What even is a contemplative practice??

Another excerpt from "Planting our Own Tree".

A growing and expansive body of research elaborates the benefits of contemplative practice. Berila’s (2016) text does a good job of synthesizing [the] benefits in the context of critical anti-oppression education. The benefits are also widely venerated in many cultural practices through the widespread incorporation of some form of contemplative practice into most spiritual, religious, and cultural traditions. This study is informed by the [now sunset] Center for Contemplative Mind in Society (CMind).

CMind outlines contemplative practices in this way:

“Contemplative Practices cultivate a critical, first-person focus, sometimes with direct experience as the object, while at other times concentrating on complex ideas or situations. Incorporated into daily life, they act as a reminder to connect to what we find most meaningful. Contemplative practices are practical, radical, and transformative, developing capacities for deep concentration and quieting the mind in the midst of the action and distraction that fills everyday life. This state of calm centeredness is an aid to exploration of meaning, purpose and values. Contemplative practices can help develop greater empathy and communication skills, improve focus and attention, reduce stress and enhance creativity, supporting a loving and compassionate approach to life. Contemplative practices are widely varied…they come in many forms, from traditions all over the world. Examples of contemplative practices include various forms of meditation, focused thought, time in nature, writing, contemplative arts, and contemplative movement.” (“Contemplative Practices,” 2015)

The practices are varied and innumerable depending on context and tradition, as are the potential benefits. I'm deeply invested in studying the history of the traditions and practices that still resonate in contemporary life. The cultural context can provide a level of maturity and depth to truly [tap] into the healing power and beauty of the practice….Many are already practiced in formal educational settings; practices like reflection, journaling, the use of narrative, and dialogue come to mind. However, most are reserved for communal spaces (Berila, 2016; “Contemplative Practices”, 2015).

The [tree of contemplative practice (pictured)] identifies a number of different practice options available, ranging from many different traditions and cultural contexts. The image invokes practice groupings based on the general purpose of the practices, but it does not claim to be an exhaustive list. The examples are of common practices that have been utilized in non-religious and academic spaces. This project [focused] on the relevant practice groupings related to ‘ritual,’ in the form of a retreat, as well as ‘relational’ and ‘movement’ practices incorporated into the retreat experience -- meditation, yoga, dance, dialogue, and storytelling for example.

This visual model provides a base for articulating some specifics about what I’m broadly referring to as a contemplative practice. However, it is in no way comprehensive, and does not situate cultural, spiritual, or religious context. Part of my exploration is to provide a deeper level of rootedness in womanist spirituality for context. The challenge with providing exacting definitions is that spirituality, unlike the construct of religion which arguably has specific parameters defined and articulated by a power structure, is more amorphous, fluid, and personally interpreted. Contemplative practices, while rooted in religious and spiritual traditions, also have non spiritual or secular merit and usage. This work is intended to uncover contemplative tools while honoring spiritual and cultural lineage. It is an exploration of contemplative practices, modalities, and broader pedagogical tools generated from within peoples, such as Black women, made marginal by historical colonial socio-cultural constructs…

The inner lives of Black women are masked in public discourse by conversations that we are superwomen, we are magic, we will save the country, we are a reliable voting bloc, and so on (Cooper, 2018; Harrell, 2018). While it is certainly true that Black women have collectively achieved and persevered despite multiple sociocultural, political, and economic obstacles, it is also true that these disparities take their toll. Data reveals that Black women are disproportionately represented in ailments caused by extreme stress and are dying at higher rates of preventable diseases (GirlTrek, 2022). The traumas shared by [Black] women across the diaspora are complex, and more research is needed in order to better understand deep healing practices that sustain us. Although the literature around womanist contemplative practice [in particular] is minimal, [at] this moment there is a powerful wave of practitioners and organizations emerging to articulate and share curative modalities specifically aimed at supporting Black women.

In the contemplative and mindfulness space, Lauren Ash of Black Girl in Om (BGIO) has developed a platform that is catnip for Black millennial women. It includes a podcast of the same name, community circles, and formerly a well populated blog with writings that offer healing support. The mission of BGIO is to “support the necessary transformation, spiritual awakening, consciousness shifts, and intergenerational healing occurring within the diaspora” (Black girl in om, 2018). Four years of podcast episodes are filled with Black women healers who offer different practices, and Lauren often cites her masters work studying Black feminism and womanism as inspiring the project.

Dr. Christina Cleveland, most recently, out of Duke University’s Divinity School researches the practice of self-compassion as a tool to combat racial-stress (Cleveland, 2019). She also has a powerful social media presence and recently published a book that documents a pilgrimage chronicling black Madonna. She traveled throughout Europe with her virtual pilgrims to explore the history and presence of these venerated images of the Black feminine divine (Cleveland, 2019).

One of my own spiritual teachers and co-facilitators Jade T. Perry, who calls herself the “churchy mystic”, and is a co-founder of the [now sunset] Mystic Soul Project, incorporates womanism and tarot practice. Jade’s contemplative work is a full integration of who she is as a “[Black], queer, disabled, femme” (Perry, 2020). She incorporates the erotic into her work, which is heavily influenced by Black feminist and womanist writings, of what she calls “embodied sensual rituals” (Perry, 2020). “These rituals incorporate healing practices (by various traditions of energy workers, herbalists, and intuitive wellness workers) with scholarship done by womanist theologians, as well as creative art to help us deeply explore ourselves (Perry, 2020)”.

The work of Tricia Hersey from The Nap Ministry has evolved out of the idea that “rest is a form of resistance: in an effort to “disrupt and push back against capitalism and white supremacy” (The Nap Ministry, 2021). She has been outspoken on her platform about destructive forces that put economic security over human life during the global pandemic. Her work incorporates luxurious public contemplative art installations designed to lull the public to sleep, quite literally.

Another organization gaining public attention is Girl Trek, whose mission, inspired by legendary abolitionist Harriot Tubman, is to “pioneer a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy” (GirlTrek, 2020). At its core, they organize Black women to walk in the direction of freedom. They have led pilgrimages covering Harriot Tubman’s own 200-mile route, marched to Selma, and many others.

There are other practitioners and contemplative organizations who are creating spaces centering Black women’s healing that could be named, but these provide a good overview of the type of work that exists which is nearly invisible in educational and contemplative research.

Note: This excerpt has been edited for clarity. Full text found here.

Citation:

Brown, D. M. (2022). Planting Our Own Tree: A Womanist Ethnographic Contemplative Inquiry [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1657751036132566

CMind. (2021). The Tree of Contemplative Practices [Illustration]. The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. https://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree