This meditation begins by guiding us through a scan: to open to inner space and aliveness, then to outer space, and then continuous space, filled with the light of awareness. We explore how every experience belongs to this infinite awake space of our Being, and can be held with tenderness and love.
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The path of mindfulness, awareness, kindness, and compassion will take us as deep as we’re willing to go. Not only can it help us to relieve our stress, but it can arouse in us the courage to pull back the curtain and honestly face our patterns and conditioning, tracing them back to unconscious stories that shape how we see the world, and the other people in it.
It can be helpful to notice our preconceptions and stories in the quiet of a meditation session, but it can also be powerful to notice our biases on the spot, in the heat of the moment, and switch things up. Here are some steps to consider.
Based on some old information, you find yourself trapped in a habit pattern. You’re prejudging a person, people, or a situation, and it’s all attached to a story you’re holding onto: These people always…
When lost like this, you need to find out where you are, what’s really happening in your mind as it interprets what’s in front of you. Do you feel uncomfortable, awkward, nervous? Are you reacting more to the story about the situation than the present circumstances? Are you disengaging and distancing yourself from what’s right there?
It’s good to familiarize yourself with the territory, the terrain of what you’re uncovering in your mind. Consciously explore yourself and your patterns particular to these conditions: Every time I see this, I think this…
When you can see the lens you’re looking through, you can see the stories that have been running you and the reason you’ve lost touch with the living, breathing people in front of you.
Acknowledge the story or stories that are governing your responses. Question them. Being doggedly honest is the key here, no matter what comes up. Ask yourself:
Having taken a fresh look at what’s going on, it’s time to consider the possibility that you are not seeing the whole picture. Now that you’re loosening your grip on your version of things, ask yourself whether you like what you’re contributing to the present moment, both internally (in your mind) and externally (in your actions).
If you allow yourself to stay stuck on your original habit pattern, and have the same old reaction, you won’t really notice the impact you’re having on others. You will feel what your story tells you to feel.
Better to feel the vulnerability of not being right—or at least not quite so certain. Not knowing is tenderhearted.
Our map of the world and our place in it is so often too small. Our stories have shrunk what is a very big and wild place and left out a lot of terrain.
Reflect on and update your GPS. Connect and realign with your actual beliefs and values, the ones you hold deep down. Educate yourself, break the old cycles, cut a new groove.
Following this kind of process in the middle of things may seem difficult, but it really doesn’t take long to examine and dislodge our story, and we can do it over and over again. It may slow things down a bit, but that’s not so bad.
And remember the old saloon wisdom: “If you sit down to gamble and you don’t see the sucker, it’s probably you.” Where our biases are concerned, if we don’t see what the big problem is, we may be a part of it.
Explore this 10-minute introductory practice to respond with compassion. Read More 
Mindfulness is often taught to and by middle-aged white women, but some of the most intense and interesting work is being offered to diverse and disenfranchised communities—bringing our cultural and class biases out into the open. Read More
Anu Gupta, founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, offers five portable compassion-based tools to face and transform racial bias at work and in day-to-day life. Read More
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I was touched today upon reading this beautiful poem by Micky ScottBey Jones, and it inspired me to reflect on how we might be sure our teaching spaces are places of support, encouragement, love, and safety in these deeply unsettling times.
Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know.
We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together,
and
We will work on it side by side.
I have watched with pain in my heart as the terrible events of the past few weeks have amplified the echoes of far too many similar events of weeks, years, and centuries past. Too many terrible acts to name but all collectively to be remembered and to be the catalyst that finally initiates a sea change toward a world where Black lives (and those of all racialized people) matter, none less than another.
And the question becomes: How do we each find our way forward in light of this? What can and should be done in our teaching? How does self-compassion help us (as well as our participants) to be strong, resilient, resolved, and brave?
Each of us carries the weight of this suffering to different degrees, and because it is our constant companion, it comes with us into the classroom. And there we encounter other humans who are carrying their own burdens, and together we endeavor to do something meaningful, “working on it side by side” while engulfed in the flames of deep societal suffering.
As our weary and outraged participants look to us as teachers to guide them and to find a way to soothe the pain in their hearts, we may be feeling the weight of the world upon our shoulders. What can we do in this encounter to create a brave space that can “turn down the volume of the outside world” and “amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere”?
