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Mindfulness Meditation
What
is mindfulness meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is derived from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
(MBSR) program originally developed at the University of Massachusetts
Medical Center in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. Mindfulness meditation
is an eight-week class that is currently offered at more than 250 hospitals,
universities, and clinical settings in the United States and around the
world. The program’s primary aim is to develop skills that can be
flexibly applied in everyday life to stress, pain, and illness. The Mindfulness
Meditation Program at the Center for Integrative Medicine is modeled after
the original University of Massachusetts program that was recently featured
in Newsweek Magazine.
The entire program is based upon systematic
and intensive training in mindfulness meditation and mindful hatha yoga.
Participants learn and refine a range of self-regulatory skills that involve
finely tuned attention to thoughts, emotions, and reactivity to physical
sensations. Through experiential learning and discussion during class,
as well as daily homework practice, participants mobilize their inner
resources for making positive changes in their health attitudes and behaviors.
The
Mindfulness Meditation Program includes:
- a group orientation session, to help
you decide if you would like to sign up
- an eight-week program that meets once
per week for 2 hours each time
- instruction and group practice of several
formal mindfulness meditation skills – sitting meditation, body
scan, and walking meditation
- instruction and practice of mindful hatha
yoga, a series of gentle stretches and postures
- discussion of the roles of stress, thoughts,
and emotions as they may contribute to chronic pain and illness
- CDs of meditation guidance
for home practice
- silent meditation practice ½
day retreat for current and past class participants
Who
can benefit from mindfulness meditation?
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, up to two-thirds
of all office visits to family doctors are for stress-related symptoms.
Depression and anxiety disorders often are associated with chronic illness
and chronic pain and should be addressed as part of the overall management
of health problems. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce medical
symptoms and psychological distress as well as the need for clinical services.
For a personal story from a class participant, read "I
Have Learned to Not Let Stress Get the Best of Me."
Health
benefits of MBSR and meditation:
- pain reduction
- reduced medical symptoms
- improved immune system function
- improved mental health
- decreased stress hormones
- improved sleep
Mindfulness
meditation has been researched in conjunction with the following diseases
and disorders:
- chronic pain
- anxiety
- depression
- cancer quality of life
- heart disease and risks
- stress
Join us in achieving heightened awareness
and control over your mind and body. To
register for a free orientation session and the eight-week mindfulness meditation class, call 412-623-3023 or print
and complete the registration form (PDF file). Registration forms
can be faxed to the Center or brought to the orientation session.
Continuing education
(CEU) credits will be offered for psychologists, social workers, and licensed
counselors through the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC.
This class is taught by Carol Greco, PhD.
She has practiced mindfulness meditation for 13 years and participated
in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction teacher training at the University
of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and
Society.
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