I now know of five groups of lawyers nationally that get together monthly for meditation; they meet in DC, New York City, Portland, the Bay Area and Denver. Just this month the Florida Bar is offering "Mindfulness & Neuroscience: Enhancing Lawyer Effectiveness and Stress Reduction from the Inside Out" at the Bar's State Convention; the agenda is here [pdf]. Many more seminars and events are happening around the country, including in law schools. (Click here for related resources and articles.)
Why meditation and contemplative practices? This article details some of the benefits. From "'Mindfulness' meditation being used in hospitals and schools" (USA Today):
Challenges are landing fast and furious on Capitol Hill. So Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, feels he has to arrive at the top of his game every day. And Ryan says he has found a way to do that: He meditates for at least 45 minutes before leaving home.
...
Once thought of as an esoteric, mystical pursuit, meditation is going mainstream. A government survey in 2007 found that about 1 out of 11 Americans, more than 20 million, meditated in the past year. And a growing number of medical centers are teaching meditation to patients for relief of pain and stress.
More than 240 programs in clinics and hospitals teach the same type of meditation that Ryan
learned, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed mindfulness-based stress reduction 30 years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. ...
...
Kabat-Zinn credits "a colossal shift in acceptance" to accelerating research on the benefits of meditation.
Studies suggest the practice can ease pain, improve concentration and immune function, lower blood pressure, curb anxiety and insomnia, and possibly even help prevent depression. ...
Click to read the rest of the article.
I think the bar association execs might think of getting together for meditation at least once during their conferences....and am so delighted to see the "mainstreaming" of this practice + that YOU are helping make it happen
Posted by: Kare anderson | June 08, 2009 at 04:53 PM