"Part of what I have decided for myself - it's a decision - I don't want to be part of the pain, creating more pain in the world, for myself or for others," said Rhonda Magee, a law professor at University of San Francisco. "So it's that capacity with mindfulness to get a sense into ... what my own experience of feeling vulnerable, feeling afraid, what it does to me, how I start to look at the world through the lens of that ... now [I'm] at a place where I'm not reacting from a place of fear." A law professor for 20 years and a mindfulness teacher for lawyers and law students, Magee argues that mindfulness can be a solution to combating bias and discrimination. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Rhonda McGee shares her personal journey of teaching mindfulness to lawyers and discusses the possibility of mindfulness helping with racism. The need for introducing mindfulness and meditation courses to cope with stress is emphasized in the wake of the recent Florida shootings.
The trauma and fear young people experience due to the ongoing school shootings could be reduced with the implementation of mindfulness in public schools, which is a secular practice scientifically validated and beneficial for students. Meditation is also integrated into some people's prayer life.
The speaker shares her journey of discovering meditation and how it has become a tool for connection with others and promoting social justice.
The speaker shares her experience as an outsider in insider spaces due to her gender and race. She discusses the importance of cognitive freedom and the ability to create a space between stimulus and response as a way to achieve a sense of freedom.
Law professor Rhonda Magee shares her journey of incorporating mindfulness and loving-kindness into her life and work, including teaching mindfulness in prisons and consulting with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office to bring communities together in the face of brutality.
The speaker reflects on their personal experiences with discrimination and abuse and discusses the struggle to combat defensiveness and "othering" in response to societal pain and vulnerability.
People who take mindfulness tests can gain valuable insights about themselves, even if the tests are similar to a video game, and learn to recognize biased thought patterns in their minds.
Researchers and practitioners are emphasizing the need to understand the broader social benefits of mindfulness and compassion practices beyond individual benefits, including education policy, policing policy, and health care. Research in these areas will incentivize the integration of mindfulness and compassion practices in different institutions, and further develop best practices to minimize bias.
The host discusses elevating voices that will speak to groups about mindfulness and expanding the knowledge of its accessibility and benefits with the guest. They also discuss how this can be done through methods like love and kindness meditation.