Shelly Tygielski, B.A. ’97, clearly likes using her mind.
After graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences with a double major in political science and Judaic Studies and minors in biology and chemistry, she went on to earn a master’s degree in public policy from Columbia University.
Tygielski spent almost 20 years in the New York corporate world as a management consultant and senior executive. She married, became a mother, and moved back to South Florida.
Juggling
“Many people who begin a meditation practice say that they can’t quiet their minds,” Tygielski says. “But the goal of mindfulness is not to erase those thoughts. Rather, it’s to be able to take a pause and respond to them, so you’re not just reacting to the world.”
In 2015 Tygielski began teaching meditation and mindfulness to a few friends on the beach in Hollywood. She quickly developed a following and decided to follow her passion full time.
In 2016 she launched America Meditates, a grass-roots organization bringing 90-minute workshops to cities across America. The HEAT Nation Meditation Tygielski organized with the Miami HEAT was the largest mass meditation in Fort Lauderdale’s history.
Through her firm, YURU Meditation, Tygielski offers seminars, workshops, retreats, and classes on mindfulness. The creator of more than 200 guided meditations and published over 350 mindful contemplations, she has been featured in dozens of publications and has more than 13,000 followers on social media.
Tygielski also believes in giving back. She spends about a third of her time working with community organizations and school children in underserved neighborhoods. She also serves on the board of the University of Miami Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative (UMindfulness), an interdisciplinary collaboration based in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“It’s a pleasure for me to stay connected to the University,” Tygielski says. “When I came to UM, I was focused on the sciences, but my teachers in the College of Arts and Sciences encouraged me to branch out and explore other disciplines. I was able to spend a semester abroad and learn more about the soft sciences.
“That college experience played a big role in helping me maintain my balance in life.”
Maximizing Mindfulness
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL 33124
305-284-2211