discover the space for your intentions
Hi. I'm Shawn.
Veteran, Musician, and Meditation Teacher
A couple of decades ago, I stepped into a small office in suburban DC for a "Learn to Meditate" class. Sitting on a cushion, hoping to find a blissful peace, I followed the teacher's guidance. I followed my breath in, and out, and......and the sirens on the street, the growling of my stomach, the weird damp carpet smell, my classmate's stuffy nose.(Oh, "thinking" – they said this would happen. Nobody mentioned it would happen in the first 60 seconds!)So I came back to my breath. Again. And again. And again.I've been coming back ever since.Never found that magical bliss. But within all that mess? I discovered something better: a tiny sliver of space—a pause—where I could actually choose my response instead of just reacting.For 25 years, I served as a musician in the US Army's premier bands, where mistakes weren't an option. That little meditation pause? It transformed how I showed up under pressure, how I led others, how I navigated everything from White House performances to daily life.Now I help others find their own pause—that space where intention lives.
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
–attributed to Viktor Frankl, psychologist, Holocaust survivor, and author of Man’s Search for Meaning.
for everyone
Intro to Mindfulness
Practical tools for real life—no cushions or apps required. Learn breathing techniques that actually work, how to find stability in chaos, and build awareness without the woo. Customized for individuals or groups, virtual or in-person.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
The full 8-week deep dive. Created by Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR is the most researched mindfulness program out there—proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Weekly 2.5-hour sessions plus a day retreat. Fair warning: there's homework. But you'll have a group stumbling through it together.
for families
The Mindful Housecall
I come to your chaos (I mean home) and teach mindfulness to your whole family—from wiggly toddlers to eye-rolling teens to stressed-out adults. No judgment about the Legos on the floor or the dishes in the sink. This is practice for real life, complete with interruptions.We'll learn breathing games that actually work mid-meltdown, what to do when "just calm down" makes things worse, and simple techniques everyone can remember. When your 8-year-old reminds YOU to "take three breaths," you'll know it's working.Best part? You're creating a shared family language for tough moments. Instead of everyone retreating to their corners, you'll have tools to reconnect.
for musicians
Individual sessions
Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen one-on-one, where you can explore what's really going on without worrying about what anyone thinks.We'll dig into your specific relationship with performance—whether it's audition anxiety, that relentless inner critic, or whatever's standing between you and the music you want to make. These sessions blend mindfulness techniques with practical performance strategies, all tailored to your instrument, your repertoire, your challenges.No cookie-cutter solutions. Just focused work on what actually matters to you.
The Intentional Musician Residency
I bring The Intentional Musician program to your school or festival for an immersive multi-day experience. Classes build your mindfulness skills progressively:• Mindfulness 101: Introduction to Mindfulness• Breathe, Sit, Walk: An Off-The-Instrument Practice• Raising Awareness: The Mindful Warm-Up• With Ease and Intention: A Mindful Performance Masterclass• WTF IS HAPPENING!?!: A Brief Mostly Unaccompanied Horn Recital...accompanied by the not-so-brief voices in my headOf course, these sessions can be adapted and combined to best fit the time available. Throughout the residency, I'm available for individual coaching sessions. Afterward, we can arrange follow-ups or help participants create their own "inner voice" performances.The goal isn't perfection—it's finding your way back to your intention and remembering why you became a musician.
testimonials
What's with the dragonfly?
In many spiritual traditions, dragonflies represent transformation, adaptation, and the ability to embrace change. They are seen as messengers, guides, and protectors, often symbolizing new beginnings, good luck, and spiritual awakening. Dragonflies also represent a connection to nature, the ability to see beyond the limitations of the self, and the potential for self-actualization.Ummmm, yeah. Sweet I guess, but that description is a plump puff pastry of woooooo.What is physically true is that they have nearly 360 degree vision. They can travel quickly forward, and then simply PAUSE and fly in any direction, even backwards!See the connection? We, too, can expand our awareness, pause, and choose the direction which aligns with our intention. Aren't we (and dragonflies) cool?
Who is Shawn?
Shawn Hagen is a mindfulness teacher who studied MBSR at Brown University, a certified breathwork coach, and laughing yoga instructor. Drawing from 25 years as a musician in the premiere bands of The United States Army in Washington, DC, Shawn understands performance pressure intimately. He's been a frequent guest with The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and had the historic honor of being the first Alphorn soloist at the US Capitol with the US Army Band, "Pershing's Own." He currently teaches at American University and performs across the country as an Alphorn soloist as part of Alphorn Productions, LLC.Whether working with individuals or groups, music students, seasoned performers, or busy families, Shawn's approach remains consistent. He meets people exactly where they are, works with the messiness of real life, and gently nudges toward better.
contact me
The next step is simple: let's have a conversation. We'll start by talking about what you're looking for and how mindfulness might serve you.No pressure, no sales pitch - just a genuine conversation about where you are and where you'd like to go.Like that dragonfly's pause, sometimes the most important move is simply stopping to see what's possible.
hagen mindfulness, LLC
[email protected]