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The Garden for Deep Sleep – (A Sleep Meditation)

Stevens new course: Finding Peace in Everyday Life (you choose how much to pay)

The Garden for Deep Sleep. A Spring Meditation for Drifting Off (Inner Peace Meditations Episode 100)

Description In this special 100th episode of Inner Peace Meditations, meditation teacher Steven Webb invites you into a small walled garden that only grows at night, and only when someone is resting there. Tonight, that someone is you. You settle onto a cushioned old bench, your body softens with each breath, and the garden quietly fills in around you. Bare earth becomes green shoots. Climbing roses thread the stone walls. Lavender and jasmine drift through the night air. There is nothing to do tonight except rest. Your stillness is the gardening.

A soft, slow meditation with a quiet nod to spring, designed to send you to sleep. Listen somewhere safe. You are not meant to make it to the end.

Who this meditation is for

  • Anyone who struggles to fall asleep
  • People with overactive minds at bedtime
  • Anyone who feels they should still be doing something, even at rest
  • Listeners who love gentle nature visualisations
  • Anyone marking the turn of the season into spring

Key benefits

  • Helps the body let go of the day
  • Quiets the mind enough for sleep to find you
  • Releases the pressure to make sleep happen
  • Encourages the listener to feel held by something gentle and unhurried
  • A soft place to land at the end of a long day

If you’d like to contact Steven or support his work, go to https://stevenwebb.uk

8 Billion Minds. Why Meditation Doesn't Work for Everyone (And What You Can Do About It)

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

There are eight billion minds in the world, and not one of them was made to fit the same cushion.

Description

This week I want to talk about why meditation works beautifully for some people and barely at all for others, and why no single teacher, book or technique was ever going to be the answer for everybody. I tell the story of my own rock bottom at forty, a Saturday afternoon in town with a broken wheelchair and a security guard who said nothing but meant everything. From there to the slow accidental discovery of meditation through As a Man Thinketh, and what it really means to live with an ADHD mind that refuses to sit still. We’re all on our own road. The world wasn’t designed for you, or me, or any of us. But you can widen your road, push your boundaries, and stop trying to fit into a shape that was never yours.

Key Topics

  • Why one meditation method will never work for eight billion different minds
  • The night I hit rock bottom, and the kindness that started everything
  • Reading As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, and why ten books saying the same thing is hard to ignore
  • Neuroplasticity, and how you can widen your road even if you can’t change it
  • ADHD, dyslexia and finding ways to meditate when your mind refuses to be quiet
  • Why accepting yourself is so much easier than trying to change everyone else

If this episode meant something to you, please share it, leave a review, or treat me to a coffee at stevenwebb.uk.

Supporters Thanked in Episode

Suzanne, Maria, Michael, Tiffany, Ellen, Kathleen, Edyll, Nicola, Jess, Lynette, Linda, Laura, Yavuz, and a few kind anonymous souls.

Special thanks: Jane, marking one year as a monthly supporter on 15th April 2026.

You keep this podcast advert free.

Peace Right Where You Are

Stevens new course: Finding Peace in Everyday Life (you choose how much to pay)

A Simple Meditation You Can Do Anywhere

A simple five minute meditation for anyone with a busy mind, no time, or no quiet place to sit.

Description

If you’ve tried meditation but your mind won’t stop, if you’ve put it down because it felt like one more thing you were doing wrong, or if you just don’t have a quiet place to sit properly, this is for you.

A simple five minute guided meditation you can do right where you are. A chair, a bus, your bed, a waiting room. No cushion, no special room, no perfect silence required. Just breath, thoughts, and the awareness behind both.

You won’t be asked to clear your mind. You won’t be asked to picture anything. You’ll simply notice what is already here. Because peace is not something you create. It is already here. This meditation helps you notice it.

This is the companion to this week’s Stillness in the Storms episode (EP164: Demystifying Meditation: What You Need to Know).

Who this is for

  • Beginners who feel they don’t know how to meditate
  • People with racing thoughts, overthinking, or an anxious mind
  • Anyone coming back to meditation after stopping
  • People with ADHD or minds that won’t settle
  • Anyone short on time, space, or quiet
  • People who have tried meditation before and felt they were doing it wrong

What it will help with

  • Calming a busy or anxious mind
  • Reducing stress in the moment
  • Finding a pause between thought and reaction
  • Coming back to the present when you feel overwhelmed
  • Building a meditation practice when life is loud

Sign off

These meditations are free because of listeners who support them. If this helped you, you can treat me to a coffee at stevenwebb.uk. No adverts. No sponsors. Ever.

