On one trip, a man named Elvis took us to see Mt. Rushmore. As we all stood there at the base of the mountain, in awe of this symbol of our country, Elvis, who was quick with an easy smile and a humorous anecdote, casually said: “Imagine there was a statue of the man who raped your mother in your living room. Imagine you were forced to carve it.” He looked at us, we looked at him. A heavy silent moment passed between us all before he lightened the mood with a joke I can’t remember.

Widen Your Lens

I’ve never forgotten that moment. That casual and brutal glimpse into a perspective so different from my experience of American culture has served as a reminder of the enormity of what I don’t know (and can never truly understand, regardless of what I read). Practicing mindfulness gives us the opportunity to acknowledge our unique perspective in the world and then unhook from it a little. We get to widen our lens and honor the gaps that exist between our individual perspectives—and the challenges those gaps can evoke. We can investigate the stories we tell, about ourselves and others, and consider how we might compassionately bridge the distance those stories create between us. For the December issue of Mindful, we’re inviting you to explore the gift of mindfulness from many perspectives:

Dr. Sara Lomax-Reese reminds us that contemplative spaces are for everyone. Elaine Smookler explores how we can remain open to the full dazzling array of beauty this life has to offer. Four Indigenous wisdom keepers reveal how their mindfulness practices inform their healing journeys.Neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha details the cutting-edge research on exactly how much meditation fine-tunes our brain’s attention system so we can choose how we show up in this world.

Welcome What’s Here

Mindfulness comes in as many shapes, sizes, colors, and intensities as there are people in the world. The challenge is to practice—to sit and let things be as they are for a little while, notice what arises, remember that every truth is partial, and breathe into whatever shows up with kindness and compassion. With love and gratitude,

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Amishi Jha October 25, 2021

Victoria Dawson November 7, 2021

Elaine Smookler November 27, 2021