Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
What is Mindfulness?
“Mindfulness can be thought of as moment-to-moment non-judgmental awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specific way, that is, in the present moment, and as non-reactively, as non-judgmentally, and as openheartedly as possible.” (From Coming to Our Senses, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.) Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Class for Students at UMB!
The Office of Academic Affairs sponsors a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Class for UMB students once each semester. The program consists of 6 two-hour classes and a six-hour Saturday retreat. Classes offer instruction in formal mindfulness practices (sitting meditation, body scan, mindful yoga, mindful eating, and walking meditation.) In order to receive optimum benefit from the program, a commitment to regular class attendance and regular at-home practice of skills learned in class is expected. The class is taught by Catherine Kelleher, ScD, MPH, MS, RN from the School of Nursing, and Deborah Rejent, D.S.W., M.S.S.W., LCSW-C from the School of Social Work. “…. A good way to take care of self and learn methods to improve daily life”
“….Increased goal direction, knowledge of self”
“…Improved my frame of mind”
“….Ability to see my challenges ahead and my strengths all at the same time”
“….It is a life-altering experience”
“….Recognizing stress triggers and beginning to pay attention to them before the triggers spin into uncontrollable stress”
“….I have been able to take better care of myself and make some decisions I’ve had a hard time making for years.” The UMB MBSR program is modeled after the Stress Reduction Program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Extensive information about the program may be found at their Center for Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program website. The program is also described in detail in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s best selling book, Full Catastrophe Living. People who have completed the MBSR program often observe that they have developed the skills to negotiate stressful situations more skillfully and are living more balanced lives. Because they have developed an increased capacity to respond and not simply react, they develop new and creative solutions to difficult situations. New and emerging research continues to demonstrate that the regular practice of mindfulness meditation can improve concentration and focus, and increase energy and enthusiasm for life. MBSR has also been shown to be effective in helping people cope with a variety of conditions including anxiety and worry, depression, insomnia, chronic pain or illness, and demanding work and life situations. Albers, Susan. Eating Mindfully (New Harbinger Publications, 2003)
Begley, Sharon. Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain. (Ballantine Books, 2008)
Boccio, Frank Jude. Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body, and Mind (Wisdom Publications, 2004)
Brach, Tara. Radical Acceptance: Embracing the Heart of a Buddha (Bantam Books, 2003)
Brantley, Jeffrey. Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You From Anxiety, Fear, and Panic (New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2003) Goleman, Daniel. Goldstein, Joseph. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom (Shambhala, 1994)
Gunaratana, Henepola. Mindfulness in Plain English (Wisdom, 1992). Full text Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Kornfield, Jack. A Path With Heart (Bantam, 1994)
Hanh, Thich Nhat Rosenberg, Marshal R. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (Puddle Dancer Press, 2003)
Salzberg, Sharon. Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Shambhala, 1995)
Segal, Zindel V. et al. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse (The Guilford Press, 2001)
Siegel, Daniel J. The Mindful Brain – Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being (W. W. Norton & Company, 2007)
Weintraub, Amy. Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga (Broadway Books, 2004)
Williams, J. Mark G. et al. The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (The Guilford Press, 2007) The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society maintains a comprehensive listing of research relevant to the study of mindfulness. | |
