Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

This 8-week course is modeled after Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and and was originally designed for people experiencing chronic pain.

It is also appropriate for people experiencing stress in a broad range of areas in life (work, parenting, relationship, health…) or those simply looking to experience more richness in life.

This course is designed for beginners, although it is also open to those with some meditation experience.

Participants will learn compassionate ways of being with the body, emotions and challenging mind states through:

• mindfulness meditation & its applications to everyday life
• body awareness & relaxation
• gentle yoga stretching & movement
• learning to ground in the present moment & connect with moments of calm
• learning how to work with uncomfortable mind states & body sensations

Classes are very experiential and involve a mixture of:

• meditation (lying down, sitting, and walking)
• gentle stretching and mindful yoga
• teaching and discussion
• understanding the stress response cycle & learning to be less reactive
• homework to facilitate bringing mindfulness into everyday life

The program requires a commitment to daily practice (approximately 30-40 minutes) for optimal benefit.

You will receive a workbook and several MP3 recordings to guide you during the course and to support ongoing home use.