Through evolution, as an important means of survival, it was often critical when faced with challenges in meeting our basic needs that we were able to identify a cause in the environment that we could then act upon to remove the current obstacle. In many of these primordial situations, if one were to just do […]
Tag: Mindfulness in Law
Mindfulness has at its core the cultivation of a heightened ability to consciously connect with present-moment experience. Doing this often involves a process over time of dis-identification from “ego” or thought-driven notions about how “I am” or “you are,” as a “separate” individual. When we remain stuck in such learned conditioning, we are far more […]
Legal problems tend to involve life situations that may prompt examination of the past and fears about the future. In particular, one may begin to examine his or her role in bringing about the current situation a s a result of past actions and/or decisions. He or she may also worry about how the future […]
The first noble truth in Buddhist philosophy is that life includes dukkha which is roughly translated from Pali by contemporary scholars as a sense of “unsatisfactoriness.” From an evolutionary standpoint, being “wired” with this sensitivity makes sense as an internal motivator for humans to venture out into their environments seeking food, shelter, procreation, etc. One […]
The arising of most life situations calling for legal action or intervention involves the coming together of innumerable factors over time. In order to craft and execute optimal legal solutions, it is necessary to consider as many of these pastors as possible. This incisive approach is the primary goal of integrating mindfulness in law practice. […]
Mindfulness and meditation free us from the narrow judgments and limited thoughts associated with ego, connecting us instead to boundless experience that we call “life.” Some people believe that this transcendent experience can arise only in the presence of very specific conditions, or when engaged in particularly “spiritual” activities. In reality, the opening of the […]
Almost by definition, involvement with our civil justice system presupposes the occurrence of some event perceptively violative of one’s conditioned notions of “right” and “wrong” behavior. Such circumstances can easily serve to trigger habitual reactions towards “unfairness” that may stem from early life experiences and conditioning. It is such conditioning that may cumulatively come to […]
Whether dealing with marital difficulties, financial stressors, problems in the workplace, etc., individuals seeking legal assistance are often feeling threatened and insecure. Often these individuals are grappling with fear that can often trigger habitual, defensive reactions that cloud decision-making when clarity is most needed. Such defensive reactions are of little surprise when considering the extent […]
The starting point for optimal conflict resolution is the ability to meaningfully connect to present-moment experience. This ability requires a high degree of consciousness able to not get caught in ego-driven thoughts of how things “should be,” ways in which things are “wrong,” and similar judgements. In the absence of this connection to present-moment experience, […]