The article below was written by a person (male) who attended the fall 2015 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program hosted by Vitality Spa.  To maintain the confidentiality of the attendees on the program, we have been requested not to name the author.

It seems that more and more frequently in the past year or so I have come across the term “mindfulness,” either in newspaper articles, TV programs or scientific literature.  The benefits of practicing mindfulness-based techniques are claimed to be almost limitless and, in particular, include stress reduction and tolerance, improving self-awareness and self-esteem, and improving general well-being.

In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”  Mindfulness has its origins in ancient Buddhist meditation practices and over the past 30 years, numerous clinical studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) practices in particular.

So, although somewhat skeptical, I was persuaded by the scientific literature and by the fact that over 95 percent of participants in MBSR programs state that they have drawn something of lasting value from it, I signed up for Kate Micheom’s eight-week MSBR course offered by Vitality Spa and held each Monday evening through the fall at the Lyme Art Association.  I had had no previous exposure to meditative practices and was quite unsure what to expect.

So on the first evening I joined Kate and around 20 other participants as we introduced ourselves and began our MBSR training.  Much like Vegas, ‘what happens at MBSR training stays at MSBR training,’ but I can say that each of the eight sessions was mentally- and physically-stimulating and included a mixture of explanation, guided meditation practice and discussion, and also audio recordings and written instructions for follow-up, home-based practices.

Initially many of the concepts were hard to grasp, but as the weeks progressed, the underlying principles of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction became increasingly clear, and by the end of the course, I think we all felt we had a good understanding of the subject and left the course with a very powerful set of mental tools that we could continue to practice and apply as necessary in our day-to-day lives.

I would have to say that the course leader, Kate Micheom (who is a graduate of Yale School of Nursing and has more than 15-years-experience practicing and teaching MBSR) is an outstanding teacher and discussion leader, and she kept the sessions lively and varied.  The group also formed some very strong personal bonds between each other as the weeks progressed, many of which have prevailed several months later.

If you are curious about mindfulness and meditation practices, and interested in exploring a totally new and different dimension in your life, I would strongly recommend you to consider spending some time reading about MSBR (Kabat-Zinn has written several excellent books on the subject) or attending an MSBR eight-week course.  I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy it … and you may even find it life-changing.

Editor’s Note: Vitality Spa is hosting a free information session from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lyme Art Association this coming Tuesday, March 1, on their upcoming eight-week MBSR program scheduled to start Tuesday, