The Meditation Initiative

September 2015 Newsletter - Train the Trainer Workshop Update

Train the Trainer Workshop - Update as of 9/12/15

Thank you for your interest in attending the Free Train the Trainer Workshop on Sunday September 20, 2015. We will start at 9am and end at 3pm. Please arrive a few minutes early so we can begin on time. The location will be at Albert Einstein Academy in South Park. Address is 3035 Ash St, San Diego, CA 92102.

Coffee, water and snacks will be provided in the morning. We will have a 45-minute break for lunch and you can either bring a lunch or walk to a few options very close to the school.

If you are not local and joining us via webcast, please reply to let us know...We will have connection details for you ASAP...

Please reply once again to confirm you will be attending and answer the following questions:

1 - Full Name
2 - Organization, if any
3 - Are you bringing guests? (All are welcome, but we need to know for seating purposes)
4 - Do you have a place you plan to facilitate meditation? (If not, that is ok)

If there is someone you know who may be interested in the training, you may forward this to them as well. I thank you for wanting to make a positive difference in your community!

Training is provided free of charge, but donations are always appreciated.

We also need someone to film and stream the training. If anyone is able to do this, please reply.

Do you live outside of San Diego? Interested in bringing a Train the Trainer workshop to your city? Please contact us for more details.

Click here for more details on the training!

The Meditation Initiative Needs Your Support!

Each year The Meditation Initiative helps thousands of people free of charge. We are asking for your support so we can continue to be of service to the community. A donation of any amount is deeply appreciated. One time donations are excellent, but we also hope you will consider donating any amount on a recurring monthly basis.

If you have made a donation in the past we are truly grateful. We hope you will once again consider making a tax deductible donation to support our effort. Once you click Donate Now below, then check the box "Make This Recurring (Monthly)".

We promise to continue to make you a proud supporter of The Meditation Initiative! Click below to donate now and make a donation via PayPal. Thank you!

Changing Lives One Breath at a Time

In 2014 The Meditation Initiative led meditation for free with 9,100 people! That was our best year ever with regards to how many people we reached. The first six months of 2015 were busy as well, as we have been focused on internal structure in addition to our ongoing Meditation Outreach Program.

Thanks to the leadership of Gail Eason and with support from the Board of Directors, we have written a new mission statement and new vision statement. These are always a work in progress as we continue to define how we best serve the community. Special thanks as well to volunteer MacPherson Worobec for helping us get to this stage.

New Mission Statement
We empower people to change their lives, by providing free meditation to anyone anywhere.

New Vision Statement
Teaching people how to deal with, stress, anger, anxiety, sadness and depression through the practice of daily meditation. Creating a world where people slow down and pay attention to their breath.

New Marketing Piece
Thanks to the awesome volunteer marketing team of Melissa Kushnaryov, Paula Zamudio and Angela Aguilar we created a beautiful "Leave Behind" to share with people after providing meditation. The hope is to keep people engaged and practicing meditation on a daily basis.

Meditation Outreach Program - A Few Highlights

Juvenile Court Schools
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led meditation for teens in the Juvenile Court & Community School, kids who have been in and out of the Juvenile Prison System. Please read this amazing feedback after meditation from one of boys:

"I realize meditation is a very cool thing to do at home then I think this helps people most have many problems. Before I meditated I felt very bored and also very anxious and I felt I running out of the class I felt very bored and lazy I even felt like dying in that moment an useless. After I meditated I feel very good I felt like I was so relaxed then I keep feel like I was flying and then I was started to feeling very cool and cold inside it was cool." G.W, Age 14

Prison Meditation Program

From Jeffrey Zlotnik - Each week becomes more difficult to describe my experience in prison. Yesterday I led a 2 hour Train the Trainer Workshop with 6 prison inmates. These inmates will begin to lead meditation 2-3 times a week moving forward. We then went to our usual meditation time and they decided to let me lead since I was already there. They did however sit with me up front, as they saved a chair in the middle for me. I entered the main quad area and they all began to clap as I walked in. Three guys to my left, three guys to my right. The seven of us sat and faced about forty other inmates as we meditated in silence. Once again, this was a scene that I wished had been filmed, like one from a movie. I'm so proud of these guys and know they will do an amazing job leading meditation. I know this practice will begin to transform their lives. Once released from prison, I believe they will have a new tool to help them become healthy and productive members of society.

