Jamie Bristow – Policy, Practice, and Planet

In this episode, Wendy speaks with mindful policy advocate and contemplative teacher Jamie Bristow. Jamie co-directs the Mindfulness Initiative in the UK, an organization that bridges contemplative practice and public policy, championing the inner dimension of social change. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• why he first started meditating and the surprise that came with it;
• his commitment to climate work;
• integrating advertising talent into policy work;
• mindfulness in the UK government;
• development of the Mindfulness Initiative;
• the nuts and bolts of mindful policy work;
• policy advances in health, criminal justice, and education;
• mindfulness as a foundational capacity (not just a skill);
• how the mind relates to the climate crisis;
• consequences of our failure to see the interconnectedness in the world;
• how mindfulness and compassion can help with reconnection;
• two modes of operating (holistic intuitive vs. verbal conceptual);
• and where to go from here.

Full show notes and resources