Behind the Scenes of Happiness

In this recording, Christoph leads a brief, traditional Mindful Breathing meditation. A useful practice for becoming aware of the busy mind and returning your attention to the present moment with kindness using the breath.

Please, do not listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need your full attention on something else.

This is a short yet comprehensive seated body scan practice, based on the traditional practice from MBSR and MBCT programmes. The pace is purposefully swift, to help you cultivate a sense of groundedness, full-body awareness and presence when you need it most.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need your full attention on something else.

Join Christoph as he leads a traditional Mindful Walking meditation. Suitable for indoor and outdoor practice. Good for grounding yourself and cultivating a sense of presence. Inspired by the Mindful Walking meditation from the MBCT programme (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) created by Segal, Z. V., Williams, M., & Teasdale, J. Photo by Emma Simpson.

If you are feeling a little isolated and not so good about yourself, this secular mindfulness meditation can help you feel more connected again to yourself and to Life. Let Christoph guide you through the much-loved Three-step Breathing Space practice and cultivate your heart-space as you move through this meditation. No background music was added for extra focus. Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need your full attention on something else.

This is a Mindfulness meditation to help you cultivate calm and confidence in times of transition. Secular, paced, and following the popular three-stage breathing practice, this recording can help you feel more centered and optimistic. Recorded live during a “Calm with Christoph” meditation event. No background music added. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need your full attention on something else.

A calming Mindfulness meditation to help you ease stress. Secular, paced, and following the popular three-stage breathing practice, this recording can help you feel more grounded and balanced again. Recorded live during a "Calm with Christoph" meditation event. No background music added.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need your full attention on something else.

Join Christoph for a mini silent retreat; a mindfulness meditation with a minimalist approach, careful guidance and lots of space. Twenty minutes to hold space for yourself, reground and recharge. A welcome self-care treat in a hectic world. No background music added.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

This relaxing meditation was recorded live during a Calm with Christoph mindfulness event. It is a calming interpretation of the traditional body scan. A helpful practice for cultivating non-judgmental curiosity toward the body and sustaining kind attention. No background music was added to help with staying focused.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Join Christoph for a deeply relaxing mindfulness meditation. This recording is a blissful practice for meditators with some experience and contains longer stretches of silence. You are invited to unwind and yet bring a sense of wakefulness to your meditation practice. A helpful session for developing resilience and groundedness. Recorded live during a "Calm with Christoph" online meditation event. No music to allow for extra focus.  

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

A new year is, ultimately, nothing but a sequence of moments. So what if you could learn how to be with moments differently - the easy ones and the challenging ones? Mindfulness meditation can be your helpful practice. A secular skill you can learn and cultivate to bring back balance in your life, one moment at a time... This introductory mindfulness meditation was recorded during a live Calm with Christoph online event and contains an inspirational intro message and guided meditation. Suitable for beginners and more advanced practitioners. 

A spacious and sincere mindfulness meditation to help you unwind after a busy day. Includes breath and body focus as well as a loving-kindness practice. Recorded live during a Calm with Christoph mindfulness meditation event. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

These are extraordinary times and I have recorded this Mindfulness meditation to help you feel more grounded, hopeful, and positive. Not in a corny way, but by cultivating a meditation practice that allows you to both relax and restore, using helpful mindfulness tools. Recorded live during a Calm with Christoph group meditation, this is a safe and gentle combination of guidance and lots of silent space to practice. No music to help with focusing on the now moment.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

This is a pure mindfulness meditation with lots of space to help you rest your mind in the present moment. With careful guidance, Christoph invites you to gently return your awareness to the now using anchors such as the body and the breath. This meditation is loosely based on one of the foundational attitudes of Mindfulness: Letting Go. Not by pushing things away or by ignoring them, but by bringing kind attention to whatever is distracting us.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Recorded live during a "Calm with Christoph" mindfulness event on a Sunday night, in this practice, I share the importance of a Beginner's Mind and Non-Striving to help you settle into our meditation time together. We then explore the value of bringing kind attention to whatever wants to be acknowledged so we can still ourselves even further. This is a beautifully relaxing and yet empowering meditation to process the week gone by and welcome the week ahead.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

A beautiful and relaxing meditation, based on the 3-Step Breathing Space from the MBCT programme. With lots of space for practice, this calming meditation integrates Choiceless Awareness, Mindful Breathing and a Body Scan. No music added. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

This recording is my adaptation of the beautiful and effective Lake Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Contrary to popular belief, this meditation is not (just) about visualising your way to calm. In the same way a basin holds a lake no matter what the surface of that lake looks like -choppy or calm- we can learn how to hold space for ourselves, our feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Recorded live during a Calm with Christoph meditation seminar (Sundays 7:30pm UK, see Eventbrite). No music added.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Join Christoph for a relaxing and grounding mindfulness meditation. No fluff, simply an effective journey into the present moment to help you access a feeling of calm. Taken from a live "Calm with Christoph" online meditation session.  

