Janet Smith, director of the Vermont Transcendental Meditation Center in Williston, leads the launch last Thursday of Meditate Vermont, a state chapter of Meditate America. The initiative is an effort “to reduce stress, increase resilience, and promote good mental and physical health,” Smith said. Through Nov. 12, the center is offering a reduced-price introduction to transcendental meditation. For more information, visit www.tm.org/vermont.