A clear, jargon-free introduction to meditation — what it is, what it isn't, and why millions of people practice it every day.
Read more →In-depth resources to deepen your understanding of mindfulness.
A clear, jargon-free introduction to meditation — what it is, what it isn't, and why millions of people practice it every day.
Read more →Meditation is the practice of training your attention. That's it. It's not about emptying your mind, achieving enlightenment, or sitting cross-legged on a mountain. It's about learning to notice where your mind goes — and gently bringing it back.
Think of it like exercise for your brain. Just as going to the gym strengthens your muscles, meditation strengthens your ability to focus, regulate emotions, and stay present.
Research shows regular meditation can reduce anxiety, improve sleep, sharpen focus, and even change the physical structure of your brain. But most people who stick with it will tell you something simpler: it just makes life feel a little more manageable.
What actually happens inside your brain when you meditate? Decades of neuroscience research, explained in plain language.
Read more →Neuroscience has shown that meditation doesn't just feel good — it physically changes your brain. Here are the three most significant changes:
The amygdala is your brain's alarm system. It triggers the fight-or-flight response. A 2011 study at Harvard found that after just 8 weeks of mindfulness practice, measurable changes occurred in the amygdala's grey matter density — participants were less reactive to stress.
The prefrontal cortex handles focus, decision-making, and self-awareness. Research by Sara Lazar at Harvard showed that regular meditators had thicker cortical tissue in this region — even as they aged. Meditation appears to slow the natural thinning of this area.
The DMN is the brain network active during mind-wandering, rumination, and self-referential thinking — the "monkey mind." Studies at Yale found that experienced meditators show decreased activity in the DMN, and when it does activate, they're better at snapping back to the present.
Brain changes have been observed with as little as 8 weeks of practice at 10-20 minutes per day. Some studies show measurable benefits after just 4 days. The key is consistency, not duration.
Practical strategies for making meditation a consistent habit — even if you've struggled to stick with it before.
Read more →The biggest mistake people make is trying to meditate for 20 minutes on day one. Start with 2 minutes. Seriously. The goal isn't duration — it's showing up. Once 2 minutes feels easy, add a minute. Let it grow naturally.
Don't rely on motivation. Attach meditation to something you already do every day. After your morning coffee. Before you check your phone. Right after brushing your teeth. This is called "habit stacking" and it works.
Your brain loves patterns. Meditating at the same time and place each day reduces the mental effort of deciding when and where. It becomes automatic, like putting on a seatbelt.
There's no such thing as a bad meditation. If your mind wandered the entire time, you still practiced. The noticing — "oh, I'm distracted" — is the exercise. Every time you catch your mind wandering and bring it back, that's one mental rep.
Humans are motivated by streaks. Use a simple calendar, an app, or a habit tracker to mark each day you practice. Missing one day isn't failure — just don't miss two in a row.
If you miss your morning slot, meditate at lunch. If you can't sit, do a walking meditation. If you only have 60 seconds, take 3 deep breaths with full attention. Something always beats nothing.
How conscious breathing techniques activate your parasympathetic nervous system and reduce anxiety in minutes.
Read more →Your breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control. When you deliberately slow and deepen your breathing, you activate the vagus nerve — the longest cranial nerve in your body — which triggers your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" mode).
This directly counteracts the sympathetic "fight or flight" response. Heart rate drops, blood pressure lowers, cortisol production decreases, and your body physically relaxes.
Used by Navy SEALs to stay calm under pressure. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat 4-8 rounds. The equal timing creates a rhythmic pattern that stabilises the nervous system.
Developed by Dr Andrew Weil. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. The extended exhale maximises vagus nerve activation. Particularly effective before sleep.
Discovered by Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. A double inhale through the nose (one full breath, then a short second sip of air) followed by a long exhale. This is the fastest known way to calm the nervous system — a single cycle can reduce stress in real time.
Why your mind won't switch off at night, and how meditation techniques can help you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.
Read more →The most common cause of insomnia isn't physical — it's mental. When you lie down and remove external stimulation, your default mode network activates. This is the brain's "idle mode," and it loves to replay the day, plan tomorrow, and worry about things you can't control.
Sleep meditation works by giving your brain something else to focus on — a body scan, a visualisation, a breathing pattern — which gradually overrides the rumination cycle.
Meditation works best as part of a broader sleep routine. Dim lights an hour before bed. Avoid screens (or use a blue light filter). Keep your room cool (16-18°C). Meditate in bed, with the intention of falling asleep — this is one of the few times it's fine to drift off during practice.
A Harvard study found mindfulness meditation improved sleep quality in older adults more effectively than standard sleep hygiene education. A 2019 meta-analysis of 18 trials found meditation significantly improved sleep quality with moderate effect sizes.
How mindfulness changes your relationship with anxious thoughts — and practical techniques you can use right now.
Read more →Anxiety is your brain doing its job — scanning for threats and preparing you to respond. The problem isn't anxiety itself. It's when the alarm system gets stuck in the "on" position, reacting to emails, social situations, and hypothetical future events as if they were genuine dangers.
Mindfulness doesn't eliminate anxiety. It changes your relationship with it. Instead of being swept away by anxious thoughts, you learn to observe them with a degree of distance — like watching clouds pass rather than being caught in the storm.
When anxiety spikes, bring yourself back to the present moment by naming: 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. This interrupts the anxiety loop by redirecting attention to sensory reality.
A 2014 meta-analysis (Johns Hopkins) found mindfulness meditation programmes showed moderate evidence of improving anxiety, with effect sizes comparable to antidepressants. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms by up to 47% in clinical populations.
Small, practical things you can do today.
You don't need 20 minutes. Two minutes of focused breathing is enough to start building the habit.
Attach meditation to an existing habit — after coffee, before bed, or right after waking up.
A wandering mind isn't failure. Noticing the wandering and returning is the entire practice.
Before responding to stress, take three slow breaths. This 15-second pause changes everything.
Can't sit still? Walk slowly and pay attention to each step. Meditation doesn't require stillness.
A body scan or 4-7-8 breathing in bed is one of the most effective natural sleep aids.
Even 5 minutes without screens trains your brain to be comfortable with stillness.
Missing one day is fine. Just don't miss two in a row. Consistency beats perfection.
Key findings from peer-reviewed studies on meditation and mindfulness.
Guided meditations from the Salus library.
15 min — What happens in your brain when you meditate? Neuroscience explained in plain language.
12 min — Learn box breathing and the 4-7-8 technique to calm your nervous system fast.