Keeping Tabs - Winter 2021

TAS REPORT – VANCOUVER
Introduction to
Mindfulness Event
Zachary Rogers, Clark Wilson LLP
As we close off a chaotic 2020, and look to a fresh start in 2021, most of us
could benefit from some equanimity.
On December 4, 2020, the Young Advocates’ Standing Committee,
through a dedicated group of young advocates from British Columbia,
hosted advocates from across Canada in a virtual mindfulness event for
lawyers. Two sessions were led by Jason Leslie, an experienced meditation
practitioner and instructor. As a lawyer, former litigator with the
Department of Justice, and current PhD candidate at the Peter A. Allard
School of Law at UBC, Jason reflected on the mental demands of legal
practice and extolled the virtues of mindfulness and meditation as tools
to address those demands.
Jason explained how mindfulness is often
pitched in the corporate context as a stress-reduction
tool. While mindfulness can reduce
stress, other benefits may include a relaxed
mind, inner peace, and a greater sense of self.
With practice, mindfulness may help you come
to an intuitive understanding of how your
mind works, and may also help you cultivate
equanimity (a state of psychological stability
and composure which is undisturbed by experience
of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other
phenomena). As litigators, much of our work
may be “reactionary” and equanimity may help
to address that.
After introducing the participants to mindfulness,
Jason led two sessions:
1. Shamatha (calm-abiding) - in this session, the
participants sat comfortably and focused on
their breath. Each time the participants caught
themselves thinking of something else they
drew their focus back to their breath. This “repetition”
steadies, composes, unifies, and concentrates
the mind.
2. Vipassana (insight practice) - in this session,
instead of focusing on their breath, the
participants observed and identified the emotions,
thoughts, and judgments they were experiencing.
After they acknowledged those
emotions, they were to consciously “let go” of
them. With practice, this technique allows the
practitioner to keep their mind from repeating
patterns of thoughts that take up space
and hold them back.
I personally found both sessions challenging
since it is not an easy thing to “turn off” as a
lawyer. I can however see great benefits of
mindfulness with continued practice.
I definitively recommend people to give
mindfulness a try. No equipment is needed.
You simply need a few minutes to spare, the
willingness to “look inward”, and the desire to
live with intention.
For those interested in learning more about
mindfulness, Jason recommends “The Wise
Heart” by Jack Kornfield, and “Mindfulness: A
Practical Guide to Awakening” by Joseph Goldstein.
Finally, to join an existing meditation group,
check out the BC Insight Meditation Society at
https://www.bcims.org/sitting-groups .
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