Access Youth Academy
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led meditation for Access Youth Academy, an organization committed to transforming the lives of underserved youth. They use the sport of squash as a catalyst to transform young lives. They focus on Academic Achievement, Health & Wellness, Leadership and Social Responsibility. Students are hand selected to be in the program when they reach the 7th grade. They provide guidance for building essential life skills to becoming responsible and honorable adults during their 6 years with Access Youth Academy.

La Jolla Country Day School

Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik had the honor of leading meditation for free with the Executive Leadership Team at La Jolla Country Day School. La Jolla Country Day School is an independent college-preparatory school serving nearly 1,200 students from age 3 through Grade 12. We look forward to starting regular meditation classes in the fall with both staff and students.

Preuss School
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led a meditation workshop for a Health Fair at Preuss School in La Jolla. This event was planned by UCSD Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, as part of their Public Health Practicum Program. The Preuss School is a charter school serving students in grades 7-12 who come from low income families and who would be the first in their family to attend college. I was honored to be invited to participate in this special day for these kids.

San Diego County Health & Human Services
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led a free meditation workshop for 75 staff members with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, Aging & Independence Services. We always enjoy bringing meditation into a corporate setting, teaching people how to be calm and stress free while at work. One woman approached me after and said, “Thank you for letting me know I can do meditation anywhere and anytime. I always thought I had to pay for it. Now I know meditation is free.” Another woman said, “I learned meditation 45 years ago and have been using it on and off. I have never heard it explained so simply and clearly. Thank you for being here with us today.”

Wounded Warriors with PTSD
Feedback from a United States Military Veteran after a meditation workshop led by Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik - "I think the most important thing I heard from you was that meditation allows us to see that we can sit with all the pain and noise and not run to something. I was just having a moment of anxiety, and I remember what you said about how it is the mind. So I took 5 minutes and it helped. I have been flirting with meditation for some time but never really hung on; but I feel that your presentation finally got me to "get it" and I plan to take it one day at a time from here." C.S.

TMI Intern Cheyenne Kellis

Thanks to Cheyenne Kellis for being an awesome intern! Cheyenne is a Jr. at High Tech High School and provided us help with accounting, web design, marketing and video production! Thanks to Cheyenne's help, TMI was able to bring meditation once again to High Tech High International. Students have an ever increasing level of stress and demand put on them daily. Not to mention the challenge of dealing with social media and how this impacts mental and emotional health. Leading a group of high school students in meditation is so beautiful. Letting them experience 5 minutes of silence in the classroom has a huge impact on the rest of their day and hopefully their life. I love seeing teachers care so much for their students!

TMI in the NEWS

The Meditation Initiative Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik was interviewed on The CORE Hour LIVE on ESPN Radio. Jeffrey shares how meditation applies to every day life, even baseball. This 12 minute interview segment just went live, so click here to check out the interview!

The Meditation Initiative and Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik are honored to receive some national coverage from National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth. Click here to read the article 6 Ways to Work Meditation Into Your Busy Day

Click here to read the article "Court staffers use meditation to relax, refocus" in the San Diego Union Tribune Newspaper

Click here to read the article Meditation Helps Combat Veterans Turn the Page by Ben Grinberg. "I can only imagine the tremendous courage and training endured to prepare for war and to go into combat. Mental toughness displayed beyond our wildest imagination. Then in the blink of an eye, an IED explosion occurs and a life has changed forever."

An interview from Good is Greater with Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik: News and Inspiration from Around the World featuring The Meditation Initiative - Click here to read the article!

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MYLENE MERLO

A huge thank you to Mylene Merlo who for the past 2 years has been donating 10% of every real estate commission check she earns to support The Meditation Initiative. She is a great real estate agent, an incredible friend, wonderful wife and mother to her family. She believes that meditation brings change to our communities.Thank you Mylene for everything you do to make this world a better place! Learn more about Mylene here - http://www.mylenemerlo.com/

www.meditationinitiative.org

"The Meditation Initiative is changing lives one person at a time, one breath at a time. The service they provide the community is of tremendous value and should be experienced by everyone." - Scott H. Silverman, CNN Hero and Founder of Confidential Recovery.

July Newsletter - Next Train the Trainer Workshop September 20th at 9am

Changing Lives One Breath at a Time

In 2014 The Meditation Initiative led meditation for free with 9,100 people! That was our best year ever with regards to how many people we reached. The first six months of 2015 were busy as well, as we have been focused on internal structure in addition to our ongoing Meditation Outreach Program.

