Guide to Meditation: 10 Products You Need to Practice in Comfort
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While nothing is required to meditate, it can be beneficial to have tools and guidance at your disposal to guide you through meditation. There are plenty of guided meditation apps that can steer you in the right direction, including Calm, Headspace, Liberate, and Waking Up, to name just a few. Bonus: All of these offer free trials and access to complimentary meditations so you can try them before you buy.
Other people prefer pillows and aromatherapy to help them get in a meditative mood. Whatever your practice, here are a few things to do about starting a meditation routine.
What Is Meditation?
The earliest documentation of meditation stems as far back as 5,000 BC India, where it was born as a spiritual technique and religious teaching in Hinduism. The tradition was passed on primarily through word of mouth, and forms of the practice were eventually developed in Taoism and Buddhism in approximately the 6th to 5th centuries BCE, to name a few.
The technique comes in many forms depending on your lifestyle and needs. The most common types of meditation include:
Focused meditation: If you’re looking to cultivate more focus in your daily life, this approach can help guide your attention and keep your mind from wandering. It involves using your senses to concentrate — think focusing on a specific sound or counting prayer beads.
Mantra meditation: This type of meditation centers on repeating a sound, phrase, or word (such as “om”) to help clear the mind. By chanting quietly or loudly over and over, you’ll be more in tune with your surroundings and thus experience awareness on a deeper level. One of the most popular forms of this approach is Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Mindfulness meditation: The easiest way to practice solo, this approach focuses on paying attention to your passing thoughts without engaging with or judging them. The goal is to observe your thought patterns, feelings, and physical sensations, so you can expect to build your awareness and concentration as you progress.
Movement meditation: Yoga isn’t the only way to move while meditating. Other motion-guided meditation activities can include dancing, walking, qigong, and tai chi.
Spiritual meditation: Much like the act of praying, this type of mediation involves seeking a deeper connection to the universe or the higher beings that one worships by reflecting in silence. Many people prefer to enhance their experience with essential oils.
What Are the Benefits of Meditation?
Relaxation and learning to live in the present aren’t the only upsides to meditating. Devoted practitioners can expect a range of mental, emotional, and physical benefits on their path to zen. Here are just a handful of ways that regular meditation can help your life:
Reduce stress and anxiety: Studies show that mindfulness meditation can help decrease the stress hormone cortisol, and thus reduce symptoms of stress-related issues such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to studies. As a result, this can also lead to less anxiety.
Reduce blood pressure: Lower cortisol levels can also lead lower blood pressure. As Harvard points out, the relaxation brought on by meditation can reduce inflammation and blood vessel constriction.
Improve sleep: Another related benefit to all of the above? Better sleep: Since high stress disrupts sleep, meditation can help you get more restful shut-eye by training you to have more control of your pre-snoozing thoughts.
Alleviate symptoms of depression: Cytokines, which are inflammatory chemicals that our bodies release as a response to stress, can also lead to depression. Several studies have found that long-term effects of meditation can decrease the release of cytokines and therefore reduce depression symptoms.
Increase self-awareness: Meditation helps you focus on your thoughts, which in turn can give you a better understanding of yourself. Research shows that the practice can help people develop more constructive thought patterns.
Boost creativity: One study also found that meditation can help inspire more divergent thinking, which leads to more creativity and creative problem-solving.
While it’s worth pointing out that even the best meditation products aren’t guaranteed to give you total calm and inner peace, having good gear can help you get into the right mindset. On that note, we’ve rounded up some helpful items to set the scene — from high-tech headsets to comfy cushions and more, check out our top picks below.
Avocado Organic Yoga Meditation Pillow
$79.00
This yoga pillow from Avocado is made with a GOTS-certified organic removable cotton cover and has a comfortable buckwheat fill. The cushion also features a handy strap to carry it around.
Practical Meditation for Beginners
Getting started with meditation can be difficult, but this book, available on Audible, makes it easier. The step-by-step instructions through 10 different meditation techniques are designed to set you on a calmer, happier path.
Hyperice Core Premium Bundle
$159.00
If you’re new to meditation and need some help, Core by Hyperice is a great starter product. With this bundle you’ll get the Core meditation trainer plus a year-long subscription to the Premium app, giving you access to guided meditations, breath training and soundscapes.
Your meditation trainer itself has two ECG biosensors and the companion Core app will let you know how calm or focused you were during your daily meditation session. Battery life also runs up to two weeks and this meditation gadget is TSA-approved, which means you can carry it with you while you travel.
‘Making Space’ by Thích Nhất Hạnh
$9.95
There is no shortage of great meditation books, and this one by Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, and author Thích Nhất Hạnh is a great introduction for beginners This 96-page illustrated guide features easy instructions for creating a zen-ready space in your own home as well as the basics of meditation and mindfulness, which is why seasoned meditators love reading it as a refresher.
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
$199.00 $349.00 43% off
It can be hard to focus and meditate with the many distractions the world throws your way. Bose’s QuietComfort headphones feature top-of-the-line noise canceling and premium audio quality, making meditating anywhere a possibility.
ASAKUKI Smart WiFi Essential Oil Diffuser
$36.99 $42.99 14% off
This WiFi-enabled cool mist humidifier and essential oil diffuser make it easy to control your aromatherapy and air moisture so you can enjoy maximum comfort and focus during your meditation. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and the device’s TuyaSmart app allows you to schedule timers and change the mist and light settings.
Cliganic USDA Organic Essential Oils Set
$22.99 $25.99 12% off
If you’re just dipping your toes into aromatherapy for your meditation, this eight-scent essential oils set by Cliganic is a good place to start. It includes peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, rosemary, frankincense, and orange oils, which each offer their own benefits ranging from boosting alertness and focus to promoting calmness and mental strength, to name a few. You’ll have extra peace of mind knowing that the oils are cruelty-free, USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project verified.
Gaiam Yoga Bolster
$44.98
This meditation block from trusted yoga brand Gaiam is made from a natural cotton filling and features a machine-washable cover. Plus, the handy strap makes it easy to take on the go.
Tibetan Singing Bowl Set
$31.95 $39.99 20% off
This four-inch Tibetan singing bowl is made of sturdy bronze, which produces a soothing sound to enhance your meditation. It comes with a dual-surface wooden mallet that makes it easy to play long-lasting and layered tones, while the hand-sewn, non-dampening pillow helps stabilize the bowl.
Yogasleep Dohm Elite Natural White Noise Sound Machine
$44.49
Beyond meditation, many find white noise to be beneficial when it comes to sleep, and the Yogasleep machine is a compact device that fits on a nightstand and can easily be taken on the go while traveling.