Find Stillness in Motion

Occupation

Investigative Journalist at a major NYC publication

Goals

• Find a spiritual or contemplative path that doesn’t require suspending her intelligence
• Learn something new that challenges her emotionally and intellectually — not just soothes her
• Explore practices that could help her manage stress and anxiety without dulling the very edge that makes her good at what she does — her sharpness, skepticism, and capacity to see what others miss

Pain Points

• She is exceptionally sharp and wonders whether a mind as active and analytical as hers can ever truly be still — or whether meditation is only for people wired differently
• Feels immediately turned off by websites that present meditation in overly simplistic, overpromising, feel-good language
• Suspicious of anything that feels like a brand, trend, or lifestyle package

Behaviors

• Reads widely: philosophy, neuroscience, and long-form journalism
• Open to contemplative practices, but hasn’t found anything that feels authentic or intelligent
• Relies on gut instinct when scanning websites — if it feels dumbed down, she’s out

Needs

• A meditation space that treats people as intelligent, thinking adults — even newcomers
• Teachers who use simple, no-nonsense language and are unafraid of hard questions or complexity
• A place that doesn’t overpromise calm or happiness — but instead offers depth, rigor, and real practice

Occupation

Marketing Manager at a tech startup

Goals

• Manage stress and anxiety
• Build a consistent self-care routine

Pain Points

• Limited free time
• Overwhelmed by options in the wellness space
• Cannot sit cross-legged and needs a chair

Behaviors

• Attends after-work classes at studios nearby
• Uses Headspace app occasionally

Needs

• Evening or lunch-hour meditation sessions
• Calm, accessible space near her office

Occupation

Lawyer

Goals

• Reduce stress and improve focus
• Get better sleep

Pain Points

• Distrusts “woo-woo” approaches
• Busy schedule, expects evidence-based solutions

Behaviors

• Listens to podcasts on neuroscience and peak performance
• Open to mindfulness if it’s research-supported

Needs

• Science-backed meditation instruction
• Efficient, results-oriented sessions
• Evening, early morning, or lunch-hour options

Occupation

Graduate Student in Psychology

Goals

• Explore mindfulness and its mental health benefits
• Learn meditation techniques

Pain Points

• Intimidated by religion and spiritual or esoteric practices
• Low budget as a student

Behaviors

• Watches YouTube content on mindfulness
• Reads books on neuroscience and mindfulness

Needs

• Introductory workshops or community classes
• Educational approach backed by science
• Sliding-scale pricing or student discounts

Occupation

Creative Director at a marketing agency

Goals

• Move beyond surface-level stress reduction to explore deeper personal transformation
• Understand the philosophical roots of mindfulness beyond apps and corporate trainings
• Find a practice that supports long-term insight and inner clarity

Pain Points

• Feels like secular mindfulness is too focused on productivity and performance rather than liberation or wisdom
• Disappointed by the lack of ethical or existential depth in most workplace wellness programs
• Has hit a plateau with app-based meditation and short courses—feels something is missing but isn’t sure what

Behaviors

• Completed an MBSR course and regularly uses apps like Calm or Insight Timer
• Attends corporate mindfulness workshops and reads popular books on meditation and neuroscience
• Recently started reading Buddhist texts out of curiosity, but finds the spiritual language intimidating

Needs

• A welcoming entry into deeper Buddhist practice that isn’t overly religious or dogmatic
• Teachings that connect mindfulness to wisdom (e.g. emptiness, impermanence, ethics) in an accessible way
• A community of sincere practitioners who value insight over performance
• Opportunities for guided practice and study without pressure to “convert” or adopt a belief system

Occupation

Retired Educator

Goals

• Stay mentally sharp and emotionally balanced
• Connect with others in a peaceful setting

Pain Points

• Feels isolated since retirement
• Limited mobility; prefers in-person to digital experiences

Behaviors

• Attends community center classes
• Dabbles in tai chi and guided meditation

Needs

• Accessible, senior-friendly facilities
• Social components like tea or discussion circles
• Gentle movement and mindful aging programs

Occupation

Undergraduate Student, East Asian Studies Major

Goals

• Experience meditation as part of understanding East Asian philosophy
• Explore the cultural roots of mindfulness and Buddhism

Pain Points

• Limited time between classes, part-time job, and studies
• Struggles to find spaces that honor cultural context without appropriation

Behaviors

• Studies Chinese language and classical texts
• Attends East Asian film screenings, cultural lectures, and tea ceremonies
• Practices basic breathwork learned in class

Needs

• Meditation classes that reference historical context (e.g. Chan/Zen roots)
• Flexible drop-in options accessible by subway

Occupation

Project Manager

Goals

• Deepen his Chan meditation practice within the Dharma Drum lineage
• Integrate Buddhist principles into daily life and work

Pain Points

• Limited time to travel to Dharma Drum Retreat Center in upstate NY
• Struggles to find local spaces that are faithful to traditional Chan and are grounded in authentic, lineage-based teachings

Behaviors

• Regularly practices silent sitting, walking meditation, and precepts study
• Attends retreats at Dharma Drum Retreat Center when possible
• Participates in online Dharma talks and lineage study groups

Needs

• Teachers or facilitators with proper transmission or long-term affiliation
• Space for serious group practice (e.g. extended sitting, ritual elements)
• Opportunities to serve (volunteer, host practice groups, etc.)

Occupation

CEO of Tech Startup

Goals

• Deepen her insight into the nature of mind and suffering
• Maintain a consistent practice between longer retreats
• Find a consistent, low-distraction space to sit quietly with others
• Connect with others who share a serious meditation practice

Pain Points

• Struggles to integrate post-retreat clarity into everyday life
• Many centers feel too hierarchical, religious, or tradition-bound
• Has visited Zen centers but found the elaborate bows and rituals off-putting and distracting

Behaviors

• Attends 10-day and 30-day silent retreats annually
• Practices daily vipassana and Metta at home
• Reads early Buddhist texts and contemporary Dharma teachers

Needs

• A welcoming, minimalist space to sit quietly with others
• Inclusivity: a community open to practitioners of all traditions or none
• Occasional workshops on sutta study or mindfulness in action

Occupation

UX Researcher at a nonprofit organization

Goals

• Deepen their meditation and Dharma study in a way that feels ethical and authentic
• Connect with a like-minded community of practitioners without pressure to conform
• Explore emptiness teachings through Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, and the early Buddhist texts

Pain Points

• Disillusioned by their past experience with Shambhala scandals and wary of teacher-centered communities
• Skeptical of hierarchical organizations or communities that center around a founder figure
• Finds many Buddhist centers either too devotional, too rigid, or too dismissive of abuse concerns

Behaviors

• Maintains a strong solo meditation practice
• Reads Nāgārjuna and Chandrakīrti regularly
• Occasionally attends public Dharma talks but rarely joins communities unless trust is built

Needs

• Ethically grounded, non-hierarchical practice space with transparent leadership
• Dharma offerings that are textually grounded but not doctrinaire
• Community options that emphasize shared inquiry over belief or affiliation
• Respect for philosophical depth without requiring devotional rituals

Occupation

Social Worker

Goals

• Reconnect with a sense of the sacred without guilt, shame, or hierarchy
• Cultivate inner peace and emotional resilience through meditation
• Explore spirituality on her own terms, with space for questioning and healing

Pain Points

• Grew up in a strict Catholic household where obedience and sin were emphasized over compassion and self-awareness
• Still feels triggered by religious language, hierarchy, and male-dominated spiritual authority
• Fears falling back into patterns of spiritual self-judgment or people-pleasing when entering new communities

Behaviors

• Practices yoga and guided meditation through apps and occasional retreats
• Reads memoirs and podcasts by spiritual seekers, trauma survivors, and ex-religious folks
• Visits various spiritual communities but often leaves if they feel too doctrinal or performative

Needs

• A gentle, non-dogmatic introduction to Buddhist practice that welcomes questions and respects her healing process
• Teachers and facilitators who are trauma-informed and don’t rely on rigid hierarchy or authority
• A space where silence, ritual, or beauty can be experienced without pressure to “believe”
• Community rooted in ethics and sincerity rather than rules, status, or performative devotion