Most of the time, lawyers and other busy professionals can only get a few minutes a day of meditation or other mindfulness practice. This is nothing to scoff at because a few minutes a day of mindfulness can add up and offer benefits. Even so, a wonderful way to deepen mindfulness practice is to participate in a retreat.
Retreats offer community and an opportunity to explore extended periods of meditation. The problem, of course, is that busy people like lawyers may struggle to find the time. They may also feel a bit awkward about showing up to try such an intimate practice with people who feel like strangers.
Online Mindfulness Retreats Offer Flexibility for Busy Lawyers
The MILS Online Retreat, happening on October 26th, via Zoom offers a potential solution. I will be the first one to say that in-person retreats are superior to online retreats. In-person retreats offer the direct support of a group and there just isn’t a substitute to meditating when physically present with other people.
Online retreats, though, are an excellent option when in-person convening isn’t practical. In the case of Mindfulness in Law Society, with chapters and members spread across and outside of the United States, an online option is a good one. It makes the retreat more accessible to members with a range of time and life commitments.
The MILS Online Retreat Provides Lawyers a Community to Support Their Mindfulness Practice
As I have written before, cultivating a community around your practice is one of the best things you can do to support your mindfulness habit. I am lucky to have a local community where I can sit, study, and teach in-person with others. MILS, though, offers me a different kind of community.
Though much of my work with MILS has been online, it offers a community of other lawyers and those in the legal profession. This has helped me make contact with and get support from others in the legal profession who care about mental health and are interested in mindfulness.
The MILS Online Retreat Offers Lawyers a Chance to Try a Variety of Mindfulness Practices
With most meditation retreats, you will generally engage in a deep dive with one or maybe a few styles of practice. The MILS retreat is a little bit different. Because the MILS Online Retreat is led by several of the trained teachers who support the group, it has a variety of practices.
This means people who join in the MILS Online Retreat will get a chance to explore a variety of meditation practices. For example, this year, I plan to offer a “Jewel Tree” practice that I discovered in Ethan Nichtern’s new book on Confidence. This practice about drawing strength from one’s ancestors and mentors will be a nice complement to other meditation offerings.
Last year, the MILS Online Retreat also featured some movement practices, including walking meditation, qi gong, and gentle yoga practices. In this way, if the idea of sitting all day seems intimidating to you, the MILS Online Retreat is perfect because you will not be sitting all day.
The MILS Online Retreat Is Not Just for Lawyers
One other great thing: the MILS Online Retreat is not just for lawyers but for anyone in the legal profession. This includes lawyers, law professors, law students, judges, judicial staff, and paralegals.
Though membership in MILS is a prerequisite to participating in the retreat, the annual membership fee is not onerous. In addition, now MILS offers access to all members to a growing repository of online resources so that you can learn more about mindfulness.
Additionally, law students may join MILS and participate in the retreat for free.
How to Register and Join the MILS Online Retreat
To register and join the MILS Online Retreat, you can use the QR Codes in the image for this post. You can also find details and register at the MILS Events page here. If you aren’t a member, you will be prompted to join first and then you can register for the event.
After you are registered, you will get a Zoom link as the event date approaches and then you join by Zoom. If you can’t make the whole event, you can participate as you like and drop off whenever your schedule requires.
If you aren’t able to attend but are still interested in MILS, be sure to check out the MILS Virtual Sits. These are free guided meditation practices offered twice weekly via Zoom. Like other MILS events, they are open to lawyers and all others in the legal profession.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me and ask. I hope to see you there or at a MILS Virtual Sit soon.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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