Mindfulness and compassion in response to racism

Abstract

This research considers the impacts of racism on the experiences of racialized people, and how mindfulness and compassion might serve as resources for their recovery and resistance. Applying ecological theories of mind and critical phenomenology, the study presents the self-reported experiences of 30 adults organized into five focus groups of practitioners and teachers of mindfulness and compassion, with four affinity groups (Indigenous, Black, South Asian, and E./S.E. Asian) and one contrastive White group. Resulting data were clustered under seven salient topics: identity, racism, oppression, trauma, motivation, mindfulness, and compassion. Participants described mindfulness and compassion as impactful in their responses to, and recovery from, racism through identity (authenticity and belonging), the unlearning of internalized oppression, empowerment (cultural reinvigoration), and social change, with compassion contributing to reversing of self-coldness and opening to reconciliation.