Opening Minds and Hearts in the Midwest
Cultivating Cultural and Intellectual Humility Through Contemplative Practices
Cultivating Cultural and Intellectual Humility Through Contemplative Practices
Shane Ledford and Tracy Ochester of the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness have been teaching mindfulness and yoga in the Midwest for a number of years. They experienced firsthand how contemplative practices can help cultivate intellectual and cultural humility, beneficial qualities that enable us to connect across difference and improve our personal and collective wellbeing. Intellectual humility is the ability to non-defensively accept the limits of our knowledge and recognize that some of our beliefs may be wrong. Cultural humility is an awareness of one’s own cultural identity coupled with a willingness to learn about another’s culture and see the world through their eyes. Shane and Tracy reached out to other contemplative teachers around the Midwest to find out what they had to say about this connection.
This diverse group of teachers of contemplative practices in the Midwest generously shared their journeys – the joys and the challenges particular to their region and population. Click the photos to learn about the places they do their good work, the people they serve, and the role of intellectual and cultural humility in what they do.