Demystifying Meditation: What You Need to Know

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

Back to Basics: Why Meditate?

The honest case for meditation, not as something you do on a cushion, but for the moments that actually run your life.

You’ve tried meditation. Maybe you dip in and out of it. You feel a little better for a few days, then life gets loud and you forget. Then you snap at someone, or you fire off the email you regret, and you think “I know better than this.” This episode is for you, and honestly, it’s for me too.

In this back to basics episode, I bust the biggest myths about meditation. I talk about why we don’t meditate to clear the mind, why five minutes really is enough, why a wandering mind is not a failed mind, and why the real test of meditation is not how peaceful you feel on the cushion, but how you handle the family barbecue, the doctor’s waiting room, and the colleague who winds you up.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing meditation wrong, this is your invitation to start again. Simply, honestly, and from wherever you are.

Key topics

  • Why meditation matters in real life, not just on the cushion
  • The seven biggest myths about meditation, busted
  • The gap between thought and reaction, and why it’s the whole game
  • Why little and often beats long and rare
  • How to know if your meditation practice is actually working

Companion meditation

Inner Peace Meditations #99: Finding Peace Here and Now. A simple five minute guided meditation to go with this episode. No visualisation, no setup, no special place. Just breath, thoughts, and the peace that’s already here.

With thanks to Sin, Margaret, Annie, Melike, Helen, Laura, Adam, Dominique, and a special welcome to Linda who has just joined as a new monthly supporter. You are the reason this podcast stays advert free.

If this episode meant something to you, please share it with someone who might need it, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or treat me to a coffee at stevenwebb.uk.

The Dignity of Being Tired: Give Yourself a Break

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

The Dignity of Being Tired: Give Yourself a Break

What if tiredness isn’t weakness? What if it’s the most honest thing your body is telling you?

In this episode, we talk about why we treat exhaustion like a personal failure instead of listening to what it’s actually telling us. I share what it was like being Mayor of Truro, running on empty, showing up to every event because stopping felt like letting people down. We explore why busyness has become a badge of honour, why animals rest without guilt and we can’t, and what actually happens in your brain when you don’t get proper rest. This isn’t about life hacks. It’s about giving yourself permission to stop before you have nothing left.

Key topics:

  • Why tiredness is not a weakness but honest information from your body
  • The culture of celebrating exhaustion as proof of commitment
  • What happens in your brain during deep sleep and why rest matters
  • Thich Nhat Hanh on how animals rest and heal without guilt
  • Practical permission to disconnect and stop being on call

Companion meditation: Inner Peace Meditations #98 — Permission to Rest

If this episode meant something to you, please share it, leave a review, or treat me to a coffee: stevenwebb.uk

With thanks to: Senga, Sujata, Jack, Denise, Glenn, Aileen, Joe, Laurie, Barb, Audra, Bronwyn, and Emily.

Permission to Rest: A meditation for time out

Stevens new course: Finding Peace in Everyday Life (you choose how much to pay)

Title: Permission to Rest — with meditation teacher Steven Webb

Description: A guided meditation for when you’re running on empty and stopping feels like giving up. Meditation teacher Steven Webb leads you through a gentle body scan and a peaceful forest visualisation to help you truly rest without guilt.

Who this meditation is for:

  • You’re exhausted but it’s not about sleep
  • You’ve been pushing through for too long and can’t switch off
  • You feel guilty about stopping or taking time for yourself
  • You’re overwhelmed and your mind won’t stop making lists
  • You need permission to just do nothing for a while

What you’ll experience:

  • A gentle body scan to release tension you didn’t know you were holding
  • A calming forest visualisation where nothing is needed from you
  • Permission to stop without guilt or judgement
  • A loving kindness moment with hand on heart
  • A soft return that leaves you feeling lighter and kinder to yourself

Companion episode: Stillness in the Storms EP163 — The Dignity of Being Tired

If you’d like to contact Steven or support his work, go to https://stevenwebb.uk

What Rises When You Stop Pushing

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

What Rises When You Stop Pushing

An Easter Sunday conversation about what comes back to us when we finally stop forcing. Steven opens with daffodils appearing on Cornish roadsides and moves into a wide-ranging reflection on renewal — drawing on Alan Watts, Shunryu Suzuki, and Junpo Denis Kelly to explore why the things we thought we’d lost often return on their own. This one speaks directly to anyone at a low point.

All episodes of Stillness in the Storms are brought to you without adverts by the generous donations of listeners treating Steven to a coffee.

