This session was led by Peter Weng, CEO of Healthy Minds Innovations (HMI) and Senior Advisor at Ivy Child International.
The Inner Work of Racial Justice
Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness.
Law professor and mindfulness practitioner Rhonda Magee shows that the work of racial justice begins with ourselves. When conflict and division are everyday realities, our instincts tell us to close ranks, to find the safety of our own tribe, and to blame others. The practice of embodied mindfulness–paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in an open, nonjudgmental way–increases our emotional resilience, helps us to recognize our unconscious bias, and gives us the space to become less reactive and to choose how we respond to injustice.
For victims of injustice, embodied mindfulness calms our fears and helps us to exercise self-compassion. Magee shows us how to slow down and reflect on microaggressions–to hold them with some objectivity and distance–rather than bury unpleasant experiences so they have a cumulative effect over time. She helps us develop the capacity to address the fears and anxieties that would otherwise lead us to re-create patterns of separation and division.
It is only by healing from injustices and dissolving our personal barriers to connection that we develop the ability to view others with compassion and to live in community with people of vastly different backgrounds and viewpoints. Incorporating mindfulness exercises, research, and Magee’s hard-won insights, The Inner Work of Racial Justice offers a road map to a more peaceful world.
You can purchase the book here.
Michael Jordan credits George Mumford with transforming his on-court leadership of the Bulls, helping Jordan lead the team to six NBA championships.
Mumford also helped Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Lamar Odom and countless other NBA players turn around their games. A widely respected public speaker and coach, Mumford is sharing his own story and the strategies that have made these athletes into stars in The Mindful Athlete: The Secret to Pure Performance. His proven, gentle but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques can transform the performance of anyone with a goal, be they an Olympian, weekend warrior, executive, hacker, or artist.
You can purchase the book here.
Mindfulness for your everyday life.
Stress less. Move more. Sleep soundly.
Headspace has one mission: to improve the health and happiness of the world. And with millions of users in more than 190 countries, we’re well on our way. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, we also have offices in San Francisco and London.
Learn the foundations of a healthy mind for freeThe Healthy Minds Program is a free mindfulness app that teaches qualities beyond traditional mindfulness training. Our unique program strengthens the four qualities of a healthy mind – awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.
Our Beloved Community,
We at Ivy Child understand that these are challenging and stressful times. Our hearts especially go out to our families and frontline partners most impacted by COVID-19.
Sadly, we can expect the number of infections to rise—possibly along with our concern about what the future holds, and the stress related to uncertainty, anticipation, and fear can cause an adverse impact on our health.
While the world is uniting in efforts to battle the problem we’re facing, we feel it is crucial to find ways to serve our community in the best possible manner through mindfulness practice. How individuals respond to an outbreak can depend on many external factors but our maintaining our wellbeing through practicing mindfulness is a powerful and universal coping tool for all. We encourage you to use and share some of the resources we have made available online for free.
In honoring and prioritizing the health and well‐being of our community, we at Ivy Child have shifted all of our programs and activities to virtual platforms. For our partners and affiliates that serve as emergency sites, with limited access, we are working to find solutions together as this situation evolves. We recognize our program sites serve as safe havens to our community may access food, love, healthcare and enriching learning opportunities. We are working hard with our partners to collaborate to best meet the needs of our community honoring the state and federal guidelines. If you’d like to join forces with us to help our community during the COVID-19 crisis, please donate now to our Emergency Fund today.
Ivy Child International has always worked to find ways to benefit the community through enhancing our wellbeing through mindfulness. We want you to know that we are here and will continue to support you through these trying times. Please feel free to connect with us as a partner and resource in this journey.
Within the next 3-6 months Ivy Child commits to the following, with the resources we have on hand in the short term. YOUR support through a one-time or sustainable recurring donation will help make it happen.
We invite YOU to be a part of our long-term strategy:
Abundant thanks for your unwavering support to our organization. Please be assured that despite these very challenging times, our mission, core values, and vision for global wellbeing will stay the same, and we will never give up on our fundamental belief in the power of peace. We look forward to working with you now and in the future to build a healthier world.
May we all be safe and well as we shelter with our loved ones, honoring the guidelines for distancing as an act of generosity and compassion towards all.
Abundant thanks.
Warmly,
Rose and the Ivy Child Family
10% Happier is a clear, simple approach to meditation with a NY Times best-selling author and some of the most respected (and cool) meditation teachers on the planet.
Try it for free here.
Try the Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Dan Harris.
Special thanks to students of Michael J. Perkins Elementary School for sharing this breathing exercise with us.
A reminder to take 2 minutes out from your day for yourself! Breathe in abundance and Breathe out all the negativity.
