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Self Acceptance – The Zen Way

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Self-acceptance is key, and today we dive into how Zen teaches us to stop needing to fix our lives. We explore what Zen really means and how we can apply it to our daily routines without it just being some trendy catchphrase. Through this episode, we challenge the idea that our lives are broken and discuss the importance of embracing the present moment as it is. I share personal stories and insights on how Zen can help us find peace amidst chaos. So, let’s sit back, relax, and learn how to just be in our moments without the urge to change everything around us.

Self acceptance is a journey we all navigate, and in this episode, Steven Webb dives deep into the concept of Zen and how it relates to our everyday lives. He shares a powerful quote: “Zen doesn’t fix your life; it stops you needing to.” This sets the stage for a conversation about what Zen truly means. It’s not just a trendy phrase or a meme we see online; it’s about embracing the present moment and realizing that life is not broken, but rather, we often feel the urge to fix things that don’t need fixing. Steven invites listeners to explore how to incorporate Zen into their lives, focusing on being present and accepting ourselves as we are. He emphasizes that life is full of challenges, but rather than trying to change everything, we can learn to sit with our experiences and recognize that suffering is part of being human. By adopting a Zen mindset, we can find peace in the chaos and appreciate the beauty of the moment without the constant need for improvement.

Takeaways:

  • Zen doesn’t fix your life but helps you stop needing to fix it.
  • Being present in the moment allows you to accept life as it is right now.
  • The desire to always fix things can lead to never-ending dissatisfaction in life.
  • Happiness is not an achievement but an experience that happens in the mundane.

Self Acceptance, the Zen Way

Inner Peace Meditations podcast, by Steven Webb

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Embrace self-acceptance through the gentle wisdom of Zen. This guided meditation helps you release the constant need to “fix” yourself and discover the profound peace of acknowledging your inherent worth. Learn to simply be, and find wholeness in the present moment, the Zen way.

Expanding Your Circle of Love

Inner Peace Meditations podcast, by Steven Webb

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Expanding Circle of Love – Guided Meditation

This episode offers a gentle, imagery‑rich meditation designed to help you widen the circle of people (and beings) you hold with warmth and goodwill. Inspired by a discussion on the Stillness in the Storms podcast (“Circle of Love & Circle of Care”), this practice turns concept into lived experience. The practice was inspired by our earlier talk‑episode “Circle of Love & Circle of Care,” where we explored the idea that compassion can be trained like a muscle. Today we move from theory to felt experience – settling the mind, then letting love ripple outward.

Why Listen?

  • Deepen empathy & soften judgment – practice seeing more of humanity as “in your circle.”
  • Soothe anxiety & self‑criticism – loving‑kindness lights up the brain’s calming networks.
  • Strengthen emotional resilience – caring connection is a proven buffer against stress.
  • Create positive ripple‑effects – the kinder you feel inside, the kinder you act outside.

What to Expect

  1. Context & gentle settling – a short reminder of the circle‑of‑care principle.
  2. Guided practice – Expanding Circle of Love (no background ads, just my voice and subtle music).
  3. Grounding close – simple ways to carry the feeling forward into your day.

Completely Ad‑Free

Every meditation in this feed stays serene and uninterrupted thanks to listeners who keep the lights on by treating me to a coffee. Your generosity lets these practices remain free for everyone. ☕💙

How Big Is Your Circle? Let's Talk Love and Acceptance

We’re diving into the idea of our circles of acceptance today. How big is your circle of love and understanding? I’ve been thinking about how our perspectives change as we grow up, from a tiny circle in childhood to something much larger as adults. It’s fascinating to look at how our circles can expand or contract based on our experiences and feelings. I’ll be sharing some insights on this journey and how it affects our relationships with ourselves and others. Plus, I’ve got a guided meditation coming up that’ll help us explore these circles even more. Let’s get into it!

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

🎙️ Stillness in the Storms — Episode: “How Big Is Your Circle of Love?”

