IllustrationSleep masksAlaska Bear Silk Sleep MaskAlaska Bear
A mulberry silk sleep mask with a contoured shape that keeps the fabric off the eyelids, and an adjustable strap.
Makes a giftGoes well with Sleep & Recovery
Why we picked it
The simplest change to an evening is making it dark. Silk sits lightly, does not pull at the skin, and this one is shaped so the eyes are not pressed. It is also the mask sound bath and yoga nidra hosts hand out, which is a fair recommendation on its own.
IllustrationWhite noise machinesDreamegg D1 White Noise MachineDreamegg
A compact sound machine with 24 sounds, three auto-off timers, a dimmable night light and a headphone socket. Mains or USB powered.
Everyday useGoes well with Sleep & Recovery
Why we picked it
Steady sound covers the uneven kind, and that is the whole trick. We chose this one for the timer, so it can play through the settling-in and switch itself off, and for a night light dim enough to be useful. It is also small enough to travel.
IllustrationBreathwork booksBreath: The New Science of a Lost ArtJames Nestor
James Nestor's account of how we breathe and how we used to, drawing on breathing traditions, pulmonology and his own experiments. Paperback edition.
Good for beginnersGoes well with Breathwork
Why we picked it
If a breathwork class has left you curious about why any of it works, this is the book to read next. It is a reporter's book rather than a manual, which is why it is so readable, and it sends most people back to class with better questions.
IllustrationMeditation booksWherever You Go, There You AreJon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn's short chapters on mindfulness in everyday life, from the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction. Paperback edition.
Good for beginnersGoes well with Meditation classes · Mindfulness coaching
Why we picked it
The one meditation book we would hand to someone who has never sat down to meditate. The chapters are two or three pages each, secular in tone, and you can open it anywhere. Thirty years on it is still the plainest introduction there is.
IllustrationWellness journalsThe 5-Minute Gratitude JournalSophia Godkin, PhD
A guided journal with short daily prompts: a few lines in the morning, a few at night. Undated, so a missed day costs nothing.
Makes a giftGoes well with Mindfulness coaching
Why we picked it
A journal only works if it is short enough to keep doing. This one asks for five minutes and three lines, which is the amount most people will actually write, and undated pages mean no guilt about the gaps. A good gift because nobody buys it for themselves.
IllustrationMeditation cushionsRetrospec Sedona Zafu Meditation CushionRetrospec
A crescent zafu filled with buckwheat hulls, with a washable cotton cover and a carry handle. Sits you a little higher than the floor so the knees drop and the back stays upright.
Good for beginnersGoes well with Meditation classes
Why we picked it
The thing most people are missing when they say they cannot sit still is a cushion of the right height. A crescent shape gives the thighs somewhere to go, and buckwheat can be added or taken out until it is yours. It is the first thing we would put in a meditation corner.
IllustrationChimesKoshi Wind Chime, Terra tuningKoshi
A handmade chime from the French Pyrenees: eight tuned rods inside a bamboo resonator, in the Terra (earth) pentatonic tuning. Played by hand, or hung where there is a breeze.
For practitionersGoes well with Sound & float · Meditation classes
Why we picked it
This is the chime you hear at the start and end of most sound baths in Perth. Terra is the lowest and warmest of the four tunings, which makes it the one to begin with. It is a real instrument, and it is what practitioners actually carry.
IllustrationYoga blocksJBM Cork Yoga Blocks, pair with strapJBM
Two natural cork blocks and a cotton strap. Cork is heavier and grippier than foam, and does not squash over time.
Good for beginnersGoes well with Yoga
Why we picked it
Blocks bring the floor up to meet you, which is the difference between a pose you can hold and one you strain through. Two blocks and a strap is the whole kit a home practice needs, and cork is the material studios choose because it stays put.
IllustrationMeditation cushionsHugger Mugger Standard Yoga BolsterHugger Mugger
A rectangular bolster with a firm core and a soft surface, handmade in the USA. The shape used in restorative and yin classes.
Everyday useGoes well with Meditation classes · Yoga
Why we picked it
Restorative yoga is mostly the art of being held up by the right prop, and a bolster is the prop. Hugger Mugger's has been the studio standard for decades because the core does not go soft. Under the knees, along the spine, or across the lap for a long sit.
IllustrationFoam rollersAmazon Basics High-Density Foam Roller, 30cmAmazon Basics
A short, firm foam roller in moulded polypropylene. Small enough to keep beside the mat or take to class.
Everyday useGoes well with Sleep & Recovery · Fitness & Movement
Why we picked it
A roller does not need to be clever. It needs to be firm enough to hold its shape and short enough that you actually use it. This is the plain, inexpensive one, and the 30cm length is the right size for calves, thighs and the upper back without taking over the room.

