The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard

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The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard is a short daily podcast offering stillness, clarity and spiritual grounding - a moment of calm in a busy, noisy world. Hosted by Brother Richard, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and meditation teacher, each episode draws on the Christian monastic contemplative tradition, one of the oldest continuous meditative practice in the world. With warmth, simplicity and deep humanity, Brother Richard offers reflections and guided meditations shaped for modern life. These meditations are open to people of all faiths, and to those with none. No belief is required - only a few quiet minutes and a willingness to pause, breathe and be present, whether taking a pause during the day or winding down before sleep. Brother Richard belongs to the Capuchin community in Dublin, Ireland, where a life of prayer and meditation has been practiced every day for over 400 years. This podcast carries that living tradition forward, translating ancient wisdom into a form that speaks to contemporary experience. To find out more about the Capuchins’ work visit: https://capuchindaycentre.ie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6H AGO

    The Power of Transitional Moments

    In this meditation, I invite you to notice transitional moments — the small spaces between one activity and the next — and to recognise them as opportunities for presence and renewal. We reflect on how finding time to meditate does not always mean setting aside long periods. Often, it is in the brief transitions of the day that we can reset, soften, and return to ourselves. These moments may be simple: moving from one conversation to another, changing clothes, picking up a tool, or getting into the car. As we settle into breath and gentle awareness, we review the day and begin to notice these spaces more clearly. Like the links between beads on a necklace, the transitions connect everything. When we learn to inhabit them fully, depth and calm become available even in ordinary moments. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you carry presence into the small spaces that shape your day.   00:00 – Welcome back 00:35 – Finding time to meditate 00:45 – Transitional moments as reset points 01:20 – Noticing moments of change 01:40 – Reviewing the day 02:25 – The bell 02:40 – Ritual gesture 02:50 – Opening the heart to practice 03:20 – Breathing in and out 04:23 – Sensing small moments of peace 04:54 – Running the day through the mind 05:30 – Identifying transitions between activities 05:53 – Everyday examples 06:20 – Discovering more as we look 06:50 – The necklace analogy 07:55 – Going deeper 08:10 – Being present in what we are doing 09:55 – Intention for the day ahead 10:23 – A gentle smile 10:32 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  2. 1D AGO

    The Quiet Power of the Long Exhale

    In this meditation, I invite you to work gently with the breath through 7/11 breathing, a practice that rests in the quiet power of the long exhale. We begin by noticing how even a small extension of the out-breath can lead the body toward deep calm. This practice is never forced. The breath is lengthened only to a point that feels natural and comfortable, allowing ease rather than effort to guide us. As we settle into a grounded seated position, awareness rests with breathing in peace and breathing out stress. A few short cycles of 7/11 breathing help the body soften, bringing attention back to a place of stillness and balance. Silence then allows the breath to find its own rhythm. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you regulate the breath, settle the nervous system, and return to ease.  00:00 – Welcome back 00:45 – Working with the breath 00:53 – The effect of the long exhale 01:10 – Breathing and a sense of peace 01:37 – Staying within comfort 02:00 – Introducing 7/11 breathing 02:35 – The bell 03:03 – Finding a grounded seated position 03:20 – Softening the body and gaze 03:45 – Becoming aware of the breath 04:10 – Breathing out stress, breathing in peace 05:00 – The point of stillness 05:55 – 7/11 breathing for three cycles 06:17 – Silence and rhythm 07:30 – Being with the practice 07:40 – Noticing its effect 08:20 – Returning to 7/11 breathing 08:55 – Coming back to natural breath 09:45 – Stretching and movement 09:57 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Expanding the Circles of Compassion

    In this meditation, I invite you to explore interbeing — the deep truth that we exist in relationship, not in isolation. We begin by reflecting on the way compassion naturally expands, moving from ourselves to those we love, to those we meet regularly, and outward again to all forms of life. This widening is not forced. It happens gently, as awareness becomes fuller and more inclusive. As we settle into the breath, we find a point of stillness where the in-breath becomes the out-breath. From this quiet centre, peace is breathed outward, first to those closest to us, and then more widely, until compassion embraces all beings. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you cultivate connection, kindness and a sense of shared belonging.  00:00 – Welcome back 00:18 – Compassion for self and others 00:40 – The shared life of all beings 00:55 – Interbeing 01:15 – Expanding awareness 01:35 – The bell 02:05 – Setting the intention 02:50 – Noticing the breath 03:30 – Full awareness of this moment 04:05 – The still point of the breath 04:50 – Bringing loved ones to mind 05:43 – Breathing peace toward them 06:20 – Those we meet regularly 07:35 – Breathing in peace 08:13 – Extending compassion to all beings 09:55 – Recalling the primary intention 10:05 – Returning to the room 10:13 – A moment of gratitude 10:20 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  4. 3D AGO

