Legal Lens

Annual Bench Bar Gala on October 2nd at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

Top row: Lauren Baugh, Blake Hampton; Joe and Benita North Second row: Hon. Gilberto Perez, Hon. Kimberly Davis Bocelli, Luca and Dawn Maselli; Mayor Kevin Anderson and wife Krista Third row: Hon. Mary Evans; Travis Russell and Tiffany Pereira; Blake and Kate Hampton Bottom Row: Hon. Jospehine Gagliardi, Justice Couriel and Hon. Devin George; Diego Gil, Efren Arocho and Michael Camadeco

For more pics, check out the gallery at LeeBar.org

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Photo credit: Jim Jett Photography Photos courtesy of Jim Jett Photography

Annual Bench Bar Gala on October 2nd at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

Top row: Heidi and Leland Garvin; Shannon Puopolo and Nick Stokke; Scott Atwood and Kristalyn Loson Atwood; Erin Casey and Brian Casey; Naelene and Dennis Webb Second row: Shatree'Tia and Spencer Cordell; April and Peter Knize; Veronica Batt and Ryan Lynn; Chris and Andrea Smith with Eve and Shawn Volkmann; Amy and Justin Thibaut Third row: Theresa Watkins Brown; Robbie and Geoff Roepstorff with Matt and Mairin Roepstorff; Hon. Archie Hayward, Jr; David Seitz and Danielle Levy Seitz; Linda Doggett and Hon. James Adams Bottom row: Kevin Karnes, Nathan Winesett, Kelly Fayer, Dan Detrick; John Miller and Kayla Richmond Miller; Susan and Robert Shearman and Shay Raja; Rick Williams, Connie Ramos-Williams, John Webb, Ita Neymotin and Leon Kremenchuker; Shirlarian Williams; Patricia Bell, Cynthia Duff, Dan Detrick

For more pics, check out the gallery at LeeBar.org

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Photo credit: Jim Jett Photography Photos courtesy of Jim Jett Photography

Meditation brings balance to your personal and professional life

“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. No one is compos sui [master of himself] if he have it not. An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence. But it is easier to define this ideal than to give practical directions for bringing it about.” --William James

by catherine kahle, esq.

Meditation. What does the word call to mind for you? Some may picture the Buddha attaining enlightenment sitting under the Bodhi tree. Others may picture a room full of yogis lying in savasana, a restorative posture used as a means of relaxation at the end of a yoga practice. And still, others might see it as a way to quiet the ceaseless monkey mind and improve focus, as described in the quote above by the father of American psychology, William James.

Meditative practices have been carried out in many cultures and religions for thousands of years. Meditation made its way to the West during the 1960s and 1970s and is often associated with “hippie” culture. Scientific research has shown that meditation has documented physiological and psychological effects, including a lowered state of physical arousal, reduced respiration rate, decreased heart rate, and changes in brain wave patterns. Additional health benefits of regular meditation include reduced stress, improved memory, improved immunity, increased attention, better sleep, lower blood pressure, weight loss, and less anxiety and depression. As attorneys, we have chosen a demanding and mentally intensive career path. According to Florida Bar statistics on lawyer mental health, 28% of lawyers report mild or higher depression symptoms, 23% report mild or higher stress symptoms and 19% report mild or higher anxiety symptoms. The benefits of meditation would serve members of our profession well. However, many lawyers might be hesitant to try meditation, which may seem strange or inaccessible to a professional culture that places value on logic and reason. The Bar’s Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers Committee aims to help bring more balance into members’ daily professional lives. There are many health and wellness resources available through the Florida Bar’s wellness center, including meditations, and you can even earn CLEs for meditating through the website https://meditationforlawyers.org. There are many different forms of

meditation including Transcendental Meditation, loving-kindness meditation, mindfulness meditation and breath awareness meditation. Transcendental Meditation, commonly referred to as TM, is a form of mantra meditation that encourages a restful state of mind through the use of a mantra repeated silently for 20 minutes twice a day. TM is practiced by many successful business leaders and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Katy Perry, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, and billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. Mindfulness meditation is an easy way to begin to reap the rewards of meditation. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing without reacting to external stimuli or wandering thoughts. Mindfulness not only allows you to be calm and focused when you are meditating, but you can carry the practice over into everything you do. You can work on cultivating a mindful attitude wherever you are-in a meeting, in the courtroom, in a deposition, or simply taking a walk. Start out exploring the hobby of meditation and work towards developing a meditative, mindful mind all the time.

A simple mindfulness meditation technique is to sit in a quiet place and focus your attention on one thing, such as your breathing. Count while taking a breath, hold it and then count while letting the air out. Do this daily, preferably at the same time, for five minutes and work your way up to longer periods. A few key points: make sure you are comfortable but not too comfortable. If you notice your mind wandering, that’s okay, it is inevitably going to wander. Don’t judge your thoughts or pay attention to them. Instead, simply focus on bringing your attention back to your breath. As you begin to explore meditation practices, do not place too much pressure on yourself, like us lawyers often do. It takes time and practice to build any new habit. The positive impact meditation can have on your health and well-being will be well worth it. Making meditation an important part of your self-care routine will help you feel better and less stressed, leading to a more balanced personal and professional life.

After spending 20 years in the corporate world as general counsel for several large organizations, Cathy Kahle now operates The Law Office of Catherine A. Kahle, PLLC. Cathy focuses her practice on business law and counseling, health care law, employment law, regulatory compliance and mental health and substance abuse law. Cathy is also an executive coach, registered yoga teacher and practitioner of transcendental meditation.