1. Getting Undergrad Students to
Practice Meditation On Their Own
Maria Molfino
11/13/12
mmolfino@stanford.edu

2. why I’m an expert in this area
• done over 500 hours of training in yoga and meditation (YA certified)
• been practicing yoga since I was 15 - sustained a yoga practice as an
undergraduate student
• been practicing breathing meditation for 3 + years
• been teaching breathing meditation to students for the last 2.5 years
at Stanford
• background in psychology, behavior sciences, and neuroscience of
meditation

3. students I am focusing on
• WHO: female juniors at Stanford
• WHAT: a 20 minute set breathing meditation practice
• WHEN/HOW OFTEN: at least 4 days/week
• WHERE: in their own dorm room
• WHY: to help manage the stress

4. what I did first
• I focused on one of my students, Lina, who is enrolled in a meditation
breathing course for academic credit at Stanford
• I wrote out 20-30 concrete behaviors I would like Lina to do in
association with her practice - they ranged in effectiveness and
easiness
• I figured out which of these behaviors were of highest priority by
mapping them out ... just like...

5. ...this! Very effective in
getting Lina to practice 4 days/
week
highest priority
behaviors are
here
No way. We can’t get Lina to do this
Yes! We can get Lina to do this
feasibility
impact
Not effective in
getting Lina to practice 4 days/
week

6. here in digital... Very effective in
getting Lina to practice 4 days/
week let’s make this one our “target
anchors her practice behavior”
in another routine
sends an email to her
behavior she does
teacher to confirm she
goes to an 4x/week (P)
has done her practice for
1 quarter (S) advanced course to
deepen her practices a very tests at least 3
congratulates understanding of routinized version different sitting
writes in her herself every time of her practice for props for 1 week
No way. We can’t get Lina to do this
journal effects of she finishes her 1 week (S) (S)
not doing practice
Yes! We can get Lina to do this
practice (P) choose a list of
3 days/week (P)
writes in her tests at least 3 rewards to give
writes a plan to different sitting
practices with journal any effects attends weekly takes a breathing herself if she scores
routinize her postures for 1
another person 4X of her practice follow up group course for 4/4 for the week (D)
practice (triggers, week (S)
week in her dorm. 4days/week (P) sessions for a academic credit sitting, etc.) (D)
(P) quarter (S) for a quarter (S) reads a scientific chooses from a list of
article on the options a spot in her
benefits of dorm she would do it
meets and speaks the most (D)
to person who breathing (D)
originally
designed the gets closest choose from a list posts her reason
friends to learn of tiny for loving her
the same practice celebrations to do practice on her
(D) right after her dorm wall (D)
gets doormates to feasibility chooses from a
list of rewards to
learn the same
practice (D) give herself if she
scores 4/4 (D)
chooses from a list
impact
time periods she
organizes a “learn picsks one friend
would like to practice
to breathe” of family member
the most (D)
session in her to speak regularly
dorm (D) about it (P)
writes down all the
sets up a visual reasons she loves
trigger in her dorm her practice in her
to remind her of notebook (D)
her practice (D)
sets up a calendar
reminder for her
practice (D)
Not effective in
getting Lina to practice 4 days/
week

7. lead up to the target behavior
After picking a “target behavior” - I mapped out the the other behaviors
that would lead her to it.
anchors her practice
in another routine
behavior she does
4x/week
the next day, Lina does
her home practice right
after this habit sheʼs target behavior
identified
Lina decides on her most
solid habit
Lina opens an email
requesting her to make a
list of her top 3 (most
stable) daily habits

8. tested if this would work
I sent her the following clear steps in an email on 11/11/12:

9. results
• Lina responded on 11/11 and agreed via email telling me she would
make the list the next day
• Lina made her list and sent it to me on 11/12 - she decided that making
her bed was her most solid behavior
• the following day, on 11/13, she emailed me confirming she did her
practice:
“Hi Maria I did the practice about 45 minutes
ago but had to sprint to breakfast before they
closed. I got a bit delayed cause my mom called
me right as I was making bed hehe but well i did
it :)”

10. discussion and insights
• itʼs not clear that she did her practice right after she made her bed and
whether such a tight sequencing is needed.
• her accountability to me was probably the biggest factor in making her
do it, i.e., providing her the needed structure and/or “social pressure”
- especially given itʼs not clear whether making her bed was a
sufficient trigger.
• since the practice takes 25 min., consider identifying anchor behaviors
that occur between classes (when she returns to her dorms) or in the
evenings versus in the morning when she is pressed for time
• Next steps: interview with her to figure out the relationship between
making her bed and doing the practice - and maybe testing other
anchors during her day.