Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program teaches beginning and advanced students how to practice mindfulness and integrate it into daily life. MBSR was developed by founder Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and is taught worldwide by healthcare providers.
What is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction?
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teaches mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga / stretching practices to increase awareness and reduce stress. It teaches formal meditation practices, such as sitting meditation, walking meditation, and eating meditation. It also teaches you how to practice mindfulness informally by noticing the mental habits that create suffering and changing your mental habits to ones that promote calm and well-being.
How Mindfulness Reduces Stress
MBSR teaches you how to decrease stress through meditation, yoga, and changing your perspective. MBSR teaches how to spend more time in the present moment and less time worrying about the future or regretting the past.
The program teaches us that when can’t change anything else, we can change our mind, and we can change how we respond to our lives. Sometimes we can change our external circumstances to reduce stress, and sometimes we cannot. In those situations that we can’t change, we can learn how to reduce stress by becoming more responsive to our circumstances rather than being so reactive to them. In short, we can change our mind and our perspective about things.
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Joh Kabat-Zinn
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course teaches you how to:
- relax your body and quiet your mind
- take responsibility for your own wellbeing
- feel calmer and trust yourself
- cultivate more peace and joy
- start enjoying life again
- cope more skillfully with difficult thoughts and feelings
Regular mindfulness practice can be life changing. It has certainly changed my life, which is why I love teaching it so much. I am a mindfulness teacher, mindfulness coach and Licensed Professional Counselor. I have been teaching mindfulness for 30+ years.
Typical reasons for taking a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course include:
- Daily life stress
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- High blood pressure and heart conditions
- GI distress
- Chronic Illness
- Insomnia
- Loss
- Grief
- Attention difficulties
- Type A personality
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction was created on the foundation of the ancient practice of mindfulness, which encourages being fully present in our lives with greater peace and ease. Research indicates that people who participate in the program report an increased capacity to relax, increased self-esteem, decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia, greater energy and enthusiasm for life, improved ability to cope more effectively with stressful situations, reduced pain levels and/or improved ability to cope with pain that may not go away. For links to articles and research abstracts related to the efficacy of MBSR, see below.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Learning Opportunities
There are several ways to study the program with Jen:
Participate in Jen’s MBSR online self-study course
Fee: $247
Participate in live group session on Zoom.
Fee: $525.
The course includes:
- instruction in mindfulness meditation
- instruction in mindful yoga
- instruction in how to incorporate mindfulness in your everyday life
- home practice assignments
- audio recordings of guided meditations and mindful yoga sequences
- videos on mindfulness
- course worksheets and forms to help you stay on track
- instruction in how to develop a regular mindfulness practice
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is offered as founded by Jon Kabat Zinn. It includes instruction in the Jon Kabat-Zinn body scan, sitting meditation, open awareness meditation, loving kindness meditation, walking meditation
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 8-week course
I offer the MBSR eight week mindfulness meditation program and brief introductory webinars on MBSR by zoom. In addition, I offer a self-led MBSR online course.
I offer Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 3-day retreats by zoom internationally. When it’s safe to do so, I will return to offering 3-day mindfulness retreats in the southeastern US . I offer webinars and retreats globally by Zoom.
I also offer 1:1 MBSR sessions on Zoom.
I offer a self study MBSR online course in order to make the program accessible to more people globally. There are options for online self-guided study or online self-guided study with mindfulness teacher / coaching support from Jen.
Testimonials from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Students
I loved and looked forward each week to attending MBSR class, as I found it very helpful in my ongoing journey for a more mindfulness-based life and lifestyle. I especially found the the opening talks and discussion helpful and informative. Jen’s knowledge of the human brain and human condition is very amazing and impressive. –K.
This class really helped me to establish a meditation routine and opened my mind to the limitless growth, learning and self-discovery that is available when you listen and become aware of your world both inside and outside your body. –L.
This course had an incredibly profound impact on my life. I have noticed small shifts in my mindset, ways of being, and actions that collectively are significant and life-changing. I now can’t envision my life without these practices being a part of my day. Jen rocks, which makes the course a ‘complete package. –Dana
This was my first exposure to mindfulness, meditation and yoga. I can’t imagine a better instructor. This has been the most life-changing course I have ever attended. Thank you, Jen! –E.
I found this course incredibly helpful in dealing with some stressful and painful issues. In 8 short weeks I have seen a significant improvement in my life. –Jeannie
The MBSR course is life changing. I encourage anyone who is able to attend to do so. The skills and practices I learned in this course are fundamental to physical and spiritual wellbeing. I am truly grateful for this class. Thanks Jen, you are amazing! –Lawson
I loved this class! I had read meditation books before, but the class was very helpful at focusing my efforts and helping me commit to a practice.– A.
Jen’s knowledge and non-judgmental approach created an atmosphere of honesty and compassion among the participants. I recommend Jen’s class to anyone interested in cultivating mindfulness in a safe and supportive environment. –Amelia
About Jen Johnson
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness coach and therapist. She has been teaching mindfulness for 30+ years. Jen participated in MBSR training for healthcare professionals with Jon Kabat-Zinn through the University of Massachusetts Medical Center’s Stress Reduction Program. Learn more about Jen.