Today’s world seems more stressful and busy than any other point in history. Most people need extra-long workdays and multiple streams of income to survive. Parents of small children find that extracurricular activities can require large commitments of money and time.
Against this backdrop, research regularly reminds us of the devastating impact that stress can have on our bodies and minds. A large number of adults live with a troubling amount of anxiety, and a dire need for effective stress management.
For many people, the answer to this quandary is yoga. The practice of yoga represents one of those extremely rare circumstances where ancient wisdom and modern science actually agree. Yoga, in its many variations, has been proven to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
That makes it one of the most effective non-medicinal tools for overcoming the mental challenges of living a better life.
However, being convinced that yoga can work is only the first challenge for the beginner. Perhaps a larger challenge is knowing how to get started in the practice. Many people are far too intimidated to walk into a studio the very first time, especially after seeing the kind of flexibility and agility that years of yoga can grant.
Fortunately, today there is another option. Whether you are a beginner or a long-time practitioner, following yoga podcasts is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your life.
Podcasts are available in a variety of types to fit every need. Some programs are basically live yoga or meditation sessions, while others are philosophy-based. Here are some of the best podcasts to get you started.
Yoga Girl Daily
Hosted by Rachel Brathen, Yoga Girl Daily seeks to provide daily inspiration to women working toward self-acceptance and fulfillment. Brathen is a business owner, bestselling author, and worldwide yoga teacher.
She offers her daily wisdom through short, 5-6 minute programs where she speaks directly to the listener. The program themes include guided meditation tips and positive affirmations such as “I am beautiful the way I am.”
Yoga Is Dead
Not everyone listening to yoga wants quiet affirmations given to some sublime background music. Some people would rather take an exciting no-nonsense approach to understand the truth about the yoga industry.
This podcast definitely takes that path. Indian American hosts Tejal and Jesal proudly take the controversial approach intended to expose the politics and background dangers of the community.
The podcasts are published sporadically, but they cover a variety of unique perspectives through banter between the hosts. The programs could be a resource for beginners wanting to avoid potential bad experiences.
Yogaland Podcast
Hosted by the team of Andrea Ferretti and Jason Crandell, Yogaland is a weekly interview with some of the most inspirational experts in the field. Ferretti was an editor at the Yoga Journal, giving her a keen insight into the most effective interview techniques.
While not expressly for teachers, a number of the topics seem designed for professionals working in the field. Topics such as handling challenging students and nailing teacher’s auditions would be helpful for yoga instructors at any level.
Yoga Teacher Resource
As the name implies, Yoga Teacher Resource is a podcast created specifically to help current and potential yoga teachers become more effective. With podcasts generally once a week, the programs cover a variety of topics of relevance to people instructing others.
Many of the topics cover the actual business of yoga, such as advice on finding a yoga niche and email marketing techniques. Other topics are designed to help the individual grow within their general understanding, such as the science of yoga presentation.
Although the series is hosted by Mado Hesselink, many episodes include expert interviews and even on-air advice conversations.
YogabyCandace
Brought to you by yoga teacher Candace Moore, YogabyCandace provides weekly interviews with a variety of yoga enthusiasts from around the world. By using the interview method, she is able to cover a wide diversity of subjects around the modern yoga lifestyle.
Interestingly enough, Candace has a very energetic voice and interview style, making these podcasts perfect for people deciding whether to join the practice. Some of her recent topics include “Creativity in Changing Careers” and “Turning Passion into a Thriving Business.”
J Brown Yoga
With more than twelve thousand social media subscribers, J Brown is definitely making waves in the yoga industry. Brown prides himself on offering candid and potentially controversial interviews with thought leaders on subjects sometimes only loosely related to yoga.
Beginning in August 2015, the podcast targets one episode per week. Many of the interview subjects are authors and business owners who join the show specifically to share a passion project. While this podcast may not be the best for someone looking explicitly for yoga-related material, this could be a helpful exploration into the yoga lifestyle itself.