A heartfelt reflection on how wide your love really reaches — and how to gently grow it.

🧭 What This Episode Covers

  • How big your circle of love, care, and acceptance really is
  • Why it naturally shrinks during stress and expands with growth
  • The six stages of ego development and how they relate to your caring
  • How to reflect without judgment on who is inside — or outside — your circle
  • Zen and Buddhist perspectives on expanding compassion

🌀 Circle Stages — Simple Breakdown

  • Pre-Egocentric – Me as impulse (pure survival)
  • Egocentric – Me as person (all about me)
  • Ethnocentric – My tribe (loyalty, shared identity)
  • Worldcentric – All humans (equal value, global empathy)
  • Planetcentric – All beings (animals, ecosystems, future life)
  • Kosmocentric – No separation (universal awareness, nondual)

We move in and out of these stages — even in a single day. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s awareness.

🧠 Quotes That Land

“Growth is always in the direction of greater wholeness and inclusion.” – Ken Wilber

“Love is a state of being.” – Eckhart Tolle

“If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.” – Richard Rohr

“Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Jesus (Luke 23:34)

Takeaways:

  • In this episode, we explore the different stages of our circle of acceptance and love.
  • Understanding how to recognize and expand our circle can lead to greater empathy and compassion.
  • The podcast emphasizes the idea that our circles of caring are not fixed and can change over time.
  • We discuss how personal experiences, such as stress or busyness, can contract our circles of acceptance.
  • The conversation highlights the importance of caring for not just loved ones, but also for people across the globe.
  • We delve into deeper concepts of world centric and planet centric thinking for a broader perspective.

Feel Deeply, Suffer Less: The Unexpected Power of Emotion

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

🧘 Host:

Steven Webb – Meditation Teacher & Former Mayor of Truro

🌀 About This Episode:

What if the key to less suffering wasn’t found in avoiding pain—but in feeling it all? In this powerful episode of Stillness in the Storms, Steven Webb explores why allowing yourself to feel deeply might be the most healing, human thing you can do.

We’re often told to “stay positive” and “chin up,” but what if the real strength lies in making room for grief, sadness, loneliness, and joy alike? Steven shares personal reflections, Zen wisdom, and practical insight into how embracing every emotion can make you more whole—and more at peace.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in your sadness, disconnected from joy, or overwhelmed by the ups and downs of life, this episode is an invitation to stop running and start listening… to yourself.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

  • Why people who feel deeply often suffer less, not more
  • The real meaning of emotional wholeness
  • How to stop identifying with your emotions
  • The ego vs. the “big mind”—and why balance matters
  • A simple shift in language that changes how you relate to feelings

✨ Takeaway:

You don’t need to fix every emotion. You just need to feel it, then let it pass. That’s where peace begins.

💛 Support the Podcast:

If this episode moved you, consider buying Steven a coffee at stevenwebb.uk. No adverts, just real conversations—thanks to listeners like you.

When You Feel Like It’s Never Enough: A Meditation for the Overwhelmed Soul

Inner Peace Meditations podcast, by Steven Webb

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Length: ~14 minutes

Voice: Steven Webb

Style: Guided stillness, compassionate reflection, deep internal release

Episode Description:

This meditation is for the quietly overwhelmed soul—the one who gives everything, yet still feels like it’s not enough. It’s for the parent who lies awake wondering if they did enough. For the artist, the leader, the healer, the helper… who, even in the applause, hears the whisper of inadequacy.

This is not a space to strive or fix. It’s a space to be. To sit in the truth that you are already whole. That you were never meant to carry the weight of saving the world alone. This meditation holds you between two truths—the longing to do more and the knowing that you’ve already done enough.

The Heart of the Practice:

From a Buddhist lens, this meditation rests in what’s often called the Middle Way. It is the space between indulgence and denial, between the ego’s hunger and the heart’s silence. In the Zen tradition, the Middle Way is not a compromise—it’s a complete letting go of the need to grasp either extreme.

