Mindfulness of Inclusivity and Belonging: Taking Refuge in a Multicultural Community

Abstract

Mindfulness is a relational practice that teaches all human beings are inter-connected. It is the cultivation of an awareness that goes beyond identifying with just ourselves, to becoming aware of our communities, the culture, the suffering of our world, and ultimately becoming present to how all of this makes the totality of our human experience. As we continue to navigate some of the growing and exponentially complex issues of our nation based in racism, systemic oppression, and exclusion, it behooves scholars to address the subject of building multicultural and inclusive communities, such as communities where members of different cultures and identities can co-exist with the dominant White cultural groups. The author will address how practices of mindfulness can be applicable in creating such communities, while navigating the historical oppression and marginalization that continues to affect the non-dominant groups in America.