The 8-Week Course

Fall courses enrolling now
Register

In the 8-Week Course, we invite you to do something wonderfully new for yourself

Each one of us has our own deep capacity for growth, healing and satisfaction. One step at a time, we can discover this capacity and use it. We can restore inner balance, nurture calm, and choose wisely in the service of living the best life possible. We can accomplish this together in the 8-Week Course.

The 8-Week Course is a systematic training in mindfulness with a focus on reducing stress and pain. It was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn of the Center for Mindfulness, and has been taught in medical centers worldwide for more than 30 years. More about Kabat-Zinn’s program

At any moment, we are very close to home, much closer than we think.”

–Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

Are you ready?

People who benefit most are ready to try something new, beyond current limitations, towards greater health and well-being.

You may be facing life challenges like these

• High stress at work and in relationships
• Anxiety, depression, or panic attacks
• Financial stress
• Painful anger
• Grief due to aging, illness, or death of a loved one
• Burnout or caregiver stress

Or health challenges like these

• Trouble sleeping
• Stress-related conditions, like migraine or IBS
• Chronic pain, like fibromyalgia or back pain
• Physical injury, limitation or disability
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Cancer, HIV/AIDS, or other life-threatening illness
• Progressive diseases, like MS or Parkinson’s

Learn more about the effects of stress here

What to expect in an 8-Week Course

This is an adventure where you study your own life

Each class includes teacher guidance and instruction, small and large-group exercises, and group discussion in a compassionate atmosphere. There are daily assignments, up to one hour per day, to be done at home between classes. These include guided mindfulness meditation, simple yoga, written reflections on daily experience, and suggested readings in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Full Catastrophe Living.

Materials are included

All necessary instructional materials, including Audio for guided meditations, are included. CEUs are available for health care professionals.

Commitment and steady effort are essential for success

8-Week Courses include:

• A required 1.5-hour orientation
• Eight weekly 2.5-hour classes
• A 6-hour Saturday retreat
• Daily assignments of about one hour
• View a class excerpt here
• View our sitting meditation tutorial here

You will learn through your own experience

• How to recognize a stress cycle, and how to stop it
• Stress myths versus reality
• Mindfulness meditation while sitting, walking, and lying down
• How to apply mindfulness in daily life
• How to use mindful breathing and body awareness
• Gentle movement adapted to your needs
• How mindfulness can help you

Get help for physical pain and illness

• Reduced chronic stress and pain
• Stress relief in the moment
• Relaxation physically and mentally
• Enhanced immune function
• Getting the most out of medical treatment

Get help for emotional pain and anxiety

• Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
• Mood regulation and resilience
• Enhanced ability to think clearly and act decisively
• Getting the most out of psychotherapy

Learn more about well-being here

There is more right with you than wrong

Since 1996, more than 2500 people have completed StressCare’s 8-Week Course and achieved significant relief. Participants report an increased sense of well-being, a lessening of stress and pain symptoms, and a new understanding of how to stop the stress cycle and take better care of themselves.

There is effort, but no need to struggle

The beauty of this work is that you don’t have to ‘do’ anything— just pay attention. There is effort, but no need to struggle. It’s challenging, but everyone, regardless of limitations, can do it.

Join us!

Early registration is recommended

Register • top of page

Still wondering about this approach?