Podcasts have been around for a pretty long time now, but are actually only something I’ve discovered in the last year or so. There’s literally podcasts for everything – from ghost stories, to comedy and TED Talks, you’re bound to find a podcast with a topic that excites and interests you. I actually find it quite difficult to find new podcasts to listen to, as there don’t seem to be many reviews out there on the type of podcasts I’m into… so…. I thought I’d share a few of my personal faves, for anyone else looking for new podcasts!
The first podcast to grace my ears and convert me to a die hard podcast fan was The Lively show by Jess Lively. I can’t remember where I fist discovered it – probably Twitter? – but I am SO glad I found it!
The Lively Show covers a vast variety of subjects – from Jess’ personal travels to her monthly favourites, as well as mindfulness, life coaching and finance related podcasts. I find Jess really relatable, as she seems like a normal woman with a pretty normal life, trying to figure out her way – the only difference is that she shares that all with us! That being said, she does have expertise in certain areas, for example mindfulness and self development, and it is these podcast of hers that I most prefer. In these episodes, Jess will share tips and tricks as well as her experiences at yoga and meditation retreats, and Jess has even got an online class in the art of ‘flow with intention’ – something she describes as bringing joy and fulfillment to your life through ‘consciousness, alignment, the law of attraction, emotional selection, flow, energy, and much more’.
I honestly cannot recommend The Lively Show enough, especially for women, who are keen to explore mindfulness, self improvement or entrepreneurialism.
I Want It That Way is a podcast by Bustle – an online magazine for women. Bustle are known for their very frank coverage on topics that may be considered socially ‘taboo’. They educate and empower through their media, so I was super excited to find out that they had a podcast which covers alllllll of the questions about sex and relationships that you’re probably too embarrassed to actually ask out loud. There are a lot of episodes focusing on feminism, and discussions/interviews with role model women, but personally I most prefer the more informative episodes. Let me give you a few example titles, to see if any of these spark your interest, and to give you an example of topics covered…
Sexting Safely
What It’s Really Like To Be A Dominatrix
Sex Dreams and Sleep Sex
Whats It Like To Have Endometriosis?
When Should I Get An STD Test?
If you like discussions about all things feminist, sex and relationships, you’ll be sure to enjoy this podcast. It is targeted towards women, but some of the episodes definitely could come in handy for guys, too! They also cover all types of relationship and sex – so whether you’re heterosexual or not, monogamous or polyamorous – there’s informative episodes for us all!
Honestly Though is another podcast by Bustle, and takes form of a discussion/interview type podcast normally between two people. Each episode poses the question ‘Honestly though….how does XYZ work?’. Like the I Want It That Way podcast above, Honestly Though does not shy away from anything graphic or ‘taboo’. Ever wanted to know what it’s like to run a cannabis business? Or maybe hear what life is like with tourettes? I especially find the podcasts around non-monogamy especially interesting – I don’t personally know any polyamorous people, so it was interesting to hear more about how a polyamorous relationship works, from people actually in a polyamorous relationship themselves. The podcasts are all very matter of fact, people sharing their personal experience and encounters. You can rest assured that there is 0% judgement, negativity or controversy in this podcasts – it’s a safe place!
I actually came across Affirmation Pod on Spotify, whilst searching for guided meditations, but I now listen to it in the podcast app on my iPhone, like all my other podcasts. As soon as I found Affirmation Pod, I just knew I was going to become obsessed! Affirmation Pod is a podcast full of various subjects for mindfulness – not just affirmations! From meditations and visualisations to self-care, chatty episodes, this podcast has you covered! Josie has recently explained she is taking a break from the podcast due to personal issues, so whilst I am GUTTED that I won’t have any new episodes, I totally respect that we are all just human beings. Plus, there’s plenty of episodes to go back to – affirmations aren’t something you just listen to once and never again!
Even if you’ve never tried listening to podcasts for meditation or affirmations, Josie is brilliant at the art – she takes you through slowly, and the podcast is definitely suitable for beginners. I would highly recommend this podcast to everyone – whether you’re feeling a little bit down, need motivation to get out of bed in the morning or want to pep yourself up before a workout, there’s a quick 3-5 minute affirmation for pretty much everything!