Tim Ryan, Representative from Ohio's 17th District, discusses the important role that meditation plays in his life and work. (Photo credit: Byron Buck)

This fall, The Faith & Politics Institute hosted a series on Meditation and Inner Reflection. The program brought together Members of Congress, business professionals, prison workers, and pioneers in health and medicine for sessions on living with openness to the self, and leading through building deeper connections with others.

The first event, on October 20^th, focused on cultivating Mindful Leadership. Janice Marturano and Dr. Saki Santorelli of the Center for Mindfulness co-led a major portion of the event, speaking on the importance of reflection and self-examination for individuals in all positions of leadership. Dr. Santorelli demonstrated how paying careful attention to the self, the body and one's surroundings in each moment enriches each person's ability to rediscover deep values and to better listen to others. Ms. Marturano emphasized how such increased perception can, and has, strengthened relationships in the classroom, in the office, and on the Hill.

Two speakers from the Hill provided perspectives on meditation in political leadership. Representative Tim Ryan (OH-17) shared how he has come to rely on meditation to provide personal renewal and re-centering amidst the high-paced and often divisive demands of his Office. Concluding the evening was the U.S. House Attending Physician Dr. Brian Monahan, who spoke about the enourmous levels of stress that Members of Congress can incur. He expressed optimism in the value of Mindfulness as a means for stress reduction in a politically charged environment.

On November 3^rd, the Institute hosted a film screening and discussion on Vipassana Meditation, an intensive 10-day discipline that has been introduced to prisons throughout the country. Lucia Meijer, President of the North America Vipassana Trust, discussed the deeply personal challenges of practicing prolonged silent reflection and introspection. Dr. Ronald Cavanaugh, Director of Treatment for the Alabama Department of Corrections, and Harry Snyder, an Instructor of Vipassana, told of the transformative changes that many prisoners have undergone as a result of these sessions, and spoke candidly about the healing and the conflicts that this has caused with prison authorities. Clips from “The Dhamma Brothers”, a film about the effort to introduce and maintain these programs in prisons, accompanied the lectures.