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.
4-7-8 breathing — 4 · 7 · 8 — for physical discomfort, if you are doing this in the middle of the day
4 · 7 · 8 breathing: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.
Breathe →Body scan meditation for fear of flying (10 min), on a rest day
10 minutes to meet fear of flying with less of a fight. A body scan practice, on a rest day.
Begin →Self-compassion meditation for tired eyes (3 min), on a break
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of self-compassion for tired eyes, on a break.
Begin →A kitchen late at night — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have been putting it off — for waking too early
One small light on, a cooling cup of tea, and the rest of the house dark.
Settle in →Focus session for editing: 50 minutes, a washing machine, when you need something unremarkable
50 minutes of editing, with a washing machine and a note on what to do when you drift.
Start the block →5-7 breathing — 5 · 7 — for exam nerves, when you need to stop thinking about work
5 · 7 breathing: five in, seven out.
Breathe →Meditation for financial stress: 20-minute softening session, early on
20 minutes to meet financial stress with less of a fight. A softening practice, early on.
Begin →Meditation for grief: 7-minute noting session, on the road
Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of noting for grief, on the road.
Begin →A lake before dawn, when the weather has kept you inside — for the hours after a late shift
Flat water, no wind, and light that has not arrived yet.
Settle in →25-minute brainstorming session with café murmur and a timer, after a difficult conversation
Sit down, press start, and generate options for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →2-1-4 breathing for the morning, when you want to be left alone
A 2 · 1 · 4 rhythm — short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.
Breathe →5-minute self-compassion meditation for focus, at midday
5 minutes to meet focus with less of a fight. A self-compassion practice, at midday.
Begin →Body scan for agitation: 12 minutes, before an appointment
For the times before an appointment when agitation takes up more room than you would like — 12 minutes, body scan.
Begin →Sleep story: the house after everyone is asleep, when you have tried everything else — for a racing mind
The hour when the house belongs to nobody and nothing needs doing.
Settle in →45-minute research session with a library and a timer, when you are somewhere noisy
Sit down, press start, and follow one thread for 45 minutes. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Double-inhale sigh for a study session, if you are new to this
A 3 · 8 rhythm — two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.
Breathe →10-minute guided noting practice for the inner critic — in the mid-afternoon
10 minutes to meet the inner critic with less of a fight. A noting practice, in the mid-afternoon.
Begin →Softening meditation for waking up (20 min), before an interview
For the times before an interview when waking up takes up more room than you would like — 20 minutes, softening.
Begin →The night train — a slow story for the end of the day, if you have done this a hundred times — for a restless night
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
Settle in →50-minute applications and forms session with distant traffic and a timer, after a long day
Sit down, press start, and get through the questions for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.
Start the block →Beginner box breathing for a long illness, when your attention is scattered
A 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 rhythm — the easiest version of the square.
Breathe →Tight shoulders and neck: 15-minute grounding meditation, on the way out of work
15 minutes to meet tight shoulders and neck with less of a fight. A grounding practice, on the way out of work.
Begin →Feeling not good enough: 5-minute self-compassion meditation, on exam day
For the times on exam day when feeling not good enough takes up more room than you would like — 5 minutes, self-compassion.
Begin →A caravan by the sea, when you feel restless rather than tired — for the hours after a late shift
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Settle in →A 25-minute block for planning, with forest at dusk, when you are waiting for something
A single 25-minute block for planning — on paper, so you can see it.
Start the block →Soft 4-7-8 breathing: 8 rounds for bedtime, when you have been meaning to start
A 4 · 4 · 8 rhythm — the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.
Breathe →Letting go meditation for public speaking fear (3 min), in the hour before sleep
3 minutes to meet public speaking fear with less of a fight. A letting go practice, in the hour before sleep.
Begin →10-minute breathing meditation for tired eyes, before a presentation
For the times before a presentation when tired eyes takes up more room than you would like — 10 minutes, breathing.
Begin →Sleep story: an attic room, when you need something unremarkable — for a racing mind
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →A 45-minute block for writing, with birds at dawn, when you are too tired to try hard
A single 45-minute block for writing — the first draft, not the good version.
Start the block →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.