Help bring MindfulVotes to the Republican and Democatic National Conventions

As the U.S. presidential race heats up, a group of volunteers is trying to bring mindfulness into the political process by leading meditation, yoga and tai chi at the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

The Huffington Post will be sponsoring an "Oasis" at each convention, providing a space for delegates to unplug, practice meditation and yoga, and enjoy healthy refreshments. MindfulVotes is an initiative led by angel Kyodo williams, director of the Center for Transformative Change, and the team behind YogaVotes. Their goal is to inspire people to bring mindfulness into their lives and into politics, and they're trying to raise $ 5000 this week to send teachers to staff the Oasis.

"This effort transcends partisanship and brings a fundamental sanity to a process that has seemed pretty insane lately," explains williams. "It's time to liberate our politics from negativity and closed-heartedness. The widely-held mindfulness values of love, compassion and inclusivity can return us, as Americans, back to our center of goodness."

MindfulVotes is trying to raise the $ 5000 by the end of this week so they can send a team of four leaders of color to the conventions, where they can oversee a larger group of local volunteer teachers. Money will go to airfare for the teachers to travel to the RNC in Tampa, and the DNC in Charlotte, as well as housing, meals, and educational materials. And if you're interested in teaching or helping out at either convention, you're welcome to join the MindfulVotes team — contact them at mv@transformativechange.org.

To pitch in money to support MindfulVotes, visit their fundraising page. And for more about mindfulness and politics, see the Mindful Politics spotlight page at the Shambhala Sun, and "I Vow to Be Political" from the Spring 2012 Buddhadharma magazine.

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