Lao Tzu famously said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Four years ago, we took that step at Mind & Life with a commitment to engage in anti-racist practices. It has been a humbling journey of deep reflection and meaningful transformation, along with missteps along the way. Today, I am …
Continue reading “Embracing Humility and Complexity: Our Journey to Engage in Anti-Racist Practices”
There’s a saying in the climate movement that to change everything will take everyone. In my work as an educational leader of color dedicated to transforming school communities through Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), I believe it’s imperative that schools ultimately position SEL in service of a shift in collective consciousness.
“Music is my first spiritual practice,” says Grant Jones, a musician, activist, contemplative researcher, and the newest member of Mind & Life’s Steering Council. And while the overlap between his music and meditation started as a slow crescendo, now the connection is more explicit. His new collection of songs, “Constellations,” recently released on Spotify, touches …
Continue reading “Grant Jones: Showing Up Fully Through Music and Mindfulness”
Even the best-intentioned efforts to stem the climate crisis often fail to address root causes; namely, our disconnection from one another and the earth. Could solutions to this and other climate-related challenges lie within the human mind? More than 900 scholars, scientists, contemplatives, students, and activists from 30+ countries convened online for Mind & Life’s …
To celebrate the Dalai Lama’s birthday on July 6th, Mind & Life is pleased to announce the release of a new film, “Evolution of the Heart.” The film pays tribute to the Dalai Lama’s lifelong spirit of inquiry and values he has long championed: compassion, forgiveness, cooperation, altruism, and kindness. The documentary chronicles profound conversations …
Continue reading “On the Dalai Lama’s Birthday, a New Film Calls Us to Embrace Our Shared Humanity”
“We have to understand the families of knowledge that we can bring to bear on today’s complex challenges,” says Mind & Life Steering Council member Robert W. Roeser, who has served as co-creator, facilitator, and presenter at numerous Mind & Life events, and as a key advisor on initiatives such as the Education of the …
Continue reading “Mind & Life Honors Robert W. Roeser with Annual Service Award”
Could transforming our mental states create a better world? This audacious proposition lay at the heart of the Science & Wisdom of Emotions Summit presented by Mind & Life and The Awake Network Foundation on May 2-5. Reflecting growing interest in the cultivation of emotional well-being, more than 100,000 people in 140 countries gathered for …
Most would agree, today’s media diet is lacking in nutrition. Thanks to globalization and advancing technology, viewers—whether in Nairobi, New York, or New Delhi—now watch the same film premieres on the same night. This boom in the entertainment industry has many asking whether we have a responsibility to produce content that contributes to both individual …
Continue reading “The Hollywood Compassion Coalition: An Idea Whose Time Has Come”
The horrific treatment of Asian-Americans continued this week with the brutal attack of a 65-year-old Filipino woman on a New York City street. In the wake of such attacks comes the analysis of our collective paralysis, and the recognition that the news that makes it to the headlines fails to account for the pervasiveness of …
Continue reading “From Awareness to Action: Mind & Life’s Response to Anti-Asian Violence”
We’re hearing more and more about the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Instead of being something that’s ‘out there,’ it’s here. And while climate change is top of mind among many scientists, policymakers, activists, and concerned citizens, not enough time is spent exploring the role of the human mind in both contributing to the …
