About MBSR
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme teaches us how to cultivate a different relationship between our self and the things that challenge us in our lives.
Why do people attend mindfulness programmes?
People turn to mindfulness programmes for many different reasons, including:
To better cope with:
- General life stress
- Cardiovascular disease/ high blood pressure
- Chronic illnesses/ chronic pain
- Cancer
- Depression and anxiety
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Sleep disturbances
- Difficulties with focus and concentration
As well as out of an intention to:
- Live more fully and consciously
- Improve one's personal well-being
- Improve ability to respond skilfully to life circumstances
How might mindfulness meditation benefit me?
Participants often report joy in discovering simple things in daily life, such as a shared moment with their child or partner, greater awareness of connection with nature, a calmer relationship with a previous conflict, or new perspectives.
You will begin to realise that there is more “right” with you than “wrong”. You will also become more engaged in your life with patience, compassion and less judgement. Many of the benefits of mindfulness meditation found in scientific research include decrease in psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression as well as greater stability in physical symptoms such as blood pressure, glucose levels and ease of physical movements.
Ultimately, it is an empirical question and you are encouraged to find out for yourself how mindfulness meditation practices might be integrated into and benefit your life. It is being purposefully engaged in your actions, feelings, physical sensations, and thoughts.
What will I be learning?
The programme schedule consists of eight weekly classes and one day-long class on a weekend.
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
- Individually tailored instruction
- Group dialogue
- Daily home assignments
- Guided audio files for home practice and a workbook
In this programme, you will learn to:
- Identify the key aspects of mindfulness as it relates to stress reduction, coping with pain and illness and enhancing well-being
- Articulate the difference between MBSR and other meditation techniques that may seem similar but are fundamentally and theoretically quite different in contending with difficulty and enhancing quality of life
- Apply mindfulness techniques in both personal and professional settings as a means of managing challenges and demands more effectively
- Apply mindfulness to social interactions with colleagues, family, and friends to facilitate more effective and mindful communication
- Utilise brief mindfulness practices with friends and family members as a means of alleviating acute pain, anxiety, and distress