A Holistic Wellness Gift Guide for Spiritual Healing

The holidays are a time for giving gifts that go beyond the surface—gifts that inspire, heal, and nurture the soul. In this guide, we’ve gathered seven carefully curated treasures that support holistic wellness and spiritual healing, perfect for loved ones who value mindfulness, balance, and connection.

Each item is a meaningful way to show you care, bringing moments of peace and renewal during this busy season. Let’s explore these special gifts!

7. Ten Thousand Villages Namaste Singing Bowl

Experience the soothing resonance of the 6” Bronze Mantra Singing Bowl, a timeless tool for meditation and mindfulness. Designed to cleanse your heart, calm your mind, and nourish your soul, this bowl is adorned with Tibetan symbols of the sacred mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. This mantra means “Praise to the jewel in the lotus.” I like Jack Kornfield’s explanation that celebrates the compassion that arises when the mind (jewel) rests in the heart (lotus). Its rich, ringing tones are perfect for bringing the mind and heart together and deepening your meditation practice.

Price: $175

Why It’s Special:

• Sustainably supports traditional artists in Nepal.

• Promotes mindfulness and inner peace.

• A timeless gift that encourages self-reflection.

6. DharmaShop’s Worry Stones

Bring calm and focus to your day with DharmaShop’s Worry Stones, hand-carved from smooth, polished gemstones. Designed to fit perfectly in the palm of your hand, these stones are ideal for moments of reflection, grounding, or stress relief. Simply hold the stone and gently rub your thumb along its surface to release tension and center your thoughts.

Price: $12-$14 each

Why It’s Special

• Each worry stone has its own unique patterns and energies.

• Small enough to carry with you wherever you go.

• Choose the stone that speaks to you or cover all your energetic bases with the 7 chakras stone!

5. Ten Thousand Villages Meditation Cushion

Take a deep breath in… and gently release. Feel yourself rooted and grounded, yet effortlessly reaching for the sky. The Mindful Yoga Pillow, handcrafted from 100% silk, is designed to support your journey to mindfulness. Perfect for meditation, floor seating, or moments of meaningful conversation, this beautifully crafted pillow combines comfort and elegance to elevate your practice and your space.

Price: $99

Why It’s Special:

• Elegant aesthetic that adds a touch of sophistication to any space.

• Provides optimal support for meditation and long periods of seated comfort.

• Creates a positive impact on an artisan community in Vietnam.

4. Plant Therapy’s Chakra Blends Essential Oil Roll-On Set

For the energy healer or balance seeker in your life, the Chakra Blends Essential Oil Roll-On Set is a thoughtful choice. Each blend is crafted to align with one of the seven chakras, supporting harmony, focus, and well-being. The roll-on format is perfect for daily use, whether at home or on the go.

Price: $59.99

Why It’s Special:

• Supports energy alignment and balance.

• Convenient and easy to use.

• Complements yoga and meditation practices.

3. Ten Thousand Villages Mudra Hands Candleholder

This striking Mudra Hands Candleholder is both symbolic and functional. Representing gestures of peace and mindfulness, they’re perfect for creating a serene atmosphere. Add a softly flickering candle to inspire meditation, gratitude, or simple moments of stillness.

Price: $19.99

Why It’s Special:

• A unique, artisan-made centerpiece for any sacred space.

• Beautifully merges art with intention.

• Encourages grounding and presence.

2. DharmaShop’s Sardonyx Flame of Impermanence Mala

The Sardonyx Flame of Impermanence Mala is a powerful tool for meditation and spiritual growth. Sardonyx is known for its grounding and protective properties, while its fiery hues inspire transformation and resilience. This mala is both a striking accessory and a meaningful reminder of impermanence and strength.

Price: $89

Why It’s Special:

• Handmade with care, connecting to ancient traditions.

• Symbolizes inner strength and transformation.

• A perfect gift for those on a spiritual journey.

1. Carols of the Heart’s Personalized Meditation

For a deeply personal and transformative gift, consider a Personalized Meditation from Carols of the Heart. We custom create each meditation to meet the unique needs of the recipient. These meditations foster calm, clarity, and connection. Whether your loved one seeks stress relief, gratitude, or intention-setting, this gift will provide a custom experience of healing and renewal and transformation.

Price: $50

Why It’s Special:

• Completely tailored to the recipient’s needs.