DETAILS

Level: All levels Type: Conversational podcast episode Duration: ~20:00 Companion meditation: Inner Peace Meditations EP97 — “Find the Green Shoot“

IN THIS EPISODE

  • Daffodils on roadsides and what spring actually looks like before it looks like spring
  • Alan Watts on waves and rhythm — the wave rises, crests, and falls, but the ocean never runs out of waves
  • Junpo Denis Kelly on what arises first: caring. Anger comes from caring.
  • Shunryu Suzuki and beginner’s mind — meeting the season as though you’ve never seen one before
  • A reference to Tony Hoagland’s poem “The Color of the Sky” and the line about the end turning out to be the middle
  • Steven’s own recent hospital stay and what it clarified about renewal
  • A direct word to anyone feeling behind or broken: you’re neither

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • You’re going through a difficult period and need to hear that it doesn’t last forever — without being told to think positive
  • You’re curious about Alan Watts, Zen philosophy, or contemplative ideas but want them grounded in real life, not theory
  • You’ve been forcing yourself to recover, improve, or move on and it’s not working
  • You want a thoughtful Easter listen that goes deeper than chocolate eggs
  • You enjoy Steven’s conversational style and want something reflective to sit with over a cup of tea

WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY

  • A different way to think about low points — not as failure but as the turning point of a wave
  • Permission to stop forcing renewal and trust that some things return on their own
  • A felt sense of being spoken to honestly by someone who has been there
  • Fresh ways into Watts, Suzuki, and Kelly that connect to everyday experience
  • The companion meditation (IPM EP97) as a practice to carry the themes further

ABOUT STEVEN WEBB

Steven Webb is a meditation teacher, podcaster, politician, and the host of Inner Peace Meditations. A former mayor of Truro in the county of Cornwall, Steven continues to split his time between politics and the contemplative work he is best known for. After a life-changing accident left him paralysed from the chest down, he found his way to inner peace through mindfulness, Zen philosophy, and the teachings of Alan Watts and Shunryu Suzuki. He now helps others find calm and resilience — especially those who find meditation difficult. Steven lives in Cornwall, England and shares his work at stevenwebb.com. You can also find his podcast on politics and public life, Stillness in the Storms, at https://stillnessinthestorms.com/

KEYWORDS

stillness in the storms, renewal, spring, Alan Watts, Shunryu Suzuki, Junpo Denis Kelly, beginner’s mind, Easter, inner peace, low point, waves

Find the Green Shoot: A Meditation for Quiet Renewal

Stevens new course: Finding Peace in Everyday Life (you choose how much to pay)

Find the Green Shoot: A Meditation for Quiet Renewal

A quiet, unhurried meditation for anyone feeling like something in them has been asleep for a while. This practice uses the imagery of spring — a green shoot pressing through dark earth — to gently explore what might be ready to return: energy, curiosity, joy, creativity. No forcing, no fixing. Just noticing what rises when you give it room.

All episodes of Inner Peace Meditations are brought to you without adverts by the generous donations of listeners treating Steven to a coffee.

DETAILS

Level: All levels Practice type: Body scan, Breath awareness, Guided imagery Duration: ~15:00 Companion episode: Stillness in the Storms EP162 — “What Rises When You Stop Pushing“

WHO IS THIS FOR?

  • You feel like you’ve been running on empty and something in you has gone quiet — energy, motivation, curiosity — and you’re not sure how to get it back
  • You’re coming out of a difficult stretch and want a gentle way to reconnect with yourself without pressure
  • You find it hard to meditate when you’re told to “just relax” — you need something more specific and sensory to follow
  • You want a short spring practice that honours where you are right now, not where you think you should be
  • You’ve never meditated before and want somewhere warm and unintimidating to start

BENEFITS

  • A felt sense of settling in your body before anything is asked of you
  • Space to notice what’s been dormant without needing to force it awake
  • A grounding connection to the season — spring as something happening in you, not just around you
  • A gentle return to wakefulness through a slow, guided count-back
  • A reminder that renewal doesn’t require effort — the seed doesn’t need permission to grow

ABOUT STEVEN WEBB

Steven Webb is a meditation teacher, podcaster, politician, and the host of Inner Peace Meditations. A former mayor of Truro in the county of Cornwall, Steven continues to split his time between politics and the contemplative work he is best known for. After a life-changing accident left him paralysed from the chest down, he found his way to inner peace through mindfulness, Zen philosophy, and the teachings of Alan Watts and Shunryu Suzuki. He now helps others find calm and resilience — especially those who find meditation difficult. Steven lives in Cornwall, England and shares his work at stevenwebb.com. You can also find his podcast on politics and public life, Stillness in the Storms, at https://stillnessinthestorms.com/

