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Student Spotlight
| This month's Student Spotlight is with John Ainsworth, who has been practicing mindfulness since beginning law school a year ago. Click here for more.
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Brain Brief
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Appealing to a Lower Circuit:
Since as far back as Plato, reason has been regarded as the key to success, especially in endeavors like the law. This higher neural circuit function is found in an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. With much neuroscience research exploring this, the verdict is in that absent a robust connection to the "lower," limbic system, the brain's emotional core, the prefrontal cortex can be challenged to make even simple decisions.
Mindfulness practices help to strengthen the fibers connecting these two regions. In How We Decide, Jonathan Lehrer discusses the fascinating world of decision making.
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Welcome to the June 2010 edition of The Mindful Law Student Newsletter, where mindfulness and legal education converge to keep you informed on law student happenings, mindfulness insights and events, and cutting-edge neuroscience findings.
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Mindfulness Tip of the Month
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| Walking to Clear Your Mind?
Ever go for a walk to relax and clear your mind? Believe it or not, researchers at the University of
Michigan conducted a study and found that taking a walk can tax
cognitive
resources and negatively impact working memory, self-control, visual
attention,
and mood. This finding appears to be mediated by the costs of pay
attention to so
much stimuli. I suspect that walking
mindfully would lead to a different effect. So, the next time you take
that leisurely stroll to clear
your mind, move into your senses. Set your intention to walk slowly,
stopping at times --
aware that you are breathing, aware of your feet pressing against the
ground, and
open the temperatures, sounds, smells, and colors of summer. |
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What's New |
| UM Law Hosts "Gaining the Competitive Edge" Panel
On March 23, 2010, as part of its Mental Health Day, the University of Miami School of Law hosted a lunchtime panel featuring speakers Scott Rogers, Ashley Falcon from the Wellness Center, Michael Cohen from the Florida Lawyers Assistance Program, and Dr. Ana Campo from the UM Miller School of Medicine. The program focused on the implications of the use and abuse of substances like adderall, as study aids and the healthier alternatives of nutrition, napping and sleep. Click here to read more.
Georgetown Law is Mindful of its Students' Best InterestsGeorgetown Law School continues to ride the cutting edge of academics and legal education with its Lawyers in Balance program, which
offers students a series of mindfulness based programs. The course
teaches mind-body skills and techniques to help students to reduce
stress and to maintain a balance between professional and personal
lives. Learn more about what Georgetown is up to by clicking here. The Mindful Law Student Podcast Offers 4 Meditations to Help Students with Bar Review and Summer Jobs You can visit The Mindful Law Student Podcast on iTunes and download an audio CD for free that offers two meditations and two visualizations designed to help students focus, find balance, and relax.
The Judge's Breakfast: Mindfulness & Decision MakingOn March 26, 2010, "The Judge's Breakfast" was held in the chambers of The Honorable Alan Gold. Twelve law students enjoyed breakfast and a lively discussion of mindfulness, decision-making, and the practice of law. Click here to read about the event and to see pictures. Mindfulness Student Organization Begins at UM LawFollowing Dean of Student's Janet Stearn's
implementation of a series of wellness initiatives more than three years
ago, students at University of Miami School of Law have formed the Insightful Mind Initiative, a
student organization that focuses on contemplative practices. Learn
more about the Insightful Mind Initiative, founded by Amanda Leipold, John Ainsworth, Nicole Crabtree, and Miraisy Rodriguez, by clicking here.If your law school or students are up to something interesting, let us know and we'll mention it in the next issue of The Mindful Law Student.
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"Mindfulness Memo" with Scott Rogers
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| The Elusive Search for "Just Is"
 In the law, the term "Justice" looms large. It forms the bedrock of our legal
system - perhaps even of society. The concept of "Justice" may have played a
role in your decision to attend law school and to become a lawyer.
In this month's Mindfulness
Memo, we'll explore how a mindful sense of
"justice" can offer you insights for optimizing desirable outcomes in your life
and the law.
Resisting the Unpleasant
Have you ever been upset or frustrated over something that
happened that wasn't what you wanted? Perhaps you received a lower grade than
you had expected. Or maybe it was something someone told you that you didn't
want to hear. We have a tendency to resist things that are contrary to what we
want or expect. While things not going according to plan may signal an
injustice, the agitation we feel can disrupt our capacity to act in a way that
serves justice.
Impediments to Seeking Justice
One of the challenges to bringing about justice is being able
to see clearly the context in which injustices reside. That context consists of
information about events that have come and gone - what we refer to as the
"past." But often, we get stuck in these events, resisting them. When this
occurs, it can be challenging to clearly perceive the present moment. And, it
can be difficult to lay the groundwork for a more just future. This is the case
both with the major issues of our times, and also of the moment-to-moment
experiences of our daily lives.
Mindful awareness clarifies this context so that we can
learn from the past and appreciate its informational value but not have it
cloud our view of the present moment. Mindfulness helps us notice occasions when the mind is resisting
something undesirable, becomes distracted, and begins generating mental
chatter.
