RECORDINGS

• Kabat-Zinn, Jon: Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 1

• Kabat-Zinn, Jon: Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2

• Kabat-Zinn, Jon: Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 3

• Kabat-Zinn, Jon: Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life

(These recordings are available on Audible (linked above), as downloads through Jon Kabat-Zinn’s website, or by subscription to his JKZ Meditations App.)

• University of California San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness runs an 8-week MBSR course and many of those materials are on their website. 

• University of California Los Angeles’s Mindful Awareness Research Center has a podcast and offers online meditations in English and Spanish.

• The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion offers its basic meditation materials online in MP3 and PDF formats.

• Mindful magazine publishes a list of free online meditations, some of which are listed above.

APPS

• Calm: includes many meditation recordings by a variety of teachers; subscription required ($69.99/yr)

• Curable: not a meditation app per se, but an app for dealing with chronic illness, including pain and discomfort. It includes some mindfulness exercises. Subscription required ($4.99/mo). HSA/FSA eligible. 

• Enso: a simple meditation timer that allows you to set bells at specific intervals and track your practice over time; free

• Headspace: includes many meditation recordings by a variety of teachers; subscription required ($69.99/yr)

• Jon Kabat-Zinn Meditations: Contains 22 meditations. You can set daily reminders and messages throughout the day. The app complements JKZ’s books and is the digital form consolidating his three series of guided meditations in CD form (Series 1, 2, and 3). Subscription required ($19.99/yr or $1.99/mo)

• Mindfulness App: includes many meditation recordings by a variety of teachers; subscription required ($59.99/yr)

RECOMMENDED MEDITATION TEACHERS

You can also find wonderful resources on the websites of these meditation teachers (listed alphabetically by last name). I have also listed the type of meditation for which they are best known, although there is much overlap in the various categories. Many hold a variety of titles, including psychologist, psychiatrist, medical researcher, and Buddhist teacher.

• Vidyamala Burch (creator of Mindfulness-Based Pain Management)

• Tara Brach (Insight “Vipassana” Meditation)

• Pema Chödrön (Tibetan Buddhist meditation)

• Gil Fronsdal (Insight “Vipassana” Meditation)

• Christopher Germer (Mindful Self-Compassion)

• Thich Nhat Hanh (Zen Meditation / Vietnamese)

• Jon Kabat-Zinn (creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)

• Jack Kornfield (Insight “Vipassana” Meditation)

• Kristen Neff (Mindful Self-Compassion)

• Nikki Mirghafori (Insight “Vipassana” Meditation)

• Sharon Salzberg (Insight “Vipassana” Meditation)

• Daniel Siegel (founder of Mindsight Institute)

• John Teasdale (a founder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: MBCT)

• David Treleaven (Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness)

• Mark Williams (a founder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: MBCT)

WHEN MEDITATION CAUSES DISTRESS

It is possible to experience adverse effects from mindfulness meditation. These may be more common in people with mental health struggles or those who have experienced trauma. Adverse effects may include increased anxiety, hyperarousal, intrusive thoughts, or emotional disconnection. Willoughby Britton, professor at Brown University, is an expert in adverse effects of meditation. She is the founder of Cheetah House, which offers help for meditators in distress. Psychologist David Treleaven has written a book called Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing. He also offers training on his website. 

Please be aware that some meditation instructors who are not trauma-informed may encourage students to push through adverse effects. This advice can cause further harm. If you encounter an instructor like this, you may want to refer them to the work of Britton or Treleaven. 

MINDFULNESS COURSES, RETREAT CENTERS, and DROP-IN MEDITATIONS

• AudioDharma: A free online course, Introduction to Meditation, by Gil Fronsdal

• Mindfulness Center at Brown University: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction courses and teacher training (offered in person and online); they hold free community mindfulness sessions

• UCSD’s ​​Center for Mindfulness: many Mindfulness Based Interventions offered in person only, but they do hold free drop-in mindfulness practice sessions; website is full of wonderful resources, including a section of mindful poetry

• UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center: classes, workshops, a free app, a library of mindfulness meditation recordings, and free virtual drop-in meditations

• Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (San Diego, CA): courses and workshops in Mindful Self-Compassion, a form a mindfulness that can be especially helpful for perfectionists 

• Insight Meditation Community of Washington (DC): retreats, live events, classes (many available online)

• Insight Meditation Society (Barre, MA): retreats, live events, online courses

• Spirit Rock Meditation Center (Woodacre, CA): retreats, live events, online courses

• Plum Village: founded by Thich Nhat Hanh; retreat centers in USA, Germany, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and France; website has a feature to help you find lay communities that practice in the Plum Village tradition

MINDFUL MOVEMENT PRACTICES

Yoga

• Sarah Whitten has extensive experience using yoga as a tool to help people with voice problems. She holds an M.A. in Vocal Pedagogy and an M.M. in Vocal Performance (both from Ohio State University) and has completed additional coursework in voice disorders at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professionals. She is a 500-hour Certified Yoga Teacher and a Certified Yoga Therapist. She spent 13 years as a member of the voice faculty at Harvard University. Sarah does private coachings and workshops and has a library of videos available to subscribers. 

• YogaVoice® is led by its Founding Partners Mark Moliterno. He use time-honored yoga practices, yoga therapy techniques, and a wellness-based voice training method, to help participants remove the obstacles that might be impeding their authentic voice. Mark Moliterno is a professional opera singer, voice teacher, yoga teacher/educator, IAYT-certified Yoga Therapist, workshop leader, and author. He holds B.M. and M.M. degrees in Voice and Opera from Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

• Kristin Roney is a professional singer, voice teacher, and certified yoga teacher, and trained YogaVoice® instructor. Kristin has focused her career research on the use of yoga and meditation, in working with performance anxiety. She holds degrees from Arizona State University (M.M. Opera Performance) and Willamette University (B.M. Voice Performance).

• VocalYoga by Heather Lyle 

• Melanie-Joy H. Dorn: VocalYoga at Blue Harmony Yoga

• Yoga with Adrienne: Unlike the resources listed above, this is not a voice-specific resource. However, it is a wonderful YouTube channel full of free yoga videos. 

Alexander Technique

• American Society for the Alexander Technique (USA)

• Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (UK)

• Alexander Technique International (worldwide)

• Alexander Technique Worldwide (worldwide)

Feldenkrais Method

• Feldenkrais Guild of North America

Tai Chi, Qigong, and Kung Fu

• Martial Arts Center for Health: The center offers tai chi, qigong, kung fu, and meditation in Orlando and online.

Various

• Walt Fritz: A physical therapist, Fritz teaches manual (massage) techniques to speech-language pathologists, voice professionals, massage therapists, physical therapists, and other clinicians through his Foundations in Manual Therapy Seminars. He maintains a physical therapy practice in Lima, NY. His website includes a list of professionals who are certified in his techniques. 

• Christine Schneider: The Visceral Voice

• Suzan Postel is a certified Pilates Instructor whose Somatic Bodywork for Singers is a fusion of somatic methods including Pilates, Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis, The Franklin Method, Yoga, Thompson Bodywork, and Mindfulness Meditation. She brings a holistic approach to the Vocal Body instrument, focusing on optimized breathing, releasing muscular tension, addressing postural imbalances, developing core support, and facilitating freedom in vocal production.  

ONLINE COURSE

• Elissa Weinzimmer: She holds an MFA in Theatre Voice Pedagogy from the University of Alberta and was the recipient of the Clyde Vinson Award for Excellence from the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. Elissa has a wonderful YouTube channel, including an excellent video on laryngeal self-massage.