Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme (MBSR) is a highly researched, internationally acclaimed and popular programme that cultivates mindfulness in everyday life, improving health and easing stress. This programme is based upon the work of Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn and other leading authorities in the world of neurobiology and meditation. The 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme was designed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School nearly 40 years ago.

Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The MBSR programme has been run in various private and clinical settings since the 1980s and a huge body of research evidence has shown that this course successfully teaches people to practice mindfulness meditation on a daily basis, with far-reaching benefits for people’s physical and emotional well-being.

This programme involves the teaching and guided practice of various meditations, discussion and support relating to your experiences with the meditations, advice on relevant reading material and daily practice at home in between classes using online recordings with guided meditations.

It has given me the ability to stay calm in situations which before would have spiralled out of control. It has shown me how important it is to care for my wellbeing in order to look after my family.

The MBSR programme aims to:

• Develop the ‘being’ mode of mind, as opposed to our ‘doing’ mode, helping us to deal with the many and varied challenges of life in a slightly different way.
• Help us respond to our moods and emotions more skillfully, rather than reacting automatically.
• Develop awareness of physical and emotional needs, promoting self-care to enhance our quality of health and life in general.

During this 8 week programme we will explore and encourage you to make mindfulness practice part of your daily life. Backed by sound scientific research presented in an easy to understand format, we hope you enjoy the mindfulness practices and come to understand why mindfulness is just as important to our health and well-being as a balanced diet and being active.

This course has helped me to re-assess how I am living my life. Helped me realise I was not investing enough time in myself and letting things like work control my life and how I feel on a daily basis.

Programme Overview

The MBSR is a structured 8 week programme with group sizes varying between 8 and 12 participants. Single weekly sessions are generally 2 to 2.5 hours long and there is a silent practice day of 4/5 hours around week 6 or 7 of the course which is included in the course fee.

Each weekly session will cover particular topics within the context of mindfulness. These include different forms of mindfulness practice and how to use mindfulness during experiences that create stress and/or pain.

The outcome of the 8 week programme varies for individuals however research evidence suggests it can be helpful for many mental, emotional and physical health problems including stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and a range of chronic illness in addition to promoting general physical and emotional wellbeing (Mindfulness Research, 2011).

The pain which was both physical and emotional, has since completing the MBSR programme is so much more bearable.

Please contact me at karen@mindfulnesshw.co.uk to register your interest in the MBSR programme, I aim to deliver two programmes each year.