The experiences of Black and People of Colour (BPOC) and trans and nonbinary (TNB) people in mindfulness spaces in the UK

 

Welcome to Autumn and an update on my doctoral research. As we celebrate Black History Month (BHM) through honouring and raising the experiences and voices of BPOC, we are faced with the challenge of navigating the legacies and new iterations of colonialism and intolerance. As ever, we need our practice and approach of mindfulness, compassion and social justice to resource ourselves; to bring awareness, resilience and strength to face and take action in whatever way we can to dismantle and repair such harm. This can also be seen as a decolonial practice[1]; the process of looking within ourselves and communities to acknowledge the reality and impact of colonialism and other forms of oppression such as transphobia. We become increasingly aware of how this plays out through individual (conscious or otherwise) and systemic discrimination and disparities in access to services, employment, wellbeing and health[2]. It may feel uncomfortable for us to accept how this plays out in mindfulness spaces; classes, curricula, teachings, teacher training and research, and ways forward are scarce to date, hence my doctoral work.

The early results from my survey and interviews are striking and fascinating in how being BPOC and TNB play out in mindfulness classes and courses. Most respondents spoke of feeling uncomfortable, reporting a lack of diversity and awareness about race and TNBI inclusion. TNBI people also experienced misgendering. There were interesting differences in that race is often more visible whilst gender can be unseen and TNB people misidentified. Many trans people did not attend in-person classes because of the wider hostile climate and fear of negative experiences a class.

And as a BPOC who is also nonbinary, these fascinating insights are inspiring some of my new autoethnographic pieces which are my personal reflections that link the research with my own experiences and visions of a more inclusive space.

The point of this project is of course to make improvements so we can all continue to take action in ways that participants and research suggest are needed. So, I have been compiling recommendations based on previous research, and my participants’ contributions whose voices have seldom been heard. And there are so many easy wins that mindfulness practitioners, providers and attendees can do to increase access and diversity for BPOC and TNB people. Good starting points are accepting there are issues, learning about and addressing cultural appropriation, race and trans inclusion, sharing pronouns and not assuming someone’s gender or ethnicity from their name or presentation, bursaries to train tutors from these communities, affordable classes and courses, taking mindfulness into communities’ spaces, inclusive group agreements, being trauma-informed and so on.

We like to think that we are “open to all” but in the current climate this is increasingly not how it feels for many BPOC and TNB people.

I will share more in the coming months. And as we turn inward and reflect with the changing seasons, I wish us all the peace and resilience.

 

Josetta (they/them)

Doctoral Researcher at University of Aberdeen

PhD on “Race and Trans and Nonbinary Inclusion in Mindfulness”

Email: j.malcolm.22@abdn.ac.uk

Fees funded with gratitude by The Everyone Project’s Chloe Holmwood Bursary.

 

[1] Chawla, D. and Atay, A. (2018). Introduction: Decolonizing Autoethnography. Cultural StudiesCritical Methodologies, 18(1), pp.3-8.

[2] Shafi, A. and Nagdee, I (2022). Race to the Bottom: Reclaiming Antiracism. London: Pluto Press.

Introduction: Mindfulness Meets Science

Over the past three decades, mindfulness has moved from monasteries and meditation halls into mainstream healthcare, schools, and workplaces. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) now recommends mindfulness-based programmes for conditions such as depression and anxiety, while numerous universities conduct rigorous studies on its benefits. Meta-analyses consistently show that mindfulness is effective for reducing stress, improving emotional regulation, and supporting long-term mental health.

At the Mindfulness Association, our approach is rooted in compassion and contemplative psychology. We are also pioneers in what is known as Second-Generation Mindfulness, a development that honours mindfulness’s contemplative roots while grounding it in modern science.

What Is Second-Generation Mindfulness?

Many first-generation mindfulness programmes, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), focus primarily on attention training and stress reduction. These were crucial steps in bringing mindfulness into the public domain.

Second-generation mindfulness goes further. It integrates mindfulness with its ethical, spiritual, and compassion-based origins. At the Mindfulness Association, our programmes do not just teach paying attention. They invite participants into a deeper process of self-discovery, emotional transformation, and connection with others.

As our co-founder Choden (Sean McGovern) explains in the Mahamudra and Mindfulness series, this approach reconnects mindfulness with the contemplative traditions it emerged from, while keeping it accessible and evidence-based for modern contexts.