This practice was born from a deep personal truth. Whether you’re a rock star or a school teacher, a politician or a quiet carer—if you carry any degree of authenticity and humility, there will always be a sense that more could be done. That someone, somewhere, needs more of you. That you’re still not quite enough. This meditation invites you to stop chasing that shadow. It reminds you that being alive, aware, and honest is already more than enough.

Why This Meditation Matters:

  • Speaks directly to the modern ache of “never enough”
  • Helps you hold both the striving self and the silent witness with compassion
  • Teaches the power of not choosing sides between ego and emptiness
  • Provides a space for deep nervous system release and emotional softening
  • Inspired by ancient Zen teachings, yet deeply grounded in everyday life
  • Accessible for those in any life situation—no background in Buddhism required

What You’ll Experience:

  • A guided settling into the breath and body
  • A gentle witnessing of the “small mind” that wants to prove itself
  • A compassionate resting in the “big mind” that wants nothing at all
  • A powerful affirmation of enoughness
  • Silence that heals not by effort, but by presence

Benefits of This Practice:

  • Reduced emotional overwhelm and performance pressure
  • Increased sense of inner worth and self-compassion
  • Reconnection with your quiet centre of peace and presence
  • A new relationship with both ambition and acceptance
  • Long-term inner stability, especially in high-responsibility lives

You are not here to be perfect. You are here to be whole.

Sit with me in the middle. You’ll find yourself again.

How to Stay Calm in the Face of Anger

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👉 stevenwebb.uk

🧘‍♂️ Episode Summary:

Anger. It hits hard. Sometimes it’s in your face. Other times, it’s in your inbox. Either way, your body reacts like you’re in danger — heart racing, chest tight, maybe even shame flooding in.

In this episode of Stillness in the Storms, I answer a heartfelt question from listener Toby Ross:

“How do you deal with conflict when it feels unbearable?”

We dive into why anger — whether it’s coming at you or rising inside you — feels so overwhelming. From a Zen perspective to real-life stories, this episode is about understanding anger, disarming it, and staying present without abandoning yourself.

This one is personal, practical, and rooted in compassion — for others, and for yourself.

🧩 What You’ll Hear:

  • Why your nervous system reacts to anger like a threat
  • How our ancient survival wiring still runs the show
  • The Zen view of anger as a mirror (not an enemy)
  • Stories about conflict, shouting, and inner shame
  • A powerful 30-second grounding practice
  • Why “toughness” isn’t strength — and stillness isn’t silence

🫶 Keeping It Real – No Ads, No Noise

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If you’d like to help keep it that way and join our private WhatsApp group, head to:

👉 stevenwebb.uk

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Reflections, gentle reminders, and real talk when life gets overwhelming. (Sent when it’s ready, not when it’s perfect.)

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Disconnect from Overthinking and Find Peace in the Present Moment

Inner Peace Meditations podcast, by Steven Webb

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Disconnect from Overthinking and Find Inner Peace

In this meditation, Steven guides you gently away from overthinking and helps you reconnect with a peaceful presence. You’ll learn how to quiet your mind, relieve anxiety, and find clarity amidst life’s chaos.

Why You Should Listen:

  • Quickly calm a busy mind.
  • Reduce anxiety and stress.
  • Feel immediate relaxation.
  • Learn a simple practice to disconnect anytime, anywhere.

Steven Webb, a mindfulness and meditation teacher living with paralysis, brings an authentic voice to finding peace within life’s challenges. Drawing from his own experience, Steven offers powerful insights to help you reconnect with simplicity and inner calm.

Thank you for joining this meditation. If you enjoyed it, please share it with someone who might benefit.

