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.

Meditation5 min

Body scan for focus: 5 minutes, on a rest day

When focus shows up on a rest day, this 5-minute body scan session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Sleep20 min

A hotel room somewhere, on a day that started badly — for a restless night

A room you did not choose, in a city you do not have to know.

Settle in →
Focus90 min

Focus session for planning: 90 minutes, a library, when you have tried everything else

90 minutes of planning, with a library and a note on what to do when you drift.

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Breathing2 min

5-7 breathing exercise for the hours after people leave — if you are doing this in the middle of the day

The pattern is 5 · 7, which is five in, seven out.

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Meditation3 min

3-minute guided breathing practice for contentment — in the late afternoon

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of breathing for contentment, in the late afternoon.

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Meditation12 min

Softening meditation for the inner critic (12 min), early on

When the inner critic shows up early on, this 12-minute softening session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Sleep10 min

A garden in the rain (a sleep story), when you are too tired to try hard — for winding down

Steady rain on leaves, and a chair under an awning that stays dry.

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Focus25 min

25-minute writing session with plain quiet and a timer, when you have just finished work

Sit down, press start, and get words down for 25 minutes. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.

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Breathing2 min

2-1-4 breathing exercise for a lonely evening — when you need to stop thinking about work

The pattern is 2 · 1 · 4, which is short in, short hold, long out — the smallest useful dose.

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Meditation7 min

Panic: 7-minute grounding meditation, during a break

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of grounding for panic, during a break.

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Meditation20 min

Meditation for physical tension: 20-minute gratitude session, at midday

When physical tension shows up at midday, this 20-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min read

Do you actually need eight glasses of water, step by step, before something difficult

Eight glasses is a number with no particular evidence behind it. Thirst and urine colour are better guides.

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Focus50 min

50-minute language practice session with forest at dusk and a timer, before you go back to something hard

Sit down, press start, and practise out loud for 50 minutes. Fifty minutes, the length of a therapy hour, with ten minutes off afterwards.

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Breathing2 min

How to use Double-inhale sigh for a hard conversation, if you are doing this instead of scrolling

3 · 8 breathing: two inhales stacked together, then everything out through the mouth.

Breathe →
Meditation12 min

12-minute letting go meditation for loneliness, on a plane

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 12 minutes of letting go for loneliness, on a plane.

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Meditation5 min

5-minute breathing meditation for public speaking fear, after work

When public speaking fear shows up after work, this 5-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down.

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Guide3 min read

Breathing exercises that help during panic — what works and what does not, when the house is busy

Deep breathing is the wrong advice during panic. What helps is a longer exhale and something concrete to count.

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Focus90 min

90-minute studying session with birds at dawn and a timer, when you want to be left alone

Sit down, press start, and take in the material for 90 minutes. One full ultradian cycle, for work that needs a long runway.

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Breathing2 min

How to use Beginner box breathing for a noisy room, when you need something unremarkable

2 · 2 · 2 · 2 breathing: the easiest version of the square.

Breathe →
Meditation20 min

20-minute guided gratitude practice for sleep — on the road

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 20 minutes of gratitude for sleep, on the road.

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Meditation10 min

10-minute guided grounding practice for deadline pressure — in the evening

Slow, spoken guidance for deadline pressure. A grounding session you can do in the evening.

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Guide3 min read

A morning routine that survives a bad night — the two-minute version, when the weather has kept you inside

Most morning routines are designed for people who slept well. Here is a version that works on four hours.

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Focus45 min

A 45-minute block for drawing, with brown noise, if you are new to this

A single 45-minute block for drawing — without correcting anything yet.

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Breathing2 min

How to use Soft 4-7-8 breathing for being unwell, after a difficult conversation

4 · 4 · 8 breathing: the hold cut short, the long exhale kept.

Breathe →
Meditation5 min

Breathing for low energy: 5 minutes, before an appointment

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 5 minutes of breathing for low energy, before an appointment.

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Meditation15 min

Better sleep: 15-minute letting go meditation, in the hour before sleep

Slow, spoken guidance for better sleep. A letting go session you can do in the hour before sleep.

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Guide3 min read

Why anxiety shows up in your body first — a realistic guide, when you are short on time

Racing heart, tight chest, churning stomach. Understanding the mechanism makes the symptoms less frightening.

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Focus50 min

A 50-minute block for reading, with a stream, when your attention is scattered

A single 50-minute block for reading — pages rather than paragraphs.

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Breathing2 min

7-11 breath (7 · 11) for a ten-minute window, when you are somewhere noisy

7 · 11 breathing: a long, slow ratio for when you have time.

Breathe →
Meditation10 min

Softening meditation for appreciation (10 min), before an interview

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of softening for appreciation, before an interview.

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