Crawford Coates, MPPA

Never in a million years did I think I would come to work with American law enforcement and first responders. And meditation? You’ve got to be kidding me! There was a time when I’d have rather poked my eye out with my own thumb.

And yet here we are.

I came to meditation through a combination of luck and necessity. Luck, because people looking for solutions to problems have many roads ahead of them; necessity, because there’s ultimately only one road anyone of us can walk. This is the road you’re on. Welcome.      

Mindfulness and meditation are loaded terms. But at root this isn’t complicated stuff, and moreover it’s particularly pertinent to today’s busy – often, beyond busy – first responder. Think of it as time to rest your mind, come into your body, and simply be. On this site I talk about first responders, technology, mindfulness, and meditation.

I started practicing meditation about 10 years ago at San Diego Zen Center. Before this I had been a journal manager at Brain Research, where I became interested in (and skeptical of) the science of meditation. I have since written a book (Calibre Press, 2019), completed the UMass Memorial Health MBSR program, and had many adventures along the way. I am co-founder with Dale Stockton of the officer safety initiative Below 100 and hold a master’s degree in public policy and administration.

Please reach out if I may be of service and thank you for all that you do.

Crawford