About Gene Jirlds

The study of consciousness and the practice of insightful meditation is a lifetime commitment for me. I am drawn to meditation, not as a spiritual practice, but as a practical philosophy for living, especially the application of clear-minded observation known as 'mindfulness.'

I was introduced to meditation for the first time in 1967 through the practice known as "Transcendental Meditation". Later I began practicing Hatha and Raja Yoga, studying under Yogini "Hilary Lindsay". In 1987, I attended a series of workshops in "contemplative meditation" taught by Father William Meninger, a Trappist monk with St. Josephs Abbey in Massachusetts.

In 1991 I began practicing a form of meditation brought to the United States by Soto Zen master, Dr. D.T. Suzuki, and found, shortly after, that my passion for artistic expression, that I thought was lost, was rekindled as my heart and mind became engaged more fully in the experience of daily living.

I am currently enrolled in the "MBSR Graduate Program" in the Center for Integrative Medicine at Duke University.