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

An effective mindfulness practice recorded live during a ‘Calm with Christoph’ online meditation event. Learn how to hold space for yourself, stop ruminating and experience the calm that can be found in the now moment. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

In this “mediteaching,” Christoph invites you to relax and learn how to deepen your mindfulness practice to bring back balance. It is a helpful meditation for these challenging times. You are invited to gently explore which parts of yourself you may have been giving away -knowingly or unknowingly- lately and call those parts back to you with kindness and self-compassion. (No added music to help with focus and appreciation of the moment.)

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

A beautiful, simple and effective mindfulness meditation to help you relax and create a gentle breathing space between you and your thoughts. Ideal for focused relaxation and mindfulness practice. Taken from a live "Calm with Christoph" meditation event.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

This meditation starts with a relaxing body scan and then expands into a beautiful practice to help you keep your own cup full: Holding space for yourself. The idea is to help us become as good a friend for ourselves as we are to others. Christoph gently invites you to reflect on three questions and encourages you to observe what comes up for you without judgement, thus cultivating compassion, kindness and patience to enhance your own wellbeing.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Allow your mind and body to relax without feeling guilty for taking some much-deserved time out. With beautiful background music and Christoph’s reassuring voice, this new guided meditation will help you unwind, refill your own cup, and experience a whole new level of stillness. Ends with a loving-kindness practice. 17 minutes of pure bliss!

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

We live in challenging times. Treat yourself to a moment of equanimity with this new recording that includes mindfulness meditation essentials such as awareness of breath, cultivating space between stimulus and response, choiceless awareness and even a brief body scan. Let Christoph help you fall awake to the present moment so you can restore a feeling of ease in these uneasy times.

No added music to help with focus and appreciation of the moment.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

This is an informative meditation to help you feel both relaxed and inspired to be more in control, more empowered, and more ready to invite the positive into your life. Part meditation, part “mediteaching,” Christoph helps you to relax and -in very accessible language- briefly explains why your busy mind can make you feel anxious and how mindfulness meditation can help you feel more grounded and balanced again. No added music to help with focus and appreciation of the moment. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

A beautifully calming meditation for extra stability in these challenging times. Christoph invites you to relax deeply into the present moment by bringing your awareness to each of your main chakras. The more we can align our chakras with mindfulness meditation, the easier it is to recenter and rebalance. This practice is a beautiful variation on the usual body scan. No added music to help with focus and appreciation of the moment. Taken from a live Calm with Christoph meditation session.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Fall awake to your uniqueness with this deeply calming yet empowering guided meditation. Christoph first helps you to relax fully, then invites you to experience yourself judgement free, reclaim the parts of you that you have given away, call back your joy, and restore trust in yourself. No added music to help with focus and appreciation of the moment. Taken from a live Calm with Christoph meditation session.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Taken from a live online "Calm with Christoph" meditation event, this tonglen meditation is a special breathing meditation treat. Tonglen is a Tibetan concept made up of two words: tong (which means letting go, giving) and len (which means accepting, receiving). I recorded this meditation practice in response to the many requests from people for help with managing stress related to the current state of the world. Tonglen is about taking ownership and then transforming discomfort, in a very empowering way. It's a great practice for expressing compassion to ourselves and the world. 

Just like my other mindfulness meditations, this recording has no background music. The purpose of this practice is not to “escape” to some imaginary world, but to learn how to bring your awareness back to the present moment.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

There's a famous quote (often attributed to Viktor Frankl, although the source is unknown) that goes as follows, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." In this mindfulness meditation we explore finding and cultivating that space for better wellbeing. This recording is from a live online "Calm with Christoph" meditation session. 

Just like my other mindfulness meditations, this recording has no background music. The purpose of this practice is not to “escape” to some imaginary world, but to learn how to bring your awareness back to the present moment and respond rather than react in life. 

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

The Loving Kindness Meditation is one of the core mindfulness practices in the MBSR programme, created by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, who brought mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) into the mainstream of medicine and society.

This meditation calls our attention specifically to encouraging the growth of compassion, both for ourselves, others and the world at large.

It is especially helpful to those who may have a harsh inner critic or low self-esteem.

We are setting an intention to nurture the quality of loving kindness that already exists within us, while being with whatever is present in the senses, thought, or emotions, without judgement.

