Shinzen Young

Shinzen Young, whose foundational mindfulness system inspired the establishment of the Unified Mindfulness organization, is a mindfulness teacher and neuroscience research consultant, who trained extensively in Asia, before becoming a prominent mindfulness teacher in the west.

He consults widely on mindfulness-related research. He has collaborated on studies using his Unified Mindfulness  system at Harvard Medical School, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Vermont, the Army Research Lab and others. His current project is the establishment of a neuroscience lab called SEMA (Sonication Enhanced Mindful Awareness) at the University of Arizona with research partner, Jay Sanguinetti.

Shinzen leads meditation retreats throughout North America and has been developing his model of mindfulness practice and theory over the past 50 years. In his book The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works (Sounds True, 2016), Young details his methods for increasing mindfulness skills in everyday life. His scholarly paper “What is Mindfulness” is published by Springer, a leading global scientific publisher. Effective application of his model optimizes practitioners’ ability to cope with emotional triggers, relational conflicts, physical pain, and other adversities, as well as improving an individual’s overall health and wellness.