In recent months, the world has rapidly changed in ways that one year ago many of us could never have imagined. With the onset of the pandemic, the true fragility of the structure of our lives has been revealed. We’ve been forced to pivot and embrace dramatic changes like never before and to place new value on things that we have previously taken for granted. At the same time, we’ve also been forced to contemplate the interconnectedness of humanity and regardless of the color of our own skin or socio-economic status, to re-examine what it means to be a person of color in our country.  And now, on top of all of that, we are living through a domestic attack on our democracy and the physical and verbal fire that predominates the politics of our country.

When faced with the trauma of such trying times and the accompanying sustained isolation, accepting the reality of the present moment can feel more difficult than usual and stress and anxiety levels can rise, which can compromise our immune system making us more susceptible to illness and unhealthy behavioral choices.  

There is no going back to the way things were and there is nothing normal about the times.

We are living in the time of ascension, the dawning of a new era where we are being asked to become our highest selves amid the chaos to heal the present and ensure

a sustainable future.

As lawyers, we do not get a pass from the effects of the present reality. Unfortunately, we know that lawyers as a profession already suffer from heightened stress, anxiety, substance abuse and depression. For some of us, the fast-pace of our pre-Covid lives allowed us to operate in a space that failed to honor our true value as lawyers and kept us operating within the trance of achievement – the space where we convinced ourselves and those that we love that the stressful, sometimes toxic and almost always exhausting lifestyles we co-created were the necessary trade-offs for success.

As a profession, we have in large measure normalized the erosion of our ethics and in many respects lost our connection with the higher principles that drove many of us to attend law school. Instead, we have created the expectation that the duties that we owe to our clients, firms, and partners are more important than the duty that we owe ourselves to be healthy and well. We are in crisis and like the world around us, the time is now for transformation.  

We Co-Create the world. What are you contributing?

In some form or another, we have all participated in the creation of the modern culture of our profession, including its unhealthy attributes and the public’s view of lawyers, the justice system and the politics of the day. Meditation teacher and clinic psychologist Tara Brach tells a wonderfully poignant anecdote about being stuck in traffic and how even when we are in the thick of it, caught up in the sea of cars that we still experience ourselves as being separate from the traffic, as if it were always someone else who is the problem. I imagine that the toxicity of law practice is much the same. None of us view ourselves as being responsible for the unhealthy aspects of our profession or the demise of the public’s trust in lawyers, and yet each one of us contributes to the current state of being.  

In the words of Leo Tolstoy, “In our world, everyone talks about changing humanity, but no one talks about changing himself [or herself].” Only we humans worry about the future, live in the past, deny the present, and resist change. Yet lawyers, like many Americans today, are craving a more joyful life full of meaning and connection that requires the very changes that we resist. In stark contrast to our pre-Covid lives, the pandemic has forced us to slow down and look at ourselves through a new lens where perhaps you like me are now able to see the things and relationships that truly matter to you, the real you, and not the one who was stuck in the trance of achievement.  

Now is the right time for change and to step-up to the call to Conscious Leadership.

Our appreciation of time and how we fill it has shifted but despite our finely honed legal skills, many of us lack the life skills necessary to bring our personal and profession lives into balance. This can feel overwhelming and stressful, and keep you paralyzed in a state of fear or numbness to the present or clinging to a past that will never be the same again. It can also make you feel like there is no way out. Others among us may need help uncovering and resting in their personal identity outside of law practice, having grown so accustomed over the years to defining their worth through a title and a salary.

Wherever you are in your pandemic world, it is exactly the right time for change.

Now is the time to begin to make different choices in your life so that you can show up more authentically and re-define what it means to be a better leader – a conscious leader as a lawyer – in the post-Covid world.  

If we are to lift ourselves out of the present state of disconnect and into a more healthy, resilient, and thriving future, lawyers must step up and embrace the seat of conscious leadership. We must know ourselves, use our intellect and vision to lead with a mindful awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, of the importance of truth and integrity and ethics and, be driven by a purpose that is greater than ourselves. 

The state of the world today demands more – emphatically needs more – of us now, needs lawyers to lead as conscious leaders, rather than simply working to return society to the status quo.

How we choose to lead in the post-pandemic world will influence not only the rule of law, but also how businesses are conducted, how families interact, how we police our society, and whether we will be able to save our planet from irreversible climate change.

As lawyers, we help to define society: we write the laws, enforce the laws, interpret the laws, and set the standards for civility. Our clients, families, and friends look to us to validate their behaviors, thought processes, and actions. If we can elevate our thinking and habits so to operate as fully embodied leaders, we can lead the change to a more connected, civil, and just society.  

Simple mindfulness practices of yoga and meditation can tangibly help to reduce stress and anxiety, identify and release unhealthy emotions that are stored in the body, and provide an infinite well for inner peace, clarity of thought, strength, and ultimately, a path toward optimal wellness. While historically thought of as contemplative traditions, modern neuroscience informs that there is a science behind these practices, which link movement with breath and body, mind and spirit, that directly calms our central nervous system and creates new neural pathways in our brains which lift us out of our lower, caveman brain that is focused on fighting, fleeing and freezing and into our higher brain, where thoughts and feelings of compassion, creativity, and intellect are born.  

Who are we becoming?

The question, then, for us lawyers becomes: Who are we becoming?

Will we stay frozen in our current unhealthy state or will we rise to the occasion and transform into the conscious leaders that the world needs now?

When we view the current world crisis consciously, we see that we are actually being presented with a great opportunity to grow, act with wisdom, and facilitate a shift of consciousness on a large scale. To change these things for the better we must step into our own hero’s journey so that we can lead the world with the fullness of our being and all of our talents that we keep hidden.  

And so, we find ourselves living in this paradoxical pandemic world where we are both quarantined from and yet immersed in our lives, where we desire change and yet feel as if we have experienced too much change all at the same time.

Words of insight from the great poet Kabir come to mind: “I decided to go on a great journey and so I sat still for three days.” As Kabir alluded to, it is in the practice of sitting mindfully with ourselves and the turning inward that we are able to let in the wonder of our being, find our strength, and tap into infinite possibilities.

One of the many paradoxes that one learns on the path to mindfulness is that it takes time to become who we already are.  

We must turn inward if we are to ascend.

Through mindfulness practices, by consciously focusing our attention on positive thoughts and experiences and training ourselves to be awake in the present moment, we can rewire our brains toward more enlightened thought processes. As the now well-known saying goes, “neurons that fire together wire together.” It is up to each one of us to choose whether to fire the neurons associated with the lower, limbic brain of scarcity and separation or ones of the higher neocortex of abundance, equanimity, and oneness.

One thing I know to be true is that as more lawyers engage in mindfulness practices, the changes in our profession will be profound.  

Luckily, the tools we need to bring ourselves back from the brink already exist and are, as they have always been, simply waiting for us to see that they have been here all along.

Through practicing mindfulness at home and at work we can become reacquainted with the true nature of our being – that which was always present yet hidden by the trance of our modern, fast-paced professional lives. When we cultivate the inner courage to live authentically, without the worry of being seen for who we are on the inside, we thrive personally and professionally. This is the secret to true prosperity and conscious leadership.  

Mindfulness is not a competition to be won or lost, but an evolving practice that will help you to calm your mind, steady your heart, and tend wisely to your body and the world around you. For those who question whether it will turn you soft or make you lose your edge, I can tell you from many years of experience that quite the opposite is true. Once you heal your shadows and get comfortable with your true self, you tap into a fearlessness of being: your perception of the world changes, timelessness ethics and the truth becomes clear, and what is possible becomes limitless.  

Know your wisdom. Share your wisdom.

Like Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom, I like to think of wisdom as the process of letting go – letting go of what you thought you knew, while embracing the lessons learned over time, from friends as well as foes, from good times and bad, to live fully in each present moment in a more enlightened and joyful state of being.

Wisdom, like the song that resides within each of our hearts, yearns to be shared with others.

I challenge you to heed the call to share your wisdom, to follow your heart and heal your wounds so you can show up in these trying times as the conscious leader that you are.  

When you set out on the path to mindfulness, you begin right where you are and there is no better time to start than right now. To help you on your path, I have prepared a list of my top ten meditation tips to help you on your journey toward conscious leadership.

Jen the Yoga Lawyer’s Top 10 Meditation Tips  

1. Establish an intention at the outset. This will set a clear path forward so can approach the waves of engagement and challenges that will surely come with clarity and commitment.  

2. Be patient and kind with yourself as your practice develops. It takes time build the neural pathways needed to be able to sit for any length of time. It is through the practice, the repetition of the sitting where the magic begins. Once you begin to clear through the junk mail of your mind little pockets of peace and calm will emerge and the steadiness will come. I promise.  

3. Begin with just 5 or 10 minutes a day. Then, increase by 5 minutes until you reach a length that feels right to you. For many, a good time frame is between 15-45 minutes a sitting.  

4. Meditate where it works for you. Historically, yogis meditated with the rising and setting sun, and while we can all aspire to that dedication or experience it for a few days on retreat, it doesn’t break the mindfulness rules if you meditate in your car on your lunch break or with your earbuds on while taking the train home at the end of the day.  

5. Try different postures. Choose a posture that feels comfortable and relaxed, yet allows you to remain alert and feel dignified. You may wish to lay down, sit, stand, or even walk. There is no one right posture.  

6. Use an Anchor. An anchor is like your home base, where you focus your attention to stabilize and steady your mind. Common anchors include following the breath, focusing on the sensations of the body, repeating a simple mantra, or listening to soothing music. A guided meditation is also very helpful for beginners.  

7. Get comfortable with yourself. Soften the outer shell of your body as you close our eyes and turn inward. This allows you to tap into an inner state of peace amid the chaos of your life. Begin by softening your forehead and eyes, then methodically allow that softened state to move down the body.  

8. Expect a wandering mind. A wandering mind is a natural part of meditation for everyone and is not a sign that you can’t meditate.  

9. Recognize and allow. Recognizing and naming your thoughts and feelings as they arise is an incredibly effective tool to neutralize their grip on your attention. Simply recognize the distraction, give a name to whatever is occupying your mind, such as “telephone call with client” or “put out the recycling,” repeat the name several times, and then let it go.  

10. Don’t Judge Your Practice! What is most important is that you greet yourself right where you are in your imperfect body, in your imperfect life, in this imperfect world.  

You may find that some days when you meditate you will feel like you never settled in and your mind raced with thought the entire time. If so, don’t label yourself or get frustrated, but do rest in the state of knowing that this filtering of your mental clutter, the processing of your restlessness, and even possibly an initial absence of feeling is an essential part of the process that will connect you with something greater than yourself and your own unique wisdom.  You are not defined by your limiting thoughts or your monkey mind, you are so much more!  

To change the world, we must first change ourselves. I invite you to join me on my journey to teach Optimal Wellness to Lawyers and Leaders so we can step into the role of conscious leaders in the new era. The time is now.

Be well & Namaste,

Jennifer 

About the Author:  

Jennifer is a partner at the Bayne Law Group in Princeton, New Jersey where she focuses her law practice on business, employment, and environmental law. Jennifer is the President Emeritus and Trustee to the Princeton Bar Association and a certified yoga and meditation teacher. Jen offers training in Optimal Wellness for Lawyers and Leaders via her personal enterprise: www.jentheyogalawyer.com, including classes in yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, and conscious leadership.   All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are Jennifer’s alone and do not represent the opinions of any organization in which she is connected except for Jen the Yoga Lawyer LLC.