Events

Release stress and practice evidence-based burnout prevention techniques for even the busiest of schedules

Why Mindfulness?

Rest & Recharge:
Mindfulness Meditation Sessions at The Self Sanctuary in Chicago

Feeling like you’re running on empty or just need a reset? Join us for a restorative guided meditation and mindfulness class to help you release tension and feel a deeper sense of calm. 

Despite common misconceptions, meditation is not about turning off your thoughts. It is mental and emotional training - like going to the gym - and there's no “right” way to do it.

When: The first Saturday of the month from 1-2pm (January 3, February 7, and March 7)
Where: The Self Sanctuary, 951 W Dakin St, Chicago
What to bring: Chairs will be provided and you are welcome to bring your own mat, blanket, pillow, and eye mask if you’d like
Cost: $30 per person/60 minutes

Spots: Max 12 participants

Learn More + Book Class!

Lead With Heart Summit
April 16, 2026

I'm thrilled to be a speaker for the Lead with Heart Summit on April 16, 2026--a virtual gathering for nonprofit leaders who are ready to restore balance, strengthen their teams, and lead with compassion.

This event is more than a conference, it’s a space to pause, connect, and remember why we do this work.

If you’ve been navigating staff shortages, burnout, or the constant push to do more with less… this summit was made for you.

Letting Go of Perfect: Building Sustainable Leadership Through Self-Compassion

This interactive session explores the truth behind perfectionism and its impact on burnout. Perfectionism is not about being perfect—it's about avoiding discomfort.

You will learn simple, powerful strategies to shift from chronic stress to sustainable leadership. You'll discover that the door to freedom is already unlocked, and you already have what it takes to walk through it.

 

Takeaways: 

1.         Understand what perfectionism really is—a protective and harmful habit that gives you a false sense of control over uncertainty.

2.         Practice simple, evidence-based mindfulness and self-compassion tools that don't require extra time—helping you transform stressful emotions and respond to challenges with resilience.

3.         Reflect on your relationship to perfectionism with curiosity—identifying your next step toward supporting yourself with kindness instead of criticism.

Join the Waitlist

Join Our Mindfulness Community for Changemakers!

Follow me on Insight Timer for guided meditations and notifications on when I’m hosting free live events.

Release stress with free meditations

Testimonials

  • "Megan's mindfulness workshop allowed my team to take a minute to fully process what it means to be in a fast-moving, non-profit work environment. We came away from the workshop with tangible, easy tools to combat burnout. I received very positive feedback from the team; it was their favorite part of the retreat! I appreciated Megan’s pace, her calm, cool, collected demeanor, and the way she brought together the room."

    -Katie Burke, Executive Director, Customized & Faculty-Led Programs at IES Abroad

  • "As a result of the workshop, I personally am conducting more deep breathing sessions when I receive that 'trigger' email and am giving people more grace and latitude. Megan was supportive, collaborative, empathetic, and knowledgeable throughout the process; you can tell she is skilled in delivering mindfulness content and is an expert in the field. Please consider Megan for your next team retreat; you won't regret it!"

    -Katie Burke, Executive Director, Customized & Faculty-Led Programs at IES Abroad

  • "I thought it was a good balance of teaching and doing. The breakouts were great and really let you dig into things with just a couple of people. The ah-ha moment was really the practice meditation - I was surprised by how effective it was, how deep I got lost in the moment and how I felt afterwards."

    -Dan Drucker

  • "Megan was fantastic! This mindfulness workshop aligns perfectly with some challenges we’ve been tackling at my place of employment. It was really insightful, and I appreciated the focus on mindfulness and grounding."

    -Torrance Dixon

  • "I appreciated discovering that I wasn't the only one trying to be educated about this topic. It was helpful to see how others also struggle to be mindful or to meditate.  Once I understood how simple and quick we could begin to be more mindful it gave me an "ah-ha" moment because before I thought this was something that took days or longer to reach. Yet, even in the smallest moments in time we have opportunity."

    -Angel Ortiz

  • "Megan is an outstanding facilitator, mentor and coach. She is a uniquely graceful and powerful leader, with profound intelligence and integrity. Megan communicates in a warm and gentle style, with a sweet sense of humor that lightens our often challenging work. I highly recommend working with Megan. She is truly a gift."

    -Olivia Teter, Head of Innovation at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

  • "My favorite part of Megan’s Mindfulness and Meditation Workshop was the guided meditation. The mindful stretching we did reminded me that listening to your body is more effective when you actually slow down and focus on it, even if you're not really sure how to do that."

    -Britt-Marie, Coach at Orange Theory Fitness

  • “Loved this session and would strongly recommend Megan to my friends at other organizations. I experienced strong burnout from 2020-2021 (with a different org), and a lot of what Megan shared really resonated with me. The session definitely made me want to research mindfulness and meditation so that I can learn techniques to incorporate into my personal life!”

  • “I am grateful to have attended a workshop led by Megan about the intersection of mindfulness and DEI. The somatic tools and techniques we discussed (and practiced!) have been helpful to me personally and I think are critical to preventing burnout and sustaining our commitment to radically transform ourselves and our society. I look forward to bringing these practices to my team and organization.”

    -Blair Janis

  • "Megan has a serene presence that made me feel comfortable, calm, and cared for. She is enthusiastic, compassionate, energetic, and her unrelenting kindness came through the screen so vividly."

Megan Whitney

Megan helps changemakers build leadership skills and navigate burnout through 1/1 coaching, speaking, and guided meditations on Insight Timer. Her work offers you mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and self-compassion tools to release stress and cultivate calm.

She has dedicated her 19-year career to serving in nonprofits. Since burning out a decade ago, her mission has been preventing the same exhaustion for other nonprofit workers.

Megan offers expertise in making mindfulness accessible and creating cultures of collective care in the workplace. She founded a 400+ person Mindfulness Community for the largest hunger-relief nonprofit, taught mindful leadership skills to hundreds of food bankers, and sparked a ripple effect of mindful micropractices being embedded into many U.S. nonprofits.

In Megan’s day job, she has spent the past eight years fighting hunger as a fundraiser, consultant, and certified Search Inside Yourself organizational teacher.

Meet Megan

Mindfulness is a free, evidence-based tool that relieves stress and burnout

And it doesn’t take extra time to apply this transformative skill to your work and life.

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