Welcome!
The McLean Meditation Institute is an educational organization dedicated to helping people find peace, health, and clarity with meditation and mindfulness. It offers online meditation training as well as teacher training for meditators. MMI also is t
Sedona Meditation Teacher Retreat
A Gathering of Practice & Presence March 6–9, 2026Sedonya Conscious Living Center | Sedona, Arizona There are moments on the path when we are invited to pause—not to begin again, but to celebrate and be inspired. That’s what I hope we c
Moment by Moment: The Practice of Mindfulness
What are you doing right now? I imagine you are sitting down somewhere, reading this. But what else are you doing? Eating? Listening to music? Hanging out with your family? Planning the rest of your day? Spacing out? Are you only somewhat “he
The Secret of Contentment
I first heard songstress k.d. lang sing Constant Craving in the early days of my meditation journey. She sings about the craving that so many of us are born into and are used to living with. The lyrics to the song go like this: “Even through
The Practice of Silent Meditation
Silent sitting meditation is still the main practice in Buddhism which was founded 25 centuries ago by Gautama Buddha. Buddha practiced and taught meditation as a universal remedy for suffering. Though Buddhism was born in India, its teachings trav
Community Practice with Sarah McLean
Sarah McLean offers free guided meditations and discussions online during the Solstices and Equinoxes. Find out the details and get the invitations in your inbox, here. You also might be interested in a meditation membership program, Awaken Wednesday
A Holy Moment
I want to take this opportunity to remind you that where you sit (or stand) is holy ground. And this moment, right now, is a holy moment. Imagine never forgetting it! Imagine awakening to this truth! That’s what a regular practice of meditation can
How to Soothe Your Mind Before Meditation
Here is some advice to settle down before you meditate: Choose a good time to meditate. The best times are early in the morning just after you wake up, and then again at happy hour, right between work and dinner. Ideally, you meditate at least one-ho
Keys to Living a Sweet Life
Here are some practices essential to adopt for your everyday self-care for a beautiful and sweet New Year …… Sit in silence and meditate for at least 30 minutes each day. (All at once, or two periods of 15 minutes each.) This purifies your nervou
Offer it Up!
When we meditate, it may seem like we are sitting alone in a room and practicing only for ourselves. However, this can change when we meditate with an awakened heart and mind (called bodhicitta in Sanskrit) and then dedicate the merits of our practic
Meditation – the Path to Peacemaking
“Creating peace on earth is not usually the reason most people learn to meditate. Yet, solutions to the world’s strife are on the mind of every person I meet.” Dr. Deepak Chopra said that there are 35 wars going on right now. He could b
Cultivating Joy
Have you ever spent even five minutes remembering events and experiences that made you feel joyful? I urge you to try it. Close your eyes and invite your most joyous memories to pop into your awareness. They may flood in and as they do, they can inst
Joy & Sorrow
A student recently asked, “I am truly concerned about all the pain and suffering humans and animals are experiencing due to war, floods, and hurricanes. For some reason, and I don’t know why, but I feel joy anyway. Is there something wrong with m
Affirm Your Beauty
Some students ask me if affirmations for self-love work. I say, try them! If nothing else, they can help you to become more aware of how you feel about yourself. Let’s work with one now and notice what happens when you say to yourself, “I lov
Present Moment, Wonderful Moment
“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” That was what Ralph Waldo Emerson practiced. Sounds good, living in the now. But how can we keep our focus on the here and now when it’s the mind’s habit to wande
