Lily Smith
Blue Mounds, WI, USA
Certified UM Trainer/Teacher
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.