Yoga and meditation are evolving from personal pursuits to institutional aids as employers, schools, prisons, and the NHS seek to tap into their physical and mental health benefits. How can the widespread adoption of these practices help enhance the wellbeing of society as a whole?
Jennifer Meer is the founder of Mind House, a movement that hosts pop-up guided meditation classes that are accessible and inspiring. Having discovered yoga and meditation in 2001, she has attended hundreds of classes and earned her RYT-200 yoga teacher certification in 2017. Now, she creates and teaches meditation by mindfully fusing together ancient and modern practices that bring about a greater sense of calm, joy and present awareness.
Heather Mason is the founder of The Minded Institute and the Yoga in Health Care Alliance. She holds master’s degrees in Buddhist Studies, Psychotherapy, and Medical Physiology. She has been teaching yoga since 2001 and has specialised in the use of yoga therapy for mental health issues since 2007. She has taught at the Boston University School of Medicine and various other academic institutions, and is actively focused on the integration of yoga into the UK’s NHS.
Colleen Wachob is the co-founder and chief brand officer at Mindbodygreen. She graduated from Stanford University with degrees in international relations and Spanish, and spent ten years working at Fortune 500 companies including Gap, Walmart, and Amazon.
Lara Piras is a copywriter, researcher, and brand strategist. Lara's expertise lies in creative copywriting, editing, trend and insight analysis and strategy, working with renowned global forecasting companies and brands including Nike, ASOS, adidas, IKEA and Peroni. Lara also writes features on wellness, diversity and inclusion, youth culture and future innovations for titles such as Vogue, Refinery29, and Included Magazine.