• Encourages authenticity, mindfulness and emotional well-being.

• A one-of-a-kind gift that truly comes from the heart.

Bundle Ideas for a Thoughtful Gift Set

For a unique and memorable gift, consider combining several of these items into a curated wellness bundle:

• Relax & Restore Kit: Bronze Mantra Singing Bowl + Chakra Blends Roll-On Set.

• Sacred Space Kit: Mudra Hands Candleholder + Sardonyx Mala Beads.

• Energy Alignment Kit: Chakra Blends Roll-On Set + Personalized Meditation.

Why These Gifts Matter

In a season that can often feel chaotic, these gifts offer the opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and focus on what truly matters. They’re not just objects—they’re invitations to create space for healing, mindfulness, and spiritual renewal.

This holiday season, let your gifts reflect the care, love, and intention you hold for those who receive them.

Which of these treasures will you be sharing with your loved ones—or adding to your own wishlist? Let us know in the comments!

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Disclaimer:
This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. Rest assured, I only recommend products I truly love and believe in. Your support helps me continue to create meaningful content—thank you! 💖

How to record your first guided meditation

As long as you know a little bit about what to do and how to do it, you can record a great sounding guided meditation using either your phone or your laptop. You don’t have to break the bank purchasing fancy equipment to make outstanding recordings. In fact, assuming you have a modern phone, you can probably do it without spending a penny. This guide will fill you in on all the tips & tricks to make a professional sounding recording on a budget.

Microphone

When recording your meditation, the microphone is your most important tool. A higher quality microphone will do a better job of recording the nuances of your voice that are so important in guided meditations. However, the microphone technology in modern smartphones has dramatically improved in recent years. The noise cancellation and audio quality of their internal microphones make them a fine choice for recording your voice.

If you already have a quality USB microphone, by all means use it. If you want to invest in one that won’t break the bank, the Blue Yeti or Snowball are solid choices. If you’re using an USB microphone, we recommend a pop filter to reduce the distortion of sounds like “S” or “P” and help ensure a clean, professional-sounding recording.

Computer or Mobile app

To record and store your voice as a digital file, you will need to use an app on your computer, tablet or smartphone. There are a variety of free apps you can choose from. Audacity (for Windows or Mac computers) or GarageBand (pre-installed on most Apple devices) are good choices for audio recording. The free versions are good enough do the job. Here is a link for a YouTube tutorial on using Audacity to record your voice:

If you are using your iPhone to record, Voice Memos is a simple, built-in app that will work perfectly. Click here to watch a video tutorial.

Recording Environment

Good microphones pick up the nuances of your voice because they are sensitive. Unfortunately, they are also more sensitive to echo & background noises.

Recordings sound better when you make them in a quiet, smallish space that already has a lot of materials that absorb sound (i.e. carpets, rugs, couches, beds, clothes, etc.). Bedrooms or walk-in closets are ideal. Or, you can build yourself a pillow fort, although any acoustic gain is lost if the kids or dogs are climbing all over it!

Eliminate any background noise you have control over. That means:

• Turning of fans (even ceiling fans) and any other machines that generate an audible noise or hum

• Putting your cell phone on Do Not Disturb

• Asking anyone else in the house to be as quiet and still as possible, pets included (If my dogs are being particularly naughty, I break out the shockless bark collars and lock them on another floor!)

• Record at a time when your neighbor’s dog is not outside barking insanely (speaking from personal experience!) and there are not planes landing every 3 minutes.

• Pausing and trying again in a bit if there are sirens upon sirens going by or the lawn care company is working across the street

Your Voice

Your voice is what will set your guided meditation apart. Here are a few tips to help you sound your best:

• In order to sound calm & relaxed when you record your voice, you should BE calm & relaxed! Before you begin, do a grounding exercise, breathwork or meditation to get in the zone.

• We recommend using a script. Make sure you have practiced it enough that it flows naturally and you are not stumbling or hesitating when reading it.

• Speak slowly and clearly. This will help your listeners follow along with your meditation and stay relaxed. Try speaking even slower than you think you should.

• Sit upright and breathe softly, but deeply. This will help ensure adequate pauses between phrases and consistent volume (your voice won’t be trailing off as you run out of breath).

• This is not the theater. You do not have to project your voice for the mic to pick it up clearly. Speak softly & gently, but clearly.

