PHOTO: SS Queer

Understanding Mindfulness from a Queer Perspective

Mindfulness is a practice to stay in the present moment, to notice what comes up and what you feel without judgment. For queer individuals, this can be revolutionary. Many LGBTQ+ individuals have traumas in their past—either from homophobia, rejection from their families, or internalized shame. Others have to contend with fear about navigating a world that typically invalidates them. Mindfulness creates space between experience and response, so we can respond with understanding rather than terror.

At its simplest, mindfulness is a practice in self-knowledge, and for queer individuals, knowledge is inextricably bound to identity. It allows us to challenge internal assumptions, notice what triggers our emotions, and distinguish between what we have learned and what we are. With mindfulness, we can embrace queerness as a site of conflict, but instead a site of resiliency.

PHOTO: SS Queer

Practical Mindfulness Strategies for Gay Resilience

Grounding in the Body

Many LGBTQ+ people dissociate from their bodies due to past traumas or body distress. Deep breathing, body scan, and mindful movement (e.g., yoga or stretching) can help to reconnect with one's body in a positive and safe way.

Observing Thoughts Without Attachment

Society inundates queer individuals with information about who we are to be. Mindfulness can assist in helping to tune in to those thoughts without believing them to be true. When a negative or worrisome thought arises, practice acknowledging with curiosity rather than judgment: “That’s interesting—where is this thought coming from?”

Cultivating Self-Compassion

Queer people are typically told to judge or censor parts of themselves. Mindfulness allows us to be kind to ourselves—to give to ourselves that same understanding we would to a friend. One simple practice is to simply tell ourselves, "I am enough as I am."

Engaging with Queer Joy

Resilience isn’t survival, it’s a party. Mindfulness is an invitation to enjoy fleeting joy, whether in community, in creativity, or in nature. Existing in present times in queer happiness is a political gesture in a world that insists on difficulty.

PHOTO: SS Queer