There is a desperate need for novel approaches to stop violent and unjust police treatment of communities of color, and to reduce the othering and disconnection between police and community members. Our previous research suggests benefits of mindfulness and related contemplative practices for police well-being and mental health, but due to the centering of police …
This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of Tuned In! — A Mindfulness-Based Affirmative Program for LGBTQIA Youth (herein called Tuned In!) with sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY). This project will build upon the promising results from previous community-based research (a pilot feasibility study of the Tuned In! intervention) to test Tuned In! on …
Black Americans experience significantly more stress and anxiety than other racial groups but have fewer sources of support. Although mindfulness represents a promising intervention for decreasing stress and anxiety, there are significant barriers that prevent Black Americans from accessing extant mindfulness tools, including cost, time, and limited cultural relevance. Under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew …
We’re honored to host a special free livestream event on January 9, 2021 at 10:30 p.m. EST with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and leading scientists to explore steps for addressing the urgent challenges presented by this threat.
This project will explore the ways in which a contemplative-based, anti-oppressive, and healing-centered curriculum developed by the Courage of Care Coalition and the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies can support individuals, who are already engaged in climate change mitigation and/or adaptation initiatives, to continue their climate work in a sustainable and hopeful manner. Specifically, we …
Our November conversation “Yoga as a Tool for Social Change” features Richard Freeman and Gail Parker, along with pianist/composer Peter Kater. We’ll explore how embodied yoga practices can lead to greater self-awareness and agency in contributing to a better world.
In the last twenty years, a sharp increase in contemplative research has created the need for an academic home for interdisciplinary scholarship, community, dialogue, and collaboration. This special Think Tank grant goes to a multidisciplinary group of leading contemplative researchers to begin the development of a new professional society for the field. This is a …
The World Health Organization estimates that 20 million adults across the globe need palliative care, including a growing cohort of transgender-identified older adults. While best practices for palliative care exist, information to guide community-based care at the end of life for this cohort is not consistently available. Guided by the wisdom from contemplative practice, art, …
What is a Land and Peoples Acknowledgement, and Why is it Important A Land and Peoples Acknowledgement is a formal statement rooted in Indigenous protocol that recognizes the peoples who traditionally inhabited the land where you live or work and the relationship that continues to exist between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. It’s a …
At the heart of the Mind & Life Institute’s work is nurturing understanding and action toward a world that embraces our shared humanity. We recognize that barriers to realizing our fundamental interconnectedness exist not only in the human mind, but are deeply embedded within institutions and structures. Our commitment to dismantling institutional racism begins at …