The Mindfulness Initiative released their latest policy report on May 4th, 2022: “Reconnection: Meeting the Climate Crisis Inside Out”.

This report centers on a neglected aspect of the climate crisis: the “endemic disconnection from self, others, and nature” at its root, and the relevance of mindfulness and compassion in addressing this core issue.

The report highlights emerging research linking sustainability with internal transformation and exploring the relationship between “inner” and “outer” work in addressing the climate crisis.

To read the report you can download it from the website of The Mindfulness Initiative.

The online launch was recorded

This report was written by Jamie Bristow, Rosie Bell and Professor Christine Wamsler (LUCSUS). It follows a research collaboration between the Mindfulness Initiative and the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, including 25 in-depth interviews with national and transnational politicians and policymakers, and a large-scale consultation with leading experts working on ‘inner’ aspects of the climate crisis.
The authors draw upon the emerging evidence base linking internal transformation to sustainability, and broader academic literature on the prosocial impact of mindfulness and compassion training.

The report advocates interpersonal reconnection and the regeneration of social bonds. The understanding is that this leads to a stronger foundation for climate consciousness and then inspires wholesome action to face adverse climate and societal developments.

Mindfulness Teachers are important agents to nourish this personal and interpersonal development.