The Mindful Lawyer: ‘We Were Made for These Times’
Mindfulness is about seeing things clearly. One might have thought 2020 would prove to be a good year for just that. But for many of us unexpected events, unimaginable grief and heartache, and the polarization of ideas and beliefs contributed to a great deal of confusion and despair. Some have been able to make lemonade and enjoy sweet moments, while others have tasted the bitterness of loneliness and fear.
Shortly after my mother passed away, I found wisdom and compassion in a work of art she had in her room that recited the below quoted passage by Clarissa Pinkola Estes:
Mis estimados. Do not lose heart. We were made for these times.
Thank you, mom. In many ways, we learn and practice mindfulness for these times, for years like 2020, for each other, and so that we might experience less confusion and see things a little bit more clearly. So that we might remember that we were made for these times.
This month we look back at a selection of previously published columns that may offer you helpful guidance and enjoyable reading over the holidays. They have been selected because they touch on mindfulness basics or aspects of mindfulness that are responsive to these times. Some are standard columns, some by scientists, some by mindfulness teachers, and some by lawyers and judges who have been practicing mindfulness for years.
We wish you a safe, healthy, and joyful holiday season and New Year and look forward to getting together in 2021 for conferences, conventions, and the stuff of everyday life as we have known it, and in the ways it will evolve.
Mindfulness Insights and Applications
— “Mindfulness, Solitude, and The New Year”
— “Four Mindfulness Practices for these Times”
— “Mindfulness Practice: Observe the Moment as it Just Is”
— “Mindfulness, Metaphors and More”
— “Relaxing A Tension and Attention”
— “We Are All in This Together”
— “The Renewal of an Old Friendship”
— “Mindfulness and Motions for Clarification and Relief”
— “What Exactly is Mindful Listening”
The Science of Mindfulness
— “The Science of Mindfulness” (with Dr. Amishi Jha)
— “The role of Self-Compassion in the Law” (with Dr. Christopher Germer)
— “Mindfulness and Depression” (with Dr. ZIndel Segal)
Applications of Mindfulness Practices
—”Mindfulness Tips from Lawyers and Judges”
—“Mindfulness and the Cultivation of Resilience” (with Sharon Salzberg)
— “Furthering the Cause of Justice” (with Luke Arrington)
—“Finding Time to Practice” (with Sarah Stuart)
—“Resilience and Absorbing Loss” (with Lenny Simmons)
—“The Heart of Mindfulness” (with Judi Cohen)
—“Maintaining Perspective” (with Katie Mastrucci)
—“Mindfulness and Feeling Overwhelmed” (with Patrick Palace)
—“You Can’t Change the Waves But You Can Learn to Surf” (with Debi Galler)
—“Mindfulness Isn’t a Bump-Free Ride” (with Jon Krop)
For those of you interested in joining other legal professionals in a weekly mindfulness practice, please join the “Mindfulness for Legal Professionals” lightly guided 12-Minute Weekly Zoom session, each Friday from 12:30-12:45. You can register by clicking here.
If you have a question about mindfulness and integrating it into the practice of law that you would like answered in this column, send it to [email protected].
Scott Rogers
Scott Rogers, M.S., J.D., is a nationally recognized leader in the area of mindfulness in law and founded and directs the University of Miami School of Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program where he teaches mindful ethics, mindful leadership, and mindfulness in law. He is the creator of Jurisight, one of the first CLE programs in the country to integrate mindfulness and neuroscience and conducts workshops and presentations on the role of mindfulness in legal education and across the legal profession. He is author of the recently released, “The Elements of Mindfulness.”
