Research suggests we can reduce social biases by building moment-to-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings through practices like meditation.
How to Do It
- Find a relaxed, comfortable position. You could be seated on a chair or
on the floor on a cushion. Keep your back upright, but not too tight. Rest your hands wherever they’re comfortable. - Notice and relax your body. Try to notice the shape of your body, its weight. Let yourself relax and become curious about your body seated here – the sensations it experiences, the touch, the connection with the floor or the chair. Relax any areas of tightness or tension. Just breathe.
- Tune into your breath. Feel the natural flow of breath – in, out. You don’t need to do anything to your breath. Not long, not short, just natural. Notice where you feel your breath in your body. It might be in your abdomen. It may be in your chest or throat or in your nostrils. See if you can feel the sensations of breath, one breath at a time.
- Stay here for five to seven minutes. Notice your breath, in silence. From time to time, you’ll get lost in thought. Just return to your breath when this happens.
- After a few minutes, once again notice your body, your whole body, seated. Let yourself relax even more deeply and then offer yourself some appreciation for doing this practice.
- It might be particularly useful to try this practice before entering into a conversation or situation where you might be at odds with someone. And over time, as you do it more often, see if you can incorporate some of its elements into a heated conversation. For instance, try taking a deep breath before you respond to an upsetting comment or notice if your body is tensing up, which may suggest you are feeling stressed and might be primed to react hastily to the other person before considering your words or actions.
Pro Tip
You might notice that your mind starts to wander during a mindfulness practice. This is natural. Just notice that your mind has wandered and then gently redirect your attention back to your breathing.
If you are engaging with someone, you might also feel yourself having a strong emotional reaction to something they say. This is also natural. Watch those feelings like you’d watch clouds in the sky, knowing that they pass and change.
Why Try It
Mindfulness can help us bridge differences in a couple of different ways. First, it can help us slow down in tense or challenging interactions, enabling us to respond with greater thoughtfulness and equanimity rather than reacting more hastily to what the other person says or does. It can also help us attune to our thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations that suggest we’re getting anxious or angry, enabling us to manage those emotions before they get the better of us.
Second, research also suggests that mindfulness can reduce our unconscious biases. When we encounter strangers, we’re prone to taking mental shortcuts in evaluating them – and sometimes, these shortcuts become stereotypes. Asians are good at math, Muslims are terrorists. Being mindful of these mental shortcuts can help us avoid such cynical, reactive judgements. In effect, practicing mindfulness encourages our minds to wake up and pay attention to the details that make other people unique. It can be a tool to strengthen our feelings of kindness and connection toward others – even those who are different than us.
Keep in Mind
There are many kinds of mindfulness practices, and the type of practice you select may depend somewhat on the context you’re using it in. If you are new to mindfulness or you are introducing mindfulness to people new to it, you may want to avoid anything that feels too esoteric. A simple mindful breathing exercise like the one described above might be a good start.