Courses

Have you tried to meditate but haven’t found a practice that works for you? Meditation is widely recommended for its ability to sharpen attention, ease stress, and support mental clarity. Yet figuring it out and fitting it in can feel harder than it sounds. Taught by the head of stress management for Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, this course approaches meditation as a skill and habit for daily life. Combining insights from neuroscience with guided practice and reflection, the course explores different approaches to meditation while helping participants develop a practice suited to their own lives and temperaments. Sessions combine brief lectures with guided meditation, reflective writing, and conversation. Readings draw from scientific research, contemplative traditions, poetry, music, and creative work. Participants will develop greater awareness of their own patterns of attention and stress while building a personalized meditation practice that feels grounded and sustainable.