Best Meditation and Mindfulness Podcasts (2026)
You don't need an app with a subscription to meditate. Some of the best guided meditations and mindfulness teachings are free, right in your podcast player. These 10 shows range from quick daily sits to deep explorations of Buddhist philosophy — pick whatever matches where you are right now.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
1. Ten Percent Happier
Dan Harris was a sceptic who had a panic attack on live TV and ended up becoming a meditation evangelist. His interviews with teachers, scientists and authors are grounded, practical and refreshingly free of woo. The best entry point for anyone who thinks meditation isn't for them.
2. The Daily Meditation Podcast
Mary Meckley delivers a short guided meditation every single day, usually themed around a weekly topic. Episodes run about 10 minutes — just enough to build a daily habit without it feeling like a chore. Perfect for mornings.
3. Meditation Minis
Chel Hamilton's short guided meditations are designed for anxiety, sleep and stress relief. Her voice is genuinely calming without being saccharine. Episodes are under 15 minutes and work brilliantly as a reset in the middle of a hectic day.
4. Tara Brach
Tara Brach is a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher whose weekly talks blend Buddhist wisdom with practical psychology. She covers self-compassion, radical acceptance and emotional healing. Her guided meditations at the end of each talk are worth the listen alone.
5. Untangle
Untangle interviews meditation teachers, neuroscientists and psychologists about the science and practice of mindfulness. It's more conversational than most meditation podcasts, which makes it great for people who want to understand why meditation works, not just do it.
6. Plum Village
Dharma talks from Thich Nhat Hanh's community in France. These are gentle, profound teachings on mindful living — eating, walking, breathing, being present. If you want something that genuinely slows your brain down, start here.
7. On Being
Krista Tippett's long-running conversations explore the big questions — meaning, faith, ethics, beauty — with poets, scientists, theologians and activists. Not a meditation podcast in the traditional sense, but deeply mindful in every episode. The kind of show that changes how you think.
8. Nothing Much Happens
Kathryn Nicolai reads gentle bedtime stories for adults where, true to the name, nothing much happens. A walk through autumn leaves. Making soup. Sitting by a fire. It's designed to help you fall asleep, and it works absurdly well.
9. Meditation Mountain
Straightforward guided meditations with a focus on visualisation and relaxation. No lengthy preamble, no philosophy lectures — just press play and follow along. Great for beginners who want something simple and effective.
10. Mindful Minute
Meryl Arnett delivers guided meditations and mindfulness exercises in short, accessible episodes. The show covers everything from body scans to loving-kindness practice. A solid pick if you want variety without long time commitments.
Start your morning mindfully
Set a meditation podcast as your morning alarm and begin every day with calm. Download Podcast Alarm and wake up to guided peace.
Waking up with a podcast on iOS
Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.