Thanks to the leadership of Gail Eason and with support from the Board of Directors, we have written a new mission statement and new vision statement. These are always a work in progress as we continue to define how we best serve the community. Special thanks as well to volunteer MacPherson Worobec for helping us get to this stage.

New Mission Statement
We empower people to change their lives, by providing free meditation to anyone anywhere.

New Vision Statement
Teaching people how to deal with, stress, anger, anxiety, sadness and depression through the practice of daily meditation. Creating a world where people slow down and pay attention to their breath.

New Marketing Piece
Thanks to the awesome volunteer marketing team of Melissa Kushnaryov, Paula Zamudio and Angela Aguilar we created a beautiful "Leave Behind" to share with people after providing meditation. The hope is to keep people engaged and practicing meditation on a daily basis.

Train the Trainer Workshop - Next Meditation Facilitator Training

The next Train the Trainer Workshop will be offered on Sunday September 20th from 9am-2pm. Please reply to this newsletter to RSVP and let us know if you are interested in attending. Details regarding location will be coming soon, but it will be in San Diego. Training is provided free of charge. Click here for more details on the training!

Do you live outside of San Diego? Interested in bringing a Train the Trainer workshop to your city? Please contact us for more details.

Meditation Outreach Program - A Few Highlights

Juvenile Court Schools
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led meditation for teens in the Juvenile Court & Community School, kids who have been in and out of the Juvenile Prison System. Please read this amazing feedback after meditation from one of boys:

"I realize meditation is a very cool thing to do at home then I think this helps people most have many problems. Before I meditated I felt very bored and also very anxious and I felt I running out of the class I felt very bored and lazy I even felt like dying in that moment an useless. After I meditated I feel very good I felt like I was so relaxed then I keep feel like I was flying and then I was started to feeling very cool and cold inside it was cool." G.W, Age 14

Prison Meditation Program

From Jeffrey Zlotnik - Each week becomes more difficult to describe my experience in prison. Yesterday I led a 2 hour Train the Trainer Workshop with 6 prison inmates. These inmates will begin to lead meditation 2-3 times a week moving forward. We then went to our usual meditation time and they decided to let me lead since I was already there. They did however sit with me up front, as they saved a chair in the middle for me. I entered the main quad area and they all began to clap as I walked in. Three guys to my left, three guys to my right. The seven of us sat and faced about forty other inmates as we meditated in silence. Once again, this was a scene that I wished had been filmed, like one from a movie. I'm so proud of these guys and know they will do an amazing job leading meditation. I know this practice will begin to transform their lives. Once released from prison, I believe they will have a new tool to help them become healthy and productive members of society.

Access Youth Academy
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led meditation for Access Youth Academy, an organization committed to transforming the lives of underserved youth. They use the sport of squash as a catalyst to transform young lives. They focus on Academic Achievement, Health & Wellness, Leadership and Social Responsibility. Students are hand selected to be in the program when they reach the 7th grade. They provide guidance for building essential life skills to becoming responsible and honorable adults during their 6 years with Access Youth Academy.

La Jolla Country Day School

Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik had the honor of leading meditation for free with the Executive Leadership Team at La Jolla Country Day School. La Jolla Country Day School is an independent college-preparatory school serving nearly 1,200 students from age 3 through Grade 12. We look forward to starting regular meditation classes in the fall with both staff and students.

Preuss School
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led a meditation workshop for a Health Fair at Preuss School in La Jolla. This event was planned by UCSD Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, as part of their Public Health Practicum Program. The Preuss School is a charter school serving students in grades 7-12 who come from low income families and who would be the first in their family to attend college. I was honored to be invited to participate in this special day for these kids.

San Diego County Health & Human Services
Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik led a free meditation workshop for 75 staff members with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, Aging & Independence Services. We always enjoy bringing meditation into a corporate setting, teaching people how to be calm and stress free while at work. One woman approached me after and said, “Thank you for letting me know I can do meditation anywhere and anytime. I always thought I had to pay for it. Now I know meditation is free.” Another woman said, “I learned meditation 45 years ago and have been using it on and off. I have never heard it explained so simply and clearly. Thank you for being here with us today.”