Moments like this, to me, mimic the private moments of despair and pain that each of us faces nearly every day when something outside of us triggers pain inside of us. The emotional trickery of those moments is that we believe we are best served by exclusively looking outward at the cause, rather than inward at the pain.
And that is where WE, as teachers, must start as well. We might begin by inquiring within about how we are meeting our own suffering over racial inequality, injustice, and privilege. And, when it comes to bringing people together and perhaps opening the door to sharing and dialogue, what struggle arises in us when we contemplate breaking the culture of “white silence” (if we are white) and speaking about race, racism, and systemic oppression?
Can we refrain from telling and instead choose to ask with love in our hearts?
Speaking for myself, I can feel my heartbeat quicken when I contemplate opening to issues like this, especially in my role as a teacher. I am not accustomed to speaking about such things, but something in my DNA really deeply wants to, even in the context of a mindfulness or compassion course. But as someone out of his element, I have a feeling like I am walking into an emotional minefield when I contemplate joining the conversation. Even now as I write these words, I feel a rising tide of hesitancy, doubt, and fear in my gut, and I ask myself, “Who the hell am I to talk about this?”
My head wants to say: “Mindfulness isn’t about any of these things, it’s about meeting ourselves in the midst of suffering, regardless of the cause. Just stay out of the story, avoid the topic, and get to the practice.”
But another part of me says, “Saying nothing is saying something.” I believe that not acknowledging both the presence and the source of so much pain and angst and fear and anger and outrage in our participants makes us complicit in the longstanding denial of the reality of these despicable aspects of our society.
So maybe I might comfort and soothe my aching heart and feel my—all of our—unmet needs for justice, equality, and fairness in the world that lead me to anger and outrage. From this place of self-compassion, I might consider beginning to look within for ways of meeting those needs through my attitude, words, and deeds, and then “work on it side by side” with my participants.
Once I have touched and held my own suffering, I believe I can tenderly but bravely support others in doing the same. With the deepest of respect for the profound suffering that is held in the hearts of so many (a skill we as teachers already know well), we can walk slowly, invite courageous and heartfelt sharing that can easily pivot to pregnant healing silence, and above all else, be humble.
Can we refrain from telling and instead choose to ask with love in our hearts? Can we let the gentle spotlight of kind attention rest on those in our groups instead of on ourselves, as we instead embody compassion, patience, kindness, and loving strength?
I am committing here to creating this kind of brave space that does not polarize, but instead reminds us of our common humanity—that each of us belongs to the human family, but each has our own particular experience of that belonging.
In the end, I believe the question becomes whether we can hold it all within the context of developing the resource of mindfulness and self-compassion.
Can we bravely consider the possibility that we have blind spots, biases, and beliefs that are not immediately apparent to us and begin to know what we don’t know?
As teachers, we must not lose sight of our own practice, when we meet our particular suffering over the state of affairs in our world. Can we bravely consider the possibility that we have blind spots, biases, and beliefs that are not immediately apparent to us and begin to know what we don’t know? (See the resources below for some first steps.) And can we find our way into our own bodies and hearts when we encounter our suffering participants? Together we can create a brave space from which action can be formulated, even if that action is, at first, no more immediate than to comfort and encourage ourselves in moments of fear and discouragement, giving ourselves the inner strength and resolve to continue looking for more that we can do when the time is right. And never ceasing in our efforts on behalf of ending socio-cultural oppression in all its forms.
“This space will not be perfect,” yet it can still be a place of bravery, healing, and change, where each heart begins to heal, even while our collective heart is broken. There is no better time than now to be a teacher of mindfulness and compassion in a world that so obviously needs it. May you find your own way to the action that is right for you, and let us all “work on it side by side.”
“How I have Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Talking Race” a TEDx video that speaks directly to self-compassion.
The Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda Magee. Rhonda’s work in this area is widely respected and very relevant to the work of teaching mindfulness and compassion.
Anguish and Action: An initiative of the Obama foundation.
White Awake: White Awake combats white supremacy by focusing on educational resources and practices designed to engage people who’ve been socially categorized as “white” in the creation of a just and sustainable society.
