Founders’ Story

In 2014, four of us connected over our shared belief that meditation had meaningfully enhanced our lives. 

We believed it had given us the tools, skills and attitudes to weather life’s storms, revel in life’s joys, and connect deeply with others.  Each of us believed we were healthier and happier because we meditated. And a large and growing body of scientific research was validating this belief:  studies show that meditation helps offset the effects of stress, improves emotional regulation and fosters a sense of connection. 

But we also noticed that when we attended meditation classes or events we were almost always among a very narrow slice of the broader population:  middle aged, middle class and white. So we founded Community Mindfulness Project to make mindful meditation more accessible.

Over the past eight years CMP has worked to eradicate the barriers that keep people from accessing the benefits of mindful meditation.  Our community sessions are:

• Free and open to anyone.  

• Secular and science-based, offered in accessible and inclusive language.

• Appropriate for people with any level of experience, including first-timers.

• Offered in-person in trusted settings like libraries, and also by zoom and by conference call so that we can meet people wherever they are.

• Are done seated in chairs, with no special equipment needed.

To make CMP’s mindful meditation programs as accessible as possible:

• Guided meditations and instruction are always available 24/7 on our website.

• Recordings are available in English and in Spanish.

• Transcripts are available for people with hearing impairment.

Since its founding in 2014, CMP has led over 3,000 sessions with over 34,000 attendances, including weekly community-based and virtual sessions and workshops for over 55 organizations, supporting the well-being of their staff, and the community members they serve.  CMP helps nonprofit workers prevent burnout, and works with the faculty and staff of local schools.  In short, CMP empowers people to lead healthier lives by expanding access to mindful meditation.

CMP relies on donor support to keep its sessions open and accessible to everyone.  We hope that you will consider making a donation.

Erika, Michelle, Nick and Will | CMP Founders

See Nick’s TEDx talk about the neuroscience of Mindfulness and the 18-month retreat he and Michelle undertook.

Jackie’s Speech

For Jackie, and many others, meditation is a gift that has become a life necessity.

Jackie joined the CMP community through the emme coalition, a multi-year project helping women and girls in Bridgeport live the life they choose, through Empowerment, Mindfulness, Motivation + Education. Because of CMP's outreach work in Fairfield County, CMP was chosen to offer the mindfulness programming for emme. Jackie has participated in weekly CMP mindfulness sessions over the past 18 months, and became so convinced of the benefits of mindfulness that she wanted to help share mindfulness with others. She now leads mindfulness sessions for CMP in Spanish, and is the voice for many of the Spanish-language guided meditation recordings on the CMP website. These recordings make it possible for people to access mindfulness programming 24/7, free of charge.

Jackie spoke at Fairfield County's Community Foundation Fund for Women and Girls annual event this year. Below is an excerpt of her speech, in which she talks about the impact that mindfulness and CMP have had on her life.

If you've benefitted from access to mindfulness meditation, we hope you'll make a donation to CMP. With your partnership, we can continue to empower people to live healthier lives by expanding access to mindfulness meditation.

With gratitude,
Your CMP Family

My name is Jacqueline and I came from Chile.

My family and I first arrived in America in 2019. It’s been a very difficult time for my family to adjust to life in America due to the impact of the pandemic. 

I became part of the Emme program because I was in a deep search for belonging, for participation, for knowing, for being able to interact with other women, and also, to improve my English.

The meaning of Emme (Empowerment, Mindfulness, Motivation, Education) was exactly what I needed at this time in my life. It has provided me with the tools I need to be in charge of my own health care, personal growth and development– and, it’s been amazing so far!

I have been going through very stressful moments, and Emme and CMP came into my life like a blessing. They have helped me be mindful of my emotions through these troublesome times by helping me find my center, focus and reduce my anxiety by accepting and understanding my emotions rather than to fight them– to be here and now and to stop running on autopilot.

Participating in CMP’s mindful meditations has really been a glorious experience that taught me how to enjoy the simple things in life such as sounds and nature, as well as how to strengthen the values ​​in which I deeply believe, such as compassion, appreciation, empathy, self-love and gratitude. 

I even had the opportunity to participate in Emme CMP by helping to record some meditations in Spanish so that people who don’t speak English could have the opportunity to join this community, without the impediment of language as barrier to enjoy this wonderful tool that is Meditation– a gift, that for me, has now become a life necessity.

Thank you so much CMP!

-Jacqueline C., Program Participant

Mental Health

When communities are over-stressed and under-resourced, they cannot thrive. 

Science has shown that evidence-based mindfulness practices offset the effects of stress, improve emotional regulation and foster a sense of connection. CMP’s outreach efforts prioritize working with under-served communities in Fairfield County, CT.

We work with nonprofits - over 50 so far! -  including social services agencies and schools, teaching people skills to manage mental and emotional stress, prevent burnout, and build resilience. We also serve the community as a whole, with free and open programming throughout the week, both in-person and online.  Our online community programs provide access to homebound senior citizens, those who are immunocompromised and nervous to venture out, people suffering with long-term Covid side effects, those lacking transportation or childcare, and anyone who feels safer from the comfort of their home. 

“The meditation sessions have greatly lifted the burden of Covid. As an 83 year old woman I am largely living in place. I look forward to and greatly benefit from the wisdom, knowledge, and peace that I derive from the sessions. I am very grateful to Community Mindfulness Project and all the teachers.” 

Help us continue to serve our local community, especially those with fewer resources, with mindfulness practices that support mental and emotional wellbeing. 

“These sessions have made a huge difference in my life and have finally gotten me to participate in meditation on a regular basis. Not only is it the meditation but the sense of community and not being alone.” 

Your generous donations allow us to serve local non-profit organizations like Stamford-based Laurel House, treating those with mental health struggles and addiction, or Shakers Anonymous, providing support and mental health wellness programming to those with Parkinson’s Disease, or Stamford school nurses, who’ve seen first hand the mental health struggles due to the pandemic. Through our outreach, we serve those who are serving others, creating a culture of wellness. 

In short, CMP empowers people to lead healthier lives by expanding access to mindful meditation.

CMP relies on donor support to keep its sessions open and accessible to everyone.  We hope that you will consider making a donation.  Our board has offered to match the first $10,000 in donations! 

Please consider supporting CMP as we help communities build skills to thrive.  

With gratitude,

Your CMP Family

Spotlight on Bridgeport

CMP is answering the call from local communities facing the health effects of housing, food, employment, education and healthcare insecurity. 

CMP is answering the call from local communities facing the health impacts of housing, food, employment, education and healthcare insecurity.  We break down barriers that can make it hard to access the scientifically-proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness - including barriers related to financial resources, time, transportation, language, culture and inclusion.  

We’ve moved deeper into the Bridgeport community, where data indicate the greatest unmet need.  Bridgeport community stakeholders have voiced a need for mental and emotional health supports and have opened their doors to Community Mindfulness Project. 

We’ve worked hand-in-hand with Optimus Health Care, participating in a program designed to provide 100 women and girls in Bridgeport with weekly mindful meditation programming in English and Spanish.

Our partnership with the Bridgeport Library provides weekly meditation via zoom, allowing those who are homebound, lack transportation, or who have childcare needs an opportunity to participate in mindfulness programming, and our in-person sessions create time and space for mindful community gathering.

In collaboration with Bridgeport Public Schools, we offer mindful meditation programming to guidance counselors, student ambassadors, security guards, faculty and staff, parents and families.  Our work supports the district's social and emotional learning curriculum, as well as much-needed self-care skills for educators.  And stay tuned for upcoming mindfulness videos created by Bridgeport teens for teens everywhere!  We know that people learn best when we learn with and from peers and that the best way to learn something is to teach it. 

We’ve engaged with many other Bridgeport organizations as we learn about the needs and dreams of the community and collaborate on ways to meet them. 

In 2023, we will be deepening our work in Norwalk and Stamford.  

Join us as we support mothers and fathers, teachers, teens, community members, and all of our neighbors who wish to benefit from mindfulness practices.

With gratitude,

Your CMP family

Why We Choose CMP

We lead the board of CMP because we believe that mindful meditation should be available to all community members, regardless of means.

As CMP Board Chair and Vice-Chair, we actively chose to be a part of CMP’s mission of empowering people to lead healthier lives by expanding access to mindful meditation.

We are each executives, active community members, have families, and lead busy lives, and have personally benefited from meditation.  It’s the positive effects of mindfulness that allow us to find ease, remain steady, and keep our focus as we navigate this complex world. Through mindful meditation we are reminded to sit in awareness of the present moment, with curiosity and kindness.

We support CMP’s work because as community leaders and volunteers, we see first hand the inequities that exist in Fairfield County.  While much of our area is well resourced, many of our neighbors continue to struggle with life’s basic needs. These vulnerable communities are often the most stressed with housing, food, and employment insecurities. Just like us, these communities, their families and children long for peacefulness in their bodies and minds.  

Science has shown that through a regular meditation practice, all people can experience the benefits of meditation, which include stress reduction, emotional regulation, and improved mental health.  We’re looking to make a difference in our local communities, and mindful meditation supports our goals. Together, we look forward to providing opportunities for stress management, fostering patience and tolerance, and feeling a sense of joy and ease in all communities.

Will you join us in our work?

Lucy Ball, CMP Board Chair and David Smith, CMP Board Vice-Chair