Mindfulness and MBSR courses for individuals and organizations
Ilan Oseran, Health Psychologist
MBSR Courses
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course was developed in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The course teaches practical tool for cultivating moment to moment nonjudgmental awareness through the following:
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Systematic learning and practice of various mindfulness techniques.
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Group dialogue and inquiry regarding the practice and how to use it in daily life.
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Personal guidance from a professional instructor.
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Audio files of guided practices and additional materials for personal use in between sessions.
Course Outline
MBSR courses consist of 8 weekly 2.5 hour sessions and one longer session (7 hours) which takes place between week 6 and 7. In addition to the group sessions, course participants are encouraged to practice the tools learned in the course at home for up to 45 minutes a day.
Who is the course for?
MBSR courses are evidence-based and are currently offered all over the world in medical, psychological and various other settings. Nearly 40 years of research have found MBSR courses to be helpful in coping with:
Stress and Psychological distress
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Work and family stress
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Sleep disturbances
Medical conditions
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Chronic conditions or pain
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High blood pressure
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Cancer
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Gastrointestinal problems
Quality of Life
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Recognizing and preventing non-adaptive behaviors
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Improving concentration
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Increasing productivity
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Developing personal and inter-personal skills
Before beginning the course you will meet the instructor for an individual meeting, in order to learn more about the course, inquire about specific goals you may have from participating, and to answer questions. This meeting will help you decide if the course is right for you.
Testimonials from MBSR graduates
"I signed up to the course out of helplessness, shortly after my daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I realized I need help, the stress and worrying accompanied me most hours of the day and have become a part of me. This did not help neither me nor my surroundings.
I didn't know what I was going into. I understood that mindfulness was a technique that could help me and so I gave it a try.
Today, approaching the end of the course, I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I learned what awareness is. I learned that instead of being judgmental towards myself, I can hold it, look at it without judgment and see the good and the bad more clearly. There has been a significant reduction in stress and anxiety. I learned to see things with greater clarity and with calmness. I learned to make important changes that would benefit me and my surroundings. Today I am better able to control overwhelming thoughts and quiet them. I learned to relax my body and enjoy being in the here and now... All this stemming from the intention to create a more calm and healthy way of living. Today I am able to recognize my inner state, such as anger, sadness, stress, and am better able to relax using the tools I learned, either breathing into these emotions, or stopping the madness using the body scan, yoga and other tools learned in the course".
"I came to the course breathless and with anxiety attacks (this I learned in hindsight, during the course).
The practices taught in the course allowed me to stop and breathe. To "bring" a different part of myself in daily situations that are often difficult for me, being a single mother and raising my son by myself, and all of the burden falling on me... a place that often creates emotional stress in my life, and that's how things were lately.
For example: In situations where some conflict can arise between my son and me, I changed the way I deal with the situation and am able to "bring" calmness despite the often difficult situation. In the past I would yell and be angry. Today, from a more conscious place, I am calm, sometimes angry but not really angry. My behavior has changed.
Stopping to think and breathe, a second before I react automatically, has allowed me to think before I react automatically".