Listening tips: Meditation

With its origins in Buddhism, and to some extent in mediaeval Christian monasticism, meditation is a very popular and effective practice that can help you relax and regain focus. However, its benefits are not only mental or spiritual – apparently, meditation can be great for your physical health, as well. Many studies have reported positive effects such as reduction in blood pressure, better stress and anxiety management, even help with weight loss and substance abuse.

In this post I’ll present a small selection of podcasts and radio programmes on the topic of meditation that I’ve found useful over the years. I hope you too will find them helpful!

---

Learn to Meditate

Created by the Meditation Society of Australia (MSA), this podcast series can serve as a great introduction to meditation. If you’ve never tried to meditate before, and have no idea how to do it, this podcast is going to be perfect for you. On the MSA website you will find many more free meditation resources.

---

Daily Meditation Podcast

Beginners often find it difficult to sit still and meditate for more than a few minutes at a time. Which is where guided meditation comes in handy – you simply listen to the instructions and follow them to visualise things or drive your attention to something other than those pesky, intrusive thoughts. Hosted by Mary Meckley, this particular podcast contains short, 12-minute guided meditations designed to reduce stress and help you sleep better.

---

Drop-in Meditations

Available on the UCLA Health website, these guided meditations have been designed in partnership with the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. Each episode is a recording of a meditation session which includes a brief introduction, guided meditation, silent time and final comments. There’s also a free UCLA Mindful app, where the resources are available in multiple languages.

---

The Music and Meditation Podcast

Currently in its third year, BBC’s The Music and Meditation Podcast has been described as “the ultimate therapeutic podcast.” It’s a wonderful series that brings together meditation and classical music: each 30-minute episode contains a 10-minute guided meditation on a specific topic, accompanied by a calming, soothing soundtrack. Highly recommended!

---

Insight Timer

Rather than a podcast, Insight Timer is a very popular and useful meditation app with loads for free resources, including thousands of easily accessible guided meditations and soundtracks. It’s a wonderful tool for beginners and more experienced meditators alike. While you can also use the desktop version, the app itself seems to have added functionality. Definitely check it out!

---

If you have other audio resources to recommend, please share about them in the comments section below.

---

IMAGE CREDIT

Cover photo by Ivan Samkov via Pexels