One of the better meditation CDs is by Rodney Yee. The CD is Relaxation and Breathing for Meditation. The CD is by Rodney Yee and the ISBN number is 1-931919-09-7.

The interview from the notes for the CD:

1) Describe the relationship between yoga and meditation.

All forms of yoga are beginning stages of meditation. Even in deep meditation, there’s always going to be some input, some micro-movement in the body. Meditation is the observance of what’s going on both internally and externally

–without necessarily reacting to it. When we do the postures (in yoga), we are concentrating the mind within the body.

2) How do these facilitate meditation.

In this entire program we use yoga postures to go inward. The relaxation poses found here support the mind, the body and the nervous system to rest. All of these postures aid in meditation because when the mind relaxes and begins to get quiet, it becomes able to focus on the subtle movements inside the body. A lot of times people say, “When I sit down to meditate I can’t still my mind, my mind is all over the place.” And that is exactly why we do these postures first—because they settle the body, they settle the mind.

3) What is the importance of the breath?

The breath itself, as the yogas have sold for thousands of years, is the ruler of the mind and body. If you control the breath, in some sense you also control the state of your mind and the chemistry of the body. By making the breath smooth and easy, you’re going to create a quiet easy mind. Breath is what stills and quiets the mind so that meditation can take place, and the relaxation is a fundamental aspect of breath.

4) What is the best time of day for this practice?

While this program is done best in the morning, I believe many people can benefit from it at the end of the day as well. Morning is the time when you are the most quiet and the air is most pure (if you do these outdoors). Taking time for this package in the morning sends you out of the door feeling centered, present and relaxed. Everything you do is going to be enhanced by that. At the same time, at the end of the day, you’re often tired. You know you need rest, and you’re ready to place your body in positions that are good for it, that will remove the stresses of the day. To go from the asana practice into the breath work, and into meditation is the perfect segue to a peaceful, restful night.