Top 10 Transformational Podcasts

In order to live a fulfilling, purposeful life, we must orient our mind, train our body, and align our spirit by participating in mindful practices. Unfortunately, without proper guidance, this can prove to be a monumental task.

Neurologically, we are programmed to be self-oriented by structures in our brain called the Default Mode Network (DMN). The DMN includes the hippocampus, posterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex, and they function together to filter and process sensory input for the most relevant information. It effects our ability to plan, strategize, and reflect on our everyday experiences and our place within society. When we do not learn to consciously perceive the stimuli in our environment, our DMN becomes overactivated. This causes us to compare ourselves to others, ruminate over our actions, and minimize our creative expression. Unsurprisingly, an overactive DMN has been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety. That is why it is critical to be mindful of the media that we consume.

Left unchecked, we run the risk of being negatively influenced by devastating new streams, unhealthy body image comparisons, unnecessary lifestyle pressures and capitalistic marketing ploys. Luckily, the flipside of the coin is that there are scientifically informative, spiritually enriching podcasts available free of charge, on a number of easily accessible platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Podcasts, to name a few). Many of these broadcasters circulate their knowledge and expertise to multiple social media platforms, so that your media and technology can be used as a tool for transformation, rather than a gateway to poor mental health.

My advice is to set aside one day a week to catch up on the news (networks and papers recycle the same stories anyhow) and avoid the news the rest of the time. Make sure your news sources have journalistic integrity and their information is verifiable. Also, it may be a good idea to unfollow any social media accounts that influence you to purchase unnecessary materialistic items that cause you to compare your body to unnatural/unrealistic standards, or that may promote an unhealthy lifestyle. Catch the pattern here? We are UNDOING our programming to create a more purposeful and conscientious space that provides positive stimulation. By creating this change, we orient our DMN towards growth, inspiration, and joy. Thus, allowing us to feel greater harmony with the world rather than up against it.

Try these podcasts for yourself. Each provides its own unique stance on health, mindset, and relationships backed by science and rooted in spirituality, to offer you a truly enriching listening experience.

Transformational Podcasts (Listed in no particular order)

1. Huberman Lab (Dr. Andrew Huberman)

2. Be Great With Nate (Nate Ortiz)

3. The Mel Robbins Program

4. The School of Greatness (Lewis Howes)

5. The Doctor's Farmacy (Mark Hyman M.D)

6. The Highest Self Podcast (Sahara Rose)

7. Oprah's Super Soul (Oprah Winfrey)

8. The Jay Shetty Podcast

9. Modern Wisdom (Chris Williamson)

10. Unf*ck Your Brain (Kara Loewenthal)