Using Mindfulness to Recognize Our Implict Biases

The last few weeks have opened many people’s eyes to the the systemic racism in this country. Many, who thought they were not racist, are becoming aware of implicit biases they did not even know they had. Hopefully, this awareness will allow us all to take a hard look at ourselves and see things we don’t necessarily want to see and begin to have conversations that we feel very uncomfortable having.

When we begin to hold a mirror up to our own face we often immediately want to put it down and run from our discoveries. It is deep work to begin to look at ourselves and see our patterns and tendencies. It is hard and it is uncomfortable. This is where real change and growth occur. 

This is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness practices allow us to observe our thoughts and feelings without judgement. This is key. When we remove judgement from difficult issues  we are more willing to see ourselves for who we really are. We become more willing to see and accept our imperfections. We have to be aware so we can change. If we get lost in judgement of ourselves, we are unable to see things with clarity. We get lost in our perceptions, we get stuck.

Nicole Torres recently wrote an article called, Mindfulness Mitigates Biases You May Not Know You Have. In it she states that a new study, published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, suggests that mindfulness meditation can reduce implicit bias - and the negative behaviors that it causes. 

Implicit biases are ones we don’t even know we have. The researchers in this article state, “Implicit attitudes are based on automatic associations, and they influence behavior more than we realize. Even as we assert egalitarian values or condemn discrimination, automatic processing often colors how we evaluate and treat others.”

You can’t change what you don’t see. How do you become more mindful? Sit down and become aware of your breathing. You can set a timer for a few minutes before you begin. Just allow yourself to listen to your breath. Notice what comes up. Your mind will begin to wander, when it does just say a simple word like thinking or wandering and then come back to your breath. Repeat this process over and over again. Instead of judging yourself for having thoughts, try to come from a place of loving kindness, compassion, and curiosity. Remember if you cannot extend loving kindness, compassion, and curiosity towards yourself you won’t be able to extend it to others.  

There is a lot of information about mindfulness meditation on the internet.  Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote a wonderful book called, “Wherever You Go There You Are. He has written books, articles, and has recorded meditations you can listen to. I recently read, Mindfulness In Plain English, by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana and it is an excellent read.  It breaks down mindfulness meditation in a clear and digestible way. Find a teacher in your area. 

As with all changes we make, start small but start now. If we are truly all in this together then let’s start to take action to show we mean it.