Setting the Gain or Mic Sensitivity and Position

If you’re using a USB mic, it's important to make sure it’s stable & protected from unwanted vibrations. Holding the microphone in your hand or placing it on your desk can result in mechanical noises, which can negatively impact the quality of your recording. A good microphone stand will help you to avoid these issues and create a higher quality recording.

If you’re recording with your phone, it is ok to hold it in your hand if that’s more comfortable for you since modern smartphones mics eliminate unwanted noises. But definitely keep it as still as possible. Speak into to mic at the bottom of the phone.

Being close enough to the mic (but not too close) helps reduce background noise & echo in your meditation recording. If you’re too far away, you’ll pick up more background noise. If you’re too close, you’ll hear the inside of your mouth. Ideally, your microphone should be about 4 to 6 inches away from your mouth.

If you are recording with your iPhone on Voice Memos, there is no way to manually adjust the mic sensitivity. The trick on getting the right recording level with this method is just adjusting how close you have the phone to your mouth.

If you are recording with a USB mic that has a gain knob, you will need to adjust it for optimal sensitivity to pick up your voice to not be too loud or too quiet. If you’re recording in a program like Audacity or GarageBand, you can adjust the mic sensitivity on a slider in the program. These programs also have monitors that show you how loud your recording is.  Your gain or mic sensitivity should be adjusted so that the audio level bouncing around -12 dB on the monitor.

It saves a lot of time if you do a test recording and check how it sounds before you record the whole mediation. Using decent quality headphones to listen to the playback will help you know if everything sounds good. Listen to the playback at between 50% to 75% of full volume. You should be able to hear clearly and it should sound loud enough at this level.

Pause & Resume Recording, Clap Twice When You Mess Up

While you are recording, you’ll likely need to take deep breaths, wait for a plane to fly over, take a sip of water, or readjust your position. When you feel the need to do this, we recommend pausing the recording & resuming when you’re ready. This will make the editing process a lot easier by eliminating long gaps & reducing the chance that a disruptive sound makes its way into your final product.

It’s inevitable that you will fumble a few words here and there, but it doesn’t mean you need to start the meditation over from the beginning again. If you mess up, just clap loudly twice & it will be obvious where edits are needed.

So, that is it! You are ready to record your first guided meditation! If you are interesting in having us professionally edit, mix & master your meditation with custom healing sounds, click the link below to place an order.

Top Picks for a Home Sound Meditation Practice

If you’re interested in incorporating healing sound into your self-care routine, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the variety of instruments from which to choose. Do you really have to spend hundreds of dollars on instruments? How can you be sure which instruments have beautiful sounds and which ones are cheap imitations? Which instruments are suitable for a true beginner to create beautiful, soothing sounds?

While the answer to which instruments will resonate best with you is very personal, we do have answers these other questions! You absolutely do not have to spend a ton of money to assemble an assortment of instruments that will allow you to experiment with different sounds and techniques in your home practice,

Listening to a sound file of the instrument being played is a helpful, but not foolproof, tool in making a decision if an instrument is right for you. Many reputable shops for professional quality sound healing instruments have sound files available for the instruments they sell. But these professional quality instruments do tend to be quite expensive. And more cost-friendly instrument sources like Amazon tend not to include this feature. We have included links to sound files for instruments that have them and created sound files for those that don’t.

So here at Carols of the Heart, we have done the homework for you! We have purchased, tested, and approved (or not! We sent several back…) a wide variety of high quality, inexpensive sound healing instruments. All of these instruments are not just easy to play, but easy to use to create beautiful sounds. Some of these instruments are the same ones we use in our professional sound baths. Some are more perfectly suited to a home practice.

So let’s start with the Top 10 Under $100:

1. Koshi Chime (Earth, Fire, Water, Air): Definitely a crowd favorite. Each chime creates pure elemental balance in sonic form. We use these delicate sounding chimes to close almost every sound bath. They are so easy to play, they practically play themselves! 🔈

2. 16” Remo Buffalo Drum: This drum is inspired by the indigenous cultures of the Americas. It has a powerful bass voice. It is vegan, has a rope handle, and comes with a mallet. We use this drum in most of our sound baths. 🔈

3. Hokema B9 Kalimba: A wonderfully handcrafted thumb piano with clear, resonant tones made in Germany from solid American cherry. This gem has 9 notes in A minor and is ideal for beginners. 🔈

