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MEET Sarah McLean

Sarah McLean is a contemporary meditation and mindfulness teacher who has been inspiring people to meditate since 1993.

Sarah studied mind/body health under internationally known wellness pioneer Dr. Deepak Chopra and went on to become the program director for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. She founded the McLean Meditation Institute and has taught thousands how to teach meditation across the globe in her many years of work as a meditation expert.

With kindness and humor, Sarah shares her secrets to creating a successful meditation practice and how it can lead to increased self-compassion, clear communication and a more peaceful life.

As a best-selling author, Sarah is known for her book Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation (Hay House), which presents a contemporary, mainstream view of meditation in an 8-week program that delivers time-tested techniques to cultivate an effective daily meditation practice. Sarah most recent book The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and Its Unlimited Potential with Meditation (Hay House) presents you with ways to direct your attention toward those aspects of yourself and your life that you most want to flourish, expand, and thrive. Sarah is also the author of Simple, Easy, Every Day Meditation Method, and the producer of dozens of meditation series and online programs for spiritual support, as well as training for teachers, organizations and individuals.

Sarah is the creator of the McLean Meditation Institute with hundreds of teachers in Europe, North America, New Zealand, Australia and China hosting meditation and mindfulness training programs, retreats, and workshops in all kinds of communities and businesses.

Her meditations on InsightTimer and YouTube have a combined following of 14.94K followers. Most of her offerings—from the Three Jewels Membership to her online classes and in-person retreats—are attended by early and seasoned meditators across the globe. Deepak Chopra refers to Sarah as a “entertaining, informative, and inspiring for even the most experienced meditator.” Grammy Award winning Singer, Songwriter, SongVersationalist India Arie calls her “powerful…a great way to gain support on your journey to awakening to love.”

Each year, Sarah McLean gives back to the meditation community with her work on Feast for the Soul, a 40-day worldwide spiritual practice intensive held each year from January 15 to February 23 since 2008. The intensive brings together a diverse community of meditators from around the globe to offer daily, free meditations that anyone can tune into by signing up at feastforthesoul.org.

Sarah currently resides in Santa Barbara, CA with her favorite gurus, her husband Martin Birrittella and her dog and cats. When she is not sharing meditation wisdom with the world, writing or teaching, Sarah can be found beekeeping in her lush garden and beachside meditating with the waves. You can find her on most places on social media @meditatewithsarah. #sarahmclean #soulcentered #powerofattention #meditatewithsarah

Sarah McLean OFFICIAL BIO

“I am dedicated to doing what I can to create more peace on this planet for every living being. I believe that when people learn how to meditate and practice every day, their awareness expands and they are able to cultivate their own personal peace. When each one of us is peaceful, it creates a more peaceful planet for everyone. That’s the kind of planet I want to live on.” – Sarah McLean

Sarah McLean is a contemporary meditation and mindfulness teacher who has been inspiring people to meditate since 1993.

Sarah first learned about meditation while training in the U.S. Army as a Behavioral Specialist to help soldiers address Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  After the Army and graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Sarah took a nine-month mountain bike journey from Europe to Asia seeking secrets to peace and fulfillment. When she returned, she began her daily meditation practice and studied mind/body health with Dr. Deepak Chopra in Lancaster, Massachusetts at the Ayurveda Health Center, a Transcendental Meditation community. After Deepak moved to California, Sarah became the Program Director for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

After eight years of being immersed in the world of Ayurveda, ancient wisdom, mind/body health, and meditation at the Chopra Center, Sarah took a sabbatical to seek the origins of meditation. She lived in a traditional ashram in South India for six months and was a resident at a remote Zen Buddhist monastery for two years.

Life after the monastery consisted of working with Gary Zukav in Mount Shasta, followed by becoming the director of Byron Katie’s School for the Work. In 2001, Sarah then moved to Sedona, Arizona where she opened a destination meditation center.

In 2011, Sarah founded the Meditation Teacher Academy at the McLean Meditation Institute in in Sedona, Arizona in order to train her students and others how to become effective meditation and mindfulness teachers. The 300-hour teacher training program incorporates a variety of meditation and mindfulness techniques and practices from a myriad of traditions and lineages. At the Meditation Teacher Academy, teachers learn to become clear communicators who bring meditation and mindfulness to any population or setting. Sarah is personally involved with each and every person who is enrolled and helps them uncover their unique skills and develop their personal power so they can go on to effectively teach their students to meditate and live more mindfully.

Sarah is also the director of MMI Mindful Training Co. a training company that has partners worldwide that bring mindfulness into organizations in order to help people cultivate more resilience, emotional intelligence, and productivity. Find out more here.

Sarah has been a popular facilitator at retreats for the Chopra Center, Esalen Institute, The Art of Living Retreat Center, and many other world-class destinations. She has been interviewed on national television, featured in a variety of award-winning movies including, Cancer, the Integrative Perspective, Enlightenment, Sacred Journey of the Heart, and Tapping the Source. Her work has been touted in a variety of media outlets including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times.

Her best-seller, Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation (Hay House), has inspired study groups worldwide. Her latest release, The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and its Unlimited Potential with Meditation  (Hay House) has received rave reviews. She teaches, writes, and lives in Santa Barbara, California.

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Meditations Quick Links to Sarah’s Most Popular Meditation Videos

Find Peace Now 35:35

“If the only prayer you ever said was ‘thank you’, it would be enough.” Sarah McLean, acclaimed meditation and mindfulness teacher and best selling Hay House Author of Soul-Centered, guides a meditation after a short discussion. Each video offers a different practice – perfect for beginners and seasoned meditators alike.

The 5 Elements 33:12

Sarah McLean, founder of the McLean Meditation Institute guides a meditation after a short discussion.

Mantra Meditation 29:08

Sarah McLean, founder of the McLean Meditation Institute guides a meditation after a short discussion.