BeautyUnder Eye MasksPermotory
Thirty pairs of gel patches in a resealable box, kept in the fridge and used ten minutes before an early start.
Goes well with Beauty & Self-Care
Why we picked it
Sold as a box of thirty pairs rather than singly, which is what makes them inexpensive per use. Most people keep them cold. A small domestic ritual rather than anything a studio would stock.

Sound HealingHandpanLOMUTY
A 22-inch steel handpan with twelve notes, tuned to D minor Kurd at 440Hz.
Goes well with Sound & float
Why we picked it
The most expensive thing here and the one needing least explanation: every note sits in the same scale, so there is no wrong one to strike. D minor Kurd is the usual first tuning. Heavy enough to stay where you put it.

Massage and RelaxationStretch Marks Massage OilWeleda
Weleda's 100ml plant-oil body massage oil, vegan, most often bought during pregnancy.
Goes well with Massage & Bodywork
Why we picked it
An oil rather than a cream, which is the practical difference: it stays slippery long enough to actually massage with. 100ml is a few months of regular use. We describe what it is; claims about what it does are the manufacturer's, not ours.

Massage ballsMassage BallTRIGGERPOINT
A two-inch textured rubber ball from TriggerPoint, sized to work underfoot.
Goes well with Massage & Bodywork · Sleep & Recovery · Fitness & Movement
Why we picked it
Two inches is the size that fits the arch of a foot, which is what separates it from a plain lacrosse ball. The texture grips the floor instead of skidding away. The cheapest way into self-massage tools and the one most likely to get used.

Massage toolsMassage GunRENPHO
A handheld percussive massager with five speeds and a 10mm stroke.
Goes well with Massage & Bodywork · Sleep & Recovery
Why we picked it
10mm is the shallow end of the range, which makes it quieter and lighter than the deep-stroke guns and easier to hold at arm's length. Five speeds is more than most people ever use. Light enough to travel with.

Yoga matsYoga MatHERUI
A yoga mat printed with alignment lines for placing hands and feet.
Goes well with Yoga
Why we picked it
The lines are the whole point. They give you something to check against when you cannot see your own posture and there is no teacher watching, which makes this a mat for practising alone at home rather than in a studio.

Meditation Cards120 Meditation Cards
A deck of 120 affirmation cards, drawn one at a time rather than read through.
Goes well with Meditation classes · Mindfulness coaching
Why we picked it
A deck rather than a book, which suits someone who wants a single line to sit with instead of a chapter to get through. At 120 cards, repeats are rare. Frequently bought as a gift.

Meditation booksSamadhi: Unity of Consciousness and ExistenceIvan Antic
Ivan Antic's exploration of meditative absorption — for sitters curious about where a long practice can lead.
Goes well with Meditation classes · Mindfulness coaching
Why we picked it
Written for someone already sitting regularly rather than someone deciding whether to start. The subject is absorption, which is where most introductory books stop rather than begin.

Singing bowlsReehut Tibetan Singing Bowl Set with Mallet & CushionReehut
A hand-hammered starter bowl sold with its mallet and cushion.
Good for beginnersGoes well with Sound & float · Meditation classes
Why we picked it
A set rather than a single bowl: the mallet and cushion are the two things people otherwise buy separately a week later. Sized for a table rather than a room.

ChimesYouMedi Tibetan Singing Bowl Set with Wooden StrikerYouMedi
A Tibetan bowl sold with a wooden striker.
Goes well with Sound & float · Meditation classes
Why we picked it
Comes with a striker but no cushion, so you will want something soft to rest it on. Filed under chimes as well as bowls, which is a fair description of how it carries.