I'M CATHERINE LAW, I LEAD THE
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AT THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR NCCIH AT THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
ON BEHALF OF THE NCCIH DIRECTOR,
DR. HELEN LONGEVIN, AND DAVID
SHURTLEFF, I WELCOME YOU TO THE
2021 STEPHEN E. STRAUS
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN THE
SCIENCE OF COMPLEMENTARY
THERAPIES.
OUR SPEAKER TODAY WILL BE
PROFESSOR RHONDA MAGEE OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.
I WOULD LOVE TO TURN
THINGS OVER TO DR. HELENE
LONGEVINE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND
INTRODUCE THE LECTURER.
>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO
JOIN US TODAY.
WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THIS
LECTURE AS A SPECIAL TIME TO
HONOR THE MEMORY AND LEGACY OF
DR. STEVE STRAUS.
THE CENTER'S FOUNDING DIRECTOR
FROM 1999-2006.
STEVE WAS AN EMINENT
PHYSICIAN-RESEARCHER AT NIH,
KNOWN FOR BRILLIANCE AND NOTED
FOR HIS COMPASSION TO HIS
PATIENTS.
AT NCCIH, STEVE BUILT A
COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH
ENTERPRISE, FOR EFFICACY AND
SAFETY OF COMPLEMENTARY AND
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICES,
WHILE OF COURSE UPHOLDING NIH'S
RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF SCIENCE.
IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK, HE HELD
POSITION OF SENIOR INVESTIGATOR
IN LABORATORY OF CLINICAL
INVESTIGATION AT THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NIAID;
WHERE HE CONDUCTED CRITICAL
RESEARCH ON MANY CONDITIONS,
INCLUDING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES,
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, LYME
DISEASE, HIV/AIDS, CHRONIC
HEPATITIS B VIRUS, GENERAL
HERPES INJECTIONS, CHRONIC POST
HEPATIC PAIN.
WE REMEMBER STEVE FONDLY AND
MISS HIM.
AND TODAY I AM VERY PLEASED TO
WELCOME MRS. BARBARA STRAUS,
STEVE'S WIFE, TO OUR AUDIENCE.
WELCOME, BARBARA.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK
MR. BERNARD AND MISS BARBARA
OSHER WHO SUPPORT THIS ANNUAL
LECTURE THROUGH THEIR GENEROUS
DONATION TO THE FOUNDATION FOR
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF
HEALTH.
MISS MARY BITTERMAN, PRESIDENT
OF THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION
IS WITH US.
WELCOME, MARY.
OUR THANKS ALSO TO FNIH FOR
THEIR LONGTIME PARTNERSHIP WITH
NCCIH IN THIS SERIES.
I AM NOW PLEASED TO WELCOME
PROFESSOR RHONDA MAGEE, WHO WILL
SPEAK TO US ABOUT MINDFULNESS AS
A SUPPORT FOR HEALING
CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS
TOWARDS SOCIAL JUSTICE AND
EQUITY.
WE'RE EXTREMELY PLEASED THAT
PROFESSOR MAGEE COULD JOIN US
TODAY TO SHARE HER THOUGHTS ON
THIS VERY TIMELY TOPIC.
RHONDA MAGEE, JD, FULL PROFESSOR
OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN
FRANCISCO, SHE'S A LONGTIME
TEACHER AND PRACTITIONER OF
MINDFULNESS THROUGH VARIOUS
TRADITIONS AND SCHOLAR OF CON
TEMPLATIVE EDUCATION.
PROFESSOR MAGEE IS A LEADER ON
INTEGRATING MINDFULNESS INTO
HIGHER EDUCATION, LAW, AND
SOCIAL JUSTICE.
AND SHE HAS A STRONG INTEREST IN
SOCIETAL IDENTITY BIAS.
SHE IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE INNER
WORK OF RACIAL JUSTICE, HEALING
OURSELVES AND TRANSFORMING OUR
COMMUNITIES THROUGH
MINDFULNESS."
PROFESSOR MAGEE RECEIVED HER
MASTER'S DEGREE AND J.D. FROM
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, AND NOW
PLEASE WELCOME PROFESSOR RHONDA
MAGEE.
>> HELLO.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE JOINING
ALL OF YOU.
I APPRECIATE SO MUCH THE WARM
INTRODUCTION BY DR. LONGEVIN AND
WANT TO THANK THE TEAM AT THE
NCCIH, NATIONAL CENTER FOR
COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
HEALTH, AT NIH.
IT'S BEEN A JOY TO WORK WITH YOU
ALL, AND I JUST APPRECIATE ALL
THE HONORED GUESTS WITHOUT WHOM
THIS ENGAGEMENT COULD NOT BE
POSSIBLE.
SO, WE ARE GATHERING AT THE END
OF A LONG YEAR, IN THE WINTER OF
20201 AS I DELIVER THESE REMARKS
WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THE STILL
PREVALENT PUBLIC HEALTH PANDEMIC
OCCASIONED BY THE CORONAVIRUS
AND ITS VARIANTS, WE'RE IN THE
MIDST OF A KIND OF SOCIAL
PANDEMIC.
SO THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THAT
ARE BRINGING US TOGETHER HERE,
AND THAT ARE PROVIDING THIS
BROAD CONTEXT FOR THE REMARKS
THAT I WANT TO SHARE.
I HAVE PREPARED SOME SLIDES THAT
I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, ANY OF YOU WHO
HAVE SEEN ME PRESENT WILL KNOW,
I'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE, IF YOU
WILL, OF THE LIBERTIES PRESENTED
BY ZOOM.
PERHAPS TO USE THESE SLIDES AS A
SUPPORT BUT ALSO I WANT TO AS
BEST AS POSSIBLE INVITE ALL OF
US TOGETHER INTO A REFLECTIVE
MOMENT AROUND THE THEMES
PRESENTED HERE.
SO WE DON'T WANT THE SLIDES TO
TOO MUCH DOMINATE, BUT CERTAINLY
BEAR WITH ME AS I SHARE THESE
SLIDES AND ALLOW THEM TO SUPPORT
US IN REFLECTING TOGETHER ON
THESE THEMES.
SO, WHAT IS THE THEME?
THE TITLE I'VE CHOSEN FOR THESE
REMARKS IS "MINDFULNESS, AS A
SUPPORT FOR HEALING
CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS
TOWARDS SOCIAL JUSTICE."
AND WE KNOW THAT, AGAIN, THE
TIMES THAT WE'RE IN, SORT OF
MAKE PLAIN, YOU KNOW, FROM
WHEREVER WE ARE WE MAY HAVE SOME
SENSE OF WHY THIS THEME MIGHT BE
IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
I FEEL VERY AWARE OF HOW IT IS
THAT THE CHALLENGES OF THIS TIME
THAT I WAS ALLUDING TO
MOMENTARILY, THE INTERLOCKING
PANDEMICS, CORONAVIRUS AND THE
SOCIAL CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME,
ARE CALLING UPON US TO MORE
DEEPLY INVESTIGATE AND DEPLOY A
RANGE OF HEALING MODALITIES FOR
HELPING US NAVIGATE THESE
DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND FOR ME, THOSE MODALITIES DO
INCLUDE A KIND OF SOCIALLY
ENGAGED DEEP FORM OF MINDFULNESS
THAT I'LL EXPLORE MORE HERE, AND
IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TODAY I
REALLY WANT TO JUST CREATE SPACE
FOR REFLECTING ON HOW THIS
PARTICULAR MINDFULNESS-BASED
INTERVENTION MIGHT REALLY
SUPPORT US IN THE INTERPERSONAL
CHALLENGES AND IN THE EFFORTS
THAT WE MIGHT IN OUR OWN WAYS BE
ENGAGING WITH OTHERS TO MAKE
SOCIAL COMMUNAL, OR MORE
COLLECTIVE FORMS OF CHANGE IN
OUR MIDST.
SO, AGAIN, FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS CONVERSATION, WE'RE GOING
TO BE FOCUSING IN ON THE
PROBLEMS RELATED TO SOCIAL
IDENTITY-BASED BIAS.
WE KNOW THAT AT THIS TIME, WE
THINK ABOUT THIS THEME OF, YOU
KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE MIGHT
WANT TO BRING HEALING
CONVERSATIONS TO, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY,
AND SO AS A BACKDROP TO MY
REFLECTIONS OF COURSE, I JUST
WANT TO NAME THERE ARE THESE
CONCEPTS HELPING SHAPE MY
REFLECTIONS AND I HOPE WILL
INFUSE YOUR THINKING, AND YOUR
BEING, IN THIS CONVERSATION,
WITH ME, FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE.
SO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS
CONCEPT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND
SOCIAL IDENTITY-BASED BIAS IS
ONE ASPECT OF BROAD COMPLEMENT
OF THEMES AND STRANDS OF
EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD
PERSONALLY, INTERPERSONALLY, ON
A COLLECTIVE BASIS, THAT WE
MIGHT LOOK AT WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT THE QUESTION OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE.
I WILL SAY THAT WHEN I THINK
ABOUT JUSTICE AND ANY OF YOU WHO
HAVE DONE ME THE HONOR OF MAYBE
READING ANY OF MY WRITINGS, YOU
MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY
WHICH I THINK ABOUT JUSTICE,
WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
FROM MANY LAW PROFESSORS, BUT
NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM SOME
OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE HELPED
INSPIRE MUCH OF THE WORK TO
BRING QUESTIONS OF EQUITY TO THE
FORE IN OUR PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
THAT IS TO SAY I THINK OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE AS A KIND OF
PUBLIC-FACING LOVE IN ACTION FOR
THE ALLEVIATION OF SUFFERING.
AND SO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
SUFFERING AS IT RELATES TO THE
MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN, WE THINK
ABOUT THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF
THAT, WE CAN'T HELP BUT BE
CALLING FORTH SOME OF THE WAYS
THAT OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR
INSTITUTIONS, OUR DISCIPLINES
HAVE BEEN FORMED AGAINST THE
BACKDROP OF A LONG CULTURE'S
ENGAGEMENT WITH DIFFERENT
TRAININGS AND POLICIES AND
PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN
EMBEDDED IN, YOU KNOW, THE
BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION OF
SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION, AND
HIERARCHY.
BY WHICH I MEAN TO SAY, YOU
KNOW, THE LEGACIES OF RACISM,
COLONIALISM, SEXISM, PATRIARCHY,
HETERONORMATIVITY SHOW UP IN OUR
SYSTEMS.
BECAUSE THEY ARE POWERFUL
FORMING US, WE'RE IN THESE
SYSTEMS AND THEREFORE THOSE
SYSTEMS ARE IN US.
SO, AS ONE KIND OF FOOTPRINT, OR
ONE WAY IN WAY SOME OF WHAT I'M
TALKING ABOUT MAY BE BROUGHT
INTO FOCUS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION
HERE IS THIS THEME OF SOCIAL
IDENTITY-BASED BIAS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPLICIT
OR IMPLICIT WAYS THAT WE
CATEGORIZE EACH OTHER AND ARE
CATEGORIZED BY OTHERS IN THE
SOCIAL REALM, AND THE WAYS THAT
THOSE CATEGORIES EMBED CERTAIN
NORMATIVE CONTENT AND/OR, YOU
KNOW, WHAT WE THINK OF AS
DESCRIPTIVE CONTENT.
SO THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND
COGNITIVE SCIENTISTS CALL THIS,
YOU KNOW, THE PROCESSING -- IF
YOU WILL, NORMAL PROCESSING OF
THE SOCIAL BRAIN.
WE CATEGORIZE AND CREATE SCHEMAS
TO HELP US MOVE THROUGH THE
WORLD, AND THE SCHEMAS THAT WE
DEVELOP COGNITIVELY AROUND
PEOPLE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT
WE CALL STEREOTYPES BY WHICH WE
THINK OF CATEGORIES TO WITH RACE
AND GENDER FOR A SCHEMA FOR
BLACK WOMEN WITH MEDIA
REPRESENTATIONS OR MANY WAYS WE
MAY HAVE IMBIBED MESSAGING
AROUND WHAT THE CATEGORY OF
BLACK WOMAN SHOULD OR MIGHT OR
DOES CONTAIN.
WELL, THESE SCHEMAS CAN THEN BE
ASSOCIATED WITH MANY DIFFERENT
TRAININGS THAT WE HAVE AROUND
THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VALUE
AND APPRECIATION, ACCEPTANCE,
INCLUSIVITY, DESIRABILITY,
ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT SOCIAL
CATEGORIES AND THE GROUPS
REPRESENTED BY THOSE CATEGORIES.
WELL, ALL OF THIS, RIGHT, IS
JUST KIND OF PART AND PARCEL OF
THE LEGACIES OF OUR SOCIAL,
CULTURAL, LEGAL, POLITICAL
HISTORIES.
AND THESE HISTORIES ARE NOT JUST
IN THE PAST.
THEY ARE, AGAIN, HELPING FORM
AND INFORM HOW WE INTERACT
TODAY.
SO, HARM IS STILL BEING DONE BY
THESE KINDS OF BIASES THAT
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS WILL TELL
US WE ALL CARRY TO SOME DEGREE
OR ANOTHER EVEN WHEN WE
INTENTIONALLY HOPE NOT TO.
SO, BECOMING MORE AWARE OF THE
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CARRY AND
OPERATE FROM SOME OF THE SCRIPTS
THAT ARE PREFIGURED BY OUR
BIASES IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT
WE MIGHT DISRUPT THEIR HARMFUL
IMPLICATIONS, DISRUPT SOME OF
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE
BIASES, THAT CAN LEAD TO ONGOING
OPPRESSION, DISEMPOWERMENT,
SOCIAL VULNERABILITY.
THERE ARE THESE THREATS IN OUR
SYSTEM THAT HARM ALL OF US IN
WAYS -- IN DIFFERENT WAYS,
RIGHT?
SO THE HARMS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW,
PORTENDED BY WHAT I'M DESCRIBING
VARY, OBVIOUSLY, FOR ALL OF US.
AND VARYING DEGREE AND KIND.
SO, THE ABILITY TO DEAL WITH
COMPLEXITY, THE ABILITY TO
REGULATE OUR EMOTIONS AS WE COME
INTO REAL LIVE CONTACT IN THE --
IN OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH
OTHER, IN THE INSTITUTIONS WHERE
WE SERVE, IN OUR WORKPLACES AND
OUR COMMUNITY, WHEN WE'RE
CONFRONTED BY SOME OF THE
EVERYDAY EXAMPLES OF WHAT I'M
TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT
SOME FOLKS CALL
MICROAGGRESSIONS, WHICH ARE
THESE SORT OF STUNNING OFTEN
SUBTLE, OFTEN UNINTENDED
DISRESPECTFUL SIGNALING THAT
SUGGESTS THAT PERHAPS SOMEONE
DOESN'T BELONG OR SOMEONE MAY
NOT BE SAFE OR SOMEONE MAY NOT
BE SOMEONE AROUND WHOM WE FEEL
SAFE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE MANY
WAYS THAT WE FEEL SOME OF THE
RESONANCES OF WHAT I'M TALKING
ABOUT IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES,
FROM THE SUBTLE, IN THE FORM
THESE MICROAGGRESSIONS TO MORE
GROSS, THREAT OF HATE CRIMES
MORE PREVALENT IN OUR LIVES OVER
THE LAST PERIOD THAT WE'VE BEEN
DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN HATE CRIMES
ASSOCIATED WITH AND AGAINST
ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MEMBERS
OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH HAVE,
YOU KNOW, KIND OF JOINED WITH
THAT LONGSTANDING AND, YOU KNOW,
THE LONGSTANDING LEGACIES OF
THESE SORTS OF VULNERABILITIES
THAT RACIALIZED POPULATIONS,
WHETHER AFRICAN AMERICAN, NEW
IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS, IN OTHER
WORDS PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT HERE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT JUST THESE
SUBTLE WAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE
HARMED, MICROAGGRESSIONS AND
SLIGHTS TO DIGNITY, BUT THE MORE
GROSS FORMS OF HARM THAT CAN
LEAD TO VIOLENCE IN OUR MIDST.
OR THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE.
AND SO, I JUST TOUCHED ON SOME
OF THE WAYS THAT THE SOCIAL
IDENTITY-BASED BIASES ARE
CAUSING ARM, RAISING THE LEVEL
OF THREAT AND CONCERN THAT HAVE
CAUSED MANY WHO ARE EXPERT IN
LOOKING AT PUBLIC HEALTH TO SEE
RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH
THREAT, AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS
AS PORTENDING A KIND OF CRISIS.
WE SEE IT ACTUALLY WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE THINK ABOUT THE DISPARATE
IMPACT OF THE VIRUS IN TERMS OF
ITS INCIDENCE AND LETHALITY.
ANYONE WHO WANTS ANY MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PART OF
WHAT I'M SAYING CAN READILY TURN
TO THE CDC'S WEBSITE, AND YOU
CAN SEE REPUTABLE DATA-BASED
EVIDENCE OF THE DISPARATE IMPACT
OF CORONAVIRUS THAT'S IMPACTING,
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CALL -- WHAT I
CALL RACIALIZED COMMUNITIES,
COMMUNITIES THAT DIFFER BY RACE
AND ETHNICITY.
AND THESE DISPARATE IMPACTS,
THESE WAYS THAT WE ARE REMINDED
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS OF
CORONAVIRUS IN SO MANY WAYS VARY
BY OUR SOCIAL IDENTITIES, AND
OUR COMMUNITIES, THIS IS A
PAINFUL ASPECT OF THIS TIME
THAT, AGAIN, IS ONE WAY OF
IDENTIFYING THE EVERYDAY MEANING
OR MANIFESTATIONS OF THIS
PROBLEM I'M BROADLY POINTING TO
HERE.
AND SO, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT
RACE IS STILL A PROBLEM AND
RACISM REMAINS A PROBLEM IN OUR
MIDST BUT HOW TO ADDRESS IT IS A
CHALLENGE.
AND WE KNOW THAT ACROSS OUR
COMMUNITIES THERE ARE MANY WAYS
WE'RE FEELING THE CHALLENGE OF
COMING TOGETHER EVEN TO TALK
ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
AND SO, I BELIEVE WE NEED
MULTIPLE LEVELS OF WAYS OF
COMING TOGETHER AROUND THESE
TOPICS.
WE NEED THE ABILITY TO DEAL MORE
WITH COMPLEX MULTIPLE
PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY.
WE NEED DIFFERENT WAYS OF
MANAGING OUR OWN EMOTIONAL AND
OTHER CHALLENGES THAT COME UP AS
WE COME TOGETHER ACROSS LINES OF
REAL AND PERCEIVED DIFFERENCE TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AGAIN
THAT INNER WORK THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO THE OUTER WORK OF
CHANGE.
AND FINALLY, I THINK THE
ULTIMATE CALL OF THIS MOMENT,
THE GREAT PAUSE THAT CORONAVIRUS
AND ALL OF THE INTERLOCKING
CRISES INCLUDING THE CLIMATE
CRISIS WHICH IS CAUSING DISTRESS
AROUND THE COUNTRY, RIGHT HERE,
RIGHT NOW, GUN VIOLENCE AND
OTHERS, WE REALLY ARE BEING
CALLED, ALL OF US, TO PAUSE
DEEPLY AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO
MORE ACCURATELY PERCEIVE EACH
OTHER, PERCEIVE OUR
RESPONSIBILITIES TO EACH OTHER,
CREATE NEW NARRATIVES ABOUT WHAT
HEALTH MIGHT LOOK LIKE GOING
FORWARD IN OUR WORLD.
