Slow Down

Led by Kyla Pearce

This meditation uses breath to initiate a relaxation response and transform our minds from a racetrack towards a more peaceful place. Our exhalation is our body’s built-in stress buster. It is tied to the part of our nervous system that supports us to feel more calm and relaxed. Research has shown activating this part of our nervous system improves our immune system functioning and overall wellbeing. For me, I find it unbelievably empowering to know that I can rely on my breath--instead of anything outside myself--to help me release stress and return to a more centered place.

Kyla (she/her) serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Research, overseeing the design, implementation, and evaluation of LoveYourBrain programs on a large scale. By turning inward through mindfulness, Kyla believes we learn to be with our whole selves with greater compassion, which is fundamental to wellbeing and inspiring positive social change. Kyla has blended her expertise as a yoga and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, researcher, and advocate to develop evidence-based, TBI-centered yoga and meditation curricula, which she trains yoga teachers and clinicians to deliver in clinical, community, and online settings. She recently completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dartmouth College investigating the impact of yoga and meditation for people with neurological conditions, and has published broadly on this topic. She has been part of the Pearce family for years, and, following Kevin's accident, played an integral role in the launch of LoveYourBrain.