Furlan Štante, Nadja (University of Primorska, Slovenia)
Mindfulness as a Path of Empowerment of Women
The paper brings together social mindfulness as a path for the empowerment of women and feminist spirituality within its concept of the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all beings in the web of life. The paradigm of social mindfulness is established as a groundstone for feminist spirituality. The focus is concentrated on the possibility of applying the ethics of mindfulness as a paradigm for interpersonal interrelatedness. The relationships between humans, nature, reason and emotion in self-development, are being confronted by the paradigm of mindfulness. The paper focuses on the theoretical analysis of the possibility of integrating the paradigm of mindfulness with the paradigm of feminist spirituality. In this view, the paradigm shift toward integrating spiritual and social justice and ecological balance is examined. The paper also examines the possibility of the transformation of negative gender stereotypes with the help of mindfulness, loving kindness, compassion and ethics. From this point of view the application of mindfulness in education (especially childhood, primary and secondary schools) is considered.
The second part of the paper is more practical and application oriented. It examines the model of Mindfulness Based Feminist Therapy (MBFT) (Brown 2004; Crowder 2012). MBFT appears to be a sound feminist therapy based on a mindfulness meditation approach, suggesting that mindfulness-trained therapists can include guided mindfulness meditation focusing on self-compassion at appropriate times within the feminist modality. By doing so the practitioner can enhance women’s affect regulation skills and most importantly help them change the relationship to their oppressive and traumatic experiences and narrative of self.
Mindfulness as a Path of Empowerment of Women
The paper brings together social mindfulness as a path for the empowerment of women and feminist spirituality within its concept of the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all beings in the web of life. The paradigm of social mindfulness is established as a groundstone for feminist spirituality. The focus is concentrated on the possibility of applying the ethics of mindfulness as a paradigm for interpersonal interrelatedness. The relationships between humans, nature, reason and emotion in self-development, are being confronted by the paradigm of mindfulness. The paper focuses on the theoretical analysis of the possibility of integrating the paradigm of mindfulness with the paradigm of feminist spirituality. In this view, the paradigm shift toward integrating spiritual and social justice and ecological balance is examined. The paper also examines the possibility of the transformation of negative gender stereotypes with the help of mindfulness, loving kindness, compassion and ethics. From this point of view the application of mindfulness in education (especially childhood, primary and secondary schools) is considered.
The second part of the paper is more practical and application oriented. It examines the model of Mindfulness Based Feminist Therapy (MBFT) (Brown 2004; Crowder 2012). MBFT appears to be a sound feminist therapy based on a mindfulness meditation approach, suggesting that mindfulness-trained therapists can include guided mindfulness meditation focusing on self-compassion at appropriate times within the feminist modality. By doing so the practitioner can enhance women’s affect regulation skills and most importantly help them change the relationship to their oppressive and traumatic experiences and narrative of self.