Another helpful meditation on your Mindfulness journey.

A few notes:

It can be helpful to choose a pet or person whom you admire for being kind or loving in general should you have considerable difficulty in bringing to mind a person who has loved or supported you.

It’s advisable to choose “the person with whom you have difficulty,” before the meditation and to ensure the difficulty is minor, as other issues might require therapy before engaging in the healing process.

Although this meditation is very beneficial therapeutically and for people in general, it’s not recommended to listen to this recording if you are in a state of acute depression.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable with closing your eyes, you can lower your gaze or alternatively pick a spot on the wall, on which to maintain your focused attention. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the meditation it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

Just like my other Mindfulness Meditations, this recording has no background music. The purpose of this practice is not to “escape” to some imaginary world, but to learn how to bring your awareness back to the present moment.

The repeating set of phrases in this recording are some of many possible phrases that can be used. If any part of the approach or of the four central phrases do not suit you, feel free to make any changes that make it more friendly or appealing to you.

The Body Scan meditation is another great way to practice “taking the needle off the autopilot mind.”

Contrary to popular belief, this meditation is not (just) about scanning for ailments/sensations in our body. Like the Mindfulness of Breath meditation, it’s about shifting from Doing/Thinking mode to Being mode. In the same way we used our breath to help us anchor the present moment, the Body Scan uses the body as a roadmap to constantly guide our mind back to the now.

Neuroscience tells us that helpful new neural pathways in our brain are formed every time we notice our attention drifts away and then gently (and non-judgementally!) bring it back to the body part (or breath) we are exploring.

Research suggests that this mindfulness practice has many mental and physical benefits, including reducing stress, increasing focus, decreasing aches and pains (by changing our relationship with them), and improving sleep.

Just like my recording of “Mindfulness of Breath” meditation, the Body Scan meditation has no background music. The purpose of this practice is not to “escape” to some imaginary world, but to learn how to bring your awareness back to the present moment, and your body is the vehicle. Continued practice will help to slow down the incessant stream of thoughts and create some breathing space between you and those thoughts. 

Another helpful meditation on your Mindfulness journey.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else. If you feel uncomfortable with closing your eyes for the body scan, you can lower your gaze or alternatively pick a spot on the wall, on which to maintain your focused attention. If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the body scan it is advisable to stop the practice and consider trying again another time.

To me, the Mindfulness of Breath meditation is the cornerstone of all meditation. Although short and simple, keeping your awareness on the breath is not always easy and requires practice. It’s about constantly bringing your mind back to the present moment via the breath, which takes the needle off the ‘autopilot mind’, so to speak. This helps with cultivating calm and relief from overthinking. Start your Mindfulness journey with this short meditation and enhance the quality of your life and wellbeing.

Please, DO NOT listen to any of this recording whilst driving or operating machinery, or when you need full attention on something else.

When he failed his medical exam for the British Army, Sam Moinet’s world fell apart. The upset, shame and confusion were almost too much to bare for him. However, Sam found a way to turn his failure into fuel. He discovered the power of coaching and vouched to help other youngsters overcome their struggles and anxieties. Student Breakthrough was born. Today, Sam is an accomplished Speaker and Life Coach for students, and he joins me for a raw chat about his journey, his mission and why we should never suppress but always EXPRESS what’s on the inside!

Our self-worth is a key to abundance on many different levels… And yet, for many people it seems to be such a fragile thing.

Or is it?

I believe that, on a spiritual level, our self-worth is not fragile. Why not take a moment to relax with this new, short meditation that can help you restore your self-worth and lift your mental wellbeing. 

Disclaimer: Do not listen to this recording whilst driving or operating machinery. This meditation is created with the intention to provide helpful spiritual guidance only. It does not constitute professional psychological help. If you are in danger or require specialist help, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The information contained within the recording is not a substitute for professional advice such as that given by a medical doctor, psychiatrist, or counsellor. Under no circumstances can you hold Christoph Spiessens liable for any actions that you take as a result of listening to any content in this recording. 

What happens when two coaches have an unexpected day off? They record an impromptu podcast about midlife mastery! Check out my conversation with friend and colleague Simon Thomas. A raw, empowering chat about the challenges of midlife and the many opportunities it brings - if only we choose to notice them! Simon facilitates transformational character development workshops using the unique Heartstyles philosophy to help organisations and individuals to do their best work and live their best life. You can connect with him via LinkedIn.

