To Himself: A Study Companion to the Meditations

To Himself is a Meditations study guide that takes you through the twelve books of Marcus Aurelius, one week at a time.

He wrote it for no one but himself. The Meditations were the private notebooks of a Roman emperor, written to steady his own mind. To Himself helps you read them the way they were written: slowly, honestly and with your own life in view.

Who it is for

First time readers of the Meditations who want a guide, and returning readers who want to go deeper. It works with any translation, including the free public domain edition by George Long.

What is inside

• An overview of every book: what each of the twelve books is about, in plain words.
• Three guided questions per book: turn his thoughts toward your own life.
• Passages: record what stopped you, by section number.
• Your own meditations: one lesson to carry into the week, in your own words.

How to use it

Read one book of the Meditations each week. Read the overview first, then the book itself, then answer the three questions. Twelve weeks, one of the greatest books ever written, truly understood.

Why it works

Marcus wrote to remind himself how to live. Answering his questions in your own hand turns a famous book into a personal practice.

What you receive

• One PDF of 30 pages covering all twelve books.
• US Letter pages that also print well on A4.

Good to know

• Instant download after checkout. No shipping, no waiting.
• Works in GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf, Xodo or any PDF app, and prints beautifully on US Letter or A4.
• If a file will not open, contact us with your order number and we will send a corrected one.
• For personal use. Please do not share or resell the files.

Twelve weeks with the wisest emperor in history. Download To Himself and begin with Book One.

Why this Meditations study guide works

To Himself is part of a small collection of Stoic journals made to be used every day, not admired on a shelf. Every page draws on the same public domain wisdom you can read in the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, free on Project Gutenberg. Explore more Stoic journals, or read our guide on how to journal like Marcus Aurelius.