Mindfulness

Mindful Stress Management 6 Week Course

Upcoming courses TBA

6 week workshop adapted from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Participants will be asked to maintain a daily home practice of 30-60 minutes.

Mindfulness improves our well being and resilience to stress, chronic pain, and illness by changing the way we relate to stressors and internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations); interrupting habitual thought, emotion, and behavior patterns; and regulating the biological stress response. It is a simple practice with powerful effects. This course will teach you skills to manage stress, anxiety, and pain; and cultivate balance, calm, and resilience through the practice of mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?

Since its inception in 1979, more than 24,000 people have completed our Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program and learned how to use their innate resources and abilities to respond more effectively to stress, pain, and illness.

The program was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD at the Stress Reduction Clinic of UMass Medical School and described in his book Full Catastrophe Living. The technique was originally developed for use in hospitals with patients suffering from painful, chronic, or disabling conditions. It was found that following participation in an MBSR program, participants' levels of anxiety and depression decreased and their sense of well-being increased. Extensive research has shown that the Stress Reduction Program can be beneficial for anyone, regardless of state of health.

Research Evidence Suggests MBSR is helpful for:

immune system function
reducing anxiety
preventing relapse of depression
reducing negative emotions responding to stress
managing chronic pain
chronic health conditions including high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, heart disease, asthma, GI distress, and skin disorders.
effective coping with short and long-term stressful situations.
growth in the brain areas associated with learning, memory, focus, attention, emotional regulation, and empathy
enhancing compassion and altruism
reducing pregnancy-related anxiety (with relationships and communication)
professionals: coping with stress, connecting with patients, and reducing burnout-inducing negative emotions and anxiety.
Veterans and other sufferers of PTSD
obesity - increasing “mindfulness of eating”
general health and well-being through a focus on prevention and improved awareness of what's truly harmful and helpful.

Sources available at www.umassmed.edu/cfm

Course details:

Mindful Stress Management is a structured 6 week course (adapted from the 8 week MBSR program) that reduces stress, and promotes health and well being. This highly participatory, practical course includes:

Guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices
Gentle stretching and mindful yoga
Inquiry exercises to enhance awareness in everyday life
Group discussions and dialogue aimed at enhancing awareness in everyday life
Discussion with partners and small groups on personal responses to stress and well-being goals
Daily home assignments
Guided audio files for home practice
A workbook with short readings, a guide to the course, and resources to support your ongoing investigation of mindfulness

For more info please send an email to Liz@UdayaMassage.com.

Classes and practices are adapted from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

Individual mindfulness and meditation training by appointment. Schedule Now