What is MBSR?

About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (or MBSR) is an accessible and practical training for decreasing stress and nurturing health and well-being. MBSR began in 1979 with the pioneering work of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The MBSR curriculum is an 8-week intensive training in meditative discipline with the goal of helping people access their own inner resources to promote better health, healing, and well-being. Classes are two and a half hours long, and the course includes a 7-hour silent retreat.

Over the last three decades, MBSR has proven to be highly effective in helping people manage and lessen stress, cultivate ease and balance in their lives, and promote healthier behaviors. Even in the midst of serious challenges, in the midst of heartbreak and pain, MBSR can help us attain greater satisfaction in our lives. Watch Jon Kabat-Zinn talk about MBSR below:

A growing body of mindfulness research demonstrates the powerful effectiveness of MBSR as a tool for decreasing stress and supporting healing.