Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an eight-week group intervention combining meditation techniques with psychoeducation in order to improve your capacity to cope with stress, reduce physical and psychological symptoms, and maximize your ability to thrive through all of life's circumstances. Intensive training in mindfulness practices enables participants to look deeply into their own hearts and minds, where they find both the causes of their suffering and the possibility to choose greater happiness whether or not their actual physical circumstances change.
The practice of insight meditation is at the heart of the MBSR course and facilitates the cultivation of mindfulness (nonjudgmental moment-to-moment awareness). Insight meditation is taught through formal and informal practices, extensive homework, and an all-day silent retreat.
After participating in the MBSR program, many class members report considerable improvement in multiple physical and psychological symptoms. A significant number also describe—often with surprise—their lives expanding in positive ways, such as finding freedom from old problems and engaging current challenges with creativity and courage.
MBSR vs. mind-body medicine
|
MBSR |
Mind-body medicine |
Scope |
Meditative approach to cultivate awareness, wisdom, and compassion in everyday life. |
Cognitive and behavioral methods to foster mind and body wellness. |
Emphasis |
Cognitive restructuring—an approach to replacing negative dysfunctional thinking with more accurate and positive thoughts. |
Insight into the connection of the mind and body and their influence on each other.
|
Meditation and relaxation |
Promotes relaxation, self-awareness and self-acceptance with regular daily practice of meditation techniques. |
Promotes a variety of relaxation techniques and daily self-care practices such as guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and autogenic training. |
Target population |
Patients with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and illnesses that are caused or worsened by stress. |
Patients with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and illnesses that are caused or worsened by stress. |
Commitment |
Requires commitment to at least 45 minutes of daily home practice. |
Encourages daily home practice. |
Course goals
To improve participants’ ability to cope with the physical and psychological symptoms associated with chronic illness, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions, and to decrease the frequency and length of medical office visits for issues related to stressful life situations, grieving, coping, and self-care skills.
Core skills
- Insight into underlying attitudes and unskillful thought patterns
- Understanding of attitudes, states of mind, and reactive tendencies
- Observance of pleasant and unpleasant feelings
- Mindfulness of daily activities
- Breath awareness
- Relaxation training
- Mindful movement (yoga, tai chi, or chi gong)
- Communication and assertion skills
- Mindful time management
How to schedule an appointment
To make an appointment, please call the Kaiser Permanente Center for Complementary Medicine nearest you. The Kaiser Permanente Center for Complementary Medicine is open to everyone. You do not have to be a Kaiser Permanente member to come to our facilities and receive chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage treatment. Whether you are a member or nonmember, you will receive the same high-quality care.
Lakewood 303-239-7224
Smoky Hill 303-699-3670
Westminster 303-457-6260
Our hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Our Lakewood Medical Offices are also open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