Past Mindfulness Memo's
have looked at ways to transform challenging moments when they arise and move
to a state of equanimity and balance. Today we'll go deeper and explore how to
shift our perceptions so that we may more spontaneously respond mindfully to
life events, creating fewer "obstacles" out of life's challenges as we sense
its plentiful opportunities.
Jurisight, Justice and "Just Is"
In the language of "Jurisight," the term "Justice" becomes
"Just Is," as a reminder that to notice what "Just Is," is to align oneself
with the natural flow of life - the arising and passing away of things that we
desire along with those that we do not. The challenge is learning how to notice what "Just Is," when our protective
ego is eager to interpret and define it for us. You see, "Just Is" is an experience, not a thought. That is
why when we deeply appreciate the "Just Is" nature of life, we become more at
ease with what arises, even when it is not what we want.
It "Just Is" an Event
In last semester's Jurisight for 1L Student's class, a student shared how worried she was about
her upcoming performance on exams. Another student told me of the distress he
had felt the day before when a classmate turned to another student to pair up
on an in-class assignment. Arriving late to class one afternoon, a student
complained about the outrageous traffic. This semester a student commented on
the resentment he felt when his girlfriend resurrected an old complaint to
defend her actions. Another shared how annoyed she was when a roommate ate her
food. I've rarely heard a
complaint that an entire class could not relate to in one form or another.
Notice how each situation involved an unwanted external event and an internal
reaction to that event.
In class, we discuss how these situations create thoughts
and feelings that can lead to overreactions that further exacerbate these
situations. This happens in traffic, in class, at home, and, just as
frequently, at the negotiation table and in court. The mindfulness insight is
that all these uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and over-reactions surface
because we are resisting something. And that something is nothing more than one of life's "events." Something
happened or someone said something that we simply didn't want to happen or
hear. A car is going slow. A roommate ate your food. An exam is on the horizon. And with the
event, a reaction: frustration, anger, fear - itself a momentary event.
Rather than experience these moments as something that "just
isn't" what you wanted - which ultimately is not only futile but completely at odds
with reality - recognize them for what they are - an event that "just is." As you begin to shift your perspective
in this regard, you will find yourself having an easier time, as if dropping a
weight that need never have been carried. With this mental load lightened, you
will be better prepared to effectively respond to the situation. The key is to
seek "Just Is."
Seeking "Just Is"
As with many mindfulness insights, things that sound good
and make sense can be challenging to implement. This is because thinking
something doesn't make it so. You know this from all the times you "knew" there
was nothing you could do about a situation but still you were rattled and
reactive.
To come to deeply appreciate the "just is" nature of life,
it is helpful to practice noticing the world as it "just is." In the Jurisight classes, we practice a series of these. As one
example of how to do this, take a moment, bring awareness to your breath, and
notice what "just is" happening in the moment. The students talking that "just is." The person walking that "just is." The tree swaying
that "just is." The car honking
that "just is." Your heart
beating that "just is." It is one thing to have all these
things happening around and inside you. It is another to mindfully attend to them with "just is" awareness. No thought. No analysis. No judgment.
Just is. You see there is no judgment in justice - just wisdom.
A "Just Is" Exercise
Choosing to shift your perspective to notice what "just is,"
you transform how you relate to the moment. You may find it exciting, even joyful, to notice what "just
is" with your senses. It is a way
of "coming to your senses" when you might otherwise be reacting too quickly or
could use a few moments to pause and reflect. The following exercise can help
you cultivate "just is" awareness throughout the day without having to create
extra time for doing so.
And "Just Is" for All
The Pledge of Allegiance
is familiar to many. It is recited
in schools throughout the United States and has been for a very long time. As a
law student, it may have been years since you last recited it. Whether familiar
or new to you, consider how it or some variation might serve as a mindfulness
cue to remind you to experience life as it "just is." Here are two ways to do so.
Take a moment during the day, place your hand on your heart,
or let it rest on your belly, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Do so out
loud, softly, or to yourself. As
an alternative, recite the pledge while you are washing your hands. As you reach the end of the verse and
reach the phrase "and justice for
all" pause, take a breath, and notice what "just is" in that moment.
You'll find that this simple practice can powerfully shift
your relationship to the moment and offer you an opportunity to see more
clearly what is actually taking place in your life. Practicing it will provide you with a greater sense of
balance, perspective, resilience, and enhance your natural gifts to bring about
a better next moment and world.
Wishing you all the best,
Scott Rogers
Director, Institute for Mindfulness Studies
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About The Mindful Law Student WebsiteThe Mindful Law Student website is devoted to sharing information about mindfulness programs and practices with law students, and those interested and participating in legal education. The Institute for Mindfulness Studies produces The Mindful Law Student podcast, which can be listened and subscribed to on iTunes, and on Podcast.net. The Mindful Law Student website and newsletter are published by the Institute for Mindfulness Studies which does not receive any funds through the advertising or promotion of third party content or services.
Copyright 2009-2010. Institute for Mindfulness Studies. The Mindful Law Student, and The Mindfulness memo are service marks of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. All rights reserved. |
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