Everything, 30 at a time

Every meditation, breathing exercise, sleep story, focus session, guide and essay on SoftlyStill — 6,878 pieces, newest first, 30 to a page.

Sleep15 min

A lake before dawn, when you have been putting it off — for an overtired night

Flat water, no wind, and light that has not arrived yet.

Settle in →
Focus25 min

A 25-minute block for writing, with distant thunder, when your attention is scattered

A single 25-minute block for writing — the first draft, not the good version.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

How to use Box breathing for a reset, when you are waiting for something

A 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 rhythm — four equal sides, like tracing a square.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

7-11 breathing for jet lag, when you are not sure this will work

A 7 · 11 rhythm — a long, slow ratio for when you have time.

Breathe →
Meditation5 min

Gratitude for feeling not good enough: 5 minutes, before sleep

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of gratitude for feeling not good enough, before sleep.

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Meditation15 min

Exhaustion: 15-minute grounding meditation, on a break

Slow, spoken guidance for exhaustion. A grounding session you can do on a break.

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Story5 min read

Finding Your Zen: Beginner's Meditation Time

Start with three minutes a day and let it grow on its own. Here is what to expect in the first few weeks, and why a short sit beats a skipped one.

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Meditation5 min

Mindful Breathing Moment

Use this when you need a brief, grounding pause

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Meditation9 min

simple mantra meditation for night

Use this before bed when the house is quiet and you want a calm mind.

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Guide3 min read

What to do when everything is too much — what to expect, before something difficult

Overwhelm is not a lack of capacity. It is too many open loops and no order to them. The fix is unglamorous.

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Sleep20 min

The house after everyone is asleep (a sleep story), when you are too tired to try hard — for jet lag

The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.

Settle in →
Focus50 min

A 50-minute block for language practice, with rain on a window, when you have been meaning to start

A single 50-minute block for language practice — repetition rather than novelty.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

Coherent 5-5 breathing: 6 rounds for heated moments, when you are not in the mood

Rounds of 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

Tight box breath (4 · 1 · 4 · 1) for a grey day, when you have been meaning to start

Rounds of 4 · 1 · 4 · 1, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Meditation3 min

Self-compassion meditation for being present (3 min), at the airport

Slow, spoken guidance for being present. A self-compassion session you can do at the airport.

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Meditation12 min

12-minute breathing meditation for guilt, on the way out of work

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of breathing for guilt, on the way out of work.

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Guide3 min read

When the inner voice will not let something go — the version that fits a real week, when the house is busy

Self-criticism usually repeats because it is trying to prevent something. Arguing with it does not work. Understanding it sometimes does.

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Sleep10 min

Sleep story: the night train, when you have tried everything else — for a night when you do not want to think

Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.

Settle in →
Focus90 min

A 90-minute block for studying, with a fireplace, before something difficult

A single 90-minute block for studying — reading and notes, not highlighting.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

6-2-6-2 breathing: 6 rounds for a reset, when you are somewhere unfamiliar

Rounds of 6 · 2 · 6 · 2, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

3-6 breath (3 · 6) for a hot day, before something difficult

Rounds of 3 · 6, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Meditation7 min

Meditation for health anxiety: 7-minute noting session, before an appointment

Slow, spoken guidance for health anxiety. A noting session you can do before an appointment.

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Meditation20 min

20-minute guided softening practice for back pain and tension — in the evening

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of softening for back pain and tension, in the evening.

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Guide3 min read

Working in a noisy place without losing your mind — what actually helps, if you are fitting this around other people

You cannot always control the noise. You can control what your attention does with it, and what you put in your ears.

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Sleep15 min

A caravan by the sea, if you have done this a hundred times — for an overtired night

Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.

Settle in →
Focus25 min

25-minute focus session for drawing with vinyl crackle, when you are on your own

25 minutes on drawing — without correcting anything yet. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

Slow box breathing: 5 rounds for days when everything is too much, when you feel restless rather than tired

Rounds of 5 · 5 · 5 · 5, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Breathing2 min

3-5-7 breathing — 3 · 5 · 7 — for deep focus, when the house is busy

Rounds of 3 · 5 · 7, with the counting done for you.

Breathe →
Meditation12 min

Body scan for work stress: 12 minutes, before an interview

Slow, spoken guidance for work stress. A body scan session you can do before an interview.

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Meditation5 min

Self-compassion for overthinking: 5 minutes, late at night

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of self-compassion for overthinking, late at night.

Begin →