Mindfulness Studies

Andrew Olendzki, Professor and Director of the Mindfulness Studies program, is a scholar of early Buddhist thought and practice with a special interest in Buddhist psychology and its relevance to the modern world. Working with both Sanskrit and Pali materials, he explores how the contemplative arts of India and Asia can be understood scientifically, and how the contemporary interest in mindfulness and deeper health can be best informed by the wisdom of ancient traditions.

Prior to joining Lesley he worked for almost thirty years in Barre, MA, first as the original executive director of the Insight Meditation Society and then as executive director and senior scholar at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, where his focus was always upon the integration of academic study with the practice of meditation. During this time he also held recurring adjunct faculty positions at many New England colleges, including Amherst, Brandeis, Harvard, Smith, and Lesley, and was on the faculty at Wesleyan University and Hampshire College. Andrew was also a senior scholar at the Mind and Life Institute, contributing to their Mapping the Mind project, and has been a long-time board member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Having recently joined the Lesley faculty, he is enthusiastic about helping the Mindfulness Studies program, the first of its kind in the country, to mature and prosper.

Yasemin Isler, core faculty in the Mindfulness Studies program, is a certified mindfulness teacher and educator, writer, grief educator and guide, certified end-of-life (death) doula and integrative thanatologist. With a personal mindfulness practice of 40+ years, and over 1800 hours of extensive professional certification training, she has led numerous programs for wise living with balance, embodied presence, resilience, stress management, and emotional well-being.  Yasemin also teaches courses, including MBSR and MSC, as senior instructor at Center for Mindfulness and Compassion (CHA CMC) and to organizations internationally as senior facilitator and consultant through Potential Project.  

Staying true to the Mindfulness Studies program, Yasemin brings together theory, science and practice of mindfulness, along with compassion and related modalities in context sensitive and accessible approaches to her work. Founder of Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Community for Grief, she has been offering support and education based on her unique MCCG curricula inclusive of bereavement, all grief and loss, living with illness, caregiving, aging, approaching end-of-life, death and dying. Her motto is Mindful and Compassionate Resilience for every body and across the life span.  

Sensitive to diversity, equity and inclusion, Yasemin’s work has passionately focused on understanding and supporting marginalized individuals and communities, including due to life’s adversities. This foundation continues to guide her work, research and education. An immigrant, she has lived in 3 continents, and is part of a lovingly diverse immediate and extended family. 

Graduate of the Mindfulness Studies program (2018,) Yasemin is an ex-computer engineer, with BS in Computer Science and economics, and a previous career in IT spanning from engineer, architect to team leader. She may be dating herself having worked on mainframe punched cards and assembler language coding, while practicing mindfulness and trying to explain meditation to her colleagues at the time. She is currently pursuing PhD in Human Development and Learning.  

Yasemin is delighted to be joining the faculty at Mindfulness Studies program at Lesley, dedicated to keeping the program unique, meeting the needs of the 21st century education and wisely living on this earth together.  

Certifications include: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, Mindfulness Medication Teacher (MMTCP,) Mindful Schools Educator, Advanced Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness (ATSM) Provider. Corporate/Organizational Mindfulness Facilitator and consultant, End-of-Life Professional, Integrative Thanatologist.  

Qualifications include: Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and MSC for Healthcare trained teacher. 

Also Trained In: Path of Freedom Prison Mindfulness.