Learn more about second-generation mindfulness in our blog.

Evidence Across Key Areas

1. Stress Reduction

Mindfulness is well established as a tool for reducing stress. A 2021 systematic review in JAMA Internal Medicine confirmed that mindfulness-based interventions consistently lower perceived stress levels across diverse populations. Our second-generation approach enhances this by weaving in compassion practices, which research suggests may buffer against stress-related burnout.

2. Emotional Regulation

Mindfulness strengthens the brain’s capacity to notice and shift unhelpful emotional patterns. Neuroscientific studies show increased activity in areas of the prefrontal cortex linked with emotional regulation after mindfulness training. By including compassion and ethical reflection, second-generation mindfulness supports not just emotional balance but also healthier relationships and pro-social behaviour.

3. Compassion and Self-Acceptance

A growing body of research indicates that self-compassion is strongly associated with lower anxiety, reduced self-criticism, and greater resilience. Unlike purely attention-based models, our courses explicitly cultivate compassion for self and others. This creates a safe inner environment where mindfulness can flourish sustainably.

4. Long-Term Mental Health Benefits

Mindfulness is now recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an effective intervention for preventing depressive relapse. Second-generation mindfulness strengthens this evidence base by addressing not just symptoms but underlying ways of relating to experience. Research collaborations with the University of Aberdeen have explored how contemplative perspectives can deepen and sustain mental wellbeing over the long term.

Our Academic and Contemplative Foundations

The Mindfulness Association’s training is informed by decades of contemplative practice, neuroscience, and psychology. Our collaborations with the University of Aberdeen have shaped postgraduate courses that blend rigorous academic study with experiential practice.

This ensures our approach is both evidence-based and practice-led, helping to bridge the gap between science and lived experience.

Where Science Is Still Evolving

While the evidence for mindfulness is strong, research is ongoing. Scientists are exploring questions such as:

• Which populations benefit most?
• How does mindfulness work at a neurological level?
• What differentiates first- and second-generation mindfulness in measurable outcomes?

 

By participating in research and continuing to refine our programmes, we at the Mindfulness Association contribute to this growing field.

Conclusion: Mindfulness, Compassion, and the Next Generation

The science is clear, mindfulness works. But the next step, embodied in our second-generation approach, is about more than stress reduction or improved focus. It is about compassion, meaning, and connection, dimensions that science is only beginning to measure but which practitioners have experienced for centuries.

At the Mindfulness Association, we are committed to training that is not only evidence-based but also deeply human. By combining scientific insight with contemplative wisdom, we offer mindfulness that transforms lives, today and for generations to come.

 Aren’t we on to the next big wellbeing thing yet?

 

Hello, so yes, it is and no we are not.

My name is Amanda Scott, and I am a Mindfulness Association sponsored PhD student at The University of the West of Scotland where I am researching Mindfulness and Wellbeing in Longterm Mindfulness Practitioners. And yes, this is another mindfulness study when there have been cries of saturation and peak mindfulness (Fox Lee, 2019).And no, I will argue the value of my research for wellbeing and not just to justify the blood, sweat and tears (many tears) of my PhD endeavours.

You see it turns out that very few studies have been done on long term mindfulness practitioners i.e. people who meditate longer than a wee while.  Most previous research has been conducted within short interventions or standardised 8-week training programs (King et al., 2019). And, while these programs consistently claim to be rooted in Buddhist traditions of mindfulness training, it can be argued that they are conceptually much removed from their original context (Kudesia & Nyima, 2015), which would traditionally include embedded and continuous support, and a framework for long term practice, among other foundational elements (Sedlmeier, 2023). This decontextualization has raised concerns regarding the effectiveness, appropriateness, and potential misapplication of mindfulness practices (Teasdale et al., 2003) with the response being a growing interest in what has been termed ‘second-generation’ Mindfulness-Based Interventions (SG-MBIs). These aim to reintroduce aspects such as spirituality, ethics, and long-term supervision which are elements, some would argue, that were neglected in the original Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) (Baer, 2015; Van Gordon & Shonin, 2020; Zhou et al., 2024). Although in fairness modern mindfulness big proponent, Jon  Kabat-Zinn (1990, 2011), did implied but perhaps didn’t fully explore mindfulness as a Buddhist philosophy-informed, embodied practice, rooted in compassion and ethical awareness within secular adaptations. However, these second generation (of modern mindfulness post 1980s) approaches explicitly highlight the value of sustained, authentic engagement in fostering well-being, positioning mindfulness as a transformative, socially responsible practice rather than a commodified, quick-fix solution (McKenzie, 2022a, 2022b). They seek to address concerns regarding the loss of authenticity, and the hyper-secularization and commercialization of mindfulness, often referred to as “McMindfulness”(Shonin & Van Gordon, 2015) . SG-MBIs seek to reintegrate the ethical and philosophical dimensions by drawing on contemplative traditions, particularly Buddhist philosophy, while remaining accessible within non-religious contexts, and conceptualise mindfulness as inherently relational and situated within a broader ethical landscape. There is also evidence that SG-MBIs ‘outperform’ First Generation MBIs across a range of factors including symptom reduction and increased personal growth (Van Gordon & Shonin, 2020). So that’s good!

