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.

Meditation15 min

Body scan meditation for jaw tension (15 min), on a train

For the times on a train when jaw tension takes up more room than you would like — 15 minutes, body scan.

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Guide3 min read

Tired eyes after a long day of screens, without the usual nonsense, when you need to stop thinking about work

Eye strain is mostly about distance and blinking, not about blue light glasses.

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Sleep20 min

A kitchen late at night (a sleep story), when you are not in the mood — for a night when you do not want to think

One small light on, a cooling cup of tea, and the rest of the house dark.

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Focus50 min

Focus session for exam revision: 50 minutes, plain quiet, if you are doing this in the middle of the day

50 minutes of exam revision, with plain quiet and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

Tight box breathing — 4 · 1 · 4 · 1 — for a hospital waiting room, when you want to finish something

A barely any hold, for people who dislike holding pattern, counted for you on screen.

Breathe →
Meditation12 min

Heartbreak: 12-minute noting meditation, at 3pm

A 12-minute noting session for heartbreak, at 3pm. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation3 min

Fear of flying: 3-minute softening meditation, on the morning of an interview

For the times on the morning of an interview when fear of flying takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, softening.

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Guide3 min read

Why your weekend does not feel like rest — the version for a bad week, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

Rest is not the absence of work. If the weekend is full of decisions and obligations, it does not restore anything.

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Sleep10 min

A lake before dawn — a slow story for the end of the day, before you go back to something hard — for waking too early

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

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Focus25 min

25-minute data work session with forest at dusk and a timer, when you need to stop thinking about work

Sit down, press start, and work through the numbers for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.

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Breathing2 min

3-6 breathing — 3 · 6 — for the morning after, when you are doing this for the first time

A a gentle two-to-one ratio pattern, counted for you on screen.

Breathe →
Meditation20 min

20-minute body scan meditation for insomnia, at the end of the workday

A 20-minute body scan session for insomnia, at the end of the workday. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation7 min

7-minute self-compassion meditation for financial stress, in the hour before an exam

For the times in the hour before an exam when financial stress takes up more room than you would like — 7 minutes, self-compassion.

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Guide3 min read

How to get through the first hour without your phone — explained without jargon, when you need something unremarkable

The first hour sets the tone for attention all day. You do not need willpower — you need the phone to be somewhere else.

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Sleep15 min

The house after everyone is asleep, on a low-energy afternoon — for the hours after a late shift

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

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Focus45 min

45-minute editing session with birds at dawn and a timer, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

Sit down, press start, and cut and tighten for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.

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Breathing2 min

3-5-7 breathing for anxious moments, when you have just finished work

A a staircase down: three, five, seven pattern, counted for you on screen.

Breathe →
Meditation5 min

Meditation for fatigue: 5-minute softening session, during the evening wind-down

A 5-minute softening session for fatigue, during the evening wind-down. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation12 min

12-minute guided noting practice for focus — before public speaking

When focus shows up before public speaking, this 12-minute noting session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min read

How to study when you cannot concentrate — what actually works, after a difficult conversation

Concentration is usually a problem of task size, not willpower. Shrink the task until starting feels almost silly.

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Sleep20 min

Sleep story: the night train, when the house is busy — for a racing mind

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

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Focus90 min

90-minute brainstorming session with brown noise and a timer, when you need something unremarkable

Sit down, press start, and generate options for 90 minutes. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.

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Breathing2 min

Physiological sigh for a grey day, before you go back to something hard

The pattern is 2 · 6, which is a second short sip of air on top of the first, then a long release.

Breathe →
Meditation10 min

Gratitude for contentment: 10 minutes, at bedtime

A 10-minute gratitude session for contentment, at bedtime. No app, no account — press start.

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Meditation20 min

Self-doubt: 20-minute body scan meditation, before a conversation you are dreading

When self-doubt shows up before a conversation you are dreading, this 20-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min read

A wind-down that starts before you are tired — a short, honest guide, when you are somewhere noisy

Waiting until you feel sleepy usually means waiting until midnight. The wind-down is what creates the sleepiness.

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Sleep10 min

A caravan by the sea — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are somewhere noisy — for waking too early

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

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Focus25 min

A 25-minute block for research, with a stream, after a difficult conversation

A single 25-minute block for research — with a note file open beside you.

Start the block →
Breathing2 min

Gentle box breathing for a cold morning, when you want to be left alone

The pattern is 3 · 3 · 3 · 3, which is a smaller square, for when four counts feels long.

Breathe →
Meditation15 min

Breathing meditation for a racing mind (15 min), when you wake at 3am

A 15-minute breathing session for a racing mind, when you wake at 3am. No app, no account — press start.

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