Free Guides
The Askesis Field Guides
Three concise, beautifully designed PDF guides — each one a standalone introduction to a core Stoic idea or practice. Free to download.
ASKESIS
The Stoic Morning Practice
10 pages · Free PDF
A Daily Ritual for Clarity, Discipline, and Purpose
A practical 8-page guide to building a Stoic morning routine — from the first waking moment to the start of the working day. Includes the five-minute morning meditation, the daily intention exercise, and the pre-mortem technique used by Marcus Aurelius.
ASKESIS
The Dichotomy of Control
10 pages · Free PDF
A Field Guide to the Most Important Idea in Stoicism
A 10-page deep dive into Epictetus's foundational distinction between what is 'up to us' and what is not. Includes a practical framework for applying the dichotomy to work, relationships, and adversity — with exercises drawn directly from the Enchiridion.
ASKESIS
Reading Marcus Aurelius for the First Time
9 pages · Free PDF
How to Approach the Meditations — and What to Take From Them
A 9-page reader's guide to the Meditations: the historical context, the structure of the text, the key themes, and the passages that matter most. Designed for readers who want to go beyond the highlights and engage with the full work.
What these guides are
Each guide is 8–12 pages. Written to the same standard as the Askesis courses — no filler, no padding, no generic self-help. Each one takes a single idea or practice and develops it with the rigour it deserves.
Sourced from primary texts
Every claim traces back to Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, or Musonius Rufus.
Immediately practical
Each guide includes exercises, templates, and a 30-day challenge you can begin today.
Designed to Askesis standard
Typeset in the Askesis house style. Worth keeping.