When you think of mindfulness, what comes to mind? Perhaps a quiet meditation session, several deep breaths, and a moment of calm amid the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Much of what we recognize as “mainstream mindfulness” has been shaped through a Western lens, often stripped of its cultural and relational dimensions. The same goes for many of the mindfulness-based programs that are studied in Western psychological research, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
But what if mindfulness were something more—something deeply rooted in land, ancestry, and the wisdom of generations? For many Indigenous communities, mindfulness is not just about individual well-being; it is about connection—to Country, to land, to community, and to the natural rhythms that have guided their ways of knowing for thousands of years.
First Nations peoples view cultural and spiritual traditions as integral to the holistic healing process and emphasize the importance of connections to family, community, and land in their everyday life. Many mindfulness-based programs share similarities with First Nations spiritual practices that focus on harmony and unity with the natural and spiritual realms.
As just one example, Dadirri (da-did-ee, an Aboriginal word meaning “deep listening”) is a practice of quiet still awareness by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, who is a proud Ngan’giwumirri woman and Elder from Nauiyu in the Daly River region of the Northern Territory in Australia. Derived from the Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages of the Aboriginal peoples of the Daly River region, this practice involves listening to the “deep water sounds”—the meaning of Ngan’gikurunggurr. As Ungunmerr-Baumann explains, she often sits by the riverbank or walks among the trees to practice Dadirri, connecting to the deep spring of stillness that flows inside her.
One of us (Wendy) and colleagues conducted a review of what the research says on adapting mindfulness‑based activities and programs for First Nations peoples. We explored what it means for teachers and practitioners to move beyond white mindfulness—to reclaim mindfulness as a practice of healing, connection, and cultural renewal—and what we can learn when mindfulness is not about escaping the world but about returning to it through land, wisdom, and tradition.
Mindfulness for Indigenous communities
We analyzed the data from 10 reports of nine studies, with a combined 125 participants. We found that participants taking part in mindfulness-based programs that were adapted to align with Indigenous culture reduced their symptoms of anxiety, depression, distress, and stress. They also reported improvements in their quality of life, health, and self-regulation. After the programs, participants found that they were able to engage more with the present moment and mind-wander less.
Drawing on our review’s findings, we propose several insights that can be useful to mindfulness educators and practitioners who would like to adapt mindfulness-based programs and activities for First Nations peoples, centering First Nations values and wisdom. These insights are drawn from the Indigenous perspectives embedded in the studies we reviewed, which have contributed to the success of mindfulness-based programs delivered to First Nations peoples.
At the core of these practices are Indigenous wisdom, spirituality, traditions, values, and knowledge. To integrate these cultural elements, you should co-design programs and activities with Indigenous Elders, instructors and participants, and mindfulness practitioners. With that in mind, here are four important elements to incorporate in a meaningful program:
1. Engage a culturally adaptive mindfulness instructor. The mindfulness instructor can be an Indigenous mindfulness instructor with training in mindfulness-based practices or someone who is not Indigenous but has received Indigenous mindfulness training and who actively practices mindfulness centering Indigenous wisdom and knowledge. For example, teachers can receive Indigenous mindfulness training through institutions such as Wayapa and the Mariam Rose Foundation for Dadirri.
Through Wayapa training, for example, one of us (Wendy) has been actively involved in Earth-based connection practices centering ancient ways of knowing, being, and doing. Wendy learned to live in harmony with the environment and take mindful action to care for the planet. While traditional mindfulness practices often focus on internal awareness and individual well-being, Wayapa reconnected her to the Earth as a living, relational presence. As such, mindfulness is not only about observing thoughts or slowing down the mind, but also about remembering our responsibility to care for Country. What felt especially meaningful for Wendy was the emphasis on interconnection—between self, land, ancestors, and future generations. Through Wayapa practice, Wendy came to see that healing is collective, embodied, and rooted in nature—not something separate from it.
