Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is for individuals who wish to reduce the impact of stress, anxiety, chronic illness and pain on their quality of life and function. In this course, you will learn awareness skills to recognize and change the relationship you have with the stressors of life, and the pain you experience. You will also learn skills to recognize stressors that are not in your control, including structural and systemic forms of discrimination, in order to choose skilful ways to change what is within your means, and to take care of yourself.
MBSR consists of eight weekly classes and one daylong class on a weekend. The course helps participants to develop greater ease and capacity to manage stress, change one’s relationship to pain, and alter our relationship to the effects of chronic physical and psychological illness. Many of our students have reported decreases in psychological and physical symptoms due to anxiety and stress. These include: lower blood pressure, better job and home life function, improved sleep, better emotional regulation, and others. Research findings corroborate these reports (e.g. meta-analyses by deVibe et al., 2017, Campbell Collaboration; Goldberg et al., 2018, 2021).
In this highly experiential and practical course students will learn:
- Various mindfulness meditation practices
- Gentle mindful movement
- To recognize stress and maladaptive coping strategies
- Strategies to respond more effectively to stress
- How to change one’s relationship to chronic pain to live a more fulfilling life
- How to integrate mindfulness into social interactions and daily life
- To develop and maintain a regular meditation practice
Daily home practices are assigned at the end of every class for students to consolidate their learning, and to bring mindful awareness into their lives.
Who MBSR is for:
Individuals experiencing chronic stress, illness and pain, school and work burnout, who wish to increase their overall health and wellbeing. BIPOC and people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ welcome.
Winter 2023 MBSR Course (online, through Zoom live, interactive video):
Offered in collaboration with Primordial Multicultural Healing Community
Dates: Tuesdays, starting January 10 to February 28, 2023, with all-day retreat Feb. 19
Time: Classes: 5:30 – 8:00 pm Pacific Time/7:30 – 10:00 pm Central Time; Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, Feb. 19: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm Pacific Time/10:30 am to 4:30 pm Central Time
Where: Live, online by Zoom interactive video; link will be sent out after registration, a week before course starts.
Number of participants: up to 25
Cost: CDN$400. Limited scholarships available through Mindfulness in Action and Primordial Multicultural Healing Community.
Instructors: Tom Heah, M.Sc. (OT) with guest facilitator Sylvia Eugenia Ruiz, CMF, SEP on Day of Mindfulness.
Please contact tom@mindfulnessinaction.ca for more information or to register. You will be requested to complete a registration form and an informed consent on registration.
Flyer for the course
