Mindfulness Resources for People of Color

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. By using different mindfulness techniques, we get better at noticing and accepting what we are experiencing, struggling less with our thoughts and emotions, and often, reducing stress and distress in our day-to-day lives. Although mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist meditation, a secular (non-religious) practice of mindfulness has entered the mainstream of United States culture and psychology in recent years.

Read more about mindfulness and some popular mindfulness techniques on the Greater Good website, and see below for resources around Buddhism, mindfulness, and culture specifically geared toward and/or created by people of color.

 

Dharma, Color, and Culture: New Voices in Western Buddhism, edited by Hilda Gutierez Baldoquin (link to book on Amazon.com)

Dr. Bonnie Duran on Race, Racism, & the Dharma blog post

Everyday Mindfulness with Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh (6-minute video)

How to Meditate: A Black Woman's Guide on How to Reduce Stress (15-minute video)

Larry Yang's Huffington Post blog (blog by a Buddhist meditation teacher whose current focus is training spiritual leadership within communities of color and LGBTQI communities)

Making the Invisible Visible—Healing Racism in Our Buddhist Communities (a compilation of stories, thoughts, resources, and articles highlighting the personal experiences of some Buddhist practitioners of color and their allies)

Mindful Walking with Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh in Barcelona, Spain (3.5-minute video, in Spanish & English with Spanish subtitles)

Mindfulness Benefits for Disadvantaged Black Women with Depression and Stress (article on a pilot study, with short video)

People of Color and Mindfulness Facebook group

¿Qué es mindfulness? Meditación guiada (3.5-minute video in Spanish)

Tell Me Something About Buddhism: Questions and Answers for the Curious Beginner, by Zenju Earthlyn Marselean Manuel (one of the first African-American Zen priests), forward by Thich Nhat Hanh (link to book on Amazon.com)