About Julia ​ Julia Shepherd Tang is an educator and longtime meditation teacher based in California. Her interest in meditation began early. In high school, she read Autobiography of a Yogi, and in 1993 she spent a semester in Bali studying Hinduism, where she meditated with respected masters. Despite these experiences, meditation remained abstract. She remembers being encouraged to “empty the bowl” and realizing, quite honestly, that the idea didn’t yet make sense to her. That changed in 1998, when Julia learned Sudarshan Kriya, also known as SKY Breath Meditation. The practice was immediately tangible and transformative, helping her experience calm and clarity in a way that felt grounded and accessible. Inspired by its impact, she began teaching in 2000 and has since guided thousands of students. A graduate of Harvard University and a faculty member at Stanford, Julia integrates scientific insight with timeless wisdom to make meditation practical for modern life. Her approach is warm, clear, and human—especially supportive for beginners.