The Power of Mindfulness to Interrupt Implicit Bias

Mindfulness can be a tool that enables us to notice the unconscious bias that we all have and to begin to interrupt it.

But how does mindfulness do this? In Chapter 5 of Onward, Be Here Now, Elena Aguilar explains how: “Mindfulness helps us pay attention to what’s happening right now. It helps us see and speak clearly and act with intentionality. Mindfulness is the antithesis of operating on autopilot, which is inherently flawed and even deeply biased. Finally, it guides us to align our actions with our aspirations and core beliefs, thus perhaps preventing us from acting on unchecked unconscious bias.”

This article from Mindful Schools, Mindfulness and Transforming Bias gives us even more support for how mindfulness can help reduce our implicit bias. “Mindfulness practice sharpens our moment-to-moment awareness and can reveal our mind’s conditioned dispositions. Initial studies have shown that even ten minutes of mindfulness practice can reduce implicit racial and age bias.”

Are you convinced now and ready to begin? Start with our guided Loving Kindness meditation that is offered on our Onward website under resources.