What is Mindfulness?
It’s about paying attention. It’s about living your life in the richness of right now, not being lost in memories of the past or overwhelmed by the worries or projections of the future. It’s a simple practice that strengthens the mind’s ability to stay focused on what is happening right now, and to be open to experience— meeting the present moment with kindness and nonreactivity.

What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?
MBSR is a unique program developed to help people better understand and work with all the stresses in their lives — medical, psychological, and social. It’s an education-based class in which you learn to bring the practice of mindfulness into your life, in both formal and informal ways. Learning goes on both within class sessions and at home through daily practice.

The curriculum consists of a range of formal mindfulness meditation practices including body scan, sitting meditation, gentle mindful yoga, and eating meditation. With the variety of practices offered, you will find a mindfulness practice to make your own.

Interactive learning modules include:

• The attitudinal foundations of mindfulness
• How our perceptions of the world influence our experiences and attitudes
• How our bodies react to stress and ways to reduce the negative effects of stress
• How our interpersonal expectations and communications affect us

Another powerful dimension to the course is the shared experiences of class members along the 8-week journey together. Participants and teachers learn from, help, and support each other. Many find that the weekly class is an oasis where they feel welcomed, and can be refreshed and restored.

Who Can Benefit?

Research studies conducted by Thomas Jefferson University have demonstrated that mindfulness is effective in reducing chronic pain, medical symptoms, anxiety and depression. Other studies have proven stress reduction to be helpful in treating sleep disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease and asthma.

We welcome anyone seeking greater well-being and enhanced health of mind and body. We also recommend our programs to those living with: