New meditation training program in Goleta is accepting applications

GOLETA, Calif.—In a digital age where people are on high alert, Goleta resident Sarah McLean is silencing the noise by turning inward. 
 
“It feels like we've been in a pressure cooker for a few years, and I think we're seeing the results now. People are experiencing high, high levels of anxiety and just not knowing how to feel good again,” said McLean Meditation Institute Founder Sarah McLean.

The National Institute of Mental Health says around 19.1% of adults in the United States have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year. 
 
McLean says the roots of these negative feelings are the stories we tell ourselves. 
 
“You have a thought. It leads to a feeling. That feeling leads to what you're going to do, a choice you might make, and that leads to a life you have,” said McLean.
 
The thoughts are not always rooted in reality, and they can be harmful. 
 
“Like if you're afraid of your neighbor or you're afraid of getting sick, or you're not liking who's in office or you're afraid of what's going on financially in the world markets today, these thoughts can send us on a trajectory that make us kind of spin out and cause other problems,” said McLean.
 
McLean has launched the meditation teacher academy, which includes a 300 hour certification process.
 
McLean says this could remedy burnout, anxiety, and other mental health issues. 
 
“So if we can address things at the level of thought, be aware of what we're thinking. Help to interrupt the constant storytelling we're doing, which doesn't support us. Then we can find peace. And peace is always right here. It's right here, right now,” said McLean.
 
McLean says after graduating from the program, instructors will have the skills to teach meditation in corporate settings, healthcare, and even schools. 
  
Applications for the April 2025 cohort are now open.