Two White coteachers in a remote teacher preparation course in New York City describe how they reframed their contemplative pedagogy to center equity during the twin crises of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Working with Black and Brown special education teacher candidates, they share moments of awakening from shared reflections on sensations, emotions, biases, and lived experiences. They explore transformations in process orientation, reflective journaling, heuristic methodology, and event-oriented inquiry. The authors advocate for contemplative practices that build trust, relationship, and communication, arguing these are essential for equity-centered, response-able education.
Contemplative practices are increasingly used in education to promote wellness. This paper analyzes qualitative data from primary students' experiences of meditative breathing to generate insights. Framed within an authentic inquiry and contemplative inquiry dialectic, the research team situates themselves in the contemplative process to make a difference for stakeholders. Insights coalesce around four emergent dialectics: relaxed | stressed, attentive | distracted, still | energized, and unbounded | constrained. The co-constructed narrative argues that within complex unbounded fields, contemplative practices can transform physical, mental, emotional, and social lifeworlds through a contagious individual and collective ripple effect.