Have you heard of “beginner’s mind?”
It’s the Zen Buddhist notion that we should approach the world as novices, childlike, open to learning, no matter how much we know about a certain subject. Beginner’s mind means stepping into our lives eager to receive, ready to learn.
In yoga philosophy, we call this sense of ongoing practice svadhyaya, or self-study.
For mindfulness practitioners who are living far from a meditation studio or a favorite teacher, home practice and podcasts are two excellent tools to keep in your self-study toolkit.
Home practice can be self-led or guided by any number of the awesomely-diverse and accessible streaming resources we’re lucky to have these days.
Podcasts are their own little technological marvel. Most of them are FREE, they’re available when you are (2am or 2pm, they’re right there), and you can listen to them anywhere from Cambodia to Costa Rica to California, as long as you’ve got a device and a WiFi signal.
Whereas back in the day you had to travel for hours or days to learn from many of the world’s most studied experts, nowadays all you have to do is turn on your phone. It’s pretty righteous.
Podcast interviews offer an intimate, unguarded look into the minds of some of the world’s most respected thinkers and teachers. I’ve discovered that just listening to teachers’ stories can often be the most instructive. I love hearing about the circuitous paths that have taken wellness professionals from former careers in business and finance, academia and medicine, coffee shops and surfboards, to lifelong vocations in Sanskrit studies and mindfulness education. It’s truly inspiring to witness the way in which each of these renowned teachers has arrived upon his or her dharma. (Not to mention that it sure makes you realize that even in the moments you feel like you’re totally lost, you’re still on the path.)
Listening to these yoga and meditation pros is also a great way to find a sense of connection and a spirit of sangha (or community). I’m amazed by how a podcast conversation with a studio owner in Boston or a longtime Zen teacher from New Mexico can leave me nodding my head in agreement, saying “YES, that’s exactly it.”
That said, here’s the list of our favorite smart, thoughtful yoga and mindfulness podcasts. They will feed your soul and make you feel more connected in moments of despair or disenchantment.
Listen to them driving to work, walking to the grocery store, riding the bus, cleaning the kitchen. Dial one up when you roll out your yoga mat and you’ll get an hour’s worth of learning while you do your moving meditation, too. You can’t go wrong.
Finally: a big shout-out to the hardworking, dedicated folks curating these podcasts, who do so much to create intelligent content, provide a sense of connection, and share learning opportunities for so many of us listeners out here.
We are grateful.
Yogaland Podcast
https://www.acast.com/yogaland
This podcast comes to us via San Francisco-based global teacher Jason Crandell and his wife and business partner, Andrea Ferretti, a former editor at Yoga Journal. Yogaland debuted as “a place where you’ll hear uplifting yoga stories, conversations about life issues and how yoga can help, sound health and wellness advice, and occasional super nerdy yoga talk.” Andrea’s interviews are smart and well-informed, her guests are top-notch folks from across the yoga world, their topics range from anatomy to nutrition to yoga philosophy, and Jason & Andrea’s rapport is sweet, self-deprecating, and down-to-earth. Fave past episodes include Andrea’s interview with Kate Holcombe on breast cancer and the Yoga Sutra, and Stephanie Snyder’s two episodes on mothering, loving your whole story, and using chanting in class.
Awake In The World: Michael Stone
https://michaelstoneteaching.com/podcasts/
Michael Stone was the best of the best, “a cross between a spiritual teacher and a public intellectual.” Whether you’re reading his books or taking an online course via his colleagues at Michael Stone Teaching, you’re going to find rich, thoughtful, grounded material. Michael’s original Centre of Gravity podcast (now “Awake In The World”) was one of the first I discovered years ago. It’s a collection of his lectures and teachings delivered in Canada and at various global sanghas and retreats. They’re fantastically-rich in yoga philosophy, rooted in ancient texts, and peppered with fascinating insights from Buddhism and psychology. Not to mention a gentle sense of humor and a deep recognition of the fact that our relationships and our families are fertile ground for waking up. Check out Michael’s stellar series of lectures on Yoga & Trauma Sensitivity featuring Molly Boeder-Harris for some much-needed insights on this current hot topic in the yoga and mindfulness worlds.
