Justin Michael Williams

Justin Michael Williams works where meditation, music and social change meet. A Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter as well as a meditation teacher, he has spent close to twenty years teaching, and he speaks to companies, universities and festivals about inner work. His first book, Stay Woke (Sounds True, 2020), set out to make meditation feel relevant to people who rarely see themselves in wellness spaces, especially younger readers. With Shelly Tygielski he later wrote How We Ended Racism, which imagines looking back from 2050 at how real equality was reached.

His own method, Freedom Meditation, pairs everyday mindfulness with shadow work, so that people notice the patterns that hold them back and act on what they really want. He teaches it through self-paced audio programmes such as 40 Days to Transformation and the Shadow Work Bootcamp, a monthly membership with live masterclasses and coaching, and an online teacher training that has certified more than 150 meditation teachers across ten countries since 2022. He also hosts music-and-mindfulness retreats in Bali, and his free guided practices and courses on Insight Timer reach a large audience. He is based in Los Angeles.