Thus, from this standpoint, and my PhD study, mindfulness is understood not merely as a tool for enhancing individual well-being, but as a lifelong, integrative practice that permeates all aspects of life including the personal, relational, societal, and even the sociopolitical. This is aligned with the Mindfulness Association’s SG-MBI approach, which is grounded in compassion and lifelong practice, so together, rather than being confined to stress reduction or therapeutic settings, mindfulness is conceptualised as a way of being, and of sustaining commitment to awareness, to compassion, and to ethical engagement. It influences how individuals relate to themselves, others, and the wider world, fostering greater emotional resilience, social connectedness, and reflective responsiveness to societal challenges (Sieber, 2015; Somers, 2022). And let’s face it, we could all be doing with more of that right now.

If you wish to know more about this research, or to contact me, please email me at amanda.scott@uws.ac.uk , other than that, look out for my next blog post.

 

References:

Baer, R. (2015). Ethics, Values, Virtues, and Character Strengths in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: a Psychological Science Perspective. Mindfulness, 6(4), 956–969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0419-2

Fox Lee, S. (2019). Psychology’s own mindfulness: Ellen Langer and the social politics of scientific interest in “active noticing.” Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 55(3), 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbs.21975

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and  mind  to  face  stress,  pain,  and  illness. (1st Ed). Delacorte .

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 281–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2011.564844

King, B. G., Conklin, Q. A., Zanesco, A. P., & Saron, C. D. (2019). Residential meditation retreats: their role in contemplative practice and significance for psychological research. In Current Opinion in Psychology (Vol. 28, pp. 238–244). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.021

Kudesia, R. S., & Nyima, V. T. (2015). Mindfulness Contextualized: An Integration of Buddhist and Neuropsychological Approaches to Cognition. Mindfulness, 6(4), 910–925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0337-8

McKenzie, S. P. (2022a). Real Mindfulness. In Reality Psychology (pp. 85–101). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97170-0_6

McKenzie, S. P. (2022b). Reality Psychology: A New Perspective on Wellbeing, Mindfulness, Resilience and Connection. In Reality Psychology: A New Perspective on Wellbeing, Mindfulness, Resilience and Connection. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97170-0

Sedlmeier, P. (2023). What Mindfulness, and for Whom? And Why Might it Work? In Mindfulness. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02218-0

Shonin, E., & Van Gordon, W. (2015). The Lineage of Mindfulness. In Mindfulness (Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 141–145). Springer Science and Business Media, LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0327-x

Sieber, A. (2015). Hanh’s Concept of Being Peace: The Order of Interbeing. The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, 5(1), 1–8. https://cgscholar.com/publishers/articles/hanhs-concept-of-being-peace

Somers, B. D. (2022). Mindfulness in the Context of Engaged Buddhism: A Case for Engaged Mindfulness. Religions, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13080746

Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., & Williams, J. M. G. (2003). Mindfulness training and problem formulation. In Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice (Vol. 10, Issue 2, pp. 157–160). https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg017

Van Gordon, W., & Shonin, E. (2020). Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Toward More Authentic Mindfulness Practice and Teaching. In Mindfulness (Vol. 11, Issue 1). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01252-1

Zhou, J., Liu, Y., Wang, Y., & Zeng, X. (2024). Cultivating Ideal Mentalities in Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Feature Bringing Challenges but More Contributions. Mindfulness, 15(2), 505–517. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02297-z