Just imagine for a moment a room full of politicians from opposing government parties, sitting in the same room together, in silence, meditating. It’s hard to fathom such a vision in a time of worldwide political upheaval, punctuated by war, social media scandals, and a climate emergency. In the United Kingdom, however, this image has become a reality. While not a remedy for all problems—simple or complex, political or personal—mindfulness has gained government support in the UK in an effort to help politicians manage their stress levels, regulate their emotions, and improve their overall well-being, as well as that of their constituents.
Mindfulness first made its way into the historic halls of Westminster—the building complex where both Houses of Parliament meet—in 2013, when 22 cross-party members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords (think House of Representatives and Senate in the United States, but in the UK, House of Commons is an elected body and House of Lords is appointed) attended an information session about a course on mindfulness. Sitting in an oak-paneled room on squeaky wooden chairs assembled in a semi-circle, with a large window looking out onto the Thames River, the politicians in the room—many wary about being connected to a mindfulness-related event—had been promised that their identities would be kept private, and that there would not be any sort of mindful movement that may make them look uncomfortable amongst their colleagues— friend or foe. “Some politicians felt they may be perceived as mentally weak if they attended mindfulness sessions, and we wanted to respect their concerns,” said Chris Ruane, who was then a parliamentarian and who is largely responsible for bringing mindfulness into the UK’s legislative body.
Once the parliamentarians attended the opening session on mindfulness and neuroscience—learning its potential for improving mental health—the hope was that they’d agree to sign up for the remaining seven classes. “We felt fairly confident that we had a way of presenting this work that would not be frightening,” said Mark Williams, who co-taught the class and is professor of clinical psychology emeritus at Oxford and a cofounder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). “We wanted to provide a gateway that they’d feel comfortable with to expand their awareness of what mindfulness is and its possibilities.”
What Mindfulness in Parliament Looks Like
Ruane first discovered mindfulness while helping his daughter research an assignment in her high school class on comparative religion. As he listened to meditations and dharma talks on his train commutes to London, Ruane wondered whether he could bring the benefits of a daily mindfulness practice—and his own discoveries around awe, gratitude, curiosity, and present-moment awareness—to his workplace. As a politician, he especially came to recognize the impact of self-regulation in his high-stress work environment. “Something would come to my mind and it was out of my mouth before I knew I said it,” said Ruane. “I am now master of my emotions, including anger, which is key in politics, where there can be so much hypocrisy.” It’s been nearly 10 years since Ruane, along with several members of the House of Lords, invited two mindfulness experts from the University of Oxford to teach an eight-week MBCT course. Now, the course has been taken by more than 300 parliamentarians and over 800 staff members. A core group of about 20 attend a weekly drop-in class and participate in twice yearly silent retreat days.
“Something would come to my mind and it was out of my mouth before I knew I said it,” said Chris Ruane. “I am now master of my emotions, including anger, which is key in politics, where there can be so much hypocrisy.”
The course, which is still being taught, is based on the book Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World, co authored by Mark Williams. The curriculum—the same taught to Oxford students—introduces interested politicians, policy makers, and their teams to the foundations of mindfulness, covering topics such as the difference between doing and being and how to face challenging emotions. Each class also incorporates practices, including breath meditations, body scans, mindful eating and walking, self-kindness, and compassion.
The benefits of mindfulness for politicians—similar to those of any high-stress environment—have been making their mark on a growing number of parliamentarians and UK policies. Jamie Bristow, codirector of the Mindfulness Initiative, a policy think tank, reports seeing an improvement in the decision-making process. The politicians who took the course began to speak more civilly to one another, to disagree better. Polarity reduced. Even those with diametrically opposed views could “still develop better working relationships,” he said. “I got the sense they became less identified with their own beliefs, so were able to have their beliefs criticized without taking it personally.”
Originally, a larger number of left-wing parliamentarians signed up for the mindfulness class, but eventually, politicians from other parties joined too. “There was a sense of acknowledgment where natural enemies recognized each other from the mindfulness class, and said how lovely it is to meet one another in the corridor,” Williams said.
Mixing Practice and Policy
After seeing for themselves the benefits that come with mindfulness practice, the initial group of newly mindful politicians grew interested in the science of mindfulness and began thinking about how to fit it into policy-making. In 2014, the Mindfulness Initiative helped this group of cross-party politicians create the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group (MAPPG)—a parliamentary club made up of co-chairs from several political parties—to review the scientific evidence and current best practice in mindfulness training, develop policy recommendations for government based on these findings, and provide a forum for discussion in Parliament about the role of mindfulness and its implementation in public policy.
The MAPPG subsequently set out to explore the potential impact of mindfulness on four areas: health, education, criminal justice, and the workplace. It combined academic evidence, reporting on existing mindfulness-based interventions, and assessment of societal needs for each area, resulting in a 2015 report titled “Mindful Nation UK,” which included recommendations to Parliament and case studies from each of the four areas—so real voices could be heard along with evidence and research findings. Finally, nine hearings were held in Parliament with academic experts, school children, ex-offenders, and mindfulness teachers to provide evidence to members of parliament.
The Mindful Nation report, which was quickly s