2. Modify standard meditation practices. We suggest that the practices from standardized mindfulness-based programs be retained, including mindful eating, body scan, focused-attention meditation, sitting meditation, movement meditation (standing and lying-down yoga), walking meditation, mountain/lake meditation, and loving-kindness meditation. However, the instructions for these meditations should reflect our deep connections to the land, seasons, and cycles of the Earth. This could include terminologies and metaphors that are reflective of Indigenous culture and the holistic health perspective (e.g., the seven domains of the social and emotional well-being framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia) and the Indigenous worldview of connection to land and spirituality.
For example, this meditation of honoring Indigenous land offers a modified opening of loving-kindness meditation, which guides people as follows:
This guided meditation is about showing gratitude, respect, and honor for Indigenous land and the Indigenous humans who have been here, caring for it, all along.
If you are indigenous to the land you are on, it will be a time to connect with your ancestors.
The land we are on is integral to our happiness and existence. But it was inhabited by Indigenous humans first—without them, the land would not be what it is now.
Let’s take a moment to honor both.
3. Incorporate Indigenous knowledge into practice reflections. When asking participants what they notice during or after their meditations, the themes for questions can be derived from Indigenous wisdom, spirituality, traditions, values, and knowledge; ideally, metaphors, poems, quotes, and phrases are delivered in local Indigenous languages. For example, the metaphors include hau (breath of spirit), mauri (life principle), aloha and mahalo (love, peace, and compassion), creation stories, traditional prayers, personas in traditional Indigenous stories, and different nations’ beliefs and stories about all the elements.
The following Hawaiian Aloha meditation is an example of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into reflections:
Aloha. Please find a comfortable seated position. Focus on your breath, breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. As you continue your calming breath, feel your body relax into your seated position.
There are many amazing Hawaiian words that possess powerful energies. In this meditation, we are focusing on Ho’oponopono. The beauty of Ho’oponopono is that it offers the benefits of cleansing and healing. It is a beautiful and righteous tool. Roughly, translated into English, it is:
I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
In this meditation, you are focusing on reality, the seen and the unseen, using the English translation of Ho’oponopono. Bring your awareness to your physical reality. This is the reality that is brought into solid form, by your five senses—seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, and touching.
4. Allow space for ritual and prayer. Mindfulness programs can start with a land acknowledgement, ritual, or prayer, and each class can end with a prayer. These rituals are Indigenous ways of being to create a sacred space of honoring the teaching of mindfulness. These rituals and prayers should only be offered by a practitioner of that culture.
The studies we reviewed included traditional ceremony elements such as smoking ceremonies in Aboriginal custom, Gani Buurrgi-gu (a tie-to-body meditation) in Hawaiian culture, smudging in Inuit and Métis communities, and karakia (prayers) in Maori culture.
As the training manager of Wayapa Wuurrk, one of us (Jem) advocates connection with the Earth while practicing mindfulness. Wayapa is an Earth-connection mindfulness practice that is based on ancient Indigenous wisdom that focuses on taking care of the Earth as the starting point for creating Earth Mind Body Spirit well-being. The Wayapa Wuurrk framework becomes the conduit for all people to reconnect to the Earth through 14 elements, and to their own ancestry and culture by observing the natural world, adding their own personal stories of the elements, and adding their own cultural layers and stories.
For example, during Wendy’s Wayapa training, she was introduced to the Moon element, a symbol of reflection, rhythm, and cyclical renewal. As she explored its meaning, Wendy found herself unexpectedly transported back to her childhood in China, where the Moon held deep cultural significance during the Moon Festival. She recalled the fond memories of sharing mooncakes with her family under the full-moon sky, a tradition that symbolizes reunion, harmony, and connection across time and space. In that moment, Wayapa didn’t just teach Wendy about Indigenous connection to the Moon, but also helped her reconnect with her own cultural roots. This experience reminded her that mindfulness, when practiced through an inclusive and culturally grounded lens, can awaken powerful memories and honor the many layers of identity we carry.
Comments