Mindfulness and motions for clarification and relief.

Special to the News

The practice of mindfulness, like the practice of law, can take many forms. Today, we explore ways of practicing mindfulness that incorporate movement and do not depend on sitting still or sequestering oneself from the busyness of everyday life. This exploration is couched in a language we know only too well.

'Motion' for Relief

While mindfulness is not primarily about feeling less stressed (though a part of us is always interested in this form of relief), when we are mindfully engaged, we tend to experience the moments of life, whatever they have in store for us, with a greater ease of mind and body. While it is easy to view high anxiety and immense calm as our two choices, these are but extremes along a spectrum, and wherever we find ourselves at any given moment, there tends to be room for movement that allows us to be more effective and experience a greater sense of well-being.

While the most common mindfulness practices involve sitting, paying attention to the breath, and noticing mind wandering (upon which one may return attention to the breath or observing the physical sensations and feelings accompanying mind wandering), many forms of practice involve or integrate movement. Examples include "mindful walking," the "asana" practices associated with yoga, and the movement practices connected with "qigong," to name but a few.

Moving the body is important, all the more so when the practice of law calls for long periods of sitting. Thus, one benefit of a mindful movement practice is that it gets the body moving which helps with blood flow and oxygenating the brain, elevates mood, and can have a relaxing and calming effect. Hence, movement practices are, in many ways, a motion for relief, and it can be helpful to view them as such. We have no problem filing such motions on behalf of our clients. This is one case where viewing ourselves as our own client can be useful.

'Motion' for Clarification

Just as society looks to the practice of law to help bring about justice, many members of the legal profession look to the practice of mindfulness to help them to see things more clearly, and view the world as it "just is," unencumbered by the mental elaborations and emotional reactivity that are common amid the tumultuous, uncertain, and consequential day in the life of today's lawyer. Practically speaking, this means more readily entertaining multiple perspectives to better understand clients, adversaries, judges, and even...

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