Almost every piece of work or literature that I’ve read on racism is built on one assumption: that it cannot end. Or at best, that it will be a “lifelong fight.” That ending racism will be something that “will probably never happen in our generation.” Most of the quotes you hear about the fight against racism sound something like this:“We used…
This thought-provoking forum discussion between Caroline Margaret Volstad, J.D., and Lama Justin von Bujdoss (Repa Dorje Odzer) explores the challenges of disrupting suffering through spiritual care within carceral facilities. Caroline and Justin spend this hour contemplating justice (which Justin defines as respect, agency, appreciation of value, and freedom from violence for all beings) in the context of Justin’s work as Staff Chaplain for the New York City Department of Corrections.
We continued The Garrison Institute Forum with a conversation between Thomas Hübl, spiritual teacher and author, and Dr. Angel Acosta, contemplative scholar-practitioner, on collective trauma and healing in a fractured world. Hübl acknowledged the challenge of discussing trauma when it is something that we are all steeped in. “There are major catastrophes that happen in society that leave a wounded tissue, and we all have…
As our world and nation continue to face tragedy and difficult questions, we are called together to hold space for emerging consciousness and radical healing. We continue The Garrison Institute Forum with a conversation between Rhonda Magee, Law Professor and Mindfulness Expert, and Dr. Angel Acosta, Contemplative Scholar-Practitioner, moderated by Garrison Institute CEO Jonathan Wiesner. Magee and Acosta began by…
Co-Founders of the Holistic Life Foundation Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzales engaged in a conversation about racial injustice in our society. They discussed the racism that is capturing the attention of the world and how contemplative practices can inform our response to it. The session began with a “stress breath” practice, designed to help one hit the reset button,…
Design is often an invisible force in our lives, shaping and etching our world; sidewalks determine walkability, paint color can soothe or repel, and classrooms and houses of worship can foster either connection or discord. Design is in the mundane–the length between the car pedal and the driver’s waist–and the not-so-mundane, like astronaut suits. The latter is at the heart…
Think about your local walk to the park. You head down that shady street, turn left at the corner store, cut up that little alleyway, and – voila! – you are surrounded by bounding dogs, trees, and giggling children. Or maybe not. Maybe you have to navigate an urban obstacle course littered with poorly thought out street crossings, concrete corridors,…
Renowned teachers and authors Ethan Nichtern and Sharon Salzberg will be leading a retreat on “Real Change” at the Garrison Institute on December 14-16, 2018. We talked with them recently about the nature of both personal and social change, and how creating supportive communities is essential to the practice of Real Change. Nora Boxer: Why do we paradoxically both want change…