Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.
~ Rabindranath Tagore
About Myndtree
Myndtree is a global contemplative community dedicated to deepening insight, presence, and compassionate living through mindfulness, meditation, and the study of classical wisdom. Rooted in the nondual Vedantic teachings of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati and informed by Buddhist mindfulness traditions, Myndtree brings ancient contemplative insight into conversation with contemporary life in ways that are practical, inclusive, and accessible.
Founded in 2013, Myndtree offers online and in-person meditation groups, contemplative study programs, retreats, and reflective resources that support clarity, inner freedom, and meaningful engagement with daily life. These offerings are shared in a secular and inclusive way, welcoming people from all backgrounds and belief systems who are drawn to inquiry, stillness, and conscious living.
Myndtree’s way integrates mindfulness, inquiry, and lived experience into everyday life. Rather than emphasizing quick results, the focus is on continuity, discernment, and the gradual integration of insight into relationships, work, and community.
Through guided meditation, the study of wisdom texts, and thoughtful dialogue, members of the Myndtree community are invited to explore the nature of awareness, the roots of suffering, and the possibility of living with greater ease, compassion, and integrity in the world.
Explore Myndtree’s guided meditations, study groups, and retreats as invitations to deepen awareness and embody wisdom in everyday life.
About Gayathri
Gayathri Narayanan is the founder of Myndtree and a contemplative guide whose work centers on integrating deep inner inquiry with the realities of modern life. With more than three decades of sustained practice and study, she brings together the wisdom of the Narayana Guru lineage, as transmitted through her own Guru, Nitya Chaitanya Yati, with secular mindfulness and lived inquiry.
Her grounding lies in Advaita Vedanta and Yoga, supported by long-term study of classical texts including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and key works of Narayana Guru such as Ātmopadeśa Śatakam and Darśanamālā. Her studies have been deeply shaped by long-term inquiry with her dear friend and teacher Nancy Yeilding, a long-time student of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati, and more recent studies with Deborah Buchanan and Scott Teitsworth, both also early students of Guru Nitya. Over time, her path expanded to include sustained study and practice in Buddhist traditions, with particular depth in Theravada teachings through close study with Gil Fronsdal, as well as engagement with Zen through teachings with Reb Anderson. More recently, she has begun studying Tibetan Buddhism with Anam Thubten.
Gayathri’s study of the principles of nonviolence began with a deep personal interest that led her to volunteer with Educators for Nonviolence in 2005. This collaborative initiative, supported by the Metta Center for Nonviolence and The Dalai Lama Foundation, brought her into close relationship with scholars and educators such as Michael Nagler. Through this work and through her own ongoing study and reflection, she came to understand nonviolence as a living force, one with the capacity to transform how we relate to ourselves, to one another, and to the world. This inquiry extended into the realm of parenting, where she pursued formal training in nonviolent parenting through Echo Parenting and Education. There, she received her certification as a parent educator, studying directly with Ruth Beaglehole. Motivated to share these teachings and practices more widely, Gayathri completed the two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and
received her certification in 2019 through the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.
She holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Bangalore University, as well as a Master’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Southern California (USC). For 14 years, she worked within the Cedars-Sinai Health System, where she spent much of her time bridging the gap between technology teams and clinical staff. Balancing the demands of a career in healthcare technology while raising two children allowed her to experience first-hand the stressors of a fast-paced environment. These years served as a practical laboratory for her practice, fueling her interest in bringing meditation and contemplative study to daily living in grounded, accessible ways.
Gayathri has been guiding meditation and contemplative study since 2012 and has worked with children, teens, adults, and elders across a wide range of settings. Her approach emphasizes steady practice, clarity, and direct experience, with attention to how insight is integrated into everyday life rather than framed as belief, doctrine, or affiliation. She serves on the board of the United States chapter of the Narayana Gurukula and continues to explore how timeless wisdom can support ethical, attentive, and meaningful living in today’s world.
Those interested in practicing with or learning more from Gayathri can explore her community meditation groups, workplace mindfulness programs, private mentoring offerings, and her writings in the Myndtree blog.
Selected Conversations
Buddhist Practice: Mindfulness, Tantra, and the Direct Path
Interview on The Good Men Project with Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Ep 68: How to develop the compassion muscle
Podcast episode on Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha Varma
In this conversation Gayathri explores how to develop the practice of mindfulness and presence in everyday life, including approachable ways to integrate contemplative awareness into daily routines.
Exploring the Divine Feminine: Adi Shankara's Saundarya Lahari
YouTube webinar on Seeker's Compass, All Faiths Seminary Institute
Gayathri offers an interpretive lens on the Saundarya Lahari as a tantric and devotional text, illuminating its insights on beauty, consciousness, and transformation, using four verses as examples.
Suffering, Wisdom, and Inquiry: Who Becomes a Seeker
Interview on Vocal Media with Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Gayathri discusses the nature of suffering, how wisdom arises through inquiry, and what it means to be a seeker grounded in practice rather than ideology.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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1. What makes the Narayana Guru lineage unique? The Narayana Guru lineage is distinct for its radical emphasis on the unity of all beings and its focus on social justice through spiritual insight. It avoids rigid dogma and instead encourages a direct, personal inquiry into the nature of the self. This tradition teaches that spiritual practice is inseparable from an ethical life, making it a powerful framework for navigating contemporary social and personal challenges while maintaining a vision of universal equality.
2. How has Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati influenced her path? Gayathri attributes the entirety of her current work to the profound influence of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati. Their close personal relationship served as the catalyst for her spiritual and intellectual development. His guidance continues to shape how she views the world and ensures that the wisdom she shares is a direct continuation of the Narayana Guru lineage. Guru Nitya was a master of unitive wisdom, known for his deep scholarship in both Eastern philosophy and Western psychology. His work expertly synthesized Advaita Vedanta with the psychological insights of thinkers like Carl Jung and Henri Bergson. He authored over 200 books, providing a bridge for modern seekers to understand classical texts through the lens of lived experience and compassionate service.
3. What distinguishes the mindfulness taught at Myndtree? The approach at Myndtree is characterized by its integration of sustained philosophical inquiry with secular, lived experience. While the work is grounded in the Narayana Guru lineage and Buddhist traditions, it is presented in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds. The focus remains on steady practice and the practical application of insight into the complexities of modern life rather than on belief, doctrine, or affiliation.
4. How does Gayathri’s background in healthcare technology inform her teaching? Fourteen years within the Cedars-Sinai Health System provided a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and human well-being. This experience demonstrated that mindfulness must be a practical tool capable of supporting individuals in high-pressure clinical or corporate environments. Her background allows her to bridge the gap between ancient contemplative techniques and the logical, data-driven mindset of modern professionals.
5. How can mindfulness support professionals in high-stress industries? High-stress environments often trap the mind in a cycle of reactivity and survival mode. Mindfulness provides a mental reset for the nervous system, allowing professionals to regain their capacity for executive function and creative problem-solving. By training the mind to remain steady amidst external chaos, professionals can reduce burnout and make decisions from a place of clarity. This is especially vital in sectors like healthcare and technology where mental agility is a professional requirement.
6. What is the significance of her mindful parenting and work with youth in this practice? Gayathri views mindful parenting and the guidance of younger generations as vital for societal evolution. This approach moves beyond gentle parenting by focusing on the internal awareness of the adult to break cycles of generational stress. Her work extends to teens and tweens, helping them navigate the unique pressures of modern adolescence through emotional regulation and self-inquiry. By fostering kindness and empathy in both parents and youth, she believes the home becomes a primary site for contemplative practice that eventually leads to a more conscious and peaceful world.