Free Guided Practices

Welcome to our library of short, guided mindfulness practices. These recordings are designed to be accessible "breathing spaces"; tools you can use to pause, steady yourself, and step out of automatic pilot, even in the middle of a busy day.

You do not need any prior experience to use these tracks.


A Note for Beginners

If you are new to mindfulness, here are three things to keep in mind before you press play:

  1. There is no "perfect" way to sit: You don't need to sit on the floor or twist yourself into a knot. Simply find a chair, sit with your feet flat on the floor, and try to adopt a posture that feels alert yet relaxed. Upright, but not uptight.

  2. Your mind will wander: This is not a mistake. It is simply what minds do. When you notice your attention has drifted to a to-do list or a worry, simply acknowledge it, and gently guide your attention back to the recording. This act of noticing and returning is the practice.

  3. Be kind to yourself: Try to approach these practices with curiosity rather than judgement. There is no goal to achieve, and you cannot "fail" at this.


The Safe Harbour (6 Minutes)

Best for: Moments of overwhelm, high stress, or when you need to "drop anchor."

Context: In Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), we learn that we cannot always control the "weather" of our lives, stress, difficulty, and busy thoughts will always arise. However, we can learn to find a place of shelter within ourselves.

This short practice uses the metaphor of a harbour to help you stabilise your attention when things feel choppy. It invites you to use the breath and the body as a safe place to rest, allowing the storm to pass without sweeping you away.


 

Meeting Yourself With Kindness (The "Oxygen Mask" Practice) (6 Minutes)

Best for: Givers, parents, carers, and anyone who spends their day looking after others.

The Story behind this track: I originally recorded this practice for the Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI) as part of their Blue Health Coach certification. You will hear me addressing instructors, people who spend their days keeping others safe and happy on the water, often at the expense of their own energy.

I’m sharing it here because, in this season of giving, many of us fall into the same trap. We pour from an empty cup. Whether you are a parent, a partner, or a professional, this practice is a permission slip to put your own "oxygen mask" on first.

Context: In MBCT, we often talk about the "Doing Mode" (fixing, solving, achieving) versus the "Being Mode" (resting, allowing). This practice invites you to step out of "instructor mode" and simply treat yourself with the same care you offer everyone else.


 

Looking for a deeper toolkit?

Short practices like the Safe Harbour are wonderful for "spot-fixing" stress in the moment. However, to build lasting resilience and change how we relate to difficult emotions long-term, a structured approach is often more effective.

Mindfulness for Life (MBCT-L) is an 8-week, evidence-based course developed by the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation. It provides a comprehensive toolkit to help you recognise unhelpful patterns and live with greater ease.

Our next online group begins on January 6th. Click here to explore that course and register your interest.