Wounded Warriors with PTSD
Feedback from a United States Military Veteran after a meditation workshop led by Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik - "I think the most important thing I heard from you was that meditation allows us to see that we can sit with all the pain and noise and not run to something. I was just having a moment of anxiety, and I remember what you said about how it is the mind. So I took 5 minutes and it helped. I have been flirting with meditation for some time but never really hung on; but I feel that your presentation finally got me to "get it" and I plan to take it one day at a time from here." C.S.

TMI Intern Cheyenne Kellis

Thanks to Cheyenne Kellis for being an awesome intern! Cheyenne is a Jr. at High Tech High School and provided us help with accounting, web design, marketing and video production! Thanks to Cheyenne's help, TMI was able to bring meditation once again to High Tech High International. Students have an ever increasing level of stress and demand put on them daily. Not to mention the challenge of dealing with social media and how this impacts mental and emotional health. Leading a group of high school students in meditation is so beautiful. Letting them experience 5 minutes of silence in the classroom has a huge impact on the rest of their day and hopefully their life. I love seeing teachers care so much for their students!

TMI in the NEWS

The Meditation Initiative Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik was interviewed on The CORE Hour LIVE on ESPN Radio. Jeffrey shares how meditation applies to every day life, even baseball. This 12 minute interview segment just went live, so click here to check out the interview!

The Meditation Initiative and Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik are honored to receive some national coverage from National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth. Click here to read the article 6 Ways to Work Meditation Into Your Busy Day

Click here to read the article "Court staffers use meditation to relax, refocus" in the San Diego Union Tribune Newspaper

Click here to read the article Meditation Helps Combat Veterans Turn the Page by Ben Grinberg. "I can only imagine the tremendous courage and training endured to prepare for war and to go into combat. Mental toughness displayed beyond our wildest imagination. Then in the blink of an eye, an IED explosion occurs and a life has changed forever."

An interview from Good is Greater with Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik: News and Inspiration from Around the World featuring The Meditation Initiative - Click here to read the article!

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MYLENE MERLO

A huge thank you to Mylene Merlo who for the past 2 years has been donating 10% of every real estate commission check she earns to support The Meditation Initiative. She is a great real estate agent, an incredible friend, wonderful wife and mother to her family. She believes that meditation brings change to our communities.Thank you Mylene for everything you do to make this world a better place! Learn more about Mylene here - http://www.mylenemerlo.com/

Please Donate and Support The Meditation Initiative

If you have made a donation in the past we are truly grateful. We hope you will once again consider making a tax deductible donation to support our effort. One time donations are excellent, but we also hope you will consider donating any amount on a recurring monthly basis. Once you click Donate Now below, then check the box "Make This Recurring (Monthly)".

We promise to continue to make you a proud supporter of The Meditation Initiative! Click below to donate now and make a donation via PayPal. Thank you!

"The Meditation Initiative is changing lives one person at a time, one breath at a time. The service they provide the community is of tremendous value and should be experienced by everyone." - Scott H. Silverman, CNN Hero and Founder of Confidential Recovery.

www.meditationinitiative.org

Feedback from a United States Military Veteran after a meditation workshop led b...

Feedback from a United States Military Veteran after a meditation workshop led by Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik - "I think the most important thing I heard from you was that meditation allows us to see that we can sit with all the pain and noise and not run to something. I was just having a moment of anxiety, and I remember what you said about how it is the mind. So I took 5 minutes... and it helped. I have been flirting with meditation for some time but never really hung on; but I feel that your presentation finally got me to "get it" and I plan to take it one day at a time from here." C.S.

On April 16th this year, Founder and CEO Jeffrey Zlotnik will turn 40 years old....

On April 16th this year, Founder and CEO Jeffrey Zlotnik will turn 40 years old. Since 2003, he has shared meditation for free with more that 25,000 people from schools to prisons to military and more. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Meditation Initiative for his Birthday Wish Fundraising Campaign. Click below as it takes just 2 minutes right now to donate online - https://www.causes.com/campaigns/90981-support-the-meditation-initiative-for-my-birthday-wish

Support The Meditation Initiative for my birthday wish!
www.causes.com
The Meditation Initiative leads thousands of people in meditation for free every year. Please support this mission! Join the campaign and make a difference.

The Meditation Initiative and Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik are honored to receive som...

The Meditation Initiative and Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik are honored to receive some national coverage from National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth - http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2015/03/6-ways-work-meditation-your-busy-day

6 Ways to Work Meditation Into Your Busy Day | National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth
ncfy.acf.hhs.gov
Get updates from the youth and family services field.

