About

Hugh Byrne, PhD is a teacher, trainer and author on mindfulness and compassion for spiritual and social transformation and a lead teacher at the Insight Meditation Community of Greater Washington (IMCW)

Since I was young, I’ve had a passion for social justice. I didn’t understand why many lived in poverty and hardship while a few lived in the lap of luxury, and wanted to work to change these realities and the structures that held them in place. 

I worked for more than twenty years for human rights in Latin America and Africa and for U.S. policies that would support equality and genuine development. As I look back on these years, I feel positive about the work that we were doing, but also recognize the stress and sense of separation that came from an ‘us’ and ‘them’ approach and being tightly tied to the outcome of our efforts. 

When I encountered Buddhist teachings, I came to see how the way we work for change is essential to creating a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. Through practices of mindfulness, compassion, equanimity, and loving-kindness we can ensure that we include everyone in our vision for justice and peace and do not perpetuate conflict and division by clinging to our views and opinions and dividing the world into ‘us’ and ‘them’.

In these challenging times I’m committed to bringing the inner practices of awareness and compassion into efforts in the world—working to create peace in our own hearts while working for peace in the world. In Washington, DC, we’ve organized ‘mindful politics’ meetings around the 2016 elections; a year of engaged dharma, helping community members bring their practice into the world; and Mindful Engagement 2020 to bring kindness and awareness into our work around the 2020 elections. 

Mindfulness and Habit Change: Another area of strong interest to me is how we can suffer through habits that have become unconscious and automatic through repetition, and are difficult to change—and how mindfulness can help us transform them, making what is unconscious conscious so that change becomes possible.

My book, The Here-and-Now Habit (2016) brings together ancient Buddhist teachings with the latest findings of neuroscience to help readers find greater freedom and happiness in their lives. Habit Swap: Mindfulness Skills to Change Habits for Good (2020) is a deeper dive into skills and practices to let go of unhealthy habits and develop more beneficial ones.   

All of these efforts are ways of moving towards greater freedom in our lives, which is at the core of the Buddha’s teachings—seeing how clinging keeps us tied to suffering, how letting go of clinging leads to freedom, and cultivating the practices that help us to see clearly and let go. 

I look forward to seeing you at a class, retreat, or workshop in person or online soon….