Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR)

The 8-week MBSR program includes a Free Introduction to Mindfulness and MBSR class a prerequisite to start the program, that introduces participants to the secular practice of mindfulness. It explains the scientific basis of mindfulness and presents recent research findings that highlight its potential to address a wide range of challenges, medical conditions, and psychological issues while promoting well-being and resilience. The Introductory class also covers logistics and expectations of the MBSR program.

During this initial 3-hour session, participants are encouraged to recognize the positive aspects within themselves. This includes the innate qualities of awareness, courage, and energy that mindfulness practice fosters. The program establishes a group learning context and revisits the definition of mindfulness. Participants are introduced to mindful eating, focused attention, and body scan meditation practices, exploring the mind-body connection.

How we see things (or don’t see them) will determine, to a large extent, how we respond.

This session delves into how our perceptions influence our responses. Interactive dialogue and activities encourage examination of assumptions and the way we view our lives and the world. The practice of body scan and mindful movement continues.

During this session, we bring together a variety of mindfulness meditation practices, incorporating a mindful movement sequence that includes lying down yoga (with chair adaptations available for those who cannot lie down on the floor) and sitting practice. We may also introduce walking meditation. By this point, participants have been engaging in daily practice with the provided recordings for two weeks.

In the session, there is ample time for participants to ask questions, share their learnings and discoveries, and discuss their experiences in making time for this new mindfulness habit. We address the challenges that may arise in establishing a consistent practice.

One of the key themes for session 3 revolves around exploring "pleasant experiences" and how they manifest in one's thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. This exploration helps participants gain insight into their reactions to positive or enjoyable moments and how mindfulness can shape their responses to such experiences.

Following three weeks of consistent mindfulness practice, participants frequently share that they have developed heightened awareness of all their experiences, whether they are pleasant, unpleasant, or fall in between. The practice fosters curiosity and openness, which extend beyond meditation and begin to influence everyday moments.

During this class, we delve into the physiology and psychology of the fight, flight, or freeze response and explore how individual patterns of reacting to stress manifest. Through this exploration, participants gain a deeper understanding of their stress responses and how mindfulness can help regulate and transform these patterns.

Participants gain insights into how mindfulness can interrupt the stress cycle in one’s life. Mindfulness strategies are explored, empowering individuals to respond skillfully and align their actions with personal values and intentions. The exploration continues in understanding how mindfulness can disrupt patterns of being stuck and maladaptive coping, through continued focus

Taking place between weeks five and six, this 7.5-hour session allows participants to engage in various mindfulness practices (learned thus far in the course and some new ones), skillfully led by the teacher. During this day, participants have the chance to observe their lives with renewed clarity and freshness, viewing them through the lens of mindfulness practice and its associated qualities such as kindness, curiosity, interest, self-sovereignty, and choice. Free from the usual demands and distractions, this experience opens up possibilities for insights and new perspectives to emerge.

During this session, we build upon the insights and challenges encountered during the all-day session. We shift our focus towards interpersonal relationships, whether in person, electronically, or through social media. We explore how to bring mindful presence, creative responses, and the ability to navigate strong emotions (both our own and others') into our ongoing practice of relating. We connect this to resilience or stress hardiness – the capacity to readjust when we recognize stress. Moreover, we come to realize that experiencing stress is a normal part of life. The key is not to always remain calm, but to understand how to care for ourselves when we encounter reactivity.

By the time session seven arrives, consistent daily mindfulness practice has revealed numerous surprising discoveries including; improved focus, reduced judgment, quicker recovery from stressful situations, and better self-advocacy. In addition to establishing a regular mindfulness practice, the class explores the integration of mindfulness beyond formal meditation – making it an ongoing habit of mind, body, and heart. The previous weeks of practice have provided participants with a fresh perspective on self-care, effectively coping with stress and challenges, and fully appreciating moments of joy and peace.

In the final session, participants review and practice several mindfulness meditations learned throughout the program. Highlights of the course are revisited, and new intentions are set to maintain momentum. The achievements and challenges faced during the program are celebrated, and participants are encouraged to continue their mindfulness journey in their unique and supportive ways.

This final class is 3 hours long.