KEYWORDS

guided meditation, inner peace, spring meditation, renewal, awakening, beginner’s mind, body scan, dormancy, gentle meditation, beginner friendly

Good Morning: Breathing Together Meditation

Stevens new course: Finding Peace in Everyday Life (you choose how much to pay)

Good Morning: Breathing Together | Inner Peace Meditations with Steven Webb

In this week’s guided meditation, meditation teacher Steven Webb invites you to begin your morning with nothing more than your own breath. Starting with a simple body scan and breath awareness, Steven gently widens your attention outward: from your body to the room, from the room to your neighbours, and from your street to the entire breathing world. It’s a quiet, powerful reminder that every breath you take has been shared by other lungs, other leaves, other lives, and that you are never truly breathing alone.

Who this meditation is for:

  • Anyone who wants a grounding way to start the morning
  • People who feel disconnected or isolated and want to remember they belong
  • Listeners looking for a gentle, non religious mindfulness practice
  • Those who find it hard to feel compassion without forcing it

Key benefits:

  • Settle your body and mind before the day begins
  • Build a felt sense of connection to the people and world around you
  • Practise widening your awareness without overwhelm
  • Carry a sense of shared humanity into everyday encounters

If you’d like to contact Steven or support his work, go to https://stevenwebb.uk

Finding Inner Peace: Do You Need to Be a Buddhist?

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

 

Finding Inner Peace: Do You Need to Be a Buddhist?

Host: Steven Webb Website: stevenwebb.uk

Have you ever caught yourself collecting meditation apps, lining up Buddhist statues on a shelf, and wondering if you’re doing peace wrong? In this honest Sunday morning episode — recorded while recovering from an operation and still on painkillers — Steven asks a question that quietly nags at a lot of seekers: do you actually need to call yourself a Buddhist to find inner peace?

Steven traces his own path from collecting the accessories of Buddhism to hitting rock bottom at forty, when inner peace stopped being a nice idea and became something he genuinely needed. What he found was that suffering doesn’t come from life itself — it comes from our relationship to it. The clinging. The resistance. The stories we tell ourselves about what should be happening instead of what is.

Drawing on Alan Watts’s famous reminder that “the menu is not the meal,” Steven makes a gentle but clear distinction: the label, the tradition, the institution — that’s the menu. The direct experience of stillness, right where you are — that’s the meal. He also explores Jun Po Denis Kelly’s Mondo Zen approach, where awakening isn’t reserved for monasteries but happens in ordinary, messy, everyday life.

Along the way, Steven touches on the different branches of Buddhism — Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, Zen — and points out that the core practices of meditation, mindful awareness, and compassion don’t ask you to believe in anything at all. He shares one of his favourite insights: that every one of us interprets reality differently through our own senses and brain — and understanding that simple fact is where real compassion begins.

Steven’s conclusion? He’s not a Buddhist. Not really a Christian either. But the teachings of compassion, understanding, and love that run through all traditions? Those he agrees with completely. And the world, he says, could use a lot more of all three.

Key Takeaways

  • Suffering comes from our relationship to life, not from life itself. It’s the clinging and the resistance that create the pain, not the circumstances.
  • The menu is not the meal. Labels, traditions, and institutions point toward inner peace — but they aren’t the experience itself. Direct stillness is.
  • You don’t need to be a Buddhist to practise Buddhism’s core teachings. Meditation, mindful awareness, and compassion require no belief system.
  • Awakening happens in ordinary life. Jun Po Denis Kelly’s Mondo Zen reminds us that you don’t need a monastery — you need honesty and presence, right where you are.
  • We all experience reality differently. Understanding that each person’s brain interprets the world in its own way is the beginning of genuine compassion.
  • Enlightenment isn’t a permanent state. There are more enlightened moments and less enlightened moments — and that’s perfectly fine.
  • Compassion is the common ground. Across every tradition, the call is the same: more understanding, more love, more kindness.

Thank You to Our Supporters

New monthly supporters: Stephen, Kaylin, Allison

One-time supporters: Femke, Hannah, Andrew, Tracy, Helen, Tiffany Lynn, Gem, Ulysses, Anonymous, Suta, Jess, Leigh, Gerit, Cheryl, Krysia

Your generosity keeps this podcast going — thank you.

Stay curious, and I love you.

Steven