    Holding others in calm awareness

    In this meditation, I invite you to explore intercession as a quiet, attentive practice of presence. We begin by reflecting on what it means to be present to the need of another, not by fixing or demanding, but by holding them gently in awareness. Intercession here is not effortful. It is a way of standing with someone in care, allowing compassion to be breathed rather than spoken. As we settle into the breath, peace and calm are breathed out. We hold a clear, simple sense of the person we are sitting with, allowing them to enter this moment alongside us. With each breath, kindness is offered freely, without expectation or outcome. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you practice care, connection and steady presence for yourself and for others.  00:00 – Introduction 00:17 – What intercession means 00:25 – Being present to another’s need 00:40 – Intercession in meditation 01:40 – The bell 02:50 – Bringing someone gently to mind 04:20 – Centering on the breath 05:15 – Breathing out peace and calm 05:55 – Visualising the other person 06:30 – The shared place of the breath 07:30 – All beings held in this way 07:45 – Breathing kindness toward them 08:00 – Releasing expectation 10:20 – Letting the image fade 11:00 – Returning to breath and room 12:20 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min

  5. 4D AGO

    Letting Compassion Lead

    In this meditation, we return to compassion as a living practice, rooted in the heart and expressed through loving kindness. We begin by reflecting quietly on what compassion means, and on how we meet the inevitable presence of suffering in our own lives and in the world. As we settle into posture and breath, attention rests gently in the heart, allowing compassion to arise without force or strain. With each breath, kindness is breathed out toward those who are in need, and we learn to remain present to suffering without being overwhelmed by it. Compassion is then allowed to widen, extending beyond ourselves to all living beings, held in peace and care. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you cultivate warmth, steadiness and an open, compassionate presence.   00:00 – Introduction 00:15 – The compassion practice 00:30 – What compassion means 00:45 – Meeting suffering with care 01:15 – The bell 01:28 – Settling into posture 02:35 – Encountering the breath 06:20 – Breathing compassion outward 06:41 – Being with suffering in peace 06:55 – Extending compassion to all beings 07:22 – Breathing in peace, breathing out love 11:30 – Returning awareness gently 12:12 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min

  6. 5D AGO

    Returning to What Steadies Us

    In this meditation, I invite you to recover the full form of the practice, returning once more to the foundations that support everything else. We begin by finding the form of the body, allowing posture to be upright yet relaxed, as if gently held from above. Attention then rests with the ebb and flow of the breath, like a quiet tide moving in and out. As the body softens, the face relaxes, and thoughts are noticed as they arise, without effort or judgement. Again and again, we remember that we can return to the breath at any moment, a place of peace that is always available. From here, awareness widens and gently returns to the room, carrying the calm of the practice into the rest of the day. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you re-establish steadiness, ease and quiet presence.  00:00 – Introduction 00:05 – Opening the practice 00:48 – The bell 01:45 – Finding the form 02:35 – The image of the string 04:42 – The tide of the breath 06:15 – Relaxing the body and face 07:45 – Noticing thoughts as they arise 11:15 – Returning to the breath as a place of peace 11:45 – Awareness returning to the room 12:25 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min

  7. 6D AGO

    The Gift of the Present Moment

    In this meditation, I reflect on the wisdom of Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar whose teaching brings us again and again into the present moment. We begin by entering as fully as we can into now, recognising the breath as pneuma, the living breath that sustains us. As attention rests with breathing, we discover a place of peace and equanimity that does not depend on circumstances. Padre Pio reminds us that the present moment is the only place where we have agency and choice. The past cannot be changed, only received with wisdom. The future has not yet arrived, and so we learn to entrust it gently to love. What remains is this moment, quietly available. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you rest in presence, trust and steady awareness.   00:00 – Introduction 00:10 – Padre Pio, the Capuchin friar 01:05 – The bell 02:35 – Entering fully into the present moment 02:56 – The breath as pneuma 03:41 – Being with the breath 04:35 – Peace and equanimity 07:15 – The present as the place of choice 07:43 – Receiving wisdom from the past 10:01 – Trusting the future 12:25 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min

  8. FEB 12

    Listening to the Subtle Breath

    In this meditation, I invite you to be gently present to the subtle sensations of the breath, allowing attention to rest with its quiet movement. We begin by settling into care and calmness, noticing where the breath is felt most naturally. As awareness deepens, we familiarise ourselves with the breath’s movement through the body, tracking its path without effort or control. Attention is drawn to the precise moment where the breath enters and leaves the body, and to the warmth of the out-breath as a simple marker of presence. The breath becomes a living companion, always available, always sufficient. This daily guided meditation offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you attune to subtle awareness and rest in steady, embodied presence. 00:00 – Introduction 01:05 – The bell 03:20 – Care and calmness 03:45 – Where the breath is felt 04:15 – Familiarising with the breath’s movement 07:30 – Tracking the breath through the body 08:04 – The moment the breath enters and leaves 11:00 – Following the warmth of the out-breath 13:00 – Closing bell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min
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About

The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard is a short daily podcast offering stillness, clarity and spiritual grounding - a moment of calm in a busy, noisy world. Hosted by Brother Richard, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and meditation teacher, each episode draws on the Christian monastic contemplative tradition, one of the oldest continuous meditative practice in the world. With warmth, simplicity and deep humanity, Brother Richard offers reflections and guided meditations shaped for modern life. These meditations are open to people of all faiths, and to those with none. No belief is required - only a few quiet minutes and a willingness to pause, breathe and be present, whether taking a pause during the day or winding down before sleep. Brother Richard belongs to the Capuchin community in Dublin, Ireland, where a life of prayer and meditation has been practiced every day for over 400 years. This podcast carries that living tradition forward, translating ancient wisdom into a form that speaks to contemporary experience. To find out more about the Capuchins’ work visit: https://capuchindaycentre.ie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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