WE KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST A
CHALLENGE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS
LIKE ME IN LAW AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE ADVOCATES BUT, AGAIN,
EVERYTHING THAT I'M DESCRIBING
HAS ITS PARTICULAR
MANIFESTATIONS WHEREVER WE ARE.
AS ONE EXAMPLE, WE MAY SEE IF WE
WERE WILLING TO SEE, AND THERE'S
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT, OUR
UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S BIAS
IN THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
SYSTEMS THAT WE FIND IN OUR
MIDST.
IT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
LAW PROFESSOR DANA BOWEN MATTHEW
WROTE A BOOK IN 2015, "JUST
MEDICINE" DESCRIBING WAYS WEED
MY SEE EVIDENCE OF RACE-RELATED
BIAS IN OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
THIS IS A WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE FROM
PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL
LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT?
WE'VE ALL IMBIBED THESE
TRAININGS ABOUT WHO MATTERS,
THEY CAN SHOW UP IN BIASES AS
I'VE DESCRIBED.
AND WE HAVE THESE SYSTEMIC AND
STRUCTURAL MANIFESTATIONS BIASES
AS WELL.
ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT LEVELS
AND WAY BIAS MANIFESTS IN THE
DIFFERENT COMPLEXITIES INHERENT
IN MORE CLEARLY UNDERSTANDING
WITH A NUANCE, RIGHT, TO
RECOGNIZE BIAS IS PREVALENT BUT
ON THE OTHER HAND HOW IT SHOWS
UP MAY BE, YOU KNOW, REALLY
UNIQUE AND MAY CALL UPON US TO
REALLY ATTUNE TO, YOU KNOW, THE
NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE AND MAKE
DISTINCTIONS, RATHER THAN SIMPLY
HAVE A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL MODEL
FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.
ALL OF THIS MATTERS SO MUCH
BECAUSE BIAS CAUSES MORE HARM.
HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE
THE QUOTE FROM PROFESSOR
MATTHEWS' BOOK, THE BIASES
AFFECT HEALTHCARE DECISIONS AND
DELIVERY, ANNUALLY, THE QUOTE
GOES, UNCONSCIOUS RACISM HARMS
PATIENT HEALTH, CUTS SHORT
PATIENT LIVES, INCREASES HEALTH
CARE COSTS AND DIMINISHES HEALTH
CARE QUALITY.
AND SO HOW MIGHT MINDFULNESS
SUPPORT US IN GENERALLY
ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES AND
INCREASING EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE
IN OUR COMMUNITIES?
WELL, I WANT TO PAUSE HERE AND
INVITE, YEAH, JUST THINKING, HOW
MIGHT MINDFULNESS-BASED
INTERVENTIONS, A SET OF
INTERVENTIONS THAT THOSE OF YOU
WHO HAVE GATHERED HERE IN THIS
CALL, THIS CONVERSATION, KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT, RIGHT?
THIS IS A COMMUNITY OF MANY
FOLKS WITH DIVERSE TRAININGS,
BACKGROUNDS, AND AREAS OF
EXPERTISE.
MANY DIFFERENT SOCIAL BASES OF
EXPERIENCE, BASED ON YOUR OWN
IDENTITIES.
SO, AS WE COME TOGETHER WITH
THIS TOPIC BEFORE US, WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT MINDFULNESS AS A
SUPPORT FOR HEALING
CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT REALLY
LEAD TO MORE JUST ACTION IN THE
WORLD.
I GUESS THE IMPLICIT THEORY IS
BEFORE WE CAN ORGANIZE OURSELVES
AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE CHANGES
THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR US,
RIGHT IN OUR MIDST, RIGHT IN OUR
WORKPLACES, HOW IT IS WE
INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE
OBJECTIVES WE FORM FOR OUR WORK
OVER THE NEXT YEAR, BEFORE WE
CAN REALLY DO THAT OR AS A PART
OF DOING THAT WE NEED TO
SOMETIMES HAVE SOME DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS.
WHEN I SAY DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS I WANT TO OPEN THE
DOOR, WHAT DOES THAT DIFFICULTY
LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
FOR EACH OF US THESE
CONVERSATIONS CAN BE CHALLENGING
AND DIFFICULT FOR MANY REASONS.
AND MY WORK HAS BEEN TO THINK
ABOUT HOW MINDFULNESS MIGHT
SUPPORT US IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF
WAYS THAT WE MIGHT MORE
EFFECTIVELY RESPOND RATHER THAN
REACT TO THE REALITY OF ONGOING
LEGACIES AND MANIFESTATIONS OF
BIAS IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING
THOSE THAT WE HOPE WOULD BE
ARRAYED AT ALLEVIATING
SUFFERING, AT HEALING, AT
HELPING, AS THE HEALTH CARE
SYSTEMS WE HOPE WILL DO.
SO HOW MIGHT MINDFULNESS-BASED
INTERVENTIONS BETTER SUPPORT US
IN THIS WORK OF COLLECTIVE
CHANGE?
HOW MIGHT THESE INTERVENTIONS
SUPPORT US IN HAVING CHALLENGING
CONVERSATIONS AS A PRELUDE TO
THE OR PART OF THE WORK WE DO TO
ENACT CHANGE IN THE WORLD?
I WANT TO PAUSE AND HAVE US
THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS
THAT WE UNDERSTAND MINDFULNESS.
THERE ARE COMMON VIEWS NOW.
WE KNOW MINDFULNESS, MEDITATION
AND ASSOCIATED PRACTICES AND
APPROACHES HAVE BECOMES REALLY
BY NOW BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY,
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IN A
CERTAIN SENSE, AS ONE OF THOSE
WHO HAS BEEN FOR MORE THAN 20
YEARS WORKING WITH OTHERS TO
EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF
BRINGING MINDFULNESS TO THE FORE
IN SUPPORT OF A WIDE RANGE OF,
YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUBLIC-FACING
INTERVENTIONS FOR POSITIVE
CHANGE.
PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC JUSTICE,
MORE EFFECTIVE EDUCATION, ALL OF
THESE HAVE BEEN PART OF THE WORK
THAT I'VE BEEN DOING AS A LAW
PROFESSOR.
I SHOULD SAY ONE OF THE CLASSES
THAT I TEACH, HAVE TAUGHT FOR
MORE THAN 20 YEARS, A CLASS ON
PERSONAL INJURY LAW.
AND IN THAT CLASS, I HAVE BEEN
PRIVILEGED IN TEACHING THE
CLASS, PRIVILEGED TO SUPPORT LAW
STUDENTS FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF
BACKGROUNDS AT MY BASE AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, WHO
ARE BEING TRAINED TO EXPLORE
WAYS OF MEETING PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN PHYSICALLY INJURED.
OFTEN THROUGH UNINTENDED, YOU
KNOW, ENGAGEMENTS, CAR
ACCIDENTS, AND THE LIKE.
AND A BIG QUESTION ANIMATING
THAT ENTIRE DISCIPLINE, YOU
KNOW, WHAT'S THE CARE WE OWE ONE
ANOTHER?
IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE HARM
HAPPENS IN AN UNINTENTIONAL WAY.
OF COURSE, THAT COURSE LOOKS AT
INTENTIONAL HARMS, A RANGE OF
DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IN
INVITING LAW STUDENTS IN THEIR
FIRST YEAR OF THAT PARTICULAR
PROFESSION'S TRAINING, YOU KNOW,
THE APPRENTICESHIPS THROUGH
WHICH WE'RE IMPARTING TO LAW
STUDENTS A SET OF KNOWLEDGE, YOU
KNOW, BROAD BASE OF KNOWLEDGE
THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DRAW ON
IN THE COURSE OF THEIR LEGAL
EDUCATION BUT THEN IN PRACTICE
FOR MANY YEARS FROM THERE, WE'RE
IMPARTING ANOTHER APPRENTICESHIP
BEYOND THE KNOWLEDGE
APPRENTICESHIP, ALSO OFFERING A
SET OF SKILLS, HOW TO THINK
ABOUT THE WORLD, RIGHT?
INCLUDING THE FAMOUS SKILLS OF
LEGAL ARGUMENT AND ANALYSIS,
THINKING LIKE A LAWYER.
AND FINALLY WE'RE BRINGING A SET
OF VALUES ABOUT WHAT MATTERS,
WHEN WE -- AS WE EDUCATE LAWYERS
AND LAW STUDENTS, WE'RE
IMPLICITLY, OFTEN, SOMETIMES
EXPLICITLY, BY DEFINITION ALSO
TALKING ABOUT VALUES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE
BEEN EXPLORING IS HOW
MINDFULNESS AND OTHER FORMS OF
LET'S SAY SUBJECTIVE WAYS OF
KNOWING AND SELF-REGULATING AS
WE ENGAGE IN THE DIFFICULT WORK
OF DEPLOYING THE KNOWLEDGE,
SKILLS, AND VALUES OF A LEGAL
EDUCATION RIGHT AT THE HOT SPOTS
WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING TOGETHER
IN CONFLICT.
PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY
INJURED.
THERE MAY BE THREAT OF PHYSICAL
INJURY.
WE WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW
IMMIGRANTS, WHO ARE FACING, YOU
KNOW, CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES
OF POTENTIAL DEPORTATION.
WE WORK WITH FOLKS WHO ARE IN
FAMILY LAW, LOOKING AT HARM
THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE FAMILY,
IN FAMILY SYSTEMS AND SEEKING
WAYS TO REPAIR.
SO, THE WORK THAT I'VE BEEN
DOING HAS BEEN ABOUT A DIFFERENT
KIND OF ENGAGEMENT WITH
SUFFERING AND WELL-BEING AND
INFORMING PROFESSIONALS TO
MAXIMIZE CAPACITY, DEPLOY THE
RANGE OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT OUR
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND VALUES
MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE A POSITIVE
DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE
SET OF CHALLENGES OF DOING THAT
KIND OF WORK IN THIS TIME I HAVE
FOR MANY YEARS ACTUALLY BEEN
EXPLORING HOW MY MINDFULNESS
MEDITATION MIGHT BE A DEEPER
SUPPORT.
AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE COMMON
WAYS THAT WE THINK ABOUT
MEDITATION, HERE ON THIS SLIDE
YOU SEE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE
TENDED TO THINK ABOUT MEDITATION
OR I'LL SAY MINDFULNESS
PRIMARILY AS A FORM OF
MEDITATION, RIGHT?
I'M PAUSING BECAUSE ACTUALLY
WHEN WE USE THE WORD
MINDFULNESS, OF COURSE, IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO NAME THAT WE
ARE OFTEN USING IT IN MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS.
I SOMETIMES SAY THERE ARE MANY
DIFFERENT MINDFULNESSES OUT
THERE AND WE FORGET AT OUR
PERIL.
BEAR WITH ME USING THEIR TERMS
THAT REALLY, TO COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN
AND WHAT WE MIGHT MEAN, AS WE
DEPLOY THESE TERMS IN THE WORLD,
AS WE THINK ABOUT RESEARCH
PROJECTS AROUND THEM, AS WE
THINK ABOUT WAYS TO MEASURE
THEIR EFFICACY IN VARIOUS
APPLICATIONS, IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT OF COURSE TO PAUSE AND
INQUIRE MORE DEEPLY HOW WE MEAN
THIS TERM, WHAT DO WE MEAN BY
IT.
I THINK AS THIS SLIDE
REPRESENTS, VERY COMMONLY WE
THINK OF MINDFULNESS AS A KIND
OF MEDITATION, THAT CAN SUPPORT
FOCUSING AND PERSONAL
SELF-MASTERY, DEALING WITH
STRESS, INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY,
BY THE WAY THE COMMON WAY OF
THINKING ABOUT MINDFULNESS OFTEN
REFERENCES BODIES THAT LOOK
SOMEWHAT LIKE THIS BODY.
RIGHT?
AND I'M JUST GOING TO NAME, DO I
HAVE TO NAME AS WE COME TOGETHER
AND WE'RE DOING THIS?
INTERACTIVELY, EVEN THOUGH I
CAN'T SEE THOSE OF YOU ON THIS
CALL.
WHAT'S COMING UP WHEN YOU SEE
THIS IMAGE ON THIS SLIDE?
IF YOU HAD TO IDENTIFY A SOCIAL
IDENTITY WITH THIS PERSON WHO IS
REPRESENTED, WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT REALLY
ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY
CHARACTERIZE THIS IMAGE?
YOU MIGHT NOTE THIS PERSON
APPEARS TO BE FEMALE BODIED.
MAYBE CISGENDER FEMALE.
AGAIN, OUR MINDS PROCESS THESE
THINGS WITHOUT NECESSARILY
KNOWING HOW IT IS THAT THE
INDIVIDUAL WOULD SELF-IDENTIFY.
BUT WE ARE BEING GIVEN ACCESS TO
THE RULES OF OUR SOCIAL CULTURAL
RULES THROUGH WHICH WE IDENTIFY
OTHERS AND ARE BEING IDENTIFIED.
SO, IT'S SORT OF OUR VERY ROUGH
AND OFTEN CRASS WAY THAT
IDENTITY HAPPENS IN THE WORLD
AND THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN
THOSE PROCESSES.
AND SO I'M PAUSING HERE WITH
THAT ASPECT TO ALLOW SOME OF
WHAT MIGHT BE INVISIBLY
HAPPENING AS YOU LOOK AT MY
VISUAL, AS YOU LOOK AT THE
VISUAL OF THIS PERSON ON THE
SCREEN, IN THE WAY OF THIS SORT
OF AUTOMATIC PROCESSING THAT
I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE.
OFTEN WE DON'T PAUSE AND BRING
AWARENESS TO IT.
AND AS I THINK ABOUT WHAT
MINDFULNESS IS, MY WORK HAS BEEN
ABOUT HELPING US UNDERSTAND THAT
MINDFULNESS CAN CERTAINLY BE
ABOUT FOCUSING, DEALING WITH
STRESS, MANAGEMENTS AND ALL
THAT, BUT ALSO ABOUT
UNDERSTANDING MORE OF WHAT IS
HAPPENING BETWEEN US WHEN WE
COME TOGETHER.
WHETHER ON ZOOM, WHETHER WE'RE
JUST -- WHETHER IN PERSON, IN
THE RANGE OF MORE OR LESS
REGULATED SPACES BY WHICH I MEAN
TO SAY WORKPLACES THAT HAVE
CERTAIN NORMS AND, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND
STRUCTURE FOR REDRESS AND
GRIEVANCE.
MAY NOT BE PERFECT, IF THERE'S
SOME SORT OF VIOLATION OF THOSE
REGULATED SPACE, RIGHT?
VERSUS LESS REGULATED SPACES,
YOU KNOW, THE STREETS WHERE WE
MEET, THE BARS WHERE PEOPLE
MEET, LATE AFTER HOURS.
IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT
PLACES, ALL IN BETWEEN, IN ALL
OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPACES
YOU MIGHT BE THINKING OF RIGHT
NOW, THESE SORTS OF
IDENTITY-BASED PREDICTIONS,
PRE-CALCULATIONS, STEREOTYPES,
RIGHT?
WE ARE MOVING THROUGH THE WORLD
AND MAKING ASSUMPTIONS, AND THE
ASSUMPTIONS WE MAKE ARE BEING
FORMED BY AGAIN SOME OF WHAT THE
CULTURE'S PRESENTED TO US.
WHEN THE CULTURE PRESENTS
MINDFULNESS, IT'S OFTEN
PRESENTING IN THE WAY THAT THE
SLIDE SUGGESTED MIGHT BE
PRESENT.
WHITE BEEN BODIED INDIVIDUAL,
SOME-BODIED INDIVIDUAL, WHO IN A
CERTAIN SENSE LOOKS MAYBE
PHYSICALLY FIT.
WHAT ARE THE IMAGES YOU HOLD OF
MINDFULNESS?
HOW MIGHT WE BROADEN HOW WE
THINK OF MINDFULNESS AS A FORM
OF MEDITATION AND MORE, AND HOW
MIGHT HOW WE THINK ABOUT
MINDFULNESS, HOW WE RESEARCH IT,
TEACH IT, ACTUALLY BE MORE
CONSCIENTIOUSLY AND EFFECTIVELY
PRESENTED AS A SUPPORT FOR
DEALING WITH SOCIAL
IDENTITY-BASED CHALLENGES.
AND HERE I JUST HAVE SCRIBBLED A
FEW OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE
MIGHT IMAGINE MINDFULNESS
SUPPORT US IN THE SOCIAL WAYS,
AND EACH OF US WOULD HAVE OUR
OWN DIFFERENT LISTS OF WHAT
MIGHT COME UP, IF WE THINK ABOUT
HOW MIGHT MINDFULNESS BE A
SUPPORT.
FOR SOME OF US, WELL, I NEED TO
DEEPEN MY COURAGEOUS CAPACITY TO
SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER, TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT I SEE FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, MY OWN
POSITIONALITY, MY UNIQUE POINT
OF VIEW.
WE EACH HAVE A UNIQUE POINT OF
VIEW, OF BEING AND SEEING IN THE
WORLD, THAT ON THE ONE HAND
GETS, YOU KNOW, TREATED AND
LUMPED INTO THESE CATEGORIES
THROUGH WHICH WE GET CATEGORIZED
IN THE SOCIAL TERMS THAT I'VE
BEEN DESCRIBING, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME EACH OF US IS RADICALLY
UNIQUE, RADICALLY
DIFFERENTIATED, EVEN THOSE OF US
WHO CATEGORIZED AS ALL WOMEN,
WOMEN OF COLOR, OR BLACK WOMEN,
WITHIN ALL OF THESE CATEGORIES.
OF COURSE IS THIS INFINITE LEVEL
OF DIVERGENT EXPERIENCE,
DIVERSIFIED EXPERIENCE,
DIFFERENTIATEDNESS.
AND THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS
PART OF THE COMPLEXITY THAT WE
ARE CHALLENGED TO BE MORE
SKILLFUL AROUND.
AND PART OF BECOMING MORE
SKILLFUL MIGHT CALL FOR ANY ONE
OF US TO SAY I NEED TO SPEAK MY
TRUTH ABOUT A PARTICULAR WAY
THAT MY EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS
SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT NEED TO
HELP US ALL IN THIS DIVERSE
COMMUNITY, TEACHERS, LEARNERS,
PRACTITIONERS, HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS, HOW MIGHT MY
PARTICULAR VANTAGE POINT BE
GIVING ME ACCESS TO SOME
INFORMATION THAT I MIGHT WANT TO
SHARE, SOMETHING I WANT TO NAME,
SOMETHING I WANT TO IDENTIFY AS
A GOAL OR OBJECTIVE THAT MY OWN
EXPERIENCE MIGHT MAKE MORE
SALIENT FOR ME THAN YOURS WOULD
MAKE FOR YOU.
HOW CAN MINDFULNESS SUPPORT US
IN HAVING COURAGE TO ACCESS OUR
POWER IN MOMENTS LIKE THAT?
AND MAKE THE MOST OF THE
OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE WHEN WE
COME TOGETHER ACROSS THESE LINES
OF REAL AND PERCEIVED
DIFFERENCES.
I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW WHAT I HOPE
YOU SEE AND FEEL AS THE HEART OF
THIS TALK.
ON ONE HAND WHILE WE SEE MANY
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
FACT THAT WE COME TOGETHER FROM
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND WE'VE
INHERITED LEGACIES OF
CATEGORIZING EACH OTHER AND
STEREOTYPING EACH OTHER AND
RACISM AND OTHER FORMS OF BIAS
ARE REAL, AND THEY INTERSECT,
RIGHT?
