Blog
Discovery
The Future of Mindfulness: Open MBSR and Community-Centered Wellness
Session Summary
According to the WHO, more than a billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions. What if community holds the answer? In this powerful session at the 2025 Mindful Leader Summit, Mo Edjlali, founder of Mindful Leader and author of Open MBSR, explored the transformative potential of community-centered approaches amidst the fast-paced evolution of technology and society. As we enter what he calls a "new age," where autonomous vehicles, ChatGPT, and unprecedented …
Fall Research Roundup
By The Mindful Leader Team
Can mindfulness training truly ease the epidemic of loneliness among older adults? Does caring for others enhance our own well-being as much as self-compassion does? Could an AI voice guide meditation as effectively as a human teacher? This month’s studies invite us to explore how awareness, compassion, and technology intertwine to shape the future of mental health and human flourishing.
Mindfulness Training (MBSR) Proves Effective Against Loneliness Crisis in Older …
Hidden Influences: Harnessing the Science of Social Dynamics
Session Summary
A thought-provoking session at the 2024 Mindful Leader Summit led by Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., explored the hidden forces that shape human behavior and well-being. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and lived experience, Dr. Goldstein discussed how invisible “sparks” of energy—within us and between us—impact emotional health, connection, and the ability to sustain positive change.
Key Highlights
- Invisible Influences (“Sparks”): We are constantly shaped by unseen energies …
Building a Mindful Organization: The Blueprint
Session Summary
A powerful session at the 2022 Mindful Leader Summit led by Marvin Riley and Dr. Susan Sweeney, discuss their roles as CEO and Chief Human Resources Officer at EnPro, a multibillion dollar publicly traded manufacturing company. The conversation focused on how leaders can transform themselves, their teams, and their institutions to create workplaces that nurture both people and performance.
Key Highlights
- Leadership sets the ceiling for transformation: Organizations cannot …
Workplace Pulse: Fall 2025
By The Mindful Leader Team
Quick Summary
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Engagement crisis: Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, with managers hit hardest. Closing this gap could unlock $9.6 trillion in global GDP (Gallup, Apr 2025).
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Change and AI pressures: 89% of U.S. workers experienced organizational change last year, while rapid AI adoption boosted productivity for some but fueled job insecurity for many (APA, Jul 2025).
- Benefits gap: 36% of employees cannot access mental health benefits due to cos…
Dimensions of Well-Being and Workplace Dynamics
Session Summary
A powerful session at the 2024 Mindful Leader Summit led by Marc Brackett PhD, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, explored the complex nature of employee well-being. The talk highlighted research findings, live survey data, and practical implications for leaders seeking to create healthier and more resilient organizations. Key principles highlighted included understanding the multidimensional nature of well-being, interpreting employee emotions and …
Summer Workplace Mindfulness Research Roundup
AI-generated Audio Overview
By The Mindful Leader Team
What if mindfulness doesn't just help us cope with work stress, but actually changes how we perceive our jobs entirely? Can a smartphone app delivering just five minutes of daily meditation create lasting workplace transformation? Why are bite-sized mindfulness sessions proving more effective than traditional lengthy programs? And does workplace mindfulness function as a stress buffer, a resource builder, or both?
This month's research …
Wackfulness to Wisdom: Forging a Bold Future for Mindfulness
Session Summary
A powerful session at the 2024 Mindful Leader Summit, Mindful Leader founder and CEO and Open MBSR author, Mo Edjlali, explored the future of secular mindfulness. The talk tackled systemic issues within mainstream mindfulness training, particularly MBSR, and presented a new vision rooted in transparency, empowerment, and collaboration. Key principles highlighted include Buddhist disentanglement, dialectical balance, and community-led innovation.
Key Highlights
- Buddhist Dis…
Critics vs Pioneers: Capitalism, Religion, Ethics, and the Future of Mindfulness
Session Summary
A powerful session at the 2019 Mindfulness at Work Summit, led by Candy Gunther Brown, PhD, Rich Fernandez, PhD, David Forbes, PhD, and Barnaby Spring, and moderated by Mo Edjlali, explored the evolving role of mindfulness in modern society. It discussed how mindfulness intersects with capitalism, religion, education, and civic engagement. Key principles highlighted include transparency, equity, and the potential for mindfulness to either reinforce or challenge dominant systems.…
2025 Meditation Practice Report
AI-generated Audio Overview
By The Mindful Leader Team
The 2025 Meditation Practice Report reveals key trends and preferences from 212 meditation practitioners surveyed in Q1 2025. Our findings help mindfulness professionals design more effective programs that align with actual practice patterns.
Key Findings:
- Most practitioners (56.6%) meditate daily, with 10-20 minutes being the most common session length (41.7%)
- Morning practice dominates (57.8%), suggesting optimal timing for group …