The Art of Slowing Down: Spiritual Timeouts

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

Taking little timeouts can be a powerful spiritual practice. I’m Steven Webb, and today we dive into how those forced pauses in our day can help us find inner peace, even when life feels chaotic. We often think that spirituality means lengthy meditation sessions, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Instead, we can use everyday moments—like waiting at a traffic light or taking a breath before a meeting—to reconnect with ourselves. Let’s explore how these simple breaks can help us manage stress and stay present, making our spiritual journey a lot more manageable and meaningful.

Finding peace in a fast-paced world can be a daunting task, but it’s all about perspective. This podcast episode dives into the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the simple yet profound practice of taking timeouts to reconnect with ourselves. I share my own experiences, noting that while I can smile and breathe, the challenge often lies in slowing down. The message here is that spirituality can be found in the everyday moments, not just in long meditation sessions or complicated practices.

Throughout our conversation, I encourage listeners to embrace the forced pauses in their daily lives, such as waiting at traffic lights or dealing with interruptions. These moments can be transformed into opportunities for mindfulness, helping us to breathe, reset, and refocus. By allowing ourselves to take these timeouts, we can cultivate a sense of calm that permeates our lives, helping us navigate the chaos with more grace and clarity.

I remind everyone that the spiritual journey is not a straight line; it’s filled with ups and downs, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s about becoming more compassionate toward ourselves and recognizing that we’re all doing our best. By integrating these small moments of stillness into our day, we can create a more peaceful existence and ultimately allow ourselves to respond to life rather than react. This episode serves as a gentle nudge to appreciate the little pauses that life offers us and to use them as tools for growth and awareness.

Takeaways:

  • Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us to smile, breathe, and take things slow in life.
  • Spiritual growth isn’t just about long meditations; it’s about finding peace in small moments.
  • Using forced timeouts can help us reconnect with ourselves and find inner calm.
  • Compassion and self-acceptance are signs that your spiritual journey is making progress.
  • Life’s ups and downs are normal; accepting this messiness is part of the journey.
  • Each little moment of stillness helps us build a longer fuse to manage stress better.

Enlightenment in 2 Minutes: How Micro-Moments Can Transform Your Life

Links to Steven Webb’s podcast and how you can support his work.

What if enlightenment isn’t about hours of meditation or decades of study, but tiny moments of awareness you can practice anywhere, anytime? After paralysis, heartbreak, and a battle with intrusive thoughts, Steven Webb discovered that awakening thrives in life’s margins—in stolen seconds between tasks, breaths during chaos, and pauses before reactions. In this episode, he shares:

  • How to turn traffic jams, work stress, and even arguments into portals of peace
  • Why 2-minute practices work better than marathon meditation sessions (and how to start)
  • The science-backed power of “enlightened micro-moments” to rewire your brain

Why This Episode Will Help You

  • ⏱️ “Enlightenment for the time-poor” – Transform洗碗, commuting, or waiting in line into spiritual practice
  • 🧠 Neuroplasticity hack – How micro-moments of awareness compound into lasting change
  • 🚫 No altar/incense required – Stephen’s “30-second reset” for panic attacks, overwhelm, or decision fatigue
  • 💥 Breakthrough for meditation quitters – Why short bursts beat “perfect” sessions (and how to avoid self-judgment)
  • 🌱 Grow peace incrementally – Trackable daily wins vs. vague spiritual goals

Key Quotes from the Episode

  1. “You don’t need 30 minutes—steal 30 seconds. A deep breath while the microwave spins? That’s a revolution.”
  2. “I’m dyslexic, paralyzed, and once thought enlightenment was for gurus. Now I find it staring at my ceiling fan.”
  3. “An enlightened moment isn’t when you stop feeling anger—it’s the half-second where you notice you’re angry. That’s the crack where light gets in.”
  4. “Ten 2-minute practices scattered through your day? That’s 20 minutes of awareness—without sitting cross-legged once.”
  5. “I didn’t change my life in a cave. I changed it waiting for caregivers, between sips of tea, in the silence after a text notification.”