Quick Answer:
1.Health Journeys: A Guided Meditation For Relaxation & Wellness
This guided meditation CD is excellent for daily relaxing and keeping yourself calm in the middle of a stressful situation. I like the guided imagery because I think it’s useful in keeping me calm quickly. The narrator is also a big help because her voice is very soothing.
2.Guided Meditations: Fill What Is Empty; Empty What Is Full
This particular meditation CD impresses me with the deep feeling of inner peace whenever I let it play. Davidji is an excellent teacher. His voice is lovely and good at what he does. I also love single track where it just plays the chakras.
3.Health Journeys: Magic Island Guided Meditation For Kids
If you want your kids to be stress-free and confident, this Magic Island guided meditation CD might be the solution. I tried playing it before nap time, and I’ve never seen my nephew slept that fast. This CD contains good music to keep the children entertained.
Editor's Pick: The Best Guided Meditation CD
Guided Meditation CD Buying Guide
What Are The Benefits Of Guided Meditation?
Guided meditation can affect your overall cognitive functions, helping you to focus better and develop more skills. The hypnotic words of the teacher can take you on a mental journey for a magical experience. It will let you think clearer and remove any negative thoughts.
Also, this type of practice can reduce anxiety and stress to improve your well-being. It can even lower your blood pressure and help with treatments to enhance your health condition. Since teachers often give descriptive scenarios, you’ll also improve your visualization skills.
How Guided Meditation Works
Also known as guided imagery, guided meditation is a meditation process that lets you create mental images of things you find relaxing. Many senses can be used in this method, such as sounds and sights. A teacher may guide through this process
You don’t need to learn how to meditate with a guided meditation. All you have to do is listen to the instructor and follow what they say. Through guided meditation, your subconscious mind can be tapped to improve your well-being.
What To Look For On A Good Guided Meditation CD
1. Audio Quality: Since this is a CD, the audio quality matters to your experience. Make sure that the sound is clear, so you’ll hear what the teacher says. There should be enough bass to amplify the background music.
2. Instructor: The voice of the teacher can be crucial to your concentration. Look for an instructor with a very soothing voice. They should be able to give clear instructions and motivate you to everything they ask you to.
3. Music Background: The background music can add an ambiance to the meditation process. Make sure that the music isn’t overpowering the teacher’s voice. The music should be soothing as possible.
5 Best Guided Meditation CD Reviews
1. Health Journeys: A Guided Meditation For Relaxation & Wellness
This guided meditation CD from Health Journeys provides guided imagery to help you reduce stress and attain peace. I like this technique because it demonstrates hypnotic images and soothing works to naturally calm faster. My favorite track is the affirmations part because it helps me relax quickly even while driving.
For a total of 38 minutes, this CD is easy to incorporate into your daily life. The first half is suitable for those suffering from constant post-traumatic stress, while the second half focuses on imagery to heal trauma. I love Dr. Naperstek because she narrates in a very soothing voice, plus the background music is soft to listen to.
However, this CD might make you cry because the narrator might ask you to recall your deceased family members. The pacing is also quite fast because the entire guide is less than an hour.
PROS:
- Helps reduce stress and anxiety
- Uses guided imagery and affirmations for fast relaxation
- Short enough to incorporate in your daily life
- Narrates in a very relaxing voice
- Has soft background music for easy listening
CONS:
- Might make you cry when imagining deceased family members
- Has quite a fast pace
Best For:
A Calm & Quiet Place is perfect for those who want a compact scented candle for meditation. It’s great for people who want a modern looking tumbler candle with the unique fragrance that makes your home feel balanced.
2. Guided Meditations: Fill What Is Empty; Empty What Is Full
This guided meditation collection is another CD that can help me attain healing and inner peace. I like the background sounds and music because they’re not distracting during meditation. The instructor, Davidji, has a calming voice that’s easy to listen to.
There are eight tracks, and each track focuses on a specific topic. My favorite is the one with chakras because it always put my mind at ease and increases my energy. The ambiance is quite relaxing, plus Davidji’s wise words can guide you to go to the most convenient place of loving acceptance.
However, the Heal Your Body Meditation part is only three minutes long, and it didn’t relay any meditation at all. The audio quality is also a little low, so I have a problem hearing the instructor sometimes.
PROS:
- Has good background sound and music
- Davidji has a soothing voice
- Imparts wise words to help you heal and meditate
- Offers eight focused tracks for versatility
- Has a relaxing ambiance and energizing chakras
CONS:
- Has a low audio volume quality
- Some tracks are very short
Best For:
The Fill What Is Empty; Empty What Is Full CD is perfect for beginners because Davidji takes you to different tracks of finding inner peace. His wise words help guide you to a solemn meditation.
