diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility
We believe that mindfulness and compassion have a powerful role to play in strengthening social justice activism and in transforming the underlying structures that make oppression, violence, and dehumanization possible.
we are re-imagining & co-creating a just & liberated world
understand our history
rebuild systems
practice love
re-imagining and co-creating a just and liberated world includes:
Understanding the history of racism & the system of white supremacy
To address past harms and institutionalize accountability within our organization, our culture, and our community for collective change.
Implementing effective
interventions
That use an intersectional analysis, impact multiple systems, center Blackness, and build the collective cultural, economic, and political power of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Using the practice of love, along with disruption & resistance
To shift the status quo, particularly when that path is most difficult.
The deep connections I made and the beautiful community is unlike anything else.
— 17-year-old female on retreat
collaborative leadership
Addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility internally has been a primary focus for Inward Bound Mindfulness. Since 2017, with the support of BayNVC and Miki Kashtan, Inward Bound has been engaged in shifting our organizational structure away from a typical hierarchical, top-down power structure towards a collaborative leadership model with shared decision-making.
As we continue to identify and divest from dominant systems of unequal power within our organizational structure and reflect on how these systems impact the ways we show up day to day, we expect to be able to welcome, retain, and collaborate with a greater number of participants and staff from historically marginalized communities.
equitable tuition model
Equitable access is fundamental to our mission. We want to ensure that there are no teens barred from the opportunity to attend our programs due to the systemic injustices that have left many groups economically vulnerable.
Inward Bound continues to evolve its financial model to be as progressive and equitable as possible, while balancing what’s necessary for financial sustainability, in pursuit of maximum accessibility, diversity, and quality for its programs.
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curriculum
Our ecosystem of standing committees, working groups, and community stakeholders bring years of personal mindfulness practice to their roles – modeling authenticity, compassion, and respect. While our retreat teaching teams have long been diverse—more than 50% of our teachers are people of color and represent many other diverse identities—our shift to collaborative leadership has allowed us to further diversify our team of primary decision makers.
At the same time, we have committed to regular learning opportunities that allow community members to see and deepen our awareness of our individual and organizational social privilege. This has allowed us to confront and address our hegemonic ways of understanding the world and our place in it.
I learned that everyone has their hidden depths - their struggles, their losses, and ultimately, the things that make them wonderful.
— 16-year-old gender fluid participant
our mission & vision
See how we bring our mission and vision to life through our values and programs.
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become a partner
We welcome every opportunity to build and strengthen partnerships. Let's chat!
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teen retreat experience
Explore what happens on retreat, why teens love them, and the overall benefits of our mindfulness retreats.
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