The MBSR program is a program that involves teaching a “gentle” yet effective method, encouraging participants to develop a deep level of exploration and experimentation in applying full awareness and strategies for managing fatigue and suffering (stress) based on mindfulness to daily life.
Participants in the program are taught how to become more aware of the resources available to them, to mobilize them in support of health and well-being, and to address conditions of suffering (psychological and physical) differently.
Naturally, it is not an easy path…
The program is indeed a way to discover a way of being, not a technique.
It aims to help participants become more vividly aware of their breath, body, mind, and all aspects present in the daily experience of life, so they can begin to take care of themselves in a more conscious and profound way.
This requires a certain capacity for dedication and perseverance from those who decide to participate, in order to support the self-discipline necessary for a daily practice of mindfulness exercises.
If this may seem like a rather burdensome commitment, you may discover the possibility of translating this practice into a source of pleasure and energy.
The origin of MBSR
The MBSR program is a scientific program developed in the field of behavioral medicine by Prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn and his collaborators at the University of Massachusetts (USA).
Developed for over 20 years (since 1979), it has been completed by over 18,000 people to date and is offered in more than 400 hospitals in the United States and Europe, within the context of integrative medicine.
In addition to being the recognized pioneering experience among clinical and psychosocial applications of mindfulness, it is the most studied and validated program by research literature, and the richest in new developments.
It has also been included, for its preventive and rehabilitative clinical potential, in intervention programs in prisons, schools, and organizations, to address many of the issues related to stress, that is, suffering, both physical and psychological.
The MBSR and other mindfulness-based interventions derived from it, including MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), are also gaining increasing interest in the psychotherapeutic field, particularly (but not exclusively) within cognitive approaches.
The MBSR program
The program consists of 8 weekly group sessions lasting approximately 2.5 hours, plus a “full-immersion” (10 AM to 5 PM, usually on Saturday) and then a series of guided daily exercises to be performed between sessions, requiring a commitment of about 45 minutes.