Lucas Rockwood Show
As one of the oldest podcasts on this list, the Lucas Rockwood Show has been on the air since 2012. They publish weekly content consisting of interviews with thought-provoking experts and change leaders. Again, this is not a show specifically focused on the practice of yoga itself.
The host has attempted to provide a collection of topics that can help people generally living more healthy and self-realized lives. With more than 300,000 followers on social media, people definitely find his interviews insightful and entertaining.
Refusing to be limited to one school of thought, the experts interviewed range from medical doctors and researchers to yogis with non-traditional approaches.
Adam Hocke Yoga
Students of yoga looking for a more international approach may enjoy Adam Hocke’s podcasts. Based out of London, England, new programs appear about once a month. Podcast listeners who prefer a yoga-centered program without all the fluff and outside topics will enjoy Hocke.
These podcasts are audio files of actual yoga sessions within his studio. They are designed to allow students to practice at home while listening to his instructions.
The podcasts are separated by the level of experience from gentle to advanced. This might be perfect for practitioners who do not want to walk into a studio for their very first session. Hocke also offers sessions focused on particular body parts, such as quads and feet.
Body Posi Yogi
For yogis interested in the intersection of feminism and yoga, this program may be perfect. While they no longer publish regularly, they still have an archive full of interesting yoga programs for those new to the channel. Hosts Elisa and Jill banter on a variety of topics.
Many of the podcasts present them having a discussion on subjects like the Beyonce Chakra, while other casts are more directly about poses.
The Connected Yoga Teacher
If there are graduate courses for yoga teachers, this podcast would fit that description. Hosted by Shannon Crow, Connected Yoga Teacher is all about uniting yoga instructors with support communities and information. The topics cover a mixture of subjects relevant to owning or teaching yoga studios and developing noteworthy expertise in the field.
Recording sessions are conducted as interviews with experts from communities adjacent to the practice of yoga. However, the website also provides detailed notes and takeaways from each of the interviews.
Bad Yogi Magazine
Erin Motz has been teaching yoga for fifteen years and believes the practice should be accessible to everyone from deer hunters to vegans. Her podcast, Bad Yogi, definitely takes that approach to heart. With an average of about two posts per month, she interviews subject matter experts on a wide range of topics.
Very few of the issues are directed to yoga practitioners exclusively. The vast majority of subjects, some controversial, seem to be directed at helping people to live their best life. To this end, she provides information and allows listeners to draw their own conclusions. Her previous podcast themes include meal preparation business and numerology.
Yoga, Meditation & Relaxation
Hosted by Katya, this podcast series offers a number of tutorials to help users learn to properly meditate and relax. Particular programs include topics on guided meditations or step-by-step instructions on certain poses.
Listeners are encouraged to follow along as if standing in a live yoga studio. Although this podcast is only updated sporadically, previous sessions are timeless in that they provide a full series of mindfulness and meditation exercises.
Flow With Me Yoga
For those practitioners looking for direct yoga session podcasts, Flow With Me Yoga is ideal. These sessions do not include much fluff or philosophy. Hosted by Natalia Emery Hastings, each session begins with a short piano introduction. What follows is a personal yoga session taught with a calm and focused voice, walking you through a series of poses.
The classes are separated into classic, gentle, and power flow, but all can be suitable as part of a regular Vinyasa yoga workout routine.
Yoga To Cope
Yoga to Cope is a nonprofit group that offers coping mechanisms that are backed by the principles of yoga. The group designs yoga programs that include experts on many kinds of trauma, grief, and depression. Some podcasts include personal experiences from people working through grief, phobias, or mental illness. Additional expert interviews cover nutrition, self-affirmation, religion, and other fields.
Listeners seeking yoga as a way to cope with stress from a specific trauma or mental condition would definitely benefit from connecting with these podcasts.
The Sleeping Yoga
Relaxation from daily stress is a strong component of yoga, and sleep is the ultimate expression of relaxation. Unfortunately, there are only seven episodes of this podcast, with the last airing in January of 2019. However, the series begins with the introduction to sleep yoga and continues with topics like inner peace and anxiety.
