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Podcasts that stimulate the mind or offer advice about contemporary living and relationships make a good addition to your summer holiday playlists. Photo: Alamy

Five podcasts for the summer holiday to stretch your mind and nourish your soul

Fill out your vacation playlists with words of wisdom from physical fitness experts, philosophers, and a psychologist

Wellness

Heading on vacation and looking to fill out your playlists for those lazy days on the beach or at the hotel? Here are five podcasts for you to dive into for help with mind, body and soul as you unwind in the sun, surf and sand.

1. The Joe Rogan Podcast

Rogan’s podcast is one of the world’s most popular.

Widely known for his Ultimate Fighting Championship commentary, and his stint as the host of NBC stunt/dare show Fear Factor, Rogan runs one of the world’s most popular podcasts. In between the usual guests, such as comedians and fighters, Rogan has a penchant for medical experts, philosophers and forward-thinking physical fitness experts.

His ideas are a bit out there when it comes to aliens, marijuana and psychedelics, but he’s proven to be a hugely talented host, able to get his guests to open up and share many of their life secrets.

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Must-listen episode: Joe Rogan Experience #1054 – Dr Rhonda Patrick. Rogan has had Patrick on multiple times, and the MD is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and the body’s response to it. Tons of great information if you’re looking for that physical edge.

2. Bang!

Melody Thomas, host of Bang!

From Radio New Zealand, this podcast takes on all the tough questions about relationships, sex and sexuality. It doesn’t hurt that host Melody Thomas’ easy-going and super cool demeanour makes talking with guests about uncomfortable questions somehow seem comfortable.

Thomas interviews guests about everything you want to know about, but may be too afraid to ask your friends: pornography, sex education and intimacy. When faux pas subjects become fun and enlightening, everyone wins, including your partner, lover or significant other.

Must-listen episode: Bang! Episode 4: Love & Marriage – Thomas chats with couples who have been through the best and worst of times in and out of the bedroom. The episode is filled with interesting titbits about life intertwined and how love comes to be.

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3. Waking Up Podcast with Sam Harris

Harris uncovers the workings of the human mind.

If you’re looking to go really deep, check out neuroscientist Sam Harris’ show. He’s also a philosopher and bestselling author and has made a name for himself as a shameless atheist. The beauty of Harris is that he doesn’t dismiss anyone else’s opinion; instead, he works tirelessly to dissect, unpack and uncover the many ways the human mind gets involved in everything from politics and religion to artificial intelligence and free will.

Must-listen episode: #67 – Meaning and Chaos: A Conversation with Jordan Peterson. The two have since become friends, but their initial on-air meeting was anything but cordial. The two intellectual heavyweights (Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist who has become an internet darling, or tyrant, depending on who you ask) went toe-to-toe on the nature of existence for almost two hours.

4. Revisionist History

Malcolm Gladwell. Photo: Nancy Kaszerman/Zuma Wire/Alamy

We all know Malcolm Gladwell’s groundbreaking work from books such as The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Outliers: The Story of Success. Now the writer takes his keen eye to the audio world and dives into specific points in history.

The allure of Gladwell has always centred on his ability to shine a different lens on a subject and make us think twice about something we thought was a certainty.

Must-listen episode: Episode 9: McDonald’s Broke My Heart. Gladwell dives into French fries and the ultimate betrayal. Not following? Well you’ll have to check it out for yourself.

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5. Appearance Matters

We all wonder how we look and appear to others. Well, now you can find out some of the interesting behavioural tendencies and quirks men and women have when it comes to their body and image. The beauty of this show lies in the subject matter tackled, everything from fat shaming to eating disorders to acne.

We all need to learn to love ourselves better, and embrace our differences and see our faults as character traits. This is a great podcast to help you achieve a better state of self-love, and not cringe as much when you look in the mirror.

Must-listen episode: # 28 – Male Body Image – Men and boys have it tough, too. The hosts and interviewees dive into what it means when guys see nothing but six packs all over advertisements and the impact it has on their minds. Guys tend to be more hesitant to open up to others about emotional issues, so this podcast is a great way to get the ball rolling.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Listen up – five great podcasts to help you improve mind and body
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