After watching her Glasgow TEDx talk, “Unbroken - Speaking the Unspeakable,” I knew I had to reach out to Madeleine Black and invite her on my podcast. We both share a history of sexual abuse and, on our own terms, have found effective ways to heal and transcend our pasts. Ever since the overnight success of Madeleine’s article on forgiveness, which was published on The Forgiveness Project website in 2014, she has been sharing her remarkable story with audiences everywhere. Her debut memoir, “Unbroken: One Woman’s Journey to Rebuild a Life Shattered by Violence,” empowers people to speak up about traumatic events that stop them from living life to the full. In this episode, I chat with story-healer Madeleine about why she chose to forgive the two men who gang-raped her when she was just 13 years old and how going public with her message shattered all shame - for good. 

In this celebratory 20th edition of my podcast, I talk with Seb Wichmann who is a Learning & Development Expert, Master NLP Practitioner and accredited Business Coach. In 2014 Seb won the “SuperCoach” Award but his journey has not always been straightforward! We have a chat about his burnout when he was just 25 and how a car crash in Australia triggered a pivotal awakening experience and became the inspiration for his book, “Instant Silence.” Seb also shares why creating room for freeflow, even within tight corporate coaching structures, always improves performance, and why understanding “How Hot You Are” is his key technique for restoring balance and calm for his consulting clients!

I first met Lee Ali, Founder of award-winning marketing agency ExpoStars, when he invited me to deliver a talk on Mindfulness in Business at one of his popular Masterclasses. In this candid episode, Lee talks about how he grew ExpoStars from a bedroom start-up into a thriving business that helps exhibitors to proactively engage more attendees and achieve measurable success at trade shows. This journey was not without a great deal of learning opportunities for Lee and his team. We discuss the benefits of steady progress vs overnight success, the importance of empowering self-talk during times of adversity, how spirituality became the solid foundation on which Lee rebuilt his life after his father’s passing, and the pivotal role of mindfulness at exhibitions. Enjoy!  

“Our wounds are probably not our fault, but our healing is definitely our responsibility.” With this pivotal statement Ben Bidwell, aka “The Naked Professor,” and I kick off a powerful episode on emotional freedom. Our conversation is particularly helpful to fellow motivators such as coaches, therapists and public speakers. We discuss why awareness is always the first stage of change, living safe vs living feeling alive, dropping our masks and living in tune with our emotions, why inner peace is the new success, and why you don’t need to present the perfect life in order to help others. Join us for a relaxed yet empowering chat and discover the benefits of living in emotional freedom!

I chat with coach Kevin Young about “the middle way” for fellow wellbeing professionals. By choosing the middle way, you can have a happier, more joyful and more multi-dimensional life. In this spiritually-rich episode we discuss striking a balance between compassion for others and oneself, selfcare vs laziness, the power of our senses to relax and restore our energy levels, being vs doing, and adding our own measure of love to help make this world a better place.

In this deep and content rich episode, I talk with Dr. Meenaa Mahaajjan, acclaimed spiritual counsellor and speaker, and founder of Siddhi, a not-for-profit organisation “Powered by Humanity.” She is the recipient of many awards, including the Confluence Award of Excellence in Spirituality and Social Service from the British Parliament, the Rotary International Excellence Award, and the Make in India Award for Spirituality in the Corporate World. In this podcast, we discuss many topics, such as: Imposter syndrome, jealousy, forgiveness, the link between quantum physics, spirituality and being Human, what the communion of trillions of cells in our body can teach us about our physical and emotional health, as well as how practical spirituality improves productivity, team collaboration and success in the workplace. Grab a notepad, sit back and enjoy! 

Life Purpose -and the confusion around it- is a frequently recurring topic during coaching sessions and workshops. Do we have to find this holy grail to call our lives successful? Or is there more to it? Is there more to life? Here’s a short but powerful message about purpose: The difference between the purpose of life and your life purpose. (5 minutes)

A 10-minute spiritual meditation to bring back inspiration, energy and clarity.

Daniel Bruce Levin: Visionary, mentor, speaker, and author of the paradigm-challenging new book, "The Mosaic." Daniel walked away from an opportunity to run a business that was a household name in America to find happiness and inner peace. His life has been a combination of massive victories and incredible defeats. One day away from being ordained a Rabbi in Jerusalem, Israel, he left and went to live for 10 years as a monk in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Daniel practiced and taught meditation and yoga for over a decade. He has run a restaurant, owned and ran a clothing company, a branding company, and a coaching business. He became the Director of Business Development at world-leading personal development publishing company Hay House and helped grow it from $3,000,000 to $100,000,000. He had thought he lived life purposefully, but it wasn’t until he wrote The Mosaic that his purpose found him. In this podcast, I talk with Daniel about The Mosaic and how we can benefit from it in life and business. Enjoy!