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.
Letting go meditation for tight shoulders and neck (5 min), after a conflict
When tight shoulders and neck shows up after a conflict, this 5-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Waking up anxious for no obvious reason — a straightforward guide, after a long day
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →An attic room, when you only have a few minutes — for the hours after a late shift
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →A 45-minute block for applications and forms, with plain quiet, when you are somewhere noisy
A single 45-minute block for applications and forms — dull but finite.
Start the block →4-7-8 breathing: 4 rounds for the end of the working day, if you are new to this
The pattern is 4 · 7 · 8, which is in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Heartbreak: 3-minute grounding meditation, at your desk
A 3-minute grounding session for heartbreak, at your desk. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Meditation for public speaking fear: 10-minute gratitude session, after a bad day
When public speaking fear shows up after a bad day, this 10-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →When to be careful with breathing exercises — the version that fits a real week, when you are waiting for something
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →Sleep story: a lighthouse at the end of a long day, when you are somewhere unfamiliar — for a racing mind
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →A 90-minute block for planning, with a train carriage, after a long day
A single 90-minute block for planning — on paper, so you can see it.
Start the block →5-7 breathing: 4 rounds for the hours after people leave, when your attention is scattered
The pattern is 5 · 7, which is five in, seven out.
Breathe →7-minute letting go meditation for falling asleep, between calls
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of letting go for falling asleep, between calls.
Begin →Breathing for financial stress: 15 minutes, when it all piles up
When financial stress shows up when it all piles up, this 15-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — what actually helps, when the weather has kept you inside
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →A bus at night — a slow story for the end of the day, when you want to be left alone — for a restless night
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Settle in →25-minute focus session for writing with vinyl crackle, when the house is busy
25 minutes on writing — the first draft, not the good version. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →2-1-4 breathing: 4 rounds for a lonely evening, when you have been meaning to start
The pattern is 2 · 1 · 4, which is short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Breathe →12-minute guided gratitude practice for low energy — on the train
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of gratitude for low energy, on the train.
Begin →3-minute guided grounding practice for focus — as sleep prep
When focus shows up as sleep prep, this 3-minute grounding session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →A field under snow, when you cannot concentrate on anything else — for winding down
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →50-minute focus session for language practice with white noise, when the weather has kept you inside
50 minutes on language practice — repetition rather than novelty. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Double-inhale sigh exercise for a hard conversation — before something difficult
3 · 8 breathing: two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Breathe →Contentment: 20-minute body scan meditation, before a busy day
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of body scan for contentment, before a busy day.
Begin →The inner critic: 7-minute letting go meditation, on a rest day
When the inner critic shows up on a rest day, this 7-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Sleep story: a fire dying down, when the weather has kept you inside — for an overtired night
The last hour of a fire, when it stops being a fire and becomes warmth.
Settle in →90-minute focus session for studying with distant thunder, when you are short on time
90 minutes on studying — reading and notes, not highlighting. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.
Start the block →Beginner box breathing exercise for a noisy room — when the house is busy
2 · 2 · 2 · 2 breathing: the easiest version of the square.
Breathe →Softening meditation for panic (5 min), on a Sunday
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of softening for panic, on a Sunday.
Begin →15-minute noting meditation for physical tension, early on
Slow, spoken guidance for physical tension. A noting session you can do early on.
Begin →A library at closing time — a slow story for the end of the day, after a long day — for jet lag
The last hour, when the lights go down row by row.
Settle in →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.