Live Online Course | April 1 - May 6 | Wednesdays 7:30 - 9:00 pm ET | $179
Meditation for Real Life: A 6-Week Course to Reduce Stress and Reset Your Nervous System
Guided By: Laila Gislason
When life feels overwhelming, the mind often becomes busy, reactive, and exhausted. Meditation offers a practical way to calm the nervous system and reconnect with a steadier, clearer state of awareness.
This beginner-friendly 6-week online course teaches simple awareness practices that help reduce stress, regulate the nervous system, and cultivate greater ease in daily life.
Each weekly session includes guided meditation, practical tools you can use right away, and space for questions and reflection.
You don’t need prior meditation experience, and you don’t need to stop your thoughts to meditate.
❋ Session 1 - Why Meditation WorksLearn how stress affects the nervous system and why simple meditation practices can help bring the mind and body back into balance.
❋ Session 2 - Training AwarenessDiscover how to recognize the power of your own awareness and to gently steady the mind.
❋ Session 3 - Nervous System RegulationExplore body-based meditation practices that help release tension and signal safety to the nervous system.
❋ Session 4 - Awareness of ThoughtsLearn how to observe thoughts without getting pulled into them, reducing rumination and mental overwhelm.
❋ Session 5 - Awareness of EmotionsDevelop skills for responding to difficult emotions with greater calm, compassion, and emotional balance.
❋ Session 6 - Integrating Meditation Into Real LifeLearn simple ways to integrate meditation and mindful awareness into everyday moments so the benefits continue beyond the course.
By the end of the six weeks, participants will understand how meditation works, feel confident practicing on their own, and have simple tools to calm the nervous system and navigate stress more skillfully.
No prior meditation experience is needed, just curiosity and a willingness to pause.
Live Online Course | April 1 - May 6, 2026 | Wednesdays 7:30 - 9:00 pm ET | $179
Investment: $179 for six weekly 90-minute sessions (approximately $30 per session)
Limited scholarships are available for those with financial need. Please email laila@openquiet.com to inquire.
About Laila Gislason
Laila Gislason is a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher with over 15 years of contemplative practice. She is currently completing her Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan, where her work explores the intersection of awareness practices, human development, contemplative traditions, and the relational dimensions of healing.
Laila teaches simple awareness-based meditation practices that help people settle the mind, regulate stress, and reconnect with a deeper sense of presence and clarity. Known for her warm and intuitive teaching style, she creates a supportive space where participants can explore meditation in a practical and grounded way.
What People Are Saying
“It’s not too much to say that Laila has changed my life. Working with Laila has deepened my understanding of nonduality and open-hearted awareness, and more importantly, our time together has improved the most important aspects of my life, my relationships and my sense of peace. My path is brighter and much, much better because of Laila..”
— Dennis, PhD, Government
“I've been on a spiritual path for over 20 years and met and worked with different teachers from a variety of spiritual traditions. From the moment I met Laila, I was struck by her genuine warmth and emotional availability. She was able to hold my emotion and gently lead me by unhooking from my thoughts and finding freedom by connecting to my heart and opening to the space around me. I feel eternally grateful for that gift, She has years of experience and very dedicated practice and it's evident by her presence. I would recommend anyone that is serious about non-dual practice to seek Laila as a spiritual guide as she is extremely helpful.”
— Roy, Osteopath
“I am so grateful to have found Laila. With a compassionate and supportive style she has guided me on a journey to better understand myself, my motivations, and the true nature of being, allowing me to live a more authentic life. I’ve been meditating for several years and while beneficial, my experience with Laila, was different, getting right to the heart of awareness and how one participates in life. She not only has the experience, tools, and abilities to help, but does so from a very relatable position of true empathy and understanding. In Laila, you will not only find a guide, but a friend.”
— Todd, Financial Services
Ready to begin?
Reserve your place and join us for this six-week journey into meditation and calm.