Change Your Mind to Change the World

by The Well Daily
May 18, 2011

Curious about meditation but afraid of anything too new age or hippie dippy? We unreservedly recommend the Interdependence Project (IDP), where meditation is taught as useful mental training, grounded in both science and ancient lineage. The IDP’s approach to mindfulness is secular, straightforward and wonderfully accessible. 

The IDP got its start back in 2005 when a few friends began practicing meditation together in NYC's East Village. By 2007, their group had blossomed into a nonprofit dedicated to integrating Buddhist-inspired meditation with psychology, activism, art and media.

IDP founder Ethan Nichtern explains the principle behind the project: "If you want to change the world, you have to know, and I mean really know, how your own mind works." Nichtern and his fellow teachers work to bring mindful living to the masses. Their message: get connected, because we already are. The Project is first and foremost a community and remains committed to applying the teachings of mindfulness through initiatives such as the Interdependence Prison Project and its Eco-Activism Group. Check out all the IDP's community programs, including its art club and its writing group.

We love listening to 21^st Century Buddhism, the IDP’s free podcast of lectures and interviews with teachers and visitors, like sustainability expert Jane Poynter, Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg and “No Impact Man” Colin Beavan. Especially helpful for those who can't make it to the IDP in person, the podcast delivers excellent insight on mindful living every week.

If you already have a personal meditation practice and want to take it further, the IDP even provides Study at Home courses conducted through audio downloads, reading lists, correspondence with teachers and online community journals with other students. You can audit the course or apply the credits toward the IDP's Buddhist Studies Certificate.