8-Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness is an integrative, mind-body approach to living that assists us in relating to our experiences with greater serenity and clarity. It involves paying attention to the present moment in a way that can increase awareness and effectively mobilize our own inner resources to cope, heal and grow.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an 8-week course in mindful living, was developed in the late 70’s by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. MBSR has been found to positively and often profoundly affect participants' ability to reduce medical symptoms and psychological distress while learning to live life more fully.

Over two decades of published research indicates that the majority of people who complete the MBSR curriculum report:

* Lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms

* Greater energy and enthusiasm for life

* An increased ability to relax and cope with stressful situations

* Improved self-esteem

* Reductions in pain levels and an enhanced ability to cope with chronic pain

Sunday afternoons, September 22nd – October 27th and November 10th - 17th

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

(course includes a 6-hour retreat on Sunday, November 3rd)

Over the duration of the course, MBSR participants are introduced to the key principles of mindfulness, provided with instruction for formal and informal practices, and engage in short talks and discussions.

With a commitment to involvement, both within and outside of class, participants are pointed towards practices that integrate mindfulness into daily life.

The 8-week program includes:

• 8 weekly, 2 hr sessions
• A 6-hour retreat
• Audio recordings to guide home practice
• Weekly reading materials

Fee: $450/person or $800/couple

Attendance at a Free Introduction to MBSR or a private consultation with the instructor is required to register for the 8-week course .

This class is facilitated by Amy Zoe Schonhoff, founder of Mindfulness in the Heartland and a qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction from the UMass Medical School's Center for Mindfulness.

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Amy Zoe Schonhoff is the founder of Mindfulness in the Heartland, a venture dedicated to providing education and training in mindfulness-based interventions. Through her writing, public speaking and teaching, it is her intention to inspire others to live as if every moment matters.

Amy’s life has been significantly influenced by a personal mindfulness practice for over twenty-five years. While studying as an undergraduate in psychology, she was introduced to a mindfulness-based meditation practice that deeply influenced her and provided a sense of peace she had long sought. This introduction began a slow and steady process that began to transform her and the trajectory of her life.