The Mindfulness in Politics Podcast

What 19 Monks Walking 2,300 Miles Taught Us About Peace in Divided Times

Episode: The Monks' Walk for Peace 19 monks. 108 days. 2,300 miles from Texas to Washington, D.C. Josh and Igor discuss the remarkable response to the monks' walk for peace and what it reveals about what our culture is really yearning for right now. Key Topics: - Why thousands showed up at every stop across rural and urban America - The difference between internal vs. external approaches to change - How the monks' groundedness created emotional mirroring in crowds - Why this movement transcended typical political divisions Practical tips: putting down your phone, setting daily intentions, and training your attention Key Takeaway: Peace isn't something to fight for externally. It's something to cultivate internally, one mindful moment at a time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

It's Not All on You

One of the themes of our project is the belief that mindfulness tools can help people working in politics, policy, and media work more effectively and avoid burning out when faced with inevitable challenges and setbacks. Part of that comes from widening the lens through which we view the world and our work within it. Our very first guest, Jeff Krehely [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com/p/boosting-motivation-purpose-and-creativity], said it best when he described political work as: not a sprint, not a marathon, but rather a relay race in which we all have to work together and rely on each other to succeed. Our recent conversation with Elijah Zimmerman [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com/p/why-being-hard-on-yourself-backfires], the executive director of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, hit on a similar point. As he put it: if someone else were in your role, even with a different skill set, would the system still be difficult? These framings help us remember that it is not all on us to solve and to fix and we can feel more compassionate toward ourselves and better prepared to continue doing the work over the long-term. Gabor Maté [https://drgabormate.com/], a renowned physician and author who specializes in childhood development and addiction has written extensively about the role of early childhood experiences in shaping our beliefs and views of the world. He argues that what feels like “objective reality” to us is actually filtered through our developmental history. Someone who experienced childhood abandonment might interpret a partner’s need for independence as rejection, while someone raised with enmeshment might see it as healthy boundary-setting. To put it bluntly: we don’t live in the same world. We live in the world that our early experiences have conditioned us to see. Add to that reality the siloed media systems we live in and the tribal divisions we celebrate, and we’re left with a system where genuine consensus feels nearly impossible. Even when we agree on shared values, our differing interpretive lenses mean we often can’t agree on the solutions—or even on what the problems are. This isn’t mean to discourage or depress us, but to ensure we’re clear-eyed about the system we’re operating in. Because that clarity helps us do work that actually resonates. We can’t control the system we’re working in. We can’t control how others will interpret our work through their own conditioned lenses. But we can control how we show up. We can choose to be humane and compassionate—toward ourselves and others. We can remember that this is a relay race, not a solo marathon. And we can ask ourselves Elijah’s question: would this system still be difficult for someone else in my role? The answer, almost always, is yes. And somehow, that makes it easier to keep going. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

You're Measuring Success All Wrong (And It's Making You Miserable)

The uncomfortable truth: You can climb every ladder, hit every goal, and still feel empty. This week, we talk with Jon Rosemberg, who spent decades in corporate America before realizing success and thriving aren't the same thing—and one doesn't lead to the other. You'll learn: → Why "productivity = value" is the lie keeping you stuck → The three ingredients of success (money, status, power) vs. the three ingredients of thriving (agency, connection, meaning) → The pause between stimulus and response: where freedom lives The bottom line: We're measuring our lives with the wrong metrics. As long as we chase infinite goals (more money, more power, more status), we'll stay on the hamster wheel. Read the full post and rethink what you're really working toward Jon Rosemberg is the author of A Guide to Thriving: The Science Behind Breaking Old Patterns, Reclaiming Your Agency, and Finding Meaning [https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Thriving-Breaking-Patterns-Reclaiming/dp/1394367937]. To learn more about the Mindfulness in Politics Project and access additional resources, visit MindfulnessInPolitics.com [http://mindfulnessinpolitics.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Your Brain is Velcro for the Bad, Teflon for the Good

If you work in politics or policy, you already know this truth in your bones: the threats feel enormous, the losses sting sharply, and the wins? They slide right through you before you can even catch your breath. There's actual neuroscience behind why this happens. This week, we sat down with psychologist and bestselling author Rick Hanson to understand why our brains are wired to hold onto the negative and let go of the positive—and more importantly, what we can actually do about it in the middle of our chaotic workdays. If you've ever wondered why political work feels so draining, or why you can't seem to savor the victories, this conversation offers both the science and the practical tools you need. What We Discuss The five-step negativity bias cycle: - Why we constantly scan for threats (even inside our own bodies) - How our perceptual field collapses around negative information - Why we overreact to pain more than pleasure - How negative experiences get fast-tracked into long-term memory - The way stress physically sensitizes your brain, creating a vicious cycle About the Mindfulness in Politics Project The Mindfulness in Politics Project provides practical mindfulness tools for people working in high-pressure political, policy, and media environments. Through conversations with experts and practitioners, we explore how to stay effective in your work without burning out—and how to build internal resources that sustain long-term engagement. Hosts: Igor Volsky and Josh Lederman Website: MindfulnessInPolitics.com [http://MindfulnessInPolitics.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Transcending Self-Interest: Meditation on the World Stage

Beyond Self-Interest with Myriam Oehri Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted World Meditation Day by consensus, recognizing meditation as a tool that can help prevent violence and conflict at a global scale. Myriam Oehri, former deputy ambassador for Liechtenstein to the UN and the woman instrumental in making this happen, joins us to discuss why meditation isn't just personal—it's political. Learn about: -- How meditation helps transcend self-interest in high-stakes diplomacy -- Why "unity" (the root meaning of yoga) matters in a world with so much armed conflicts -- The power of creating space before difficult negotiations to reset and see the bigger picture -- Ahimsa (non-harming) as an active practice in thoughts, words, and actions -- Practical ways to incorporate mindfulness into demanding, high-pressure roles The key insight? We are at the end one species, all on this planet Earth, flying around somewhere in space together. Meditation helps us remember that—and act from it. Read the full post at MindfulnessInPolitics.com [http://MindfulnessInPolitics.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com [https://mindfulnessinpolitics.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]