I first came to meditation as a college student more than a decade ago, looking for a way to cope with chronic pain from repeated orthopedic surgeries, as well as a way to move through my emotional challenges with more grace. I am passionate about bringing the gift of meditation to others because of the profound positive impact it’s had on my own life.
I was resident at the Cambridge Zen Center in Cambridge, MA for over three years, where I led the Millennial Zen practice group for young people and also taught meditation at the Women’s Correctional Institution in Framingham, MA.
When I’m not meditating, I work as a research coordinator at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), working on Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies investigating MDMA-Assisted Therapy as a treatment for PTSD. I am fascinated by the interplay between the psychedelic experience and meditation practices, as they both can be vehicles for powerful insight and healing.
I love working with all kinds of people, from novice meditators to experienced practitioners looking to deepen their practice. I am especially passionate about working with clients struggling through emotional difficulties, learning to cope with chronic pain, or working to heal from trauma. I help my clients weave meditation practices into their daily lives using the tremendous toolkit of techniques that UM provides. I strive to teach from a place of vulnerability, using my own lived experience as a teaching tool and source of connection with clients. I aim to bring a sense of humor and playfulness to my work, along with an intention to not take ourselves so seriously, which can allow us to cultivate a lighthearted curiosity about our practice.
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.