The Mindful Directory is a rich new resource, uplifting mindfulness leaders and practitioners at all levels to help access the teachers and events to take your mindfulness practice further. Read More
Resilience expert Linda Graham presents two ways you can ease anxiety and fear with the research-backed benefits of self-compassion. Read More
Anu Gupta, founder and CEO of BE MORE with Anu, offers five portable compassion-based tools to face and transform racial bias at work and in day-to-day life. Read More
The post How Mindfulness Teachers Can Build Brave Space appeared first on Mindful.
Unprecedented, uncertain—these are terms we’ve heard used in excess over the past few months of living through a global pandemic. But no matter how tiring uncertainty may be, one thing remains true: We’ve all had to adapt to changing circumstances the best we can and as fast as we can.
Now, we’re facing yet another shift. Coronavirus restrictions are slowly easing and new stresses about going back to work, socializing while socially distanced, and what this all means are on the rise. If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed about reconnecting with the outside world, here are five guided meditations worth following to ease anxiety and calm panic.
If we remember the importance of resilience, gratitude, and doing with less, we can move forward with a new sense of purpose. Read More
Mindful CEO Bryan Welch proposes some heartening ideas we’re learning about compassion, aggression, and who we really are in the face of the pandemic. Read More
Researchers and media experts weigh in on how to stay informed about COVID-19 while protecting your mental health. Read More
The post 5 Guided Meditations to Investigate Panic and Anxiety appeared first on Mindful.
Being at war with ourselves blocks us from evolving our consciousness and living from our hearts. This talk distinguishes between toxic and healthy shame, as well as shame about our individual self and our group identity. We explore how, with self-compassion and courageous honesty, we can respond to negative, painful feelings about ourselves in a way that serves awakening and alignment with our deepest values.
The post Shame, Healing and Transformation appeared first on Tara Brach.
We each have within us the very source of wisdom and love. This meditation calls forward that essence, our awakening heart, so we can seek guidance and nurturing for the parts of us that need a healing attention.
The post Meditation: Calling on Our Inner Bodhisattva (21:12 min.) appeared first on Tara Brach.
The global anti-racism protests have ignited a much-needed reckoning among many mindfulness practitioners about systemic racism. For 15 years, I have studied the nature of bias academically, contemplated its socioemotional impacts with over 10,000 hours of meditation, and trained more than 16,000 professionals nationwide in science-backed, compassion-based tools to break it. In this moment of reckoning, I offer you five tools that you can use anywhere, anytime to face and transform the virus of racial bias that still afflicts our hearts and minds. Rooted in the science of neuroplasticity, collectively these tools spell out the acronym PRISM: perspective-taking, pRosocial behaviors, individuation, stereotype replacement, and mindfulness. We begin with mindfulness and work our way backwards to perspective-taking.
Mindfulness is the bedrock of breaking bias. It is the act of noticing or becoming aware of what is happening in the heart, mind, and body at the moment of contact with another person. Toni Morrison famously said, “Race is the least reliable information you can have about someone. It’s real information, but it tells you next to nothing.” Yet, even in 2020, I often get asked, “Where are you from?” “Brooklyn,” I reply to which they often retort, “No, where are you really from?” For people of color, this line of reasoning is all too familiar. I feel anger. I feel hurt. I feel othered. My thoughts are spiraling: Is it because my skin isn’t white that I can’t be from Brooklyn? Are you asking about my ethnicity? Why does that matter?
Toni Morrison famously said, “Race is the least reliable information you can have about someone. It’s real information, but it tells you next to nothing.”
This is where my mindfulness practice jumps in. It helps me acknowledge my feelings and thoughts. No longer denied—I know who I am and I won’t let this line of reasoning make me feel less than. I take a breath, and I respond. This takes daily practice, but underneath it is the resolve to not let myself believe other people’s ideas of me. Similarly, if you’re curious about someone’s ethnic background, can you bring mindfulness to why? What would that information help you deduce about that person? Are those deductions skillful, helpful, and onward leading?
Stereotype replacement is the active practice of visualization to break our mind’s habits of putting people into stereotypical boxes. For example, notice the first image that comes to mind when you read the word leader.