10% Happier with Dan Harris
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/10-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?mt=2
Dan Harris is a gem: “a fidgety, skeptical ABC newsman who had a panic attack live on Good Morning America, which led him to something he always thought was ridiculous: meditation.” Totally self-deprecating, totally at home in the television world, this ABC anchor has done much to take the “woo-woo” out of meditation. Check out this excellent podcast, in which he interviews Average Joes like the Dalai Lama (what?!?), Robert Thurman, and George Mumford, famous NBA meditation coach. Harris is as committed to his practice as he is humble and funny, and he curates a great interview. Can’t recommend this one highly enough for the down-to-earth factor alone.
Meditation In The City: A Shambhala Podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/meditation-in-city-shambhala/id635143127?mt=2
This podcast series from Shambhala NY is a fab resource for the urban-dwelling Millennial, with lecture topics like “Buddha With A Smartphone” and “If the Buddha Grew Up in New York.” Its aim is to “help dispel the myths about meditation, with down-to-earth, real life teachings that show us the benefits of meditation in our everyday life.” Seek out lectures from folks like Ethan Nichtern and Lodro Rinzler, two of my favorite thirtysomething Buddhist teachers, who both do wonderful work merging old-school philosophy with new-school realities.
Tara Brach
https://www.tarabrach.com/talks-audio-video/
Tara Brach’s bio describes her as “a leading western teacher of Buddhist (mindfulness) meditation, emotional healing, and spiritual awakening.” That about nails it. Tara’s podcast was one of the first I discovered several years ago, and I quickly consumed her entire podcast library, which is a lovely blend of lectures and audio meditations. Come for her calming, gentle voice, and stay for the timeless, psychology-infused wisdom.
Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg
https://sharonsalzberg.com/metta-hour-podcast/
If you’ve studied Buddhism, you’ve heard of Sharon Salzberg. Sharon is one of the premier teachers of the generation of folks who really brought Buddhism to America in the 1960s and 1970s. She’s as humble and unassuming as she is brilliant and perceptive. This collection of her talks, which “feature Buddhist philosophy in a practical, common sense vernacular,” includes lectures with Diana Winston and Congressman Tim Ryan. You can’t go wrong with Sharon, especially as you are building a foundation for a lifelong practice. She is a gift to the curious student, young or old.
Chitheads: Embodied Philosophy
http://www.fivetattvas.com/chitheads/
Jacob Kyle’s philosophy podcast debuted a few years ago, and it’s also excellent. (Props for the clever tongue-in-cheek name, too.) Chitheads features “interviews with leaders, elders, and teachers from the yoga and wider wisdom community on eastern philosophies, consciousness studies, social justice, and the human spiritual condition.” Kyle comes from a background in legit academic philosophy, which lends a sharp critical eye to his approach (much-needed in the yoga and mindfulness worlds these days). I appreciate his intelligence and his emphasis on the intricacies of yoga history and philosophy. Past episode highlights include his interviews with Sharon Salzberg, Philip Goldberg, Edwin Bryant, and Michael Stone.
Sounds True: Insights At The Edge
http://www.soundstrue.com/store/weeklywisdom
Tami Simon “interviews spiritual teachers, visionary writers, and living luminaries about their newest work and current challenges.” You’ll find a rich cross-section of spiritual activists, teachers, and writers interviewed here. Just listening to this excellent podcast alone will provide a powerful, diverse spiritual education. Check out episodes with Jack Kornfield, Seane Corn, Thomas Moore, and Marianne Williamson for a start.
An earlier version of this article first appeared on Yoga Trade.
Feature photo by David von Dijk