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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

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.

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

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

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

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.

• 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.

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

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

Stillness in the Storms with Steven Webb

Everyone tells you to "let go." Let go of control, of worry, of the past. It sounds lovely, but how do you actually do it, especially when it feels like you're holding everything together? In this episode, Steven shares a deeply personal story about stubbornness, disability, and the moment he discovered that freedom doesn't come from letting go at all. It comes from acceptance.

Steven opens with the story of his first years after leaving hospital with a spinal cord injury, and the nearly two year battle with his own stubbornness before accepting an electric wheelchair that transformed his life. From there, he explores why the phrase "let go" can actually create more suffering, not less, and offers a powerful alternative: acceptance. The episode includes a simple practice you can try today to step out of the tug of war with whatever you've been fighting.

Identity and stubbornness: how pride keeps us stuck

Why "letting go" can become just another thing to fail at

The difference between letting go and acceptance

The quicksand effect: the more you force, the deeper you sink

The butterfly analogy: opening your hand without expectation

How acceptance creates space for life to move

Freedom as a result of acceptance, not force

"Freedom is not about letting go. Freedom is about acceptance. When you accept something, truly accept it, you take away its power over you."

Find a quiet moment. Think about something you've been trying to force yourself to let go of. Instead of pushing it away, open your hands, palms up, and say to yourself: "This is here. I'm not going to fight it today." Notice the gap between struggling and stillness. That's where peace lives.

Stillness in the Storms is completely free with no adverts. It is made possible entirely by the kind people who treat Steven to a coffee. Every contribution helps pay for the podcast and supports all of Steven's work.

If this episode helped you, please consider buying Steven a coffee. Even one makes a difference.

Steven Webb is a meditation teacher, former Mayor of Truro, and C5 tetraplegic. He has spent decades learning what it means to find peace in the most difficult circumstances. Through Stillness in the Storms, he offers honest, warm conversations to help people navigate life's hardest moments.

Find out more and explore all of Steven's work at stevenwebb.uk

Website: https://stevenwebb.uk

Listen, subscribe, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. Sharing this episode with someone who needs to hear it is one of the best ways to support the show.

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

For years, you've been the go to person. The mother, the partner, the colleague, the carer. Your whole identity is wrapped up in what you do for others. But what happens when the kids leave, or the career changes, or you just stop long enough to ask… who am I underneath all of that?

In this episode, Steven shares a personal story from his time as Mayor of Truro, where former mayors warned him about the strange emptiness that comes when a defining role ends. He explores why losing a role can feel like grief, why that "who am I now?" question is not a sign of ingratitude but an invitation to go deeper, and how you can start the quiet, beautiful process of meeting yourself again.

If you've ever felt lost in the space between who you were and who you're becoming, this one is for you.

Steven talks about the identity we build from doing things for others and what happens when those roles shift or fade. He explores why this transition hurts so much and why grief and gratitude can exist side by side. He shares wisdom on sitting in the uncomfortable "in between" space rather than rushing to fill it. And he offers a simple five minute practice you can try today to begin reconnecting with who you really are beneath the roles.

Identity and midlife transitions. The grief of losing a role. Empty nest and changing family dynamics. Finding stillness in the not knowing. Meeting yourself again after decades of caring for others.

"You are not your roles. You never were. The mother, the carer, the professional, the person everyone depends on: those are things you do, and you do them beautifully. But they are not who you are. Who you are is the one who remains when all of that falls away. And she is still there. She's been waiting for you."

Find five minutes of quiet. Sit with a cup of tea, go for a short walk, or sit somewhere peaceful. Ask yourself: "What would I do today if nobody needed anything from me?" Don't judge the answer. Just notice what comes up. That's a thread. Keep pulling gently on it and it will lead you back to yourself.

Stillness in the Storms is completely free with no adverts and no sponsors. It exists because of the kind people who treat Steven to a coffee. Every contribution helps pay for the podcast and supports all of Steven's work.

A huge thank you to this episode's supporters: Tiffany, Fran, Kay, Caroline, Ruth, Mazdak, Cara, Suja, and several generous anonymous donors, along with supporters on Insight Timer.

If this episode helped you, please consider buying Steven a coffee. Even one makes a difference.

Steven Webb is a meditation teacher, former Mayor of Truro, and C5 tetraplegic. He has spent decades learning what it means to find peace in the most difficult circumstances. Through Stillness in the Storms, he offers honest, warm conversations to help people navigate life's hardest moments.

Find out more and explore all of Steven's work at stevenwebb.uk

Website: https://stevenwebb.uk

Listen, subscribe, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app. Sharing this episode with someone who needs to hear it is one of the best ways to support the show.

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

Episode DescriptionIn this episode, Steven shares a personal update following the record-breaking winds of Storm Goretti in Cornwall. After the chaos of the storm, a chance encounter with a lady named Joanne reminds him of the beauty of "apricity"—the warmth of the sun on a cold winter's day.

Join Steven for a gentle conversation about finding calm in a noisy world. He explores why we often "doom scroll," the relief of realising how little we are actually in control of, and why slowing down might be the best way to handle uncertain times.

Key Highlights

1. The Calm After the Chaos: How quickly things change from 100mph winds to a beautiful, spring-like day, reminding us that nothing is permanent.
2. Word of the Day: Steven shares his favourite word, apricity, and why we need to appreciate those moments of warmth during life’s winters.
3. The Illusion of Control: Why realising we aren't in control of 99.9% of things (including world leaders or the weather) can actually be a huge relief.
4. Simple Wisdom: A reminder that knitting, walking, or just taking a breath at a traffic light can be as powerful as formal meditation.

Memorable Quotes

Links & Support

1. Website: stevenwebb.uk

Support the Show: Treat Steven to a coffee at his website to help keep the podcast ad-free.

Inner Peace Meditations: Listen to Steven's meditation podcast for more ways to slow down.

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

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk

Happy New Year to you all! It is great to be back recording after a tough few weeks battling a severe chest infection. Before we dive into today’s episode, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported me and donated over Christmas.

Your kindness keeps this podcast ad-free and helps cover the editing and admin costs which allows me to keep going. A special shout out to Jessica, Laura, Catherine, Joan, Ulysses, Lisa, Kerry, and Audra. And wow, thank you to Joan and Ulysses for the 40 coffees! You are all absolutely brilliant.

In this episode:

I share a bit about my recent battle with "man flu" and the complications of dealing with a chest infection while being paralyzed. It was a stark reminder of how fragile things can be, leading to an ambulance visit and plenty of steroids.

But this experience led me to my focus for this year. Instead of setting strict resolutions that we often break, I am inviting you to choose just one word for the year. My word is Simplify.

We explore what it means to strip life down to its simplest form to remove obstacles and reduce suffering. Whether it is closing tabs on a browser or just sitting in silence, simplifying is about finding peace in the moment.

We also talk about:

1. Why I chose "Simplify" as my word for the year.
2. The spiritual journey of reducing suffering and attachment.
3. How to handle emotions like anxiety and overwhelm by listening to what they are teaching us.
4. Examples of words you might choose, such as Acceptance, Trust, release, or Curiosity.

What is your word for the year? I would love to hear it.

Links and Contact: If you want to get in touch, share your word, or just say hello, you can message me directly at:

https://stevenwebb.uk

Thank you for listening and for your continued support.