Mindfulness For Stress (MBSR)

Mindfulness in the Workplace, MBSR course
“Between stimulus and response there is a space.  In that space is our power to choose our response.  In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Viktor E Frankl, 1905-1997
Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor

Course Overview

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a highly researched and popular programme that cultivates mindfulness in everyday life, improving health and easing stress. We offer an adaptation of Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn’s original MBSR course, incorporating our own work, alongside that of leading authorities in the world of neurobiology and meditation.

Course Structure

Duration: 8 weeks, 1 session per week of 2 to 2.5 hours, with an optional one day mindfulness retreat towards the end of the course.

Group size: min 6 to max 14

Individual commitment to meditation practice: 20 to 40 minutes per day is recommended for long term benefit

Week 1: An Introduction to Meditation
Being present

Week 2: Awareness of Awareness
The key to living in harmony

Week 3: Coming Back to the Present Moment
Mindfulness of breath and our body

Week 4: Recognising Stress
Exploring our relationship to stress

Week 5: Mindful Perception
How the brain creates our mental world

Week 6: Mindfulness in Relationships
Integrating our mental world with others

Week 7: Mindful Living
Taking our lives into our hands

Week 8: Keep Taking the Meditation!
Sustaining our practice

Led by an experienced facilitator and backed by scientific research presented in an easy to understand format, each session covers particular exercises and topics that are examined within the context of mindfulness.

These include different forms of mindfulness meditation practice and mindful awareness and are designed to guide you through establishing (or deepening) a meditation practice, thereby allowing mindfulness to become part of your day to day life.

Personal workbooks and meditation downloads are provided for all participants, along with inter-class support.

Expected Outcomes

Mindfulness has been the subject of growing attention and interest in recent years, thanks to a rapidly expanding evidence base. This demonstrates it can be helpful for many mental and physical health problems, such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, IBS, CFS/ME, fibromyalgia and depression, in addition to promoting general physical and emotional wellbeing (Mindfulness Research, 2011).

Researched benefits include:

  • A greater capacity for relaxation and calmness
  • Less worry, anxiety and lower instances of depressive episodes
  • Enhanced emotional control, resourcefulness and resilience
  • Improved self-confidence and creativity
  • Better sleep quality

We use the following recognised measures of mental well-being, stress and mindfulness:

  • Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) (NHS Health Scotland, University of Warwick and University of Edinburgh, 2006)
  • Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Cohen & Williamson, 1988)
  • Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) (Baer, 2006)

During public MBSR courses between 2014 and 2017 our participants experienced on average a 13% improvement in mental well-being and a 26% reduction in perceived stress – what could that mean to your quality of life?

Who Can Attend?

We have a diverse range of participants attend our mindfulness courses, from students and parents of young children, to teachers, corporate directors and healthcare professionals.

This course is ideal both for those wishing to prioritise their wellbeing and those who wish to adopt a complementary approach to managing a wide range of physical, emotional and mental health concerns.

Our courses are:

  • suitable for beginners as well as those wishing to refresh their mindfulness practice
  • open to all adults (minimum age 18 yrs, no maximum – our oldest participant to date has been 84 and he completed the course twice)
  • ideal for people who see their health and personal growth as their own responsibility and who like to learn from their experiences, rather than looking for a quick fix.

Mindfulness is a skill which takes both time and personal commitment to be learned. Whilst participants may well experience a change in ‘state’ as a result of ad-hoc meditations, the researched benefits of mindfulness come from the regular practice of mindfulness meditation and the possibility of changes in ‘trait’*. If you are interested in learning mindfulness we therefore ask that you read the ‘Commitment Required’ section of the course booking page.

* From States to Traits: the Latest Science on What Meditation can and Can’t Do

Is There Anything Else I Should Be Aware Of?

Yes, mindfulness is often both more challenging and more rewarding than people imagine. It is not unusual for people to attend mindfulness courses during periods of change and/or difficulty in their lives with many often experiencing significant benefits as a result. There are however times when attending a group mindfulness course might not be beneficial. We would ask that you read through the ‘is this the right time for me to attend a mindfulness course’ section of the course booking page, contacting us as necessary if you have any concerns or questions.

Practice Days

Towards the end of your course you will be invited to join us for a practice day. This is an important opportunity to both consolidate what you are learning on the course and to prioritise your wellbeing by taking a day out to relax, refresh and rejuvenate.

MBSR Intensive

We also offer an exclusive 5-day residential course and retreat in the North York Moors, called the MBSR Intensive programme. This programme covers the same content as the traditional 8 week MBSR course, offering you a unique opportunity to experience and learn mindfulness meditation over a week.