Bringing Our Practice into the World Before I became a mindfulness practitioner and later a meditation teacher, I spent more than 20 years as an activist and organizer working for human rights and social justice in the United States, Africa, and Latin America. As a meditation teacher, what inspires me most is to bring our practice into the wider society and help heal the suffering of the world.... January 29, 2021By Hugh Byrne SocialJustice, teachings
Larry Yang BIPOC Support Fund Launch IMCW is honored to announce the launch of the Larry Yang BIPOC (Black, Indigeneous and People of Color) Support Fund. This fund will be used to provide resources to BIPOC students and teachers as they seek to learn, teach, and otherwise deepen their experience in the dharma. Our sincere belief is that when barriers to full inclusion are eliminated, there is a natural shift in the balance of power that leads to a greater sense of community and collective transformation for the benefit of all..... December 10, 2020By Larry Yang, Trisha Stotler Affinity, announcement, Diversity, SocialJustice
Aspiring Allies Finding Our Way In our Buddhist and mindfulness communities, there are many times that call for us to be allies to one another. My own aspiring ally journey has brought a lot of growth along with many setbacks; heart-felt intentions along with plenty of uncomfortable mistakes; and it continues to bring deeper, more real, loving, joyful relationships with folks in my life. On this journey I’ve been looking for freedom; freedom and justice for myself and for all beings. All of this is spiritual practice..... December 3, 2020By Ric Chollar Diversity, SocialJustice, teachings
Incarcerated Students Struggle During Lockdown I miss their shy smiles, their hugs, the way they loosen up and get a little goofy during mindful movement. Most of all, I miss the peace on their faces and the tangible sense of ease in their orange-clad bodies after a guided meditation. It is a visceral experience that anchors me to a unique sangha: the men and women incarcerated in the DC Department of Corrections.... September 24, 2020By Sheryl Stratton SocialJustice, teachings
Black Lives Matter: A Call to Awareness for Non-Colored Practitioners of Mindfulness Like a child grabbing for a treat, white people and white institutions reach out to black people they barely know or have forgotten about over time. I am a crone, and was around the last time black people were feared and thus brought into white awareness. As a crone, a Buddhist, and a practitioner of mindfulness, I choose to understand this as reaching out rather than reaching in. Reaching in is the first obligation of practice. It is by this practice that I have found space and freedom. I have found a space -- not afforded to me as a black, female body in this world -- to discover my body, my breath, and for the purpose of this writing, the contours of my life.... August 12, 2020By Ayesha Ali Diversity, SocialJustice, teachings