belief system, denomination, or religious tradition, but on the abstract ideas of beauty, nature, and loss that can shape an inner world.
When Tippett received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in 2014 for her work, the White House praised her for “embracing complexity and inviting people of all faiths, without faith, and every background to join the conversation.’’
That still is one of the strongest suits of the podcast.
Tara Brach
Tara Brach knows that meditation isn’t for everyone.
That’s why she has a podcast addressing common obstacles like anxiety or sleep issues, which often prevent people from sticking with regular habits.
Tara has created a podcast that allows people to listen to guided meditations from their phones with a Spotify or iTunes account.
She’ll help you relax by taking your mind off of everything with her weekly podcast.
Here, you will discover guided meditations and motivational talks that help people awaken spiritually.
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Oprah Winfrey’s guests on this interview-based podcast share their thoughts on life, happiness, her books, and more.
She has guests ranging from Deepak Chopra to RuPaul, always giving space to their perspectives on life and how they evolved into the characters they are today.
Calm World: Introduction to Meditation
Calm World is an original podcast from neuroscientist Ash Ranpura and comedian Alice Fraser, where they explore topics related to mindfulness, meditation, and neuroscience.
Ash and Alisa will teach you how to meditate and why it’s so important.
Ash and Alice’s meditation techniques are easy, fun, and approachable, so if you think meditation is too difficult or might not suit you, Calm World is an excellent opportunity to find that mind-body connection for perhaps the very first time.
Once you understand the science behind meditation and why it could benefit you, why not give meditation a try?
21 Days of meditation
Maybe you don’t really want to hear people talk about mindfulness. Do you want to skip ahead to the meditation part?
If you’re interested in meditation, then 21 Days of Meditation is the perfect podcast for your needs. This podcast features 21 guided meditations led by tenured yoga instructor Jess Ray.
It focuses on several different meditations and spiritual practices and techniques for helping you release negative feelings, improve your patience, be more in charge of your mind, and so on.
We recommend starting with Episode 1: Deep Release, then working your way through each episode, one at a time, to see how each one builds on what you’ve already learned.
(And if any particular guided meditation resonated with you more strongly than others, you can revisit it at any time.)
What is Spirituality?
Most people think that religion and spirituality are two separate things. But in reality, they go hand in hand.
In fact, spirituality plays such a big role in our lives that we often don’t realize just how important it is until we lose touch with it.
But what exactly does spirituality mean? Is it something that everyone has? Or is it something that only certain people experience?
We are going to take a look at what spirituality means, and why it should play such a big part in our lives.
What Does Spirituality Mean?
Spirituality is the belief that there is a higher power out there who watches over us and guides us through life. It may be a god or it may be a belief in a higher power.
This belief gives us hope, peace, and joy.
We feel connected to each other because we all come from the same source. When someone dies, we all mourn together because we understand that death is inevitable.
We also all celebrate when someone achieves success because we all want to see others succeed too.
The truth is that spirituality isn’t something that we need to prove to anyone else. We simply need to follow our hearts.
Why Should We Believe In Spirituality?
When we learn about the bad things that happen in our society, we become angry. Our anger leads us to lash out at those around us.
We blame others for our problems, and we sometimes even blame ourselves.
But when we turn toward spirituality instead of away from it, we can change everything. Instead of lashing out at others, we can reach out to them.
Instead of blaming ourselves, we can forgive ourselves. And instead of being angry, we can be happy.
This happiness changes our whole outlook on life. We no longer live in fear, because we know that a higher power is watching over us.
We no longer worry about getting sick, because we know that we will eventually die. And we no longer worry about losing our jobs, because we know that He will provide for us.
The reason that we shouldn’t doubt a higher power is because of his promise to never leave us nor forsake us.
Even though we may feel alone, we know that we aren’t. We know that there is a higher power that is here with us and that cares for us.
He knows when we are sad, and he understands when we are worried. He sees every tear that falls from our eyes, and he hears every prayer that we pray.
Because of this, we can rest assured knowing that he will protect us.
As long as we continue to open our hearts to him, we will always be safe. As long as we keep reaching out to him, we will never be left behind.
In conclusion, I’m sure you have many questions about spirituality, but if you haven’t started yet, now might be the perfect time to begin.
There are countless podcasts available online that will guide you through the process of finding answers to your most pressing questions. And once you find the right podcast, you’ll never look back!