RACISM, SEXISM, IT'S MUCH MORE
COMPLICATED THAN I CAN UNPACK IN
AN HOUR.
WE SEE THESE AS PROBLEMS.
HERE IS WHAT I WANT US TO MAKE
SURE WE SEE AS WELL.
THERE'S SUCH PROFOUND
OPPORTUNITIES.
WE KNOW THIS FROM MUCH RESEARCH
ABOUT HOW WE MAXIMIZE THE
POTENTIAL TO NOT JUST MINIMIZE
PREJUDICE.
AGAIN, THERE'S LONG STANDING
BASIS AROUND HOW WE COULD
MINIMIZE PREJUDICE AS WE COME
TOGETHER.
BUT THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, MORE
AND MORE RESEARCH AROUND OTHER
WAYS WE CAN BRING POSITIVE
PSYCHOLOGY AND OTHER POSITIVE
PRO SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS TO
MAXIMIZE COMING TOGETHER ACROSS
PLACES OF DIFFERENCE.
COMING TOGETHER CAN BE
DIFFICULT.
FEELING WE CAN SPEAK IN A PLACE
WHERE WE MAY NOT LOOK LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM, WE
MIGHT FEEL LIKE THE ONLY ONE,
THIS IS SOMETIMES CHALLENGING.
SO I'M MENTIONING HERE THIS IS
JUST ONE ASPECT OF THE WAY THAT
MINDFULNESS HAS HELPED ME
PERSONALLY, FIND MY WAY TO
FEELING MY OWN INHERENT
BELONGING IN SPACES WHERE I
HAVEN'T -- MY EVENT WASN'T THE
DOMINANT IDENTITY IN THE ROOM.
I KNEW THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT I
WAS THERE OR SOMETHING IMPORTANT
OR POSITIVE MIGHT COME FROM MY
BEING IN THIS GROUP.
SO, MINDFULNESS THEN CAN BE THAT
KIND OF RESOURCE FOR DEEPENING
OUR ACCESS TO OUR OWN SKILLS,
ABILITIES, I CALL THIS OR
ORIGINAL MEDICINE FOR THESE
TIMES.
PRACTICES COULD HELP US RESTORE
AFTER WE'VE HAD EXPOSURE TO ONE
OF THE HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES OF
BIAS I'VE NAMED BEFORE.
AND I'VE ALREADY BEEN ALLUDING
TO SOME OF THE WAYS MINDFULNESS
CAN HELP US WITH EMOTIONAL AND
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE OF STAYING
PRESENTS WHEN STRONG EMOTION
MIGHT BE ARISING.
WHEN AS WE KNOW, AS I'VE ALREADY
ALLUDED TO THIS AS WELL, THESE
CATEGORIES ARE FORMING IN MANY
CASES, GIVE RISE TO
RATIONALIZATIONS FOR DOING HARM.
AND THEREFORE BEING ABLE TO MORE
EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH FEAR,
ANGER, STRONG EMOTIONS, THAT
COULD BE THE PRECURSORS FOR
VIOLENT ACTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER, IN
MY LIFETIME, HAD A MORE
IMPORTANT TIME, BEEN IN A MORE
IMPORTANT TIME FOR BEING MORE
SKILLFUL AROUND MINIMIZING SOME
OF THE INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS
THAT CAN LEAD TO VIOLENCE IN OUR
MIDST.
THIS TOO IS OBVIOUSLY A CLEAR
AND PRESENT PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT
THAT OFTEN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH
PRACTITIONERS ARE BEARING UP
AGAINST IN WAYS THAT ARE, AGAIN,
RELATED TO THESE QUESTIONS OF
RACE AND RACISM AND THE
CONFLICTS OF OUR TIME, BUT NEED
MORE ATTENTION TOO.
SO MINDFULNESS THEN MIGHT BE
SEEN BROADLY AS A WAY OF
MAXIMIZING OUR CAPACITY TO DEAL
WITH CONFLICT, TO DEAL WITH
CHANGE, INCLUDING THE INTERNAL
DID I MESSAGES -- DIMENSIONS,
INTERNAL TO EXTERNAL, AND FULLY
EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF WHAT WE
ARE STRUGGLING WITH.
HA!
SO REALLY I'M ALLUDING TO WAYS
MINDFULNESS IS SEEN NOT JUST AS
A PERSONAL PRACTICE, OFTEN
WHITE-BODIED SOLE PRACTITIONERS
MASTERING ABILITIES TO MOVE
THROUGH THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, YES, THAT, BECAUSE I
BELIEVE WE DO NEED TO SEE
MINDFULNESS THROUGH THE LENS OF
PERSONAL COMMITMENTS TO CERTAIN
WAYS OF BEING.
BUT IF WE CAN'T EXPAND HOW WE
THINK ABOUT MINDFULNESS TO
INCLUDE THESE INTERPERSONAL
WAYS, TO INCLUDE WAYS WE MIGHT
BRING IT IN, INFORMALLY, WHEN
WE'RE BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER
AND ABOUT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS
AROUND THE DINNER TABLE THAT
COULD SUPPORT A LONG AND DEEP
REFLECTIVE WAY OF SHAPING OUR
THINKING, RIGHT IN OUR HOMES,
OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR WORKPLACES,
AROUND THESE DIFFICULT ISSUES.
OR SUPPORTING US IN PAUSING WHEN
WE NEED TO IN PUBLIC SPACES,
TAKING A MOMENT BEFORE WE HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT SOMETHING
VERY DIVERSITY COULDN'T.
BECAUSE MINDFULNESS AT THE END
OF THE DAY INCLUDES, FOR ME, NOT
JUST MEDITATIVE PRACTICES BUT A
WHOLE COMPLEX OF ETHICAL
COMMITMENTS TO HOW WE WANT TO BE
TOGETHER.
IT'S AN INVITATION TO REALLY
REEXAMINING THE STORIES WE CARRY
ABOUT EACH OTHER.
IT'S AN INVITATION TO RECONNECT
WITH EACH OTHER MORE EFFECTIVELY
AND RECOGNIZE WE'RE ALWAYS
INTERCONNECTED AND WE'RE ALWAYS
INFLUENCING EACH OTHER IN WAYS
THAT ARE OBVIOUS AND
NON-OBVIOUS.
AND THEREFORE MEETING EACH OTHER
WITH COMPASSION MAKES A LOT OF
SENSE.
SO, MINDFULNESS THEN FOR ME IS
MUCH MORE THAN THOSE MEDITATION
PRACTICES.
IT'S A BROAD SET OF COMMITMENTS
TO CULTIVATING CARE, CULTIVATING
COMPASSION, BECOMING MORE
PRESENT TO OUR INHERENT
CONNECTIVITY, AND CONNECTEDNESS.
AND MAXIMIZING OUR ABILITY TO
USE OUR POWER MORE RIGHTLY
TOGETHER.
THE POWER THAT WE HAVE AS
INDIVIDUALS, THE POWER THAT WE
HAVE COLLECTIVELY.
AND ALL OF THIS IS AIDED BY THE
BEAUTIFUL CAPACITY THAT
MINDFULNESS AS A BROADWAY OF
BEING IN THE WORLD INVITES,
BUILDS, AS A RESULT INDICATES HE
EQUANIMITY TO NOT GET STUCK IN
OUR OWN DEFENSIVENESS, STUCK IN
OUR SENSE OF IT'S MY WAY OR THE
HIGHWAY.
IF YOU DISAGREE, THEN, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE NOT HUMAN AND THEREFORE I
CAN TREAT YOU WITH ANY SORT OF
VIOLENT RESPONSE I LIKE.
CULTIVATING PRACTICES, LOVING
KINDNESS PRACTICES, OTHER SORTS
OF PRACTICES THAT DEEPEN
EMPATHY, DEEPEN, AGAIN, THAT
ABILITY TO RESOLVE OUR
DIFFERENCES, NON-VIOLENTLY, SO
IMPORTANT FOR THOSE IN LAW BUT
WE'RE LEARNING THIS IS IMPORTANT
FOR ALL OF US MAINTAINING
DEMOCRATIC CONTEXT FOR HEALTH
CARE WORK, ANY KIND OF EFFECTIVE
WORK IN THE WORLD.
WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE ABILITY
TO DRAW ON INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
PRACTICES, MINDFULNESS AND
RELATED PRACTICES TO SUPPORT US
IN OUR INNER WORK FOR GROUNDING
IN OUR STRONGEST HEALTHFUL
RESOURCES, BUT ALSO IN HELPING
SHARE THOSE PRACTICES IN
COMMUNITIES TO MINIMIZE THE
SENSE THAT WE'RE SO RADICALLY
DIFFERENT WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND
EACH OTHER, TO RECOGNIZE OUR
COMMON HUMANITY, TO COME
TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT HELP US
REALLY DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW,
THOSE UNDERLYING DIFFICULT
EMOTIONAL DYNAMICS, FEAR,
UNCERTAINTY, ANGER, THAT ARE
DRIVING SO MUCH OF WHAT FEELS
LIKE DISCORD, DISCONNECT,
UNHEALTH AND WELLNESS,
TRANSFORMING TO REIMAGINING WHO
WE ARE AND RECREATING CAPACITY
FOR RENEWAL AND FLOURISHING FOR
ALL.
I'M TOUCHING ON THIS SLIDE JUST
ON SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT
SUPPORTS EVERYTHING I'M SHARING
HERE.
IF FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED,
I WRITE MORE ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
IN MY BOOK, "THE INNER WORK OF
RACIAL JUSTICE, HEALING
OURSELVES AND TRANSFORMING OUR
COMMUNITIES THROUGH
MINDFULNESS," A BOOK I WROTE AND
PUBLISHED IN 2019.