Did you think of Oprah Winfrey? Malala Yousafzai? Or someone who matches their racial, ethnic, gender, or age profiles? There’s no shame if you didn’t. This is about becoming mindful of our mind’s deeply habitual patterns. Now that you’re aware of that pattern, you can actively begin to build a repertoire of leaders who reflect our true human diversity. This transformative tool loosens the grip of your existing associations and can do wonders in a short time.
My student Sheryl, a Black woman who was the only executive of color at her company, for years felt like she had to fight against all of the conscious and unconscious biases that came her way daily. This made her feel exhausted and small. After learning about stereotype replacement, she built a vision board with images of powerful women, who like her withstood the test of hatred with poise, grace, and self-love. She turned to visual images of Ella Baker, Michelle Obama, and Wangari Maathai for guidance when she needed it most. Whenever she felt small, she visualized them. Within a week, Sheryl reported a new sense of confidence that was reflected in her tone, gait, and posture.
Individuation is a practice that builds on the previous two to cultivate curiosity. In our interactions with others, we mindfully notice the stereotypes that arise in the mind and actively dissociate them from the person we are with. We allow ourselves to receive people for who they are instead of being stuck in our ideas of them.
For my student Arlene, a white corporate trainer and a committed mindfulness practitioner, this practice allowed her to become aware of the many unfounded stories in her mind about Black men, which she said, “often prevented authentic interactions.” The more she leaned into her curiosity about who these people were as unique individuals versus what her mind wanted her to believe, the more she felt connected to those people and to herself. This tool liberated her from years of racist conditioning.
Prosocial behaviors are a set of tools that actively incline our minds toward positive feeling states, such as compassion, loving-kindness, gratitude, equanimity, generosity, joy, and forgiveness. When we cultivate these feeling states around the suffering of bias experienced by oneself and others, it helps build boundless resilience and courage. Research has also shown that it enhances trust and communication in intergroup contexts.
When we cultivate these feeling states around the suffering of bias experienced by oneself and others, it helps build boundless resilience and courage.
Exercising prosocial behaviors were crucial for my own healing of race- and gender-based trauma. For two years, I practiced twenty minutes of loving-kindness daily that began with myself and then zoomed out to other people. I visualized and brought loving-kindness for Black people suffering from the crises of police violence and mass incarceration; Indigenous people suffering from the legacies of broken treaties and colonization; houseless people suffering from trauma; among others. It’s about fostering loving-kindness for our own suffering and feeling in our minds and bodies how that suffering is also experienced by others. These tools offer me the fuel I need to empower others to break bias.
Perspective-taking is the ultimate tool of radical compassion. It is giving ourselves permission to imagine what it may be like to be in the shoes of another person. It’s what good actors and performers are able to do on stage—embody the life of another human in such a way that we get chills down our spine. It is what Toni Morrison taught her students, the radical act of leaving your self-centered narrative and letting your human imagination feel the narrative of someone completely different from you—perhaps a Syrian refugee, a Black mother mourning the loss of her son to needless police violence, or an undocumented, transgender child who feels he doesn’t belong in his body. Depending on your social position, you may never know what it is truly like. But let your imagination allow you to feel it. Soon you’ll realize that despite these seeming differences, and regardless of our outer appearance, we are all connected by life’s ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows.
Contemplative sciences show that eight weeks of mindfulness-based practices can dramatically transform our ability to cope with stress, addiction, and other emotional afflictions. Racial bias is no exception and the routine practices of mindfulness, stereotype replacement, individuation, prosocial behaviours, and perspective-taking have proven powerful tools for breaking our biased habits of thought. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that our goal is to build a beloved community. This will require a qualitative shift in our hearts and a quantitative shift in our lives. What is needed now is for all of us to proactively initiate those shifts.
This practice is based on the BE MORE with Anu PRISM® toolkit.
Michelle Maldonado, coauthor of A Bridge To Better: An Open Letter To Humanity and Resource Guide, shares a guided meditation for strengthening our ability to be self-aware, self-actualized, and self-determined as we co-create our emerging new reality and world together. Read More
It’s difficult to have a conversation about racism, privilege and fragility without things getting heated. In this Point of View Podcast, experts weigh in on the role mindfulness plays in understanding and navigating racial justice. Read More
Our brain can move very fast, and that can be a real problem. The tendency to make split-second assessments of people can lead to disastrous outcomes. Read More
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