As developed by
The Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical School
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an intensive 8-week, evidence-based course designed to help people in distress discover the healing power of mindfulness. Created by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the late ‘70’s, MBSR has helped over 24,000 graduates learn to cultivate awareness in the present moment and discover their natural capacity for wellness, ease, and peace of mind.
Offered by
Nancy Bennett
A Brown University Certified MBSR teacher
trained at the Center for Mindfulness (CFM)
UMass Medical School
& the Mindfulness Center at Brown
Learn more about Nancy at her website NowMindfulness.org
Now in this time of world-wide Covid-19 pandemic, when the death toll rises daily as does the infection rate, when life as we know it has been disrupted and many of us stay at home for the safety of ourselves and others, and when our minds and emotions have been rocked by the daily visitors of uncertainly and fear, the skills and practices of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have become even more important and more needed than ever.
In 8 weekly classes and one All Day session, we will explore what causes stress, how perception affects stress levels, what makes it difficult to manage stress, and what helps free us from reactivity to stress so that we can respond with wisdom and compassion for ourselves and others.
Through a variety of mindfulness practices including sitting and walking meditation, the body scan, mindful movement/yoga, and loving kindness meditation, participants will learn to bring awareness to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations to empower themselves to move through these days of crisis with greater connection to themselves and others and to live their lives more fully, more productively, yes, even now, more joyfully.
“Moments of experiencing wholeness, moments when you connect with the domain of your own being, often include a palpable sense of being larger than your problems and in a much better position to come to terms with them.”
This course will be led live online using Zoom and meets weekly on Thursdays at 6pm for 2.5 to 3 hours from May 14 - July 2, 2020 with an all day session on June 20, 2020.
The prerequisite for this course is attendance at one (1) of the free “Introduction & Orientation to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)” workshops on the dates listed below and a completed application (download application here):
Thursday, May 7, 6-7:30pm
Thursday, May 11, 6-7:30pm
Email Nancy@NowMindfulness.org to make other arrangements if you are unavailable for these times.
Price: “Pay What You Can” Pandemic pricing. These prices have been discounted to make the teachings more widely available at this time of need.
$200 Base Rate
*$265 Sustaining Rate
$350 Benefactor Rate
* Scholarships available. The Benefactor rate supports scholarship funds for those less able to pay at this time.
MBSR Graduates Discount – 50% Sustaining Rate.
Dana is a Pali word that means generosity. The Buddha connected the monks and the villagers they served through generosity - the monks gave the teachings freely, the villagers shared their food with the monks. While MBSR is a course with fees, we have tried to add the flavor of Dana to the experience. Sharon Salzberg, well-known meditation teacher of loving kindness in the west, puts it this way: “Pay so you have no regrets.” This beautifully simple phrase allows for reflection to support not paying beyond one’s means but also honoring the teachings and generosity of the teachings with one’s offering.
The history and science of MBSR - 10 minute video
In 8 weekly classes and one All Day session, we will explore what causes stress, how perception affects stress levels, what makes it difficult to manage stress, and what helps free us from reactivity to stress so that we can respond with wisdom and compassion for ourselves and others. Through a variety of mindfulness practices including sitting and walking meditation, the body scan, mindful movement/yoga, and loving kindness meditation, participants will learn to bring awareness to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations to empower themselves to live their lives more fully,
more productively, more joyfully.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
These are some of the many reasons people have turned to MBSR: trouble falling asleep; feeling anxious or depressed, overwhelmed or out of control; impatience with family or friends; problems at work; challenging physical conditions or illnesses; loss; an inability to enjoy life.
Participants report more balance, ease, peace of mind in their lives. Here’s what recent graduates had to say:
• “The course was life-changing – these new communication and meditation tools will become a part of my life going forward!”
• “Loved learning to meditate.”
• “Nancy Bennett is fabulous teacher. She makes all this chaos in our heads make sense!”
• “I learned a lot about stress and how we deal with it – and how there are other options if we bring awareness to the reaction.”
• “The CD sessions were very good for me. After doing them, I had no more unfocused anxiety for the rest of the day.”
• “Learning to meditate - always thought it was much more difficult, but when you just let go of thoughts as they arise, it frees you up to focus again.”
• “Nancy Bennett is an excellent teacher, she showed dedication, encouragement, and caring.”
This live Online Course consists of the following:
· a free 1 ½ hour “Introduction & Orientation to MBSR”
· 8 weekly classes of 2.5 to 3 hours
· an All-Day retreat
· daily mindfulness home practices of 45 to 60 minutes a day
The Course Schedule in Detail
The course is 8 weeks from May 14 - July 2, on Thursdays starting at 6pm with an All-Day Session on Saturday, June 20 from 9:30am-5:30pm. The schedule is outlined as follows:
· Class 1 May 14
· Class 2 May 21
· Class 3 May 28
· Class 4 June 4
· Class 5 June 11
· Class 6 June 18
· ALL DAY June 20
· Class 7 June 25
· Class 8 July 2
Most classes will be 2.5 hours; Class 1 and Class 8 will be 3 hours.
Please note the All-Day Session between Class 6 and Class 7 is a required part of the course.
A strong commitment to attendance, participation, and engagement over the 8 weeks is required. If a prospective participant expects to miss two or more classes, it is recommended he or she take the course at a later, more convenient time.
An MBSR Practice Manual and CD’s or MP-3’s for home practice are included.
Nancy Bennett – Nancy Bennett is a Brown University Certified MBSR teacher trained at the Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical School and The Mindfulness Center at Brown University. Nancy has been offering the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and mindfulness and stress reduction workshops for several years. She has an MA in Pastoral Care & Counseling with a concentration in Buddhism from New York Theological Seminary and the NY Zen Center for Contemplative Care with experience as a chaplain intern in NYC & RI hospitals offering mindfulness groups for nurses, social workers, aides and other staff and leading mindfulness and spiritual care groups for patients in psychiatric care units. A meditator since 1994, she has studied and practiced in the Vipassana/Insight tradition with renown Insight meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein, Guy Armstrong, Sally Clough Armstrong, Sharon Salzberg, Larry Rosenberg, and Venerable Analayo among others. And, of course, Jon Kabat-Zinn and the MBSR teachers.