Talk
Why Meditate? ~ Shinzen Young
Shinzen Young lays out his case for why meditation practice is worth the effort.
About the teacher
Shinzen Young
Shinzen Young trained extensively in Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist meditation traditions before distilling his experience into Unified Mindfulness, a secular system that breaks meditation technique into discrete, teachable components rather than presenting it within a single lineage's framework. His approach has made him a frequent collaborator with neuroscience researchers studying meditation.
He teaches almost entirely online, through weekly programmes and monthly mini-retreats, alongside co-directing the SEMA Lab at the University of Arizona and an annual immersion programme in April 2026.
“"You can dramatically extend life—not by multiplying the number of your years, but by expanding the fullness of your moments." — Shinzen Young, The Science of Enlightenment”Shinzen Young
Upcoming events
Meet Shinzen Young in person.
Talks, day programmes and retreats currently listed in the Paths Are Many calendar.
Talks & videos
Watch before you attend.
Short introductions and longer conversations, to hear this teacher in their own words.
Talk
"Do Nothing" Meditation ~ Shinzen Young
Shinzen Young introduces 'Do Nothing' meditation, a foundational technique within Unified Mindfulness.
Listen
Recordings from Shinzen Young.
Talks, guided meditations and podcast conversations, playing from the platform this teacher publishes them on.
Shinzen YoungMindfulness
Y YouTube
Introduction to Unified Mindfulness with Shinzen Young
Shinzen Young introducing the Unified Mindfulness system, on YouTube.
Listen on YouTubePath
The wider context.
⬡
Secular attention training
Mindfulness
A secular, evidence-based approach to attention and awareness, developed from Buddhist meditation practice for clinical and everyday use.
Explore the path →