Dharma LabGifted online pod · Nov 15–21, 2026
Quiet the restless mind,
learn to flourish.
Ancient wisdom + modern neuroscience
A head, hands, and heart journey with some of the world's leading contemplatives and neuroscientists — a week to understand, and learn to navigate, the chronic stress of living in a world that won't slow down. A new voice each day; live calls open and close the week together. Offered freely, as a gift.
02 A living field
Not a course. A living field.
A Pod isn't a course — it's a field we cocreate. Learning here doesn't flow only one way; so much of it comes through each other's stories, lived experiences, and even our failures. Everyone is a learner as much as a teacher — and in that exchange, a quiet kinship grows that unlocks a collective intelligence none of us could reach alone.
Read more: Field that taught itself & What is a Pod? →
A living pod circle — strangers from across the world, holding space for one another.
Reflections from a recent pod with Richie and Cortland
“I have never had the experience on any course of feeling so supported and seen. This week has been life-changing.”
— Participant, Ireland“I was touched by the kind replies of others in my pod. One of the very best spiritual programs in 30 years.”
— Participant, United States“The container you created was beautiful, elegant — the best use of technology and volunteers I have ever seen.”
— Participant, United States03 Voices & hosts
Who you’ll sit with.
Neuroscientist · Stanford
Author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers — thirty years on why humans are the only animals who stay stressed long after the danger has passed.
Psychologist · Yale
Her course on why our instincts about happiness are so often wrong became the most popular in Yale's 300-year history; her Happiness Lab podcast now reaches millions.
Meditation Master
Beat crippling childhood panic through meditation — and years later, scientists found his brain aging more slowly than his years.
Neuroscientist · Columbia
The Columbia scientist who founded “mitochondrial psychobiology” — the study of how the stress in your mind reaches all the way down into your cells.
Meditation Pioneer
A painful childhood led her to meditation as a young woman; fifty years and a shelf of books later, she's taught a generation that lovingkindness is a skill, not a mood.
Psychiatrist · Brown
Discovered that anxiety runs on the very same loop as addiction, then proved that awareness can loosen its grip.
Neuroscientist · Host, Dharma Lab
When the Dalai Lama challenged him to study compassion the way science studies disease, he founded a field — and put meditating monks in the brain scanner.
Contemplative Scholar · Host, Dharma Lab
Spent years in Himalayan retreat and translating Tibetan texts before helping build a free, science-backed meditation app used around the world.
One expert voice opens each day; topics shown are indicative.
04 The journey
How the week unfolds.
Sun, Nov 15 · 8 PM CT
2 AM GMT · 7:30 AM IST (Mon, Nov 16)
Live Opening Call
We begin together — Richie and Cortland open the week live, less a lecture than the whole circle gathering.
Nov 16–20 · daily
Take it at your own pace
Five Daily Modules
One expert voice a day within a thought-through module — a session, a practice, and a reflection, each moving through head, hands, and heart.
Sat, Nov 21 · 9 AM CT
3 PM GMT · 8:30 PM IST
Live Closing Call
We close the circle together, live — reflection, questions, and a shared sense of celebration.
Both live calls are 90 minutes and recorded. If a timezone or another commitment keeps you from the live calls, you’re still warmly welcome to join the pod.
A few common questions ›
Is this for me, and what can I expect?
If the pace and noise of modern life leave you restless, overloaded, or unable to fully switch off — whether that's a faint hum or something heavier — you'll feel at home here. Come with curiosity, not a diagnosis: this is an educational experience, not medical treatment, and it isn't designed for trauma or clinical conditions. Expect a hopeful, practical week — a few ideas and small practices you can start using right away, and a little more room to breathe. Open to anyone 13 and older.
If I can't join the live calls, can I still join?
Yes. The live calls are recorded, and much of the pod — the daily modules and the reflections you share — unfolds at your own pace. Come as you can.
It's my first time — what if I run out of time, or it doesn't resonate?
If you're considering it, we'd gently say: just join. If life takes over, or you find it isn't for you, you can simply step back — no obligation, no awkwardness. And once you join, the material stays open to you for at least six months beyond the week, so you can always catch up if you fall behind.
How does the community and sharing aspect work?
More than you might expect — and it's the heart of it. This isn't a typical course where content flows one way; much of the depth comes from sharing your own reflections and reading others' — real stories, lived experience, honest questions. If you'd rather stay quiet, there's a journal mode to keep your writing to yourself, and in the live calls the small breakout rooms are always optional. Everything you share stays within your pod and is never shared beyond it without your explicit consent, never sold, and never used to train AI (see our privacy policy and terms).
Can I get a preview before committing?
We're still building this curriculum, but for a flavor, you're welcome to explore two sample modules from the Born to Flourish pod Richie and Cortland hosted this past April — Day 1: Born to Flourish and Day 3: The Superpower of Awareness.
English is not my first language — can I still join?
Yes — warmly. The live calls are held in English on Zoom, with live captions you can turn on in your own language. The daily modules are in English too, but the platform itself is truly multilingual: the interface, the pod curriculum, and everyone's comments and posts all appear in your own language. So a Mandarin-only participant can move through the week seamlessly alongside a Spanish- or Hindi-only one.
Can I invite my friends, community, or organization?
Yes, absolutely — we'd love that. See Partner with us just below for ways to bring your circle along. And if you'd like to gather people in person around the week, in the spirit of ServiceSpace's Awakin Circles, we're glad to support you with tools and tips.
How can I learn more about Dharma Lab and ServiceSpace?
Dharma Lab is Richie and Cortland's home for essays, practices, and gatherings that bring contemplative wisdom and modern science together; Richie founded both the Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds (the free app), and the contemplative training runs through Tergar — start at dharmalab.co. ServiceSpace is the 25-year-old, entirely volunteer-run ecosystem this pod lives within — explore its other pods, Awakin AI, and Moved by Love retreats, or begin at servicespace.org.
05 Apply
Join 'Quiet The Restless Mind'
In keeping with ServiceSpace values of gift, all our Pods are run by volunteers and offered entirely as a labor of love.
A special invitation · For organizations
Partner with us.
This is a rare chance to build shared context around these values, together. If you care to bring them to an organization, a network, or a community — or dream of building one — partner with us to bring the summit to your people, in your name, held in your own circle. Each partnership is shaped by context; a few possibilities we can explore:
Your organization on our partners page, alongside like-minded groups.
Bring your community through the week together, as a circle within the pod.
Tools and design tips to carry the week into a local, in-person gathering.