Presented by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an empirically-supported 8-week psycho-educational group intervention that teaches mindfulness meditation as a health intervention. Created by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, MBSR offers participants the possibility to develop a different relationship to stress resulting from chronic physical and psychological illnesses. Research outcomes have demonstrated positive improvements in physical and psychological symptoms, as well as changes in health attitudes and behaviors. This 6-day teacher training intensive will provide health care professionals and educators the opportunity to study and experience the foundational underpinnings, mindfulness meditations and specific exercises that are the framework of the MBSR program. The themes, rationales, intention and practice skills of each MBSR class session will be reviewed, discussed and practiced. Participant screening guidelines will be covered, and samples of client handouts will be provided. There will also be time set aside for personal mindfulness practice.

Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
• Articulate an understanding of the foundational principles of the MBSR program
• Demonstrate the basic MBSR teaching skills
• Describe the central role of mindfulness meditation practice for general wellness and self-care in the regulation of emotions and behaviors
• Articulate the rationale for a teacher’s ongoing mindfulness meditation practice in teaching MBSR
• Discuss and outline formal and informal meditative practices and mindfulness as a mode of being in daily life