How to live better

with

Stress

Depression

Sadness

Anxiety

Anger

Grief

overwhelm

Worthless

Internal conflict

Burn-out

Stuck

Mindfulness-based stress reduction

(MBSR)
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a
mindfulness-based program that is being used to
assist people with pain and a range of conditions and
life issues that were difficult to treat, specially
emotional traumas.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn born on June 5, 1944.

Professor of Medicine Emeritus
Creator of the Mindfulness
Founder of the Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction Clinic (MBSR)
Founder of Center for Mindfulness
in Medicine, Health Care, and
Society at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School.
Kabat-Zinn was a student of Buddhist
teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh
and Zen Master Seung Sahn.

Global interest in Mindfulness

Mindfulness-based approaches have been the
subject of increasing research interest:
52 papers were published in 2003
Rising to 477 by 2012
Nearly 100 randomized controlled trials had
published by early 2014
Some research has suggested that therapy
incorporating mindfulness might help people with
anxiety, depression, and stress.

Global interest in Mindfulness

According to Cancer Research UK, while some evidence
has shown MBSR may help with symptom relief and
improve quality of life.
MBSR can have a small beneficial effect helping with
the depression and psychological chronic illness.
Preliminary evidence suggests efficacy of mindfulness
meditation in the treatment of substance use disorders.
MBSR might be beneficial for people with fibromyalgia.

Benefits of Mindfulness
for Everyday life
Mindfulness boosts our immune systems ability to
fight off illness.
Mindfulness increases positive emotions while
reducing negative emotions and stress.
Mindfulness (continuous practice) may be as good as
antidepressants in fighting depression and
preventing relapse.

Benefits of Mindfulness
for Everyday life
Mindfulness changes our brains. It increases density
of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning,
memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
Mindfulness helps us focus.
Mindfulness tune out distractions.
Mindfulness improves our memory and attention
skills.

Benefits of Mindfulness
for Everyday life
Mindfulness fosters compassion. It might boost selfcompassion as well.
Mindfulness enhances relationships.
Mindfulness is good for parents and parents-to-be.
Parents who practice mindfulness report being
happier with their parenting skills and their
relationship with their kids.

Mindfulness helps schools

Teaching mindfulness in the classroom reduces
behavior problems and aggression among students.
Mindfulness improves their happiness levels.
Students practicing mindfulness get the ability to pay
attention.

Mindfulness helps schools

Teachers trained in mindfulness also show lower
blood pressure, less negative emotion and symptoms
of depression, and greater compassion and empathy.

Mindfulness helps schools

Mindfulness helps health care professionals cope
with stress, connect with their patients, and improve
their general quality of life. It also helps mental
health professionals by reducing negative emotions
and anxiety, and increasing their positive emotions
and feelings of self-compassion.
Mindfulness fights obesity in children by practicing
mindful eating.

Is mindfulness a cure for all?

A recent review of research published in the journal
of the American Psychological Association found
evidence that mindfulness increases the ability to
regulate emotions. This and many other researches
identified many benefits of mindfulness. Even it can
lessen cancer pain.
Then,
Is mindfulness a cure for all?
So while mindfulness may not conquer all, it is a skill
that can bring major benefits to ones life.

What is Mindfulness?
Bringing ones complete attention to the
experiences occurring in the present moment,
in a nonjudgmental or accepting way.
(Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

Three aspects of mindfulness

Intention: Bringing (on purpose)
Awareness: Ones complete attention to the present
moment
Attitude: In a non-judging or accepting way

on purpose, in the present moment,

Intention

Attention
Paying attention in a particular way

Attitude
and non-judgmentally.

Holding in Mind: Intentions

What do you want from mindfulness?

This moment?
This meditation / workshop / this session?
More generally inc this treatment episode?

Attending Skills
Placing your attention where you want it
Attentional placement:
Shifting and sustaining attention

Non-judgmental Awareness
Noticing and Naming
Ability to put inner experience into words

3 Qualities of Presence
Light: As floating in the Mind
imaginative by past and future

Relaxed: As in soft in the body

Particularly the belly, chest, shoulders, jaw

Grounded: Sitting in the chair while feet on the floor

Mind riding the breath

Light. Relaxed. Grounded.

Mindfulness Practice: Breathing

3 Minute Breathing Space = Making a Space for
What is Happening now
Step 1: Taking stock / Gathering the mind
Step 2: Focusing and redirecting the attention
Step 3: Expanding awareness and returning

Mindfulness Practice: 2 Hands

Place one hand is on the chest and the other
hand on the abdomen.
Breathe and notice:
Where is the breath moving?
Is the breath deep or shallow? Fast or slow?
Which hand is moving more?

Mindfulness Practice:
Mindful eating

The Three Rs of Mindfulness

Release the mind from too much thinking
and/or the struggle against what is.
Relax the body, notice your breathing.
Return to this moment; where you have all

the resources you need