Meditation sounds for a calm practice

A meditation mix should support your attention, not compete with it, so these ten scenes keep things simple. Tibetan Practice and Singing Bowl Bath centre on ringing bowls and long, fading tones. Forest Meditation, River Meditation and Beach Meditation take your practice outdoors. Cave Meditation and Mountain Top add space and stillness, while Garden Meditation and Morning Meditation are lighter options for the start of the day.

Meditation sounds are useful whether you sit for five minutes or forty. They mark the beginning of a session, cover the noise of the household around you and give a wandering mind a soft anchor to come back to. They also suit yoga, breathwork and quiet journaling.

Set the timer before you sit down, so you never need to check the clock; the gentle fade-out tells you the session is over. The cathedral or cave reverb deepens a bowl, and if you like a steady pulse for breathing, slip a slow drum beat at 57 or 60 BPM very quietly underneath.