The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) provides a training in mindfulness meditation and awareness practices which have been shown to reduce stress, and increase well-being for people with a wide range of concerns, from stress and anxiety, to chronic pain and insomnia and many more conditions. It was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn in 1979 in the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

In the last 30 years MBSR has been rigorously researched and has been found to be effective with many forms of stress; from relationships, parenting, work, as well as chronic pain, and dealing with illnesses such as cancer. The MBSR curriculum allows participants to find their own inner resources for living life with more ease and resilience. It is the most highly researched mindfulness based intervention and spans many populations and disciplines. The MBSR programme has served over 24,000 participants over the last three decades.

The course is interactive, supportive, and structured. It runs for 8 weeks, and each class is 1.5 hours. The MBSR will provide you with:

Guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices, ie: body scan, mindful movement, breath awareness and more

An inquiry process to deepen individual and group understanding to support aligning ourselves to being more present in our lives

Opportunities to discuss how to work with obstacles to mindfulness, and how we can best integrate mindfulness into daily life in a variety of ways.

Less reactivity, and more awareness – building a greater ability to respond to life’s demands and difficulties with skill, openness, and self kindness

The programme is both rewarding and challenging and requires a high level of ongoing commitment to yourself and the home practice. Home practice is a major part of the course and will involve guided mindfulness practices of about 30 minutes a day. All materials needed will be provided including mp3s of guided practices, and a pdf handbook.

I hold a MSc in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from the School of Psychology at University College Dublin and I am a member of, and adhere to, the standards set down by the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.