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Bringing Mindfulness to a Social Movement

Bringing Mindfulness to a Social Movement
Tue, 4/24/2012

Caroline Contillo went to Occupy Wall Street on a whim. After staying the night with the help of some friendly anarchists, Contillo knew she'd found her call to action. Contillo grew up in a political family, with her father a judge and grandfather a New Jersey state senator, and she'd been politically active for much of her life. But she'd lost her enthusiasm for activism after years of feeling that it wasn't accomplishing anything. Occupy Wall Street, with its community at Zuccotti Park and its lofty goals that would benefit everyone, reignited her passion. In her years off from activism, Contillo had picked up Buddhist meditation, so she naturally navigated toward Liberty Square's meditation group, where she thought she could do the most good. The group members would go to meetings and offer to try and level off any tension before the meetings started.

"Caroline is a quintessential occupier, inspired to engage in activism after years of disinterest," the filmmaker, Jackie Snow, said. "The meditation practice she brings to the movement represents just one of keeping the ways supporters do what they can to help."

 

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