BUT I'VE WRITTEN ARTICLES AS
WELL, AND THESE RESEARCH
FINDINGS GIVE US, YOU KNOW,
AGAIN, CONFIDENCE IN SEEING THAT
MINDFULNESS, YES, CAN HELP US
WITH SOME OF THE PARTICULAR WAYS
THAT BIAS IS HARMING US.
IT CAN IMPROVE CAPACITY FOR
RESILIENCE AND REBOUNDING, IF WE
MEET AN INSTANCE OF BIAS.
IT CAN HELP REDUCE IMPLICIT
BIAS, AT LEAST THE RESEARCH IS
HELPING US FEEL CONFIDENT
THERE'S SOME WAYS THAT
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION AND OTHER
MODALITIES CAN ASSIST US WITH
THAT.
IT CAN DECREASE THE DEROGATORY
IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE, IMPORTANT
FOR MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL IN
PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATION
SPACES.
SO, HERE'S THE SHIFT THAT I
THINK THE RESEARCH IS STARTING
TO TAKE TOWARD NOT JUST PERSONAL
MINDFULNESS AND SKILL BUILDING,
PERSONAL PRACTICES, BUT SO NOT
JUST INTRAPERSONAL, WITHIN THE
PERSON, BUT LOOKING INTO
INTERPERSONAL AND OTHER
REGARDING PRACTICES AND EFFECTS.
SO, LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION AND
LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION AS A
PARTICULAR VARIATION OF THAT CAN
HELP DECREASE IMPLICIT BIAS,
THIS IS A REPORT OF RESEARCH
DONE BY PROFESSOR EUNA KING,
THIS BEAUTIFUL GROUP OF
SCHOLARS, AND SOME OF THE
RESEARCH, I'M ONLY TOUCHING ON A
FEW PIECES REALLY TO INSPIRE THE
RESEARCHERS OUT THERE.
FIRST, KNOW THIS RESEARCH IS OUT
THERE.
SECOND, TO INSPIRE US TO ADD TO
IT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE
SPENT DECADES NOW AMASSING A
RICH AND IMPORTANT BODY OF
INFORMATION ON THE EFFICACY OF
VARIOUS FORMS OF MINDFULNESS,
MEDITATION, AND OTHER RELATED
MODALITIES.
WE HAVE JUST BARELY SCRATCHED
THE SURFACE, I BELIEVE, IN
LOOKING HOW MINDFULNESS CAN
SUPPORT US INTERPERSONALLY AND
WITH COLLECTIVE CHANGE, TO GIVE
US CONFIDENCE IF WE CONTINUE TO
EXPLORE HOW MINDFULNESS SUPPORTS
US IN COMING HOME TO OUR BODIES,
NOTICING WHEN OUR FEELINGS ARE
GETTING DYSREGULATED, NOTICING
WHEN THOUGHTS ARE COMING UP THAT
ARE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL, AND
NOTICING THE DIFFERENT WAYS
WE'RE RELATING TO THE WORLD AND
THEN CHOOSING TO RESPOND RATHER
THAN TO REACT TO THOSE
PROVOCATIONS.
THIS ACRONYM, RAIN, HELPS UNPACK
WHAT I MEAN AND HOW MINDFULNESS
CAN HELP US AS WE LOOK AT RACE
AND RACISM IN OUR MIDST.
RAIN.
WE RECOGNIZE WHEN AN INSTANCE OF
BIAS OR SLIGHT OR HARM OR, YOU
KNOW, EXPLICIT RACISM IS SHOWING
UP.
WE ACCEPT, FOR THE MOMENT, NOT
FOR FOREVER, RIGHT?
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO DISCERN
WHAT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN AND
TAKE ACTION, BUT FOR THE MOMENT
WE WANT TO ACCEPT THIS IS WHAT
WE'RE DEALING WITH.
WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE PAST IT,
NO, MAYBE THIS ISN'T RACE.
NO, THIS IS ABOUT RACE OR BIAS
OR, YOU KNOW, ASSUMPTIONS BEING
MADE ABOUT THIS PERSON'S
BACKGROUND BASED ON WHAT THEY
LOOK LIKE, ACCENT THEY ARE
CARRYING.
THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
THIS IS WHAT THIS IS.
AND I'M WILLING TO RECOGNIZE,
ACCEPT IT, INVESTIGATE AND
INQUIRE INTO THAT, WITH
NON-ATTACHMENT, MEANING I'M
WILLING TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS
CLEARLY HERE AND THEN OPEN
MYSELF UP TO WHATEVER THERE IS
TO SEE.
I'M NOT GOING TO WRAP MYSELF
AROUND A NEW NEW STORY THIS IS
ALL THERE IS TO SEE, DEEPENING
OUR CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE
SKILLS AND VALUES IN WAYS THAT
ARE INTENTIONALLY DIRECTED AT
MINIMIZING RACIAL HARM, AND THIS
RAIN ACRONYM IS AN EXAMPLE.
PAUSING.
INQUIRING, AS YOU LISTEN TO MY
COMMENTS.
WHAT DOES SOCIAL SUFFERING LOOK
LIKE AND FEEL LIKE IN YOUR
EXPERIENCE?
HOW MIGHT THESE AWARENESS AND
COMPASSION PRACTICES ASSIST YOU
IN UNDERSTANDING MORE CLEARLY
DIFFERENT NUANCED WAYS THAT
IDENTITY-BASED BIAS MIGHT BE
SHOWING UP, MIGHT BE IN THE
RESEARCH ITSELF, MIGHT BE IN THE
TRAININGS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED,
MIGHT BE IN THE TEACHINGS WE
DEPLOY.
HOW CAN WE DISRUPT THEIR HARM?
SO, HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE OF A KIND
OF PRACTICE FOR USING
MINDFULNESS TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION AROUND THESE
ISSUES AS A PRELUDE FOR WORK.
I'M DRAWING ON A SLIDE PREPARED
BY MY CO-TEACHERS AT THE EAST
BAY MEDITATION CENTER, A PLACE
WHERE I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE A
VISITING TEACHER, BASED IN
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, HERE IN THE
BAY AREA WHERE I'M BASED.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS INVITES A
KIND OF PRE-CONVERSATION ABOUT
HOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
LET'S SAY RACE AND RACISM,
IDENTITY, AS IT'S SHOWING UP IN
OUR WORK, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE
CONVERSATION.
AND THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS ON
HOW THIS CAN LOOK.
BUT I WANT TO PUT THIS SLIDE UP
TO SHOW MINDFUL SPEAKING AND
LISTENING, AS A KIND OF
PRACTICE, RIGHT?
TO SUPPORT MULTICULTURAL
INTERACTIONS.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST MINDFUL
SPEAKING AND LISTENING.
IT'S BEING PRESENT AS A PERSON
WHO MIGHT BE REACTING, TAKING UP
TOO MUCH SPACE AND YOU NEED TO
STEP BACK, INVITING OPENNESS,
CURIOSITY, THE WAYS WE MIGHT
BLAME OR SHAME OTHERS.
MINDFULNESS, MINDFUL BEING
PRESENT TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT
SUBTLE DYNAMICS THAT MIGHT BE
HAPPENING INTERPERSONALLY, CAN
REALLY HELP US AND IF WE CREATE
THIS CONTEXT FOR THE
CONVERSATION WHERE WE AGREE THAT
WE'RE GOING TO BE MORE CONSCIOUS
AND INTENTIONAL, WE'RE GOING TO
LISTEN TO EACH OTHER IN
DIFFERENT WAYS, NOTICE OUR
REACTIVITY AND PAUSE, AND TRY TO
RESPOND RATHER THAN REACT TO
WHAT'S HAPPENING, TRY NOT TO BE
DEFENSIVE IF WE FEEL OURSELVES
GETTING DEFENSIVE OR RATHER THAN
TRYING NOT TO BE DEFENSIVE
RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
ACCEPT THAT, YES, I FEEL MYSELF
BEING DEFENSIVE IN THIS MOMENT.
TAKE A CONSCIOUS BREATH.
HA.
TRY AND CLEAR THE SPACE FOR
LISTENING AGAIN.
MINDFULNESS TO HELP US ALL
FLOURISH, TO ME, IS WHAT LOVE
LOOKS LIKE IN PUBLIC, IT REALLY
IS ASKING US TO EXPLORE HOW
THESE PRACTICES CAN DEEPEN
COMPASSIONATE CONCERN AND ACTION
AND DISRUPT INJUSTICE.
HERE'S ANOTHER ACRONYM, I WON'T
GO INTO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME
JUST TO SAY IN MY BOOK, IN THE
WORK THAT I DO, AND THE WORK
THAT OTHERS ARE DOING TO EXPLORE
INTERPERSONAL MINDFULNESS AS A
SUPPORT FOR THESE TIMES, YOU'LL
FIND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
AND THERE IS SUPPORT IN THESE
PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS WE
CALL MINDFULNESS.
SO, IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO
OFFER THESE THREE WHAT I CALL
SIMPLE RESEARCH AND TEACHING
IMPERATIVES.
LET'S EXPLORE MINDFULNESS
PRACTICES FOR STRENGTHENING
INTERPERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE
ENGAGEMENT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT
NOW, AROUND CONFLICT AND
DIFFICULTY.
LET'S DEVELOP INSIGHT AND
EXPLORE MINDFULNESS TO HELP US
SEE THINGS MORE CLEARLY.
MULTIPLE MORE COMPLEX AND
NUANCED REALITY.
WE CAN SEE THESE THINGS MORE
CLEARLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF
THESE PRACTICES WE CALL
MINDFULNESS, THE MEDITATION
PRACTICES, AND BROADWAY OF
EXPLORING THEM.
CAN WE EXTEND RESEARCH AND
PRACTICE TIMES THAT CAN HELP
DEVELOP IT?
MAKING THEM MORE DIVERSE, MORE
INTERDISCIPLINARY, REALLY FOCUS
MORE ON THE WAY THAT OUR
RESEARCH CAN HELP ADD TO OUR
EVIDENCE BASE FOR EFFECTIVE
MODALITIES FOR CHANGE AT THIS
TIME.
