Guided Meditation
Short sessions for presence and calm
What regular practice changes
Attention you can steer
Meditation is repetition of one move — notice you've drifted, come back. That move is the skill.
A calmer baseline
Slow-breathing practice raises vagal tone, which shows up as steadier heart rate and quicker recovery from stress.
Distance from thoughts
You start noticing thoughts as events rather than facts, which is the same skill CBT trains.
Easier sleep onset
A body-scan before bed lowers pre-sleep arousal, the main barrier for people who lie awake.
The science, briefly
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) are the two most studied programmes. MBCT roughly halves relapse risk in people with three or more previous depressive episodes and is recommended by NICE for exactly that group. Across trials, mindfulness produces small-to-moderate improvements in anxiety, depression and pain — comparable to other active treatments rather than miraculous. Dose matters less than regularity: ten minutes most days outperforms an hour on Sundays.
How to run a session
- 1
Choose a session length you will not negotiate with — five minutes counts.
- 2
Sit upright but not rigid, feet on the floor, hands resting. Eyes closed or softly lowered.
- 3
Follow the guide. When you notice your mind has wandered, that noticing is the repetition — return without commentary.
- 4
Let discomfort be data: shift if you need to, and note where tension collects.
- 5
Log the session at the end so the streak and mood correlation can build.
For a practice that lasts
- ✦Anchor the session to an existing habit — after brushing your teeth, before your first email.
- ✦A wandering mind is not failure; it is the exercise. Ten returns in ten minutes is ten repetitions.
- ✦If sitting still feels unbearable, use a walking or movement practice instead.
- ✦Skip guided imagery if you have trauma-related flashbacks; anchored breath or sound is safer.
- ✦Track how you feel after, not during. Sessions that feel messy often score best afterwards.
Choosing a practice
| Practice | Best for | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Breath anchor | Restless mind, general practice | 5–10 min |
| Body scan | Physical tension, pre-sleep | 10–20 min |
| Loving-kindness | Self-criticism, irritability | 10 min |
| Open awareness | Experienced practitioners | 15–20 min |
| Mindful movement | Can't sit still, agitation | 10 min |
| Three-minute breathing space | Mid-day reset, before a hard task | 3 min |
Rotate rather than optimise. The practice you can start today is the correct one.
Common questions
How long until I notice something?+
Most people feel a same-session calming effect immediately, and report clearer attention and mood after two to four weeks of near-daily practice.
I can't stop thinking — am I doing it wrong?+
No. The goal is never an empty mind. The practice is noticing that you drifted and coming back, so a busy mind gives you more repetitions.
Is meditation ever harmful?+
Rarely, but intensive or imagery-based practice can intensify distress for people with trauma or psychosis. Keep sessions short, stay with breath or sound anchors, and stop if you feel destabilised.
Sitting or lying down?+
Sit for attention practices — lying down invites sleep. Lie down for body scans intended to help you fall asleep.
Do I need headphones?+
No, but they help with guided sessions in a noisy room. All sessions here also work in silence with the on-screen timer.