The idea
How Ataraxia works
Ataraxia is a thinking tool built on the Stoic philosophers — Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and others. It isn't therapy or meditation. When your mind is disturbed, it meets you with a passage chosen for exactly that state, and gives you a quiet moment to sit with it.
Name how your mind is
Open the app and choose what you're feeling — or tell it, in your own words.
Receive a passage
A short line meets your state, with an extended passage and context beneath it.
Sit with it
Take a slow, timed moment to let the words settle — the heart of the practice.
Keep what speaks to you
Save the passage, and write a reflection if something comes. Return to it any time.
Where you begin
The emotions
The home screen asks a single question: how is your mind right now? You choose from states such as Anxiety, Anger, Sadness, Fear, Grief, Overthinking, Confusion, Envy, the desire for control, or a lack of motivation.
Each passage in the library was chosen for a specific therapeutic purpose within an emotion — to anchor you in the present, to reveal the cost of anger, to validate grief, and so on. If none of the named states fit, choose name what troubles you and describe it in your own words; Ataraxia will find a passage to meet it.
Your own thread
Saving & reflecting
Any passage that speaks to you can be saved with the bookmark. After sitting with a passage you can note how the feeling has shifted and, if you wish, write a short reflection. These become your Marginalia — your private collection of the passages you've kept and what you thought beside them.
Your reflections are yours alone. They live on your device and are never shown to anyone or used to train anything. You can revisit, edit, or remove them whenever you like.
The collection
The Library
The Library holds your saved Marginalia, the philosophers behind the passages, and the works they're drawn from. You can always search your own saved passages. Browsing the full catalogue of philosophers and sources is part of the Inner Citadel.
A careful voice
Listening to passages
Many passages can be read aloud in a calm, considered voice — tap the play control on a passage. You can choose the voice in Settings. The short quote is free to hear; the full extended passage reading is part of the Inner Citadel.
A quiet rhythm
Reminders
If you choose, Ataraxia can bring you a passage each morning and a quiet question each evening. It asks at most once a day, and tapping a reminder opens the passage it carried. You can change the times, or silence reminders entirely, in Settings → Notifications — nothing is sent unless you opt in.
Free, and a little more
The Inner Citadel
The heart of Ataraxia is free, always: naming your state, receiving and sitting with passages, your own Marginalia and reflections. The Inner Citadel is an optional subscription for those who want to go deeper.
Always free
The Porch
- The daily passage & quote delivery
- Sit-with and reflection
- Your own Marginalia & Journal
- Search of your own saved passages
- Hearing the short quote aloud
- The home-screen widgets
Inner Citadel
The subscription
- Unlimited audio, including full passages
- Emotion History & Patterns over time
- The full Library — philosophers & sources
- Export your Marginalia & reflections
- The complete set of widgets
A free trial is available, and you can choose a monthly or annual plan. Current pricing, trial length, and any monthly limits are always shown in the app before you subscribe. See the FAQ below for how to manage, restore, or cancel a subscription.
Yours alone
Privacy & your data
Ataraxia is built to be private. Your saved passages and reflections stay on your device. The app doesn't require an account, and it never sells your data. Where anonymous usage statistics help improve the app, they're gathered only with your permission — you can turn this on or off in Settings, and it's off unless you choose otherwise. Your reflections and the words you write are never included.
Please read
If you're in crisis
Ataraxia offers reflection and perspective — it is not a medical service, therapy, or a substitute for professional care. If you are in distress or thinking about harming yourself, please reach out to a qualified professional or a local crisis line right away. In many countries you can dial your national emergency number; the app's Crisis Resources screen (in Settings) lists ways to find immediate help.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I need an account to use Ataraxia?
No. Ataraxia works without an account or sign-in. Your passages and reflections are stored on your device.
How do I change or turn off reminders?
Open Settings → Notifications. There you can set the time of the morning passage and the evening reflection, or switch reminders off entirely. Ataraxia sends at most one notification a day.
What's free, and what needs the Inner Citadel?
The full core experience — naming your state, receiving and sitting with passages, and keeping your own Marginalia and reflections — is free forever. The Inner Citadel adds unlimited audio (including full passages), Patterns and Emotion History, the complete Library of philosophers and sources, export, and the full set of widgets. See the Inner Citadel above.
How do I start a free trial?
Open the Inner Citadel screen in the app (from Settings, or when you reach a Citadel feature). The trial offer, plans, and pricing are shown there before any charge.
How do I cancel or manage my subscription?
Subscriptions are handled by the App Store or Google Play, not by Ataraxia directly.
iPhone / iPad: open Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions → Ataraxia → Cancel.
Android: open Google Play → your profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Ataraxia → Cancel.
Cancelling before the trial ends means you won't be charged.
I subscribed on another device — how do I restore it?
On the new device, open the Inner Citadel screen and choose Restore purchases. As long as you're signed in to the same App Store or Google account, your subscription will be recognised.
Are my reflections private?
Yes. What you write stays on your device, is never shown to anyone, and is never used to train anything. Anonymous usage statistics, if you allow them, never include the words you write.
Can I get my reflections out of the app?
Inner Citadel members can export their saved Marginalia and reflections — a quiet record of the passages you've kept and the thoughts beside them.
Is Ataraxia a substitute for therapy?
No. It's a tool for reflection drawn from Stoic philosophy, not a medical or mental-health service. If you're struggling, please see the note above and reach out to a professional.
How do I get in touch?
Write to us at [email protected]. We read everything, though we may not be able to reply to every message.