SO I'M GOING TO STOP THE SCREEN
SHARE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR CARRYING ON SO
MUCH.
THERE'S SO MUCH TO SHARE ABOUT
THIS.
BUT IF THERE'S TIME AT ALL I
CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE AT
LEAST ONE QUESTION PERHAPS IF WE
CAN.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, PROFESSOR
MAGEE.
RHONDA, THAT WAS A REALLY
INSPIRING TALK, A VERY HOPEFUL
TALK.
AND I THINK WE WANT TO BEGIN, WE
DEFINITELY HAVE AT LEAST FIVE
MINUTES, AND FOR OUR VIDEOCAST
VIEWERS WE CAN STAY ON A FEW
EXTRA MINUTES TO SEE IF WE CAN
GET IN A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
>> GREAT.
>> I'M GOING TO INVITE DR.
LONGEVIN OR DR. SHURTLEFF IF
THEY HAVE A QUESTION.
DAVID, DO YOU EVER A QUESTION?
>> I DO.
THANK YOU FOR A STIMULATING
TALK.
I'VE BEEN AT NIH FOR 25 YEARS,
THOUGHT OF MINDFULNESS AS A
HEALTH INTERVENTION FOR PERSONAL
WELLNESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT,
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR
PERSPECTIVE ON THE APPLICATION
OF MINDFULNESS TO SOCIAL
IDENTITY WITH BIAS.
YOU TOUCHED ON A A LOT OF
IMPORTANT ISSUES IN YOUR
PRESENTATION.
I JUST THOUGHT I MIGHT ASK YOU
TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON HOW WE
CAN FURTHER CULTIVATE THESE
PRACTICES.
WHAT MORE RESEARCH DO WE NEED?
YOU KNOW, IS THERE ADDITIONAL
TRAINING?
THIS IS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
SO I THINK THE TRAINING MAY BE
DIFFERENT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ON
THAT.
>> YES.
>> AND HOW MIGHT THESE PRACTICES
BEST BE IMPLEMENTED AND
DISSEMINATED TO INCREASE UPTAKE?
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE
CERTAINLY NEED TO HAVE THESE
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND MOVE
PAST WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO I WAS JUST -- I WOULD REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS
ASPECT OF MOVING FORWARD.
>> YEAH, WELL, I'M HONORED BY
THESE QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I DEFINITELY HEAR IN YOUR
QUESTION THAT INSIGHT THAT PART
OF WHAT THIS PERSPECTIVE IS
CALLING FOR IS TO KIND OF PAUSE,
LOOK AT HOW WE HAVE BEEN
TRAINING IN MINDFULNESS, WHAT
THE TRAINING FOR MINDFULNESS IS
COMPRISED OF, HAS BEEN, UP TO
NOW.
HOW MIGHT IT CHANGE IN THE
FUTURE?
AND DEFINITELY I I WANT TO SAY
THESE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING.
WE'RE SEEING DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIAL ENGAGED MINDFULNESS
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS AND
PRACTICE PROGRAMS.
SO, THAT'S ONE THING JUST TO
NOTE THAT THESE -- THERE'S
CHANGE ALREADY HAPPENING, ALONG
THE LINES OF WHERE WE'VE JUST
UNCOVERED HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO
BE THIS LAG TIME, RIGHT?
BECAUSE MUCH OF WHAT THIS
BEAUTIFUL INDUSTRY HAS CREATED
HAS REINFORCED IN A WAY I'M NOT
SAYING IS WRONG IN THE SENSE
THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED THESE
LIFE LINE PRACTICES FOR OUR OWN
PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING,
PUT THAT OXYGEN MASK ON
OURSELVES FIRST AS THEY FAMOUSLY
SAY.
SO, YES WE NEED MINDFULNESS AS A
PERSPECTIVE OR AS A PART OF THE
COMPLEMENT OF METHODOLOGIES FOR
PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS,
AND IF WE -- IF WE STOP THERE
AND WE MISS THIS INCREDIBLE
OPPORTUNITY TO USE THESE VERY
SAME PRACTICES TO HELP ENHANCE
INTERPERSONAL HEALTH AND
WELLNESS, COLLECTIVE HEALTH AND
WELLNESS WHICH WE NEED SO MUCH
RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS JUST TO SAY THE GOOD
NEWS IS THE TRAINING IN
MINDFULNESS IS STARTING TO
CHANGE.
THE KIND OF CONVERSATION I
SHARED WITH YOU HERE I'VE
PERSONALLY SHARED ASPECTS OF
THIS VIEW WITH ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE THE CENTER FOR MINDFULNESS,
ORIGINALLY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MASSACHUSETTS, NOW AT BROWN, I
SERVE AS ADVISER I JUST WANT TO
SAY TO BROWN, NO FINANCIAL
INTEREST THERE BUT JUST, YOU
KNOW, SO THIS IS MY WAY OF
SAYING THERE ARE LOTS OF
NETWORKS WHO HAVE ALREADY
BEEN -- THE INSTITUTE FOR MIND,
I'VE BEEN AN ADVISER WITH THEM,
WORKING TO BUILD OUT THE
POSSIBILITY FOR CHANGE, THROUGH
CHANGING HOW WE TRAIN, HOW WE DO
THE RESEARCH.
AND SO, YEAH, THERE ARE, YOU
KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS, THE MAX
PLANCK INSTITUTE IN EUROPE,
TANIA SINGER, SHE'S ONE OF THE
RESEARCHERS WHO HAS BEEN LOOKING
AT THESE INTERPERSONAL
COMPASSION AND EMPATHY BUILDING
PRACTICES AND RESEARCHING THAT.
ON ONE HAND THERE'S ACTUALLY A
LOT OF CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN BECAUSE WE'VE SO DEEPLY
EMBEDDED THE ONE PERSON MEDITATE
WITH AN APP MODEL THAT WE REALLY
NEED TO REALLY EXPLORE MORE OF
THIS INTERPERSONAL COMMUNITY,
CONFLICT RESOLVING KIND OF
DIMENSION OF MINDFULNESS.
IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BUT I'M
UNCOURAGED BECAUSE I'M AWARE OF
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY
WORKING ON IT NOW.
AND I HOPE THAT THIS
CONVERSATION WILL HELP BRING
MORE FOLKS INTO THAT FOLD AND
HELP MAKE IT MORE I GUESS
ACCEPTABLE TO BRING THESE
RESEARCH PROJECTS TO THE FORE
AND TO REALLY DEVOTE RESOURCES
TO THIS.
>> THIS STIMULATES DISCUSSION
AND FOCUS ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> HELENE, DO YOU HAVE A
QUESTION?
YOU'RE MUTED.
>> LET'S GO TO THE AUDIENCE.
I HAD A SUPER QUICK POINT, TO
APPLAUD YOU FOR INVITING US TO
PAUSE.
YOU KEPT COMING BACK TO THAT.
IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU
SAID PAUSE DEEPLY.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS
BEAUTIFUL.
THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT WAYS YOU
CAN PAUSE.
WE'RE OUT OF TIME, IF YOU HAVE
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
>> YES.
WELL, REALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I MEAN, IT'S A STATEMENT AND AN
OBSERVATION THAT ALMOST DOESN'T
NEED MUCH MORE OTHER THAN TO
MAYBE TOGETHER LET'S PAUSE.
HA.
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
>> THAT'S WHAT YOU MADE US DO I
THINK.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
TO PAUSE IS A LITTLE BIT
COUNTER-CULTURAL.
>> YES.
>> ISN'T IT?
IN OUR BEAUTIFUL PROFESSIONAL,
ACADEMIC, LIKE ALL OF US, WE'RE
DOERS, RIGHT?
WE GOT HERE BECAUSE WE'RE OUT
THERE ENGAGED.
THE IDEA OF PAUSING IS A LITTLE
BIT COUNTER-CULTURAL.
AND MAYBE EVEN RADICAL.
AND HAS BEEN SINCE THESE
APPROACHES HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW,
AGAIN AND AGAIN GENERATION AFTER
GENERATION LOVINGLY OFFERED.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ASIAN
AMERICAN TEACHERS, COLLEAGUES.
YOU KNOW, FELLOW CITIZENS
MEMBERS OF OUR BROAD HUMAN
COMMUNITY WHO LOVINGLY HELPED
SHARE AND TRANSLATE THESE
PRACTICES.
I WANT TO QUICKLY NAME THAT WE
HAVE INHERITED SO MUCH IN THE
WAY OF INTERCULTURAL WISDOM FOR
THESE TIMES AND TRAININGS OF
MINDFULNESS, MANY OF WHICH HAVE
BEEN TRANSLATED FROM SOME OF THE
TEACHINGS OF ASIAN HERITAGE
FOLKS, NOT ONLY FROM THOSE, I
WANT TO BROADEN THAT SCOPE OUT
TO, BUT THIS IS JUST MY WAY OF
SAYING THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER
AND TALK ABOUT THIS TO INVITE A
PAUSE, A KIND OF ALTERNATIVE WAY
OF BEING IN THIS PROFESSIONAL
SPACE, AND THEN THINK DEEPLY
ABOUT THE WELL OF WELL-BEING
THAT ALL OF US MIGHT TAP INTO
WHEN WE DO THAT AND AMPLIFY THAT
AS AN INSIGHT FOR THIS TALK.
I THANK YOU.
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS,
IF YOU DON'T MIND TAKING A
COUPLE MINUTES TO ANSWER A
COUPLE FROM THE AUDIENCE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WITH
>> WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND AS MORE
SPECIFIC PERSONAL PRACTICES TO
COUNTER UNCONSCIOUS
MICROAGGRESSIONS, THIS PERSON
OBSERVES IT CAN BE INCREDIBLY
STARTLING TO NOTICE ONESELF
DOING THIS DESPITE PERSONAL
GOALS.
