In the 8-Week Course, we invite you to do something wonderfully new for yourself
The 8-Week MBSR Course (mindfulness-based stress reduction) is a systematic training in mindfulness with a focus on reducing stress and pain.
MBSR 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
Facing challenges
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 a good life. We can accomplish this together in the 8-Week Course.
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
- 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
There is more right with you than wrong
The beauty of this work is that you don’t have to “do” anything— just pay attention.
Since 1996, more than 2500 people have completed StressCare’s 8-Week MBSR 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. It’s challenging, but everyone, regardless of limitations, can do it.
Learn about the effects of stress
Learn about well-being
At any moment, we are very close to home, much closer than we think. –Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
What to expect in an 8-Week Course
Commitment and steady effort are essential for success
People who benefit most are ready to try something new—beyond current limitations, towards greater health and well-being.
Each online class includes teacher guidance and instruction, small and large-group exercises, and group discussion in a supportive and compassionate environment.
There are daily home assignments, up to one hour per day, to be done between class meetings. These include guided mindfulness meditation, simple yoga, written reflections on daily experience, and suggested readings in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Full Catastrophe Living.
View a class excerpt
View our sitting meditation tutorial
This is an adventure where you study your own life
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
8-Week Courses include
A required 1.5-hour orientation meeting
Eight weekly 2.5-hour class meetings
A 6-hour Saturday online retreat
Daily home assignments of about one hour
All necessary instructional materials, including audio for guided meditations, are included—and will be accessible online for download or streaming. The book, Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is recommended but not included.
Meeting online on ZOOM
All class meetings are held on ZOOM, a web-based meeting platform, where you will interact with the teacher and your classmates. Your full attention and participation will be required. To join the ZOOM classes, you’ll need a computer and a stable internet connection. Learn about the technology requirements here.
Join us!
Early registration is recommended
Still wondering about this approach?
Disclaimer
Our teachers are highly skilled, long-term mindfulness practitioners and educators. Our methods in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) complement medical treatments, psychotherapy, body work and physical therapy. At StressCare we do not provide medical treatment or psychotherapy of any kind. Please seek the assistance of a physician or healer of your choice for your medical care.