At about a half-hour each, people looking specifically for yoga to help with sleeping difficulties may benefit from listening to a few programs.
The Yogi Show
If you like a little humor with your yoga, then this is the program for you. The full title is The Yogi Show: Yoga, Mindfulness, and Gratitude with a Touch of Humor. Hosted by Pedro Luna and Yogi Bryan, the series is focused on providing a humor-laced examination of the yoga community.
They cover a wide swath of topics, including entrepreneurship, overcoming adversity, and building healthy life habits. Each of the shows uses the lighthearted interview format to tackle serious subjects with guest experts. Shows air once a week but each program length varies.
Quantum Yoga Podcast
Hosted by Jonathan Rickert, Quantum Yoga takes a close look at human consciousness and biofields. Each podcast, with new episodes airing twice a month, interviews subject matter experts on the human condition. Generally, just over an hour-long, each program examines abstract concepts like the origins of life and meditation, and the mystical.
This is the program for people who want to explore the unknown potentials of human reality, perhaps while preparing for an upcoming yoga session.
Quietmind Yoga
Jeremy Devens provides these weekly sessions for yoga practitioners of all backgrounds. Each hour-long program is a live yoga class allowing the user to follow the detailed instructions. The sessions focus on topics like lower back pain, improving balance, or stretching hips.
Mastering The Business Of Yoga
Mastering the Business of Yoga is a masterclass in yoga-based entrepreneurship. Although yoga classes may be calm and self-aware, like all businesses yoga can be hectic for the owners. Accordingly, Amanda Kingsmith uses these podcasts to help business owners build powerful and successful practices.
The programs cover beginning logistics, marketing approaches, and tips for expanding existing success. There are a number of expert interviews to provide community members with alternative approaches to current problems.
Yoga Is Vegan
This is a great podcast for vegans who practice yoga. Hosted by Skodis Podcasting, the series interviews yogis who have chosen to live as vegans. The general theme of the programs is living a nonharm lifestyle, and how that incorporates both vegan and yoga principles.
Intelligent Edge Yoga
Brought to the internet by Kathryn Anne Flynn, Intelligent Edge Yoga is focused on providing yogis with the tools and wisdom to take a smarter approach to life. As of December 2019, there are fifty-one episodes on a variety of topics from Harry Potter to death care. Many of the programs feature interesting conversations with members of the yoga community and subject experts.
Power of Your Om Santa Barbara
Taught by a variety of yogis, these podcasts consist of a combination of live meditation and yoga sessions. While the schedule for updates is infrequent, listeners can already find a variety of programs online. Those short on time and stressed out can use the five-minute guided meditation. People away from home in hotel rooms could benefit from the live 60-minute yoga session.
YogaMass
While there are only five of these, Christian religious-based yoga podcasts are rare enough for inclusion. Hosted by Pastor Gena Davis, these sessions lead listeners through discussions on the merging of Christianity and yoga.
Live Yoga Jams
Hosted by Egemen Sanli, Live Yoga Jams is exactly as it sounds. These eighteen podcasts offer a variety of musical scores using sitar, drums, and flutes to provide background music for yoga sessions. The music is a bit lively for slow meditation gatherings, but with reduced volume, it could add to the ambiance of any yoga studio.
The posting schedule is irregular, but the majority of programs were posted within the last year. Yoga practitioners can definitely use these recordings for future Vinyasa sessions.
Yoga Focus
Yoga Focus provides sessions designed to creatively enhance the level of clarity in each practitioner’s life. The programs use a variety of topics aimed at teachers, students, and general yogis. Some of the topics are directly yoga-based, such as “Feet and Ankles in Yoga Practice.”
Other topics are philosophical in nature, such as recordings on suffering and gratitude. She considers these sessions a modern take on the 8 Limbs of Yoga, and they are recorded as an audio blog.
The podcasts are uploaded on a seemingly random basis, but there are already fifteen episodes ready for your listening pleasure.