Sarah McLean

Sarah McLean is a meditation and mindfulness teacher who has been inspiring people to meditate since 1993. She is the founder of the McLean Meditation Institute, established in 2006 to help anyone learn to meditate, and of its Meditation Teacher Academy, which trains meditation and mindfulness teachers. Hundreds of teachers trained there now share these practices in their communities.

Her own path began with a "real meditation" experience while she trained in the U.S. Army as a Behavioral Specialist, helping soldiers address post-traumatic stress. After the Army and an English degree from the University of Massachusetts, she cycled for nine months from Europe through the Middle East and into Asia, looking for lasting peace. In 1989, living with debilitating anxiety, she took up meditation at a friend's insistence, fell in love with it and committed to practicing every day. She became a resident at a Transcendental Meditation community in Lancaster, Massachusetts, where she studied Ayurveda and advanced meditation techniques she still practices. She later served as Education Program Director at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Her search also took her to an ashram in India and a traditional Zen Buddhist monastery, and she has worked alongside and led trainings for Deepak Chopra, Byron Katie and other wisdom teachers.

Sarah is the author of Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation and The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and its Unlimited Potential with Meditation, both published by Hay House. She leads retreats at the Chopra Center, Esalen Institute and other centers, and speaks to audiences ranging from healthcare professionals and educators to executives. She has also started a mindfulness-for-the-workplace consultancy. With kindness and humor, she teaches that a steady practice can bring self-compassion, clear communication and a more peaceful life.

Her focus now is on building compassionate communities of like-hearted people who meditate together, online and in person. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.