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.
Waking up anxious for no obvious reason, in plain terms, when you want to be left alone
Morning anxiety is common and usually chemical rather than psychological. Cortisol rises steeply in the first hour after waking.
Read →The night train, after a difficult conversation — 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 →50-minute applications and forms session with a stream and a timer, when you have just finished work
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 →Coherent 6-6 breathing exercise for the morning — when you need something unremarkable
The pattern is 6 · 6, which is six and six, the slower end of coherent breathing.
Breathe →Meditation for self-criticism: 20-minute softening session, at the weekend
A 20-minute softening session for self-criticism, at the weekend. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Meditation for study focus: 10-minute noting session, at lunch
For the times at lunch when study focus takes up more room than you would like — 10 minutes, noting.
Begin →When to be careful with breathing exercises — the essentials, if you are new to this
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Read →Sleep story: a caravan by the sea, when you are cold and want to be warm — for an overtired night
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Settle in →A 25-minute block for planning, with rain on a window, before you go back to something hard
A single 25-minute block for planning — on paper, so you can see it.
Start the block →Quick 2-1-2-1 breathing exercise for a study session — after a difficult conversation
The pattern is 2 · 1 · 2 · 1, which is a brisk rhythm for when you need to be awake.
Breathe →5-minute gratitude meditation for a mindful pause, in a five-minute break
A 5-minute gratitude session for a mindful pause, in a five-minute break. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Body scan for shame: 15 minutes, at 3pm
For the times at 3pm when shame takes up more room than you would like — 15 minutes, body scan.
Begin →Releasing tension you did not notice you were holding — what to expect, when your attention is scattered
By mid-afternoon most people are holding their shoulders, jaw and hands without knowing. Here is a two-minute check.
Read →An attic room — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are not in the mood — for jet lag
Sloping ceiling, rain on the roof a foot above your head.
Settle in →A 45-minute block for writing, with a fireplace, when you want to be left alone
A single 45-minute block for writing — the first draft, not the good version.
Start the block →Uneven box breathing exercise for a long illness — when you are somewhere noisy
The pattern is 4 · 4 · 6 · 2, which is a square with one long side.
Breathe →10-minute guided breathing practice for test anxiety — on a train journey
A 10-minute breathing session for test anxiety, on a train journey. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →3-minute guided letting go practice for tension headaches — at the end of the workday
For the times at the end of the workday when tension headaches takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, letting go.
Begin →A lighthouse at the end of a long day, before you go back to something hard — for a night when you do not want to think
One light turning, a kettle, and weather you are on the right side of.
Settle in →A 50-minute block for language practice, with vinyl crackle, if you are new to this
A single 50-minute block for language practice — repetition rather than novelty.
Start the block →How to use 4-8 breathing for bedtime, after a long day
4 · 8 breathing: in for four, out for eight.
Breathe →Burnout: 15-minute grounding meditation, in a waiting room
A 15-minute grounding session for burnout, in a waiting room. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →Worry: 7-minute gratitude meditation, before bed
When worry shows up before bed, this 7-minute gratitude session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →Sleep story: a bus at night, on a low-energy afternoon — for waking too early
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Settle in →25-minute focus session for studying with a fan or air conditioner, when you are somewhere unfamiliar
25 minutes on studying — reading and notes, not highlighting. One pomodoro, long enough to get somewhere and short enough to start.
Start the block →How to use 5-2-7 breathing for a hospital waiting room, when you are waiting for something
5 · 2 · 7 breathing: five, a brief hold, then seven out.
Breathe →Letting go meditation for waking at 3am (3 min), on the morning of an interview
A 3-minute letting go session for waking at 3am, on the morning of an interview. No app, no account — press start.
Begin →12-minute breathing meditation for irritability, at night
When irritability shows up at night, this 12-minute breathing session gives you somewhere to put it down.
Begin →A field under snow — a slow story for the end of the day, when the house is busy — for the hours after a late shift
Everything muffled, everything white, and no tracks but yours.
Settle in →45-minute focus session for drawing with distant thunder, when you feel restless rather than tired
45 minutes on drawing — without correcting anything yet. A single class period, the length most people can hold before the quality drops.
Start the block →Newest first. Everything here is free — no account, no streaks, nothing to install.