The Mindful Center, Albuquerque

Michelle DuVal hopes to empower her clients to act as their own physicians. This practice, called participatory medicine, works to potentially help everyday folks regulate their own stress and wellness levels through mindful meditation. Michelle's various programs impart meditation techniques that easily can be scheduled into one's daily life—for example, she shows students how to achieve a state of calm while walking, instead of only while resting or hiding inside of Yanni’s piano.

Her courses on stress reduction—planned for individuals or corporate groups—cover steps toward controlling worries and health issues. She hosts a one-day class that demonstrates the basics of mindful meditation, as well as an eight-week series that concludes in a peaceful daylong retreat. She also applies meditation to weight-loss goals during Mindful Eating sessions. These seminars comprise a six-week program, during which Michelle strives to negate the influence of anxiety on eating habits.