3. Health Journeys Magic Island Guided Meditation For Kids
If you want your kids to feel relaxed from school or play, Magic Island might be an excellent guided meditation CD for them. This album uses guided imagery to help your kids relax for better sleep and confidence. I love the music because it’s fun and entertaining, plus the narrator sounds lovely.
There are two tracks on the album- the first one is about guided relaxation exercises and the second one is music. I like the transition of the guided relaxation exercise to the story because it prepares my child to listen to it well. My nephew loves the nature sounds and the instrumental version because they make him feel calm right away.
However, it’s hard to skip right away to the story because the guided relaxation exercise is a bit long. The story may also get boring after a while because it’s the same over and over again.
PROS:
- Helps kids enhance confidence and reduce stress
- Uses guided imagery to relax instantly
- Has excellent music and sound to grab the kids’ attention
- The narrator has a lovely tone and voice
- Transitions to a beautiful story
CONS:
- Can’t skip directly to the story part
- Lacks a variety of stories
Best For:
The Magic Island Guided Meditation CD is perfect for kids age between four to 10 years old. The tracks are excellent in helping the kids reduce stress, improve confidence, and sleep faster.
4. The Reiki Journey Guided Meditations For Mindful Living
The Reiki Journey is a nice guide meditation CD because it offers good support to those who follow the Reiki’s way of life. I love the breathing exercises because it helps me relax in a briefer moment. I also enjoyed the Gassho Meditation where you press the middle fingers together because the feeling keeps my focus on my fingers when my mind starts to drift.
The instructor, Ginny Mackles, has a reassuring and soft voice. The instrumental sounds are also pleasant to hear because they add a nice ambiance to the entire meditation process. I appreciate that the CD includes a part where it introduces Reiki’s guiding principles because it helps those who want to practice Reiki.
However, some sections are a bit short for me. For example, the Individual Meditations part is brief but offers many pauses to let you be silent. It can also be a little disconcerting if you don’t have any idea about Reiki.
PROS:
- Consists of relaxing breathing exercises
- A good support for Reiki practitioners and students
- Narrates in a soft voice
- Has pleasant instrumental sounds
- Offers a concise introduction to Reiki principles
CONS:
- A bit confusing for newbies to Reiki
- Some sections are too short
Best For:
The Reiki Journey CD is ideal for people who study Reiki. It’s also ideal for newbies because there’s a section that introduces the Reiki principles.
5. Creating Calm Within Guided Meditations
Creating Calm Within is a 75-minute long guided meditation CD that helps you meditate with a relaxed mind and body. I feel reassured with the instructor, Denise DeForest, because she uses her psychiatric clinical specialty in empowering people to self-heal. Her voice is clear and has a calming tone, plus the music adds a relaxing effect to the narration.
There are four sections to this album, and all have guided meditation narrations except for the last part which is only instrumental. My favorite is the part where it says positive affirmations because it leaches into my subconscious and eradicates all my negative thoughts. I like the time for each section because it’s neither too short nor long.
However, the audio quality isn’t loud enough to hear clearly. I also noticed plenty of pauses on the recording, so that it can throw me off sometimes.
PROS:
- Narrated by a professional of psychiatric clinical nursing
- Denise has a clear and relaxing voice
- Has excellent music background to make a relaxing ambiance
- Says positive affirmations to diminish negative thoughts
- Each part has just the right duration
CONS:
- Audio isn’t loud enough to hear in some parts
- Plenty of pauses
Best For:
The Creating A Calm Within Guided Meditation CD is excellent for those who want to reduce negative thoughts on their head. The narrator is a professional in embracing the power of your mind and body.
FAQs:
Q: Can guided meditation be dangerous?
With the right teacher, it’s never dangerous to perform guided meditation. In fact, guided meditation can provide several benefits, such as mental clarity and confidence boost.
Q: What’s the best time to meditate?
It’s said that the best time to meditate is from 4 AM to 4 PM because it’s when your pineal and pituitary glands are balanced with the earth’s and sun’s angles while sitting.
Conclusion
All of the guided meditation CDs are effective in helping you relax and meditate. Out of the options above, the best guided meditation CD is Health Journeys: A Guided Meditation For Relaxation & Wellness. This particular CD helps reduce anxiety and has a good instructor to guide you.
For beginners, you can try Davidji’s Fill What Is Empty; Empty What Is Full with his wise words. This album contains eight tracks to provide versatility. My favorite is the chakras because they help increase your energy.
Allen Wei is someone who believes in living his best life, focusing on balance, happiness, and relaxation. He fosters a positive lifestyle in terms of his body, mind, and environment, and he is a huge proponent of learning to be balanced via relaxation techniques integrated into our busy lives.