SO I THINK THEY ARE ASKING IN
THIS REALM OF MINDFULNESS HOW
MIGHT YOU RECOMMEND THAT BE
APPLIED IN THIS CASE.
>> MMM, THANK YOU.
WHEW.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED I PLACED
ONE HAND OVER MY HEART.
AGAIN, RESEARCH, EVIDENCE-BASED
SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT.
A HAND OVER THE HEART, ONE OVER
THE BELLYBUTTON, ITSELF CAN BE A
WAY OF CREATING A MOMENT OF
SELF-COMPASSION, WHICH IS A WAY
OF THINKING ABOUT HOW A SPECIFIC
PRACTICE MIGHT SUPPORT ANYONE
WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH THE
JUDGMENT, RIGHT?
THE SELF-CRITICISM, THE SHAME,
RIGHT?
YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN,
HEIGHTENED SENSE OF
VULNERABILITY SOCIALLY IF IT'S
SEEN I HAVE A BY AS I HAVE TO
WORK WITH, RIGHT?
AREN'T THERE SO MANY WAYS THAT
ANY ONE OF US MIGHT BE FEELING
THE NEED FOR EXTRA SUPPORT AS WE
TURN TOWARD RATHER THAN AWAY
FROM THIS ASPECT OF OUR
EXPERIENCE.
BY THE WAY, THAT'S THE WAY I'VE
BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE CALL
COLOR INSIGHT, THAT WE'RE
TURNING TOWARD BUT WE'RE TURNING
TOWARD IT WITH THE SUPPORT, I
GOT MY HAND OUT LIKE THIS, LIKE
MINDFULNESS AND COMPASSION
PRACTICES AS LIKE THE SOFT PLACE
TO HOLD US AS WE DO THIS
DIFFICULT WORK OF LIKE EXPANDING
OUR ABILITY TO SEE AND BE WITH
THESE DIFFICULT REALITIES.
SO, PAUSING, THE MOMENT OF
SELF-COMPASSION.
YES, OUCH, THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE
FOR ME TO SEE.
NAME IT.
RECOGNIZE IT.
TO HELP FRAME IT AS A MOMENT OF
NOT JUST DIFFICULTY BUT
POSSIBILITY.
FIRST IT CAN CONNECT US WITH
OTHER HUMAN BEINGS BECAUSE WE'RE
NOT ALONE WHEN WE HAVE THESE
MOMENTS.
THAT'S WHY I KNEW SOMETHING
ABOUT -- LET ME PUT MY HAND OVER
MY HEART.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FEEL
THIS KIND OF PAIN AND
DIFFICULTY.
HUMAN BEINGS ACROSS TIME HAVE
FELT IT, ACROSS THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW ARE FEELING IT.
AND I DESERVE THIS EXTRA SUPPORT
AS I DO THIS WORK.
SO THIS IS A KIND OF
MICROSELF-COMPASSION PRACTICE,
DRAWING ON THE WORK OF SCHOLAR
CHRISTIAN NEFF WHO DOES A LOT OF
THIS SELF-COMPASSION WORK.
I'M CO-TEACHING WITH HER IN SOME
PROGRAMS AS WELL.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS COMPASSION
PRACTICES ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED
BASIS CAN SUPPORT US IN JUST
TURNING TOWARD OUR OWN WORK FOR
CLOSING THAT GAP, YOU KNOW,
TRYING TO WORK WITH A GAP
BETWEEN OUR INTENTIONS AROUND
THIS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE
WORLD AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN
OURSELVES.
THIS IS WORK FOR ALL OF US.
I THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT
QUESTION.
>> I THINK WE'LL HAVE ONE OTHER
QUICK QUESTION AND WE CAN GO
TO -- WE'VE HAD SO MANY
EXPRESSIONS OF THANK YOUS FROM
THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND PEOPLE
WHO HAVE JUST SAYING THEY ARE
ENJOYING THIS.
AND SO THIS PERSON SAYS DOES
MINDFULNESS INVOLVE BEING AWARE
OF EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
ATTACHED TO ASSUMPTIONS OR
BIASES WE OURSELVES HOLD IN THEY
ARE ASKING DURING THAT PRACTICE.
RIGHT.
SO I'LL LET YOU --
>> IF I UNDERSTAND -- RESTATE
THAT JUST SO I MAKE SURE I HEAR
IT.
>> DOES MINDFULNESS BEING AWARE
OF EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
ATTACHED TO ASSUMPTIONS OR
BIASES WE OURSELVES HOLD?
>> YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.
YES, THAT'S ONE ASPECT FOR SURE.
SO PAUSING, NOTICING, OOH, THAT
DOES SEEM LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A
BIAS.
DID I LIKE PULL MY PURSE A
LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY OR CROSS
THE STREET OUT OF THE CORNER OF
MY EYE I SAW SOMEBODY WITH A
CERTAIN KIND OF OUTFIT OR SEEMED
TO REPRESENT A CERTAIN KIND OF
BACKGROUND?
NOTICING THAT, BUT THEN ALSO,
YES, BEAUTIFUL TO NAME THIS.
I LOVE THIS QUESTION.
NOTICING SOME OF THE EMOTIONAL
KIND OF FEELING TONE WE
SOMETIMES SAY IN MEDITATION
TEACHING, NOTICE FEELING TONE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIAS,
WHATEVER THAT WAS, RIGHT?
THERE'S A FEELING TONE.
WAS IT -- IT COULD BE A FEELING
TONE OF LIKE I'M A LITTLE BIT
BETTER THAN THIS PERSON.
AND I LIKE TO FEEL LIKE I'M
BETTER SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE
THEM IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS HAPPENS.
WE'VE BEEN TRAINED TO SO LIVE IN
A CONTEXT IN WHICH THE PRESENCE
OR ABSENCE OF BODIES THAT LOOK
AND SOUND, CARRY THEMSELVES IN
CERTAIN WAYS IS PART OF HOW WE
DEFINE OURSELVES AS SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S WHAT SEGREGATION HAS
DONE.
RIGHT?
IT'S HELPED US ATTACH THIS IDEA
OF LIKE RACIAL SPECIFICITY,
RIGHT?
RACIALIZEED SPACE, WE ATTACH
SOCIAL MEANING TO THAT,
INCLUDING IDENTITY AND EAGLE
MEANING.
NOW, YES, YOU'RE GETTING MORE
INTO UNPACKING.
IN A REAL WORKSHOP WE WOULD BE
PAUSING, CREATING SPACE FOR
PRACTICES TOGETHER WHERE WE
COULD DO IT ON OUR ONLY,
JOURNAL.
NO, I DON'T NEED TO HEAR YOUR
WORK ON THIS BUT CREATE SPACES
WHERE WE CAN HAVE MORE SAFETY
AND SUPPORT FOR INTERPERSONAL
REFLECTION.
YEAH, THERE IS A SUBTLE WAY IN
WHICH I, YOU KNOW, HAVE THIS --
IT COULD BE A RANGE OF EMOTIONS
THAT COME UP.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS
THERE.
THERE'S A LITTLE SUBTLE ANGER,
SUBTLE WAY OF FEELING BETTER
THAN OR WORSE THAN OR MORE
COMFORTABLE, OR MORE ATTRACTIVE,
RIGHT?
THERE'S JUST A TON OF THOSE VERY
SUBTLE FEELING TONES, ASSOCIATED
WITH WHAT WE CALL BIAS IN THE
WORLD.
CAN WE LOOK AT THAT?
CAN WE CREATE MORE SPACE TO SEE
ALL OF THAT WITHOUT SHAME?
OR BLAME?
OR TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, REACTIVE
JUDGMENT?
SO THAT WE CAN BECOME MORE
INTIMATE WITH WHAT WE'RE WORKING
WITH, AND REALLY MINIMIZE OUR
ATTACHMENTS TO THOSE THINGS THAT
ARE HARMFUL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT
QUESTION.
>> WELL, THANK YOU.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'RE
JUST ABOUT NINE MINUTES OVER SO
RESPECTING THE TIME OF OUR MANY
AUDIENCE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE
GOT TO A COUPLE OF YOUR
QUESTIONS.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE ALL OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT YOU SUBMITTED
TODAY AND WE'RE GOING TO SHARE
THEM WITH PROFESSOR MAGEE SO
SHE'S AWARE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU
WERE ASKING TODAY AND JUST SO
SHE CAN GET A SENSE OF WHAT WAS
COMING TO YOUR MIND AS YOU
JOINED US FOR THIS CONVERSATION
TODAY.
SO, WITH THAT SAID, I THINK
WE'RE AT A GREAT POINT TO THANK
PROFESSOR MAGEE AGAIN FOR THIS
WONDERFUL TALK, FOR JOINING US
TODAY, FOR SHARING THIS 2021
STEPHEN E. STRAUS LECTURE.
HELENE OR DAVID, ANY FINAL
THOUGHTS AS WE BRING THIS TO A
CLOSE?
>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING US WITH
YOU ON THIS REALLY WONDERFUL
JOURNEY THAT YOU'VE TAKEN US OUT
OUR SPACE OF RESEARCH, MADE US
SLOW DOWN AND REFLECT, IT WAS A
REAL GIFT.
SO THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH FOR
THE GIFT OF YOUR WORK AND OF THE
WORK OF ALL THOSE IN THIS
TREMENDOUS TEACHING, LEARNING,
AND APPLICATION COMMUNITY.
I'M SO HONORED TO BE WITH YOU
HERE TODAY.
>> WELL, THANK YOU ALL.
THIS WILL BE ON VIDEOCAST IN A
COUPLE DAYS, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO
WATCH THIS AGAIN.
WITH THAT, I THANK YOU ALL AND
I'M GOING TO BRING THIS LECTURE
TO A CLOSE.
BYE-BYE, EVERYBODY.
HAVE A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON,
WHEREVER YOU MAY BE.