Founder


Name: Ron W Rathbun
Position Title:
Founder and President of the Kelee Foundation

Personal Statement: It is important that physicians and other healthcare providers feel healthy so that they help their patients heal. In addition, good communication and a strong provider-patient relationship improve individual patient care and our healthcare system overall.

As the Founder of the Kelee and Kelee meditation (KM), I developed the anatomy of the Kelee which are reference points of the mind and used to guide individuals in Kelee meditation. These reference points and other definitions that are unique to the Kelee are known as the Basic Principles of the Kelee. The Kelee is an electrochemical field that resides within us all. KM is a unique and distinctive form of meditation that is easy to learn. Also, it requires only about 10 minutes twice a day to perform.  The goal and discipline of KM is the development of one-pointed stillness of mind. Further, practicing KM over time reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.

My theoretical research was used in the medical study conducted at UC San Diego entitled, Troubleshooting the Mind through Kelee Meditation: A Distinctive and Effective Therapeutic Intervention for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. The study conducted by Dr. Daniel Lee, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSD Medical Center, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the area of stress, anxiety, and depression, leading to better patient health from doing this practice. Also, a second nurse’s study is being conducted at UC San Diego, led by Dr. Lee. This study looks at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in nurses and how they can incorporate Kelee meditation as a modality of care.

In addition to the medical study, KM is taught to medical and pharmacy students at the UCSD School of Medicine. The course is called MED 249: Understanding the Application of Meditation to Medicine. This class provides students with an opportunity to experience KM to both help them personally and understand the clinical application of meditation to Medicine.  Students are expected to develop an understanding of which clinical circumstances might be best suited for meditation as a treatment modality. In addition, this course teaches how to use meditation to foster improved patient-provider relationships.

My career as a teacher began in 1985 and in January of 1993, I began teaching Kelee meditation. In 2008 I began teaching physicians at the UC San Diego Owen Clinic bi-monthly so that they can help themselves with physician burnout and teach their patients to help with healing. I am still teaching this class to a group of MDs who work in healthcare facilities from UC San Diego Health to Scripps Clinic.

More recently, we have expanded to teach other healthcare providers. In July of 2018, the first Kelee Medicine Conference: Learning the Art of Non-Distraction was held on-campus at the UC San Diego Telemedicine Building. The survey of those who attended felt it helped them as healthcare providers to be less distracted at work and be more present with the patients they care for. In March of 2019, the second Kelee Medicine Conference: How Kelee Meditation Helps Medical Providers Detach From Internal Stressors & Other Distractions, expanded to include Registered Nurses and Allied Health Professionals to the panel and attendees. In 2020-2021 will include a Kelee Medicine live webinar series, How to Find Your “Off” Switch in a Perpetually “On” World, to expand our reach internationally and continue to teach physicians and other healthcare providers.

Education/Training:
Institution/Field of Study: Training under for 28 years, a Cal Tech Professor, Study of the mind

Positions and Honors
2005 – Present President of the Kelee Foundation, a non-profit organization
2008 – Present Physician Instructor at UC San Diego in Kelee Meditation
2015 – Present Guest Speaker for UCSD School of Medicine, MED249
2017 – 2018 Scientist and Staff Instructor at the Salk Institute in Kelee Meditation
2004 The San Diego Book Awards Winner

Contribution to Science:
First published research related to the study of Kelee: Completion of a published medical research study conducted at UC San Diego entitled, Troubleshooting the Mind through Kelee Meditation: A Distinctive and Effective Therapeutic Intervention for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. This study was led by Dr. Daniel Lee, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSD Medical Center, which demonstrated statistically significant improvements in stress, anxiety, and depression, resulting in better patient health from doing this practice. The primary outcomes measure was the t-DASS-42. Secondary outcome measures included subscales of the DASS-42, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BD-!!), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36).

  1. Daniel Lee, MD, Ron W. Rathbun The Kelee Meditation Medical Study Kelee Foundation, June 2013, p. 1-84
  2. Poster: Daniel Lee, MD, Amy M. Sitapati, MD, Ankita S. Kadakia, MD, Sanjeev Bhavnani, MD, Frank Silva MPH and Ron W. Rathbun Improving Overall Wellness via Kelee Meditation Taught in an Elective Class for University of California at San Diego Medical and Pharmacy Students International Conference on Physician Health 2018, October 11-13 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Expert speaker and instructor in Kelee Meditation for the University of California, School of Medicine: Instructor for bimonthly class for physicians and healthcare providers from UCSD and community in order to enable physicians to help themselves with physician burnout and teach their patients to help with healing. Guest speaker in the SOM providing instruction to medical and pharmacy students at the UCSD School of Medicine. This class provides students with an opportunity to experience KM to both help them personally and understand the clinical application of meditation to Medicine. More recently, we have expanded to teach other healthcare providers. In July of 2018, the first Kelee Conference: Learning the Art of Non-Distraction was held on-campus at the UC San Diego Telemedicine Building.

  1. Physician Instructor: UC San Diego Kelee Meditation
  2. Guest Speaker: MED 249: Understanding the Application of Meditation to Medicine.
  3. Keynote Speaker: Kelee Meditation Conference

Nationally recognized authorship in Kelee Meditation: Author of multiple publications which describe the basic principles of the Kelee as well as how to apply Kelee Meditation within healthcare.

  1. Ron W. Rathbun Troubleshooting the Mind: Understanding the Basic Principles of the Kelee – The Student Guide, Quiescence Publishing, February 2016
  2. Ron W. Rathbun A Daily Prescription for Natural Health, Quiescence Publishing, February 2016
  3. Ron W. Rathbun A Journal for Kelee Meditation Students: A 10-Week Course, Kelee Foundation, October 2016
  4. Ron W. Rathbun Kelee Meditation: Free your Mind, Quiescence Publishing, July 2013
  5. Ron W. Rathbun The Way is Within, Quiescence Publishing, October 1994
  6. Ron W. Rathbun The Kelee: An Understanding of the Psychology of Spirituality, Quiescence Publishing, April 2004