From Jeffrey Zlotnik, Founder of The Meditation Initiative - With tears in his e...

From Jeffrey Zlotnik, Founder of The Meditation Initiative - With tears in his eyes, he said to me, “Are you proud of me?” “Yes" I replied, "Very proud!” It was as if no one had ever told him they were proud of him. Truth is, for much of his adult life, there are probably not too many things to be proud of. But even as a small child, you could sense that someone telling him they were proud most likely never occurred. I have led meditation in prison for 12 years, but for the first time I sat in their seat while another inmate led the meditation. I watched a man who is accused of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and various other crimes lead 23 men in meditation. They asked him after how he felt leading meditation. Others shared they want to learn to lead so it will help their own meditation. They gave constructive criticism on his job at leading meditation. He followed The Meditation Initiative script and even added lines that I often say but are not in the script. To say I was proud is not even the beginning of how I felt. I sat in a crowded prison in silence with 24 men. This 21 year-old man held the space for meditation perfectly. He said he was a little nervous, but his own meditation practice helped calm his nerves. I truly felt like I was watching a child grow into a man. It was an experience I will never forget. I look forward to training 3 more men to lead meditation in the prison. The weekly class has been so well received that they will now add into the schedule 2 other meditation times, both will be peer led. If we can teach them to find peace inside of prison, they can learn to find peace outside of prison. If they find peace outside of prison, they will stop harming others, stop harming themselves and stop returning to prison. Thanks to Mylene Merlo, Linda Garrison Larsen, Laura Mallgren, Paul Sargent, Gail Braverman, and so many others for supporting this important work with The Meditation Initiative!

This sums up The Meditation Initiative...Please read when you can -http://goodis...

This sums up The Meditation Initiative...Please read when you can -http://goodisgreater.com/3/post/2015/03/interview-withjeffrey-zlotnik-founder-andceo-of-the-meditation-initiative.html?fb_action_ids=10203901509845248&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B868908289819244%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Interview with Jeffrey Zlotnik, Founder and CEO of The Meditation Initiative
goodisgreater.com
It's not often that you cross paths with someone whose energy and purpose shine so brilliantly that you come away feeling like your own life has changed. Jeffrey Zlotnik is that guy....not just for...

A few days ago on behalf of The Meditation Initiative, Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik h...

A few days ago on behalf of The Meditation Initiative, Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik had one inmate lead 23 other inmates in meditation at a local prison here in San Diego. Jeffrey was not present and received feedback today from the men and the correctional counselor. The counselor said he wished it had been on film, as he was absolutely amazed! The men all shared how impactful it was to be led by one of the guys on the inside. They commented on how respectful they were while this 21 year old man in prison led the meditation. These men are together in what is a very hostile and violent environment. Not on this day, as the 24 men sat peacefully together in silence, simply sitting and breathing. I can not begin to tell you how incredible and rare this experience was for these men. The meditation script was that of The Meditation Initiative, a perfect format for anyone wanting to lead meditation. These men will one day be back in society and we are doing our part to help them find a sense of peace and calm to carry with them on the outside. Thanks to Mylene Merlo and so many others for their support of this program! Please visit www.meditationinitiative.org to learn more and support these meditation outreach programs!

The Meditation Initiative
meditationinitiative.org
Home page of The Meditation Initiative. The Meditation Initiative provides free meditation sessions to help decrease stress, lower anxiety, reduce anger, and improve focus and concentration. We provide free community outreach to K-12 Public Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, Prisons, Diabetes Patients, H…

A beautiful example of why The Meditation Initiative works in the correctional f...

A beautiful example of why The Meditation Initiative works in the correctional facilities, both adult and youth - http://www.liftable.com/cbatorski/basketball-team-refuses-play-another-team-incredible-reason/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=tb

Basketball Team Refuses To Play Against Another Team For Most Incredible Reason
www.liftable.com
This is the most inspirational story you will hear all day...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/vets-ptsd-meditation_n_6714544.html?nci...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/vets-ptsd-meditation_n_6714544.html?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

Veterans Find Comfort In Meditation Therapy
www.huffingtonpost.com
It’s a cloudy, cold day in Washington, and it takes a group of vets, all from the Vietnam War era, a few minutes to unpack coats and mufflers and settle into comfortable arm chairs in a semi-circle. The hard lives they’ve led are etch...