Guided Meditations

Welcome! We know that making time to de-stress is important. So we have teamed up with Duke alumnae Gigi Falk, Kayla Falk and Sheridan Wilbur to bring you some meditations to help you regain your focus and serenity—particularly when you're unable to get outside, let alone take a deep breath of fresh air.

We also created a mindfulness map with suggested spots where visitors can spend some quiet moments meditating or tuning in to the beauty of nature.

Here is a 7-minute meditation with Duke student and Duke Gardens work-study assistant Gi Chun, accompanied by Duke Gardens scenery.

Here is a 16-minute meditation led by Gigi Falk in summer 2020, featuring peaceful footage of koi fish in the Terrace Gardens pond.

This is a 5-minute guided meditation by Sheridan Wilbur from spring 2020, accompanied by photos of Duke Gardens taken by Duke students over the years.

Here are five audio meditations that Gigi and Kayla Falk recorded for us in summer 2020.

Investigating Visual Experience (Gigi Falk - 9 minutes)

Gratitude Body Scan (Kayla Falk - 12 minutes)

Moving Through the Senses into Open Awareness (Kayla - 12 minutes)

Cultivating Equanimity (Gigi - 16 minutes)

Finding and Sinking into Ease (Kayla Falk - 16 minutes)

Here are two audio meditations that Gigi recorded with us in spring 2018.

4-minute meditation

10-minute meditation

We hope these are helpful to you now and always.

About our guides

Gi Chun (they/them) is a current second year undergraduate at Duke. Their academic interests include visual media studies, transformative narratives, and visioning collective liberation. They first encountered meditative practices in their early teens and have returned to them with more intention within the past few years. They are also a part of the Buddhist Meditation Community at Duke. 

Sheridan Wilbur has led meditations for Duke students through DuWell, and she served as president of Duke's Buddhist Meditation Community. As an undergraduate with Duke's Class of 2019, Sheridan majored in political science with a minor in psychology. She also practices mindfulness techniques as a Koru mindfulness facilitator. Sheridan is currently enrolled in Duke's Graduate Liberal Studies program.

Gigi Falk graduated from Duke in 2018 with a degree in cognitive neuroscience and entrepreneurship. She has practiced  meditation for 5 years, and she also led her fellow students in meditation through the Buddhist Meditation Community at Duke. She is currently earning her master's degree in clinical psychology (concentration in spirituality and mind body practices) from Columbia University

Kayla Falk graduated from Duke in 2016 with a degree in public policy (health policy concentration) and a minor in global health. Like her sister, she is currently earning a master's degree in clinical psychology (concentration in spirituality and mind body practices) from Columbia University.

Gigi and Kayla lead free online meditation practices for the Duke community every Monday through Thursday at noon via DuWell. Info here, or join directly with this Zoom link.

Gigi & Kayla also lead meditations live on Instagram every Thursday morning at 10 a.m. EST @art_of_human_being. Learn more about their meditation offerings, coaching and more at their Art of Human Being website, liveahb.com.

We are grateful to Gigi, Kayla and Sheridan for sharing their time and talents with Duke Gardens, the Duke community and our friends around the world.