Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, molecular biologist and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts’ Medical School in 1979.
MBSR was designed to help patients cope with such diverse symptoms as stress, anxiety, chronic pain and illness, sleep disturbances, fatigue, high blood pressure and headaches.
What is the MBSR Program?
The MBSR is an eight-week program. The course schedule consists of eight weekly classes and one day-long class on a Saturday or Sunday.
The course includes guided instruction in different mindfulness meditation practices, gentle yoga exercises, group dialogue and discussions, daily home assignments and home practice CDs as well as a home practice manual. In his book Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness,
Jon Kabat-Zinn explains the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as consisting of three main elements: body scan, sitting meditation and Hatha Yoga exercises.
Body Scan in MBSR
The body scan is usually the first technique employed in the MBSR program. In this method which is practiced lying down for approximately 45 minutes, the different body parts are "scanned" for areas of tension and discomfort. This is done by imagining to be breathing into the different body parts, starting with the left foot and traveling upwards through the body.
While the body scan is primarily a technique meant to prepare one for regular mindfulness meditation by allowing the mind to calm down and concentrate, it also helps to relax the body and thus relieve stress and (chronic) pain.
Sitting Mindfulness Meditation in MBSR
At the heart of the MBSR is the sitting mindfulness meditation, originally a Buddhist meditation approach. In this technique, feelings, thoughts and sensations are simply observed without judging them. This cultivates a state of mindful awareness, which may not necessarily be pleasant, but allows one to truly live in the present and with an attitude of acceptance and inner peace.
Rather than working with a specific object for meditation as most conventional meditation techniques do, mindfulness focuses on perceiving whatever one is feeling, thinking, perceiving or doing.
Participants of the MBSR program are advised to practice sitting meditation for 45 minutes every day. While the sitting meditation is central to the practice of mindfulness, its practice can and should also be extended to daily activities such as walking, eating, cleaning, and so on.
Hatha Yoga Exercises in MBSR
Hatha Yoga Exercises also form an integral part of the MBSR program. The yoga exercises are not done with a view to physical fitness but rather as another form of mindful meditation.
Working with the body and conscious breathing may help to become more mindful towards one’s body and its signals, thus helping patients to avoid unhealthy patterns of behavior in future.
The gentle stretching exercises may also make one feel more comfortable in one’s body and thus make it easier to sit comfortably in meditation.
Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
The physiological and psychological benefits of the MBSR program have been well documented and researched for nearly thirty years.
As stated in the Stress Reduction program brochure of the Clinic's Center for Mindfulness “almost three decades of scientific research suggest that training in mindfulness and MBSR can positively and often profoundly affect participants’ ability to reduce medical symptoms and psychological distress while learning to live life more fully.”
Many participants have reported an increased ability to cope more effectively with stressful situations, anger, fear, anxiety and depression.
In addition, numerous patients suffering from chronic pain have found the program to either make it easier to live with the pain or even to decrease it. Above all, training in mindfulness seems to make the majority of participants feel happier and more balanced.
Where To Do the MBSR Program?
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program has originally been offered only in the University of Massachusetts’ Stress Reduction Clinic. However, there are many more clinics which work with this program and there are training opportunities for becoming a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher in many different countries.
Locate a program in your area or find out about becoming a MBSR Teacher.
