I found my way to Unified Mindfulness after a decades-long struggle with anxiety, unease, and confusion. A chance encounter with Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind in a high school library first sparked my interest in meditation. The book shocked, baffled, and intrigued me—and in some ways it still does. I continued to read a lot, but like many, I struggled to actually practice meditation—and the suffering became worse than ever.
I’ve previously worked as an academic, ESL tutor, editor, chess teacher, musician, massage therapist, and now I find myself passionate about sharing mindfulness with others. In addition to Zen, over the last ten years, I’ve explored many other contemplative traditions such as Goenka Vipassana, Insight Meditation, Pragmatic Dharma, and qi gong, and spent some time at the “meta-modern” monastery MAPLE, in Vermont.
Ultimately, I find the path of mindfulness to be one of deep beauty, curiosity, uncertainty, messiness, wonder, humor, play, and meaning, encompassing the entire range of human experience—both the joyous and the challenging—allowing us, perhaps, to respond wisely and lovingly in every moment. Now certified as a Unified Mindfulness trainer, I’m excited to share this rich and profound system of practice, accessible to beginners: a beautiful, elegant, powerful, and proven way to deepen happiness over the long-term.
Julianna received her BA in psychology from Duke University. As founder, president, and head trainer of Unified Mindfulness, she is dedicated to disseminating Shinzen Young’s comprehensive mindfulness meditation system through the creation and presentation of educational programs and teacher-training certification programs.
Dr. Hunter serves as associate professor of practice and is the founding director of the Executive Mind Leadership Institute at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University. He also serves as visiting professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, where he developed and co-teaches the Leading Mindfully executive education program..
Dr. Eisendrath serves as chief psychologist and president of the Institute for Dialogue Therapy, P.C., where, as a Jungian analyst, she offers psychotherapy with individuals and couples, psychoanalysis, supervision, and training.
Dr. Vago serves as the research director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and the director of the Contemplative Neuroscience and Integrative Medicine (CNIM) Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Department of Psychiatry.
Stella is a psychologist, professor, and Zen practitioner. She became a formal student in 2008 in the Soto Zen tradition. She teaches courses in mindfulness based psychotherapies and the psychology of compassion at the Union Institute & University. She also co-facilitates a family program and young adult program at Shao Shan Temple, in Woodbury Vermont.
Dr. Creswell serves as a tenured associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also the director of the Health & Human Performance Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. McCormick currently serves as director of education at Unified Mindfulness. In 1975, he received a B.A. in psychology from the University of California Santa Cruz, where he was part of Dr. Elliot Aronson’s research team that examined cooperative approaches to reducing interracial conflict and academic performance problems in newly integrated school, and made Honors in Psychology, College Honors, and Thesis Honors.
UnifiedMindfulness.com is the official teacher training platform for Shinzen and the Unified Mindfulness System.
Created over 50 years of research and testing by Shinzen Young, Unified Mindfulness is a system of meditation that’s easily researchable by science, with clear terminology and rigorous precision around concepts and procedures.
The Unified Mindfulness system is a comprehensive, robust and refined support structure that any individual at any stage of meditation practice can rely on to go deeper in their insight and their ability to share it with others. It is also a secular form of meditation, which means it’s not religious in any way so anyone, of any faith, can do it.