4. Namaste Himalayan Singing Bowl: Often used for meditation, the music of a singing bowl is meant to soothe your soul, cleanse your heart and free your mind of worries. This small bowl has a bright clear voice for both ringing and singing. 🔈

5. Topfund 8” Frosted Crystal Singing Bowl: These beautiful instruments produce a rich, resonant sound when struck or sung with a mallet. They are the centerpiece of most sound baths. Topfund is a reputable entry-level brand. 🔈

6. Topfund 6” Crystal Singing Pyramid: Singing pyramids are amazing to use during sound healing because the sound resonates from each edge of the pyramid giving it complexity and depth. Give the pyramid a gentle spin to experience a vortex of spinning sound that can be both heard and felt. 🔈

7. Lovetuner: The Lovetuner is a revolutionary mindfulness tool that connects your breath with a low volume audible sound at the frequency of 528 hz – also referred to as the Love Frequency. It is sound healing and breathwork all rolled into one tiny device you can wear around your neck! 🔈

8. 16” Remo Nightwave Ocean Drum: This vegan drum recreates the soothing sounds of both rolling and crashing waves as you gently tilt it side to side. We regularly use this drum in our sound baths. 🔈

9. Angel Tuning Forks: Experience celestial harmony through high-frequency angelic vibrations as they resonate through your body, mind, and spirit, promoting balance, relaxation, and a deep sense of well-being. These tiny li’l ones are too cute! 🔈

10. Hummingbird Pentatonic Lyre Harp: The Hummingbird pentatonic lyre’s gentle tone is perfect for sound meditation at home. With a pentatonic scale, you can’t play a wrong note, so it always sounds good. (P.S. You will need to tune the harp, which is not hard, for it to sound good.) 🔈

But you don’t even have to spend half that to get some really great instruments! This next list is our Top 10 Under $50:

1. TreeWorks Small Cluster Chime: These chimes have a clear, bright tone. They make a delightful sound with just a small amount of movement. We use them regularly in our sound baths. 🔈

2. 8” Waterfall Disk: The beauty of the waterfall disc is that it keeps making the sound of falling water as long as you keep turning it! Like a rainstick that never ends. Perfect for meditation as the repetitive movement and sound are soothing, almost hypnotic. 🔈

3. 31” Meinl Bamboo Rainstick: Create the natural sound of flowing water by gently angling to sound like a small stream or tipping all the way for a rushing monsoon effect. It has a ten to twenty second sustain depending on the angle. 🔈

4. Woodstock Zenergy Trio Hand Chime: This trio hand chime produces clear tones and lovely harmonies. A gentle tap of the mallet emits powerful tones of singular beauty that last and last. 🔈

5. Ocean Sounds Drum: As a general rule, the smaller the ocean drum the harder it is to control the sound (my favorite one is 20” diameter). However, with this mini-me, the extra concentration required to create the soothing ocean sound actually adds to the meditative experience of playing the drum! 🔈

6. Riverflow Bell Chime: The ethereal sound of the riverflow bell chime ripples like a gentle stream. These chimes evoke the steady flow of water over stones—peaceful, timeless, and alive. This precious sound invites you to pause, listen deeply, and feel connected to the rhythms of nature. 🔈

7. 5.5” Steel Tongue Drum: Unlike many no-name steel tongue drums, the tone of mini-drum is ethereal and melodious. It is fun & easy to play with the included mallets. Another soothing way to play this drum is to put a few bouncy balls inside it, turn it upside-down and swirl it around. The balls play the drum from the inside! 🔈

8. 6” Remo Thunder Drum: You (and your dogs) will be surprised a the deep thunderous roar that fills the room when you shake this instrument. Play with a rainstick to create a thunderstorm effect. 🔈

9. Tingsha: Tingsha bells produce a mesmerizing and soothing sound that resonates with clarity and purity. As you strike the cymbals together, the sound creates a focus point for your attention. 🔈

10. 20-Note Tabletop Chime: The sweet cascading sound of this chime transports you to heavenly realms. Sweep your finger across it and see where it takes you! We use these regularly in our sound baths. 🔈

We hope this information helps get you started with your home sound meditation practice. Stay tuned for demonstrations and more information about how to use these instruments!

Click to download the Top Home Instruments PDF Guide.