Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a mindfulness-based program designed to
assist people with pain and a range of conditions and life issues that were
initially difficult to treat in a hospital setting. It uses a combination
of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people
become more mindful and was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of
Massachusetts Medical Center. In recent years, meditation has been the subject
of controlled clinical research. This suggests it may have beneficial effects,
including stress reduction, relaxation, and improvements to quality of life, but
that it does not help prevent or cure disease. While MBSR has its roots in
spiritual teachings, the program itself is secular.
Overview MBSR has been described as "a group
program that focuses upon the progressive acquisition of mindful
awareness, of mindfulness". The MBSR program is an eight-week workshop taught
by certified trainers that entails weekly group meetings, homework, and
instruction in three formal techniques: mindfulness meditation, body scanning
and simple yoga postures. Body scanning is the first prolonged formal
mindfulness technique taught during the first four weeks of the workshop, and
entails quietly lying on one's back and focusing one's attention on various
regions of the body, starting with the toes and moving up slowly to the top of
the head. According to Kabat-Zinn, the basis of
MBSR is mindfulness, which he defined as "moment-to-moment, non-judgmental
awareness." Extent of practice
According to a 2014 article in Time magazine, mindfulness meditation is
becoming popular among people who would not normally consider meditation. The
curriculum started by Kabat-Zinn at University of Massachusetts Medical
Center has produced nearly 1,000 certified MBSR instructors who are in
nearly every state in the US and more than 30 countries. Corporations such as
General Mills have made it available to their employees or set aside rooms for
meditation. Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan published a book in 2012 titled A
Mindful Nation and he has helped organize regular group meditation
periods on Capitol Hill. Evaluation of effectiveness
Mindfulness-based approaches have been the subject of increasing research
interest: 52 papers were published in 2003, rising to 477 by 2012. Nearly 100
randomized controlled trials had been published by early 2014.
Some research has suggested that therapy incorporating mindfulness might help
people with anxiety, depression, and stress. The quality of this research has
been the subject of review, however, with mixed results. According to Cancer
Research UK, while some evidence has shown MBSR may help with symptom relief
and improve quality of life, there is no evidence it helps prevent or cure
disease. A 2013 statement from the American Heart Association on
alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure concluded that meditation
techniques other than Transcendental Meditation, including MBSR, are not
recommended in clinical practice to lower blood pressure. Nevertheless, MBSR
can have a beneficial effect helping with the depression and psychological
distress associated with chronic illness.
Preliminary evidence suggests efficacy of mindfulness meditation in the
treatment of substance use disorders, however further study is required. MBSR
might be beneficial for people with fibromyalgia: there is no evidence of
long-term benefit but low-quality evidence of a small short-term benefit.
References External links
Center For Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts, where MSBR began
Private organisation: Mindful Net Private company: MBSR Program