Understand that “non-action is not inaction”; by cultivating a clearer view of your own mind and the overall situation, you can respond wisely in the world instead of reacting blindly.
Practice meditation with the goal of becoming a better person and improving your overall life, rather than solely focusing on becoming a better meditator.
Engage in periods of “non-doing” (like meditation) to profoundly inform and enhance the effectiveness of the rest of your life, which primarily consists of “doing” or sleeping.
Use the RAIN (Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Non-attachment/Nurture) acronym to process internal reactions: Recognize what’s happening, Accept it without resistance, Investigate the specifics of your reactivity (anger, fear, underlying threats), and approach it with non-attachment or nurturing compassion.
Actively engage with the complex of emotions and reactivities associated with shame, using mindfulness to develop a more skillful relationship with it, rather than avoiding it entirely.
Recognize that shame can shut down reason and lead to defensiveness, hindering broad, fair-minded thinking; therefore, strive to minimize shame in discussions to promote constructive engagement.
Address challenging issues, especially those inherited from societal legacies like racism and sexism, with as much compassion as possible, recognizing that we inherited these conditions.
Initiate the practice of compassion by applying it to yourself first, acknowledging that you will naturally “flinch” or react uncomfortably when confronting your own ingrained biases or cultural conditioning.
In every moment, strive to act and speak from a place of clarity, with the intention of minimizing harm as best as you can.
Cultivate the ability to recognize your initial reactivity and consciously choose how to respond, rather than reacting impulsively, especially in challenging interactions.
Employ mindfulness to “open up and cultivate the capacity to just see what there is to be seen,” temporarily setting aside judgment to better apprehend and relate to reality with greater purpose and intentionality.
Actively apply the insights gained from your meditation practice in everyday interactions with other people, such as at the DMV or the office, to see how you respond to real-world challenges.
Engage with contentious social issues, such as race or other forms of difference, as a “crucible” to rigorously test and apply the principles of your meditation practice.
To uncover your own neuroses and biases, pay close attention to the thoughts that arise in your mind concerning race, which can lead to humbling self-discovery.
Practice mindfulness to observe how your mind automatically sorts and makes judgments, especially when encountering people of different backgrounds, to challenge your self-perception of fairness.
Pay close attention to how you deal with all forms of difference (pigmentation, chromosomal, ideological) and the assumptions you bring to these interactions, using meditation to untangle these thoughts in a useful way.
Through self-observation, recognize the “craziness” of your own mind and understand that this is a universal human experience, fostering empathy for others.
By observing your own mind and recognizing its universal nature, you can develop a deeper understanding of how life conditions shape others, leading to less judgment and more compassion.
Recognize that humans evolved with a predisposition for bias, which helps explain its presence and makes shame unproductive when addressing it.
Make a conscious decision and set an intention to bring awareness to the aspect of racial experience in your life.
Cultivate awareness to “wake up to what we’re looking at,” especially regarding the often unseen or unacknowledged structures and legacies of racism within various contexts, including mindfulness.
Be aware that dominant cultural structures, like whiteness, can be difficult to perceive precisely because they are pervasive and normalized, making them seem like the absence of a specific identity.
Actively challenge the “confusion” and “ignorance” of assuming that “race neutral” institutions lack racial specificity, recognizing that they often reflect the dominant racial identity and experience.
Understand that race and whiteness are systemic, structural constructs that all individuals within a culture are invited to negotiate and relate with, rather than solely individual psychological issues.
Understand that everyone in the American context, regardless of background, has engaged in some form of “navigation around racism and race” to find their place.
Before engaging in challenging or demanding work, take time to center yourself, cultivating awareness and being with yourself as a stable ground for how you live and relate to whatever circumstances arise.
Use contemplative practice and mindfulness to find a sustainable way to engage in difficult and emotionally taxing work, such as racial justice, to avoid burnout.
Employ mindfulness practice to cultivate the capacity to “stay with the complexity” of challenging work and efforts to make a difference.
Explicitly bring mindfulness practices into professional or educational settings to offer greater support to those you work with or teach.
Employ meditation and mindfulness techniques to navigate “incredibly painful and awkward conversations about race” in a practical and meaningful way.
Engage in “mindful communication,” which encompasses both right speech and right reception, to navigate the complexities of human interaction with greater awareness.
Employ “mindful communication” as a preferred approach, especially when navigating sensitive social justice topics, to avoid pitfalls like self-aggrandizement or hardening identities.
Recognize the crucial difference between your intent and the impact of your words or actions, and cultivate humility and compassion to hear feedback and reflect on what transpired when harm is caused.
Approach communication, especially around sensitive topics, as an invitation to have an intentional, dynamic, and mindful “meta-conversation” about how you will interact with each other.
Foster a “robust space” for communication by asking others to hold your imperfections with kindness and being willing to offer the same grace to them, understanding that mistakes will happen and repair work may be needed.
When mistakes and conflict inevitably arise in human interactions, commit to “keep staying in the conversation” rather than withdrawing.
Pay attention to and name instances where you actively avoid difficult conversations or clench and move away from uncomfortable topics, as recognizing this avoidance can be a significant opening for change.
Instead of avoiding difficult topics, cultivate the capacity to “let a little more of this in” over time, recognizing your growth, to discern your responsibilities and “right action” regarding issues like race and racism.
When shame or other difficult emotions arise during self-reflection, create spaciousness to name and recognize these feelings, which can help dissipate resistance and prevent getting stuck.
When encountering unexpected or uncomfortable situations related to difference, pay close attention to what is happening in your body as an important source of information about your reactions.
Open up and share personal “race stories,” which are moments where you notice thoughts or reactions related to race, even if they are uncomfortable or embarrassing, to foster self-awareness and discussion.
Engage in “contemplative storytelling” by openly sharing personal “race stories” or moments of bias, normalizing this practice as a way to explore and understand your experiences.
Actively reflect on your assumptions in daily situations, such as when reviewing a resume or receiving an email, and notice any preconceived notions about a person’s background and your reactions when those notions are challenged.
Consider taking an online Implicit Association Test (IAT) to gain a sense of your own biases, acknowledging its controversial nature but recognizing its value in understanding the pervasiveness of bias.
To gain insight into whiteness, listen to the “Seeing White” series, part of the “Scene on Radio” podcast (S-C-E-N-E), which can help white people in particular wake up to this often-unseen structure.
Engage with a community of people who are also committed to being more present and living with awareness in their daily lives, whether formally called a sangha or not.
Engage in centering practices to cultivate a strong sense of self-worth, which can empower you to actively participate and contribute as a member of your community.
Reflect on your personal values and consciously choose “how you want to live,” especially when faced with societal pressures or expectations, rather than feeling obligated to act in certain ways.
When expressing strong emotions or taking action, use mindfulness to gain humility and clarity about your motivations, asking “where is that coming from?”
Acknowledge and embrace that social justice work and difficult conversations are “messy at best,” accepting the inherent complexity and imperfection.
Develop the “skillful means” to adapt your actions in human community, knowing when to be fierce, quiet, ask for forgiveness, or ask for permission, recognizing that communal living is inherently difficult.
Actively seek out and engage with diverse groups of people, recognizing that life becomes “more interesting and better” with different perspectives.
Recognize and value that every individual possesses a unique experience and teaching from which others can learn, fostering an environment of mutual learning.
Be aware of the temptation to “self-aggrandize and to harden another kind of identity around our awakenings, our wokeness,” as this can lead to getting stuck and hinder true awareness.
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