
Ted Meissner
I started contemplative practice in the early 1990's in Zen, giving my first talk in 1998, shifted to Theravada training and retreats, and eventually becoming a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Senior Teacher (Level 3). I adhere to the Ethics and Standards of the International Mindfulness Integrity Network (IMI Network), and the Good Practice Guidelines of the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA).
You can see a sampling of my background in the sections below, and you're welcome to ask any questions using the Contact page.
Thanks for visiting!
Credentials
- Certified MBSR Teacher -- UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness
- Mindfulness Supervisor -- Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches
- Peer Reviewer -- Mindfulness (ORCiD 0009-0005-8593-552X)
Organizational Affiliations
- Board of Trustees, The Mindfulness Network, 2024 to present
- EDI Committee, The Mindfulness Network, 2024 to present
- Moderator, Mindfulness World Community, 2024 to present
- Host, International Supervisors' SiTT Group, 2023 to present
- Founder and Executive Director, Mindfulness Practice Center, 2020 to 2022
- Senior Teacher, Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches, 2019 to present
- Founder and Executive Director, Secular Buddhist Association, 2012 to 2025
Continuing Education
- Safeguarding Training Live, The Mindfulness Network, January 2025
- Safeguarding Training, The Mindfulness Network, November 2024
- Leveraging Mindfulness to Foster Inclusivity in the Workplace, BAMBA, July 16, 2024
- Supervisor Training Level 2 – The Mindfulness Network, June 2024
- Supervisor Training Level 1 – The Mindfulness Network, December 2023
- Disrupting White Mindfulness: Race and Racism in the Wellbeing Industry – September 2023, The Mindfulness Network
- Strategies and Ethics in Trauma Treatment, August 2023, Refresh Mental Health
- Trauma-Informed Communications & Conduits for Safety, June / July 2023, Refresh Mental Health
- Polyvagal Theory: Neural Exercises for Safety and Connection with Dr. Porges, June 2023, Wisdom School
- Mindful Communications in the Classroom workshop, November 2022
- Equanimity Based Compassionate Action course, October 2022
- The Neuroscience of Mindfulness-Based Meditation: The Science of Compassion and Well-Being, UCSD, December 2021
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching and Learning Companion (MBI:TLC), October 2021
- MBSR Advanced Teacher Training Intensive (ATTI), April 2021, UCSD
- CITI Program: Human Research, Social and Behavioral, January 2021
- Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, March 2020
- Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, October through November 2019
- Remembrance – November 2017, Center for Mindfulness
- Deepening – October 2017, Center for Mindfulness
- Vedanā Symposium – July 2017, BCBS
- The Solar Buddha: Early Dharma for Secular Times -- November 2015, Stephen Batchelor, BCBS
- Dependent Origination – BCBS – November 2015, John Peacock
- Early Dharma for Secular Times – BCBS – November 2015, Stephen Batchelor
- Meeting the World: Exploring Ethics, Values and Responsibility of Bringing Mindfulness into Society – April 2015
- Practice as Science and Science as Practice – April 2015, Judson Brewer, Jon Kabat-Zinn
- A Labor of Love: 2-Day Best Practices Intensive for MBSR Teachers – Center for Mindfulness -- October, 2014
- Finding the Space to Lead – Institute for Mindful Leadership – February / March 2014
8-Week Courses
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, October – November 2024, Mindfulness Voyage
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Apr – May, 2024
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Jan – Mar, 2024
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Apr – May, 2024
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Jan – Mar, 2024
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Sep -- Nov 2023
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Jul – Aug, 2023
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Apr – Jun, 2023
- Teacher: Burnout Prevention & Remediation, Jan – Mar, 2023
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Sep -- Nov 2023
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Jul – Aug, 2023
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Apr – Jun, 2023
- Teacher: Mindfulness Foundations, Jan – Mar, 2023
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, September through November 2021, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, May through June 2021, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, February through March 2021, Harvard research study
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, October through November 2020, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, June through July 2020, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, February through April 2020, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, April through June 2018, Center for Mindfulness
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, Second Quarter 2018, Present Moment
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, First Quarter 2018, Present Moment
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, January through February 2018, Center for Mindfulness
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, May – June 2017, Center for Mindfulness
- Teacher: MBSR Online Live, January – March 2017, Center for Mindfulness
Other Courses
- Presenter: Mindful Mentoring: Skills for Insightful Guidance. International Mentoring Center, January 2025.
- Panelist: At the Crossroads of Secular and Socially Engaged Buddhism – Four Week Course, NY Insight Meditation Center, Module 1, October 2023.
- Panelist: Corporate Mindfulness – September 2023, American Mindfulness Association.
- Teacher: Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Overview, May 2023, Optum.
- Teacher: Responding Together: Choosing Our Direction, 2023, Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.
- Teacher, Introduction to Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches, March 2022 & November 2022.
- Teacher, Becoming Mindful, October through December 2021, Optum
- Teacher: Becoming Mindful, August through September 2021, Optum
- Teacher: Expert Workshop: Teaching Mindfulness Live Online: Challenges and Opportunities, April 2021, Mindful Leader
- Teacher: Sanvello Mindfulness Journey for Coaches and Clinicians, January through February 2021
- Teacher: Working With Resiliency, August through September 2020, MomentHealth (3 series)
- Teacher: Teaching Mindfulness Online Live Masterclass for Mindfulness Teachers, May 2020, Oxford Mindfulness Centre
- Teacher: Teaching Mindfulness Online Live Masterclass for Mindfulness Teachers, April 2020, Oxford Mindfulness Centre
- Teacher: Teaching Mindfulness Online Live Masterclass for Mindfulness Teachers, March 2020, Oxford Mindfulness Centre
- Teacher: Mindfulness Meditation program for youth, Skepticamp – July 2015
- Teacher: Mindfulness Drop-In – First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis – weekly in-person learning / practice group, March 2015 to May 2015
- Presenter: Mindfulness: Being Present in Your Work and Life – National Marrow Donor Program / Be The Match -- November 2014
- Teacher: Weekend Retreat – MomentHealth, October 2014
- Teacher: Mindfulness Meditation program for youth, Skepticamp – July 2014
- Teacher: Mindfulness Be Here NowTM Deepening Session, October – November 2013
- Teacher: Mindfulness activities, SAGES of Clinical Service event, Mindfulness Be Here NowTM: Living and Working Mindfully -- October 2013
- Teacher: Mindfulness Meditation program for youth, Skepticamp – July 2013
- My first talk in a traditional setting was at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (MZMC) in 1998, though I’ve not kept track of either Zen or Theravada talks I’ve given over the years.
My Podcasts
- Mindfulness Voyage -- 2024 to present
- Present Moment: Mindfulness Practice and Science -- July 2013 to April 2023
- The Secular Buddhist -- May 2009 to May 2022
Articles, Presentations, Guest Spots
- PTSD And Beyond Podcast, December 2024 -- https://ptsdandbeyond.podbean.com/e/episode-500-burnout-and-mindfulness-with-ted-meissner/
- Choose Your Perspective Podcast, July 2024 -- https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pUPuyu6mlx58QqcRjuYmL
- I Was a Teenage Fundamentalist Podcast, May 2024 -- https://pod.link/1558606464/episode/e37920e42b1f682a7850d8fc1aa6b2abhttps://pod.link/1558606464
- Techquanimity Podcast – September 2023 -- https://techquanimitypodcast.com/ted-meissner/
- Let’s Be Omnist podcast, February 2020
- Western MA Secular Humanists – Mindfulness in Daily Life – June 2019
- Transformative Media, March 2018 – American Dharma and Secular Buddhism -- https://youtu.be/YfuWOcRGgfM
- Mindful Kids Summit speaker, The Gift of Mindful Listening, February 2019
- Atheist Talk Radio, January 2019 -- http://atheisttalk.libsyn.com/ep-485-secular-buddhism
- Action for Happiness podcast, August 2018 -- https://actionforhappiness.org/present-moment-mindfulness
- Mindful Eating Summit, May 2018 – featured speaker
- Worcester Humanists, April 2018 – Mindfulness in Everyday Life
- Quoted: This Walking Meditation Will Help Clear Your Mental Clutter. December 22, 2017, Prevention -- https://www.prevention.com/mind-body/walking-meditation
- Author: How to Get Good Pause. November 30, 2017, Mindful Online
- Co-Author: Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Scientific Research on Mindfulness and Meditation. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691617709589. Perspectives on Psychological Science, October 2017.
- Author: Video Conferencing for Mindfulness Programs: Benefits, Experiences, and Recommendations, June 2017 – International Journal of Whole Person Care, http://ijwpc.mcgill.ca/article/view/126, Vol. 4, #2
- Mindful Lives podcast, February 2017 – https://www.thenakedmonk.com/2013/08/18/3-ted-meissner/
- The Whole Leader podcast, March 2017
- Freedom Becomes You, February 2017
- Harvard Humanist Hub, Sunday Speaker Series: Mindfulness and Secular Humanism, January 2017 -- https://www.facebook.com/harvardhumanist/videos/1400914686605469/
- Book – Exploring Spiritual Naturalism, Year 3: An Anthology of Articles from the Spiritual Naturalist Society – Foreword
- Boston Skeptics in the Pub, July 2016 -- https://vimeo.com/178807308
- The Mindful Humanist, May 2016 -- https://archive.org/details/JayForrest/JayForrest0140.mp3
- Spiritual Naturalist Podcast, March 2016
- A Trans Atheist Podcast, February 2016
- Workshed Podcast, November 2015 – http://www.workshedpod.com/podcast/episode-10-ian-teds-excellent-podcast-with-ted-meissner
- Book – Life’s Meandering Path: A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living -- Introduction
- Book – Exploring Spiritual Naturalism, Year 1: An Anthology of Articles from the Spiritual Naturalist Society – chapter “Naturalistic Buddhism”
- Buddhist Geeks -- 2013
- Books and Ideas -- http://www.virginiacampbellmd.com/blog/2012/12/14/ted-meisner-secular-buddhism-podcast.html
- Elephant Journal -- http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/05/why-i-am-a-secular-buddhist-ted-meissner/
Retreats
- Deepening Inquiry Practice and Community in the Greater Mindfulness Universe. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Omega Institute, May 26 – June 2, 2024
- Drinking Deeply from the Well of Mindfulness Together: an online retreat for mindfulness-based supervisors, October 2021
- Insight Dialogue – April 2018, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Mind-Body Medicine: A 7-Day Professional Training Retreat – Center for Mindfulness (Omega) -- May / June 2013, Saki Santorelli, Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Year-End Retreat, Bhavana Society -- 2008 (five day)
- Sublime Attitudes retreat, Bhavana Society -- 2007 (nine day)
- Mindfulness retreat, Bhavana Society -- 2006 (nine day)
- Thanksgiving retreat, Bhavana Society -- 2005 (five day)