Living Well / Free resources

Attention, presence & self-kindness

A useful way in

Choose one place to begin.

Free recordings and optional practices for approaching an ordinary moment with a little more attention.

A practice can be small enough to fit the day you actually have. The resources here differ in style, tradition, and format, so start by choosing something understandable rather than trying to compare every possible benefit. A short recording or an outward-looking exercise is a complete starting point.

Start with: A brief guided pause. Find the three-minute Body and Sound Meditation in the English list, or choose a language and format that suits you.

4 selections

Resources with a clear purpose.

Listen or read · Free to browse

A brief guided pause

UCLA Mindful, UCLA Health

A straightforward starting point without needing another subscription. The recordings let you explore a practice rather than commit to an entire program.

Begin here: Find the three-minute Body and Sound Meditation in the English list, or choose a language and format that suits you.

Access: Free web audio; transcripts for some recordings. An app is optional.

Perspective: University-hosted optional practice

UCLA guided recordings and transcripts

Context & source

An optional practice, not a treatment promise. Skip or stop anything uncomfortable; keep essential care and access needs intact.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

Read and try · Free to browse

Awe Outing

Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley

A prompt for approaching familiar surroundings with curiosity. Its written format offers another way in besides guided audio.

Begin here: Read the instructions and choose an accessible setting that already fits your day.

Access: Free practice instructions; optional accounts support saving and participation.

Perspective: Research-linked exercises

Read the Awe Outing practice

Context & source

Keep necessary devices available despite the source's suggestion to put them away. No special feeling is required.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

App or web audio · Free core app

Practice in a named tradition

Plum Village App

An example of technology carrying a contemplative tradition. It belongs alongside, not in place of, secular and other spiritual approaches.

Begin here: Explore the public sample and background before deciding whether to install the app.

Access: The provider offers the app and its content free; optional donations. A sample recording is on the website.

Perspective: Buddhist practice

Plum Village app and sample audio

Context & source

This offering has a specific Buddhist context. It is not a neutral ranking of spiritual practices.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

Optional practice app · Free core app

Healthy Minds Program

Humin

A more structured option for readers who prefer an organized practice sequence to browsing individual recordings.

Begin here: Read the program description and setup information before deciding whether an app would be useful.

Access: The provider describes the app as free and ad-free. Installation and setup are required.

Perspective: Provider-described wellbeing program

Explore Healthy Minds Program

Context & source

Provider descriptions do not establish that this program is suitable for every reader or a replacement for care.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public provider description and source information reviewed. Registration, app installation, media playback, and completion were not tested.

Keep the context

Take what is useful, thoughtfully.

The practice descriptions are not treatment recommendations or evidence that one program suits everyone. Adapt or stop an exercise that feels unhelpful, preserve accessibility and care needs, and use appropriate human support for significant difficulties. You can also explore attention through a poem or an ordinary conversation.

Selections are based on public source review, not a claim that Nolan uses every resource or belongs to the organizations listed.

Selection principles and review limits

Connect the resource to an idea.

On Living WellMeditation without buying a lifestyle

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All 12 resource collections · Explore the related subject