For episode 125 of the Metta Hour, Sharon is re-releasing a previously released episode of the podcast from 2018, featuring a conversation with colleague Rhonda V. Magee.
Rhonda is Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, and is an internationally-recognized thought and practice leader on integrating Mindfulness into Higher Education, Law and Social Justice. She is the author of the 2019 book, “The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness.”
In this conversation, Rhonda and Sharon discuss a holistic approach for compassionate and restorative justice in underserved communities and the different levels of social change that exist– and how to work in those levels for real growth. The episode closes with an eight-minute guided meditation led by Rhonda. Learn more about Rhonda’s work at rhondavmagee.com.
A Path for All of Us
Rhonda speaks with Sharon about her book The Inner Work of Racial Justice, a book on the topic of bringing mindfulness to racial justice issues. They discuss the fear and violence related to race in America at the moment and look at what part mindfulness and meditation practices play in healing a divided society. Rhonda shares her story and how she found direction in her work and spiritual path and spiritual path.
“Collectively and individually, one community within many other communities, we are all up against the wall right now I think. It is a challenging time for many of us. For me, it is kind of a reminder of just how much I rely on my own daily practice.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Rhonda explores how we can integrate Dharma into social justice on Ep. 24 of The Road Home Podcast
Raising the Bar (17:00)
With a background in law, Rhonda has worked to bring mindfulness practices to a profession known for its high stress and unique demands. She and Sharon talk about the difficulties that people in the legal system face and the tools that contemplative practices give them to meet these challenges.
“While the things we do to train lawyers for everyday practice in the core competencies of law, arguing and analyzing from a perspective that is framed around a certain set of inquiries, the way we train lawyers to think and to be in the world can, for many people, be very alienating. People start to feel like they have lost their own sense of values.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Compassion vs. Justice (31:20)
What do we really mean when we talk about justice? Rhonda looks at ways of thinking about justice that depart from the typical models of justice and moves towards a holistic approach for compassionate and restorative justice in our communities.
“Restorative justice recognizes that the person who is charged as a perpetrator comes from a community and ideally will return to a community. Making connections between the so-called perpetrator, the person who has been harmed and the larger community that the whole of it arose in is really what restorative justice is all about.” – Rhonda V. Magee
Where Change Begins (41:25)
Sharon and Rhonda discuss the different levels of social change that exist and share their insight on where greater social change begins. Rhoda closes the show with a short guided meditation.
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