Will Meecham, MD

Will Meecham, MD, is a former surgeon and self-described accidental mystic who teaches Mindful Biology, a blend of life science and contemplative spirituality. He has offered its insights and practices publicly since 2009 (his Insight Timer page says 2010). Its guiding phrase is "habitat restoration for human consciousness," and its meditations cultivate embodied experiences of awe, love and wholeness.

His path began in biology. After a solo trek of the John Muir Trail in his teens, he set out to become a field biologist, and he went on to study zoology and ecology at UC Berkeley. Graduate work in biophysics followed, then medical school at UC San Francisco. He trained in ophthalmology and became an oculofacial surgeon, treating skin cancers near the eyes and related problems. At forty-one, intractable neck pain ended his surgical career. He tried several other paths, including environmental health and medical acupuncture, before accepting that conventional employment was no longer possible.

Meecham describes Mindful Biology as something that helps him make peace with childhood trauma, midlife disability and ordinary aging. A psychiatrist's advice to double down on spiritual growth led him toward it. Chance later gave him chances to teach biology in spiritual settings, and the work grew from there. He took up mind-body practices to ease pain and manage the stress of losing his career, and he draws on decades of spiritual exploration. His Insight Timer page lists sustained practice in Quaker, Catholic, Theravada Buddhist, Raja Yoga and Non-Dual traditions.

His teaching uses biology and breathing to build body awareness and appreciation. He teaches at College of Marin and elsewhere, including in programs for yoga teachers, yoga therapists and somatic psychotherapists. He says the work especially suits people who value scientific evidence while honoring beauty, paradox and mystery.