Finding a comfortable position to meditate in is one of the most important factors in achieving a deeply relaxing state, and one of the most frequently asked questions we are asked is, "How should I sit or lie down while I listen to my Insight CD?"

The best approach is to find the position that is most comfortable for you personally, because if you are uncomfortable while you listen, you'll be distracted from the meditative state. Sore legs, an aching back, and the tingling of "sleeping" feet will reduce your level of relaxation and, as a result, reduce the effectiveness of your meditation session. The more comfortable your physical body is, the deeper the meditative state your mind will achieve.

Meditating in an upright posture isn't required but it provides the best flow of breath and can help you stay awake even in the most relaxed states of meditation. There are a variety of seated positions that will help you remain comfortable. It is best to start by …Click here to learn more about comfortable positions for meditation

The Meditation Bible by Madonna Gauding is by far the best meditation book we've come across this year. Packed with 140 individual meditations, the book contains something for everyone. Gauding has gathered some of the best — and easiest to learn — meditation techniques in a beautifully designed collection. Beginners and experienced meditators alike will benefit from this handy guide.

Part 1 features a "Before You Begin" section that explains meditation and provides tips for preparation, body positioning, establishing a daily practice, and more. Part 2 features 140 individual meditation techniques described in step-by-step detail. The organization and presentation of the meditation techniques is what makes The Meditation Bible so appealing and user-friendly. The techniques are divided into …Click here to read more about The Meditation Bible

For anyone seeking a simple, introductory look into the fundamental beliefs and principles of the Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness would be a great place to start. The book, authored by Howard C Cutler, MD, consists of excerpts and commentary from a series of documented conversations held between himself and the Dalai Lama.

Rather than following the original timeline of their conversations, the book is broken down into topics, such as the Sources of Happiness, the Value and Benefits of Compassion, Dealing with Anger and Hatred, etc. At first, this writing style feels bit choppy and somewhat rough to muddle through, but it quickly becomes self-evident this is the best format for addressing such a broad range of concepts and ideas that lead toward one universal goal — happiness.

Cutler, a psychologist, lends an interesting, analytical perspective on the views presented by the Dalai Lama. The questions he poses are very natural, very …Click here to read more about The Art of Happiness

The Sleeptracker watch is an innovative tool to help you get the most from your sleep. Worn on the wrist while you sleep, the watch monitors your sleep cycles and awakens you at the optimal moment so you feel more rested and refreshed throughout the day.

We all know the feeling of waking up groggy after being roused from deep sleep by the alarm clock. Sleeptracker is designed to solve that problem. You simply set a designated wake-up window, such as "between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.", and Sleeptracker will sound the alarm when it records a moment of lighter sleep during that window. As a failsafe, if no moment of lighter sleep occurs, the alarm will sound automatically at the end of the window.

As a bonus, the watch records your sleep data throughout the night and stores the data so it may be easily retrieved in the morning. Our testers found the sleep data feature extremely beneficial when …Click here to read more about the Sleeptracker watch

For many people, finding a comfortable position in which to meditate is a challenge. We're constantly on the lookout for comfortable seating options our customers can use while listening to the Insight CD. That's why we were thrilled when we came across the Wandering Monk Chair created by Zen By Design.

The chair is elegant and stylish, yet entirely portable. It weighs less than five pounds and can be folded in half for easy carrying. Best of all, it comes with a height-adjustable backrest to provide support for the lower back. The seat also tilts the pelvis ever so slightly, creating the ideal angle for positioning the legs.

Zen By Design offers the Wandering Monk Chair in mahogany or maple, with nineteen different fabrics to choose from so you can design a chair to suit your personal style. They also offer a Rama Warrior Chair, Samurai Chair, and Dhyana Chair for meditators who prefer other seating or furniture styles. Their chairs are quite beautiful and definitely worth checking out.

The Mindfold Relaxation Mask is a terrific tool we came across almost entirely by accident, and it turned out to be quite a serendipitous find. Never have we come across a relaxation mask more suitable for meditation, making the Mindfold a perfect complement to our Insight CD.

Unlike most relaxation or sleep masks, the Mindfold mask is uniquely pre-cut with "eye-holes", allowing you to keep your eyes open underneath the mask. The mask effectively blocks all light, leaving the meditator in complete darkness, even with eyes wide open. As many of our customers have discovered, simply leaving your eyes open can provide a very different meditative experience than meditating with eyes closed. Unfortunately, when surrounded by visual stimuli, it is often difficult to calm the mind and achieve a deeply meditative state. The Mindfold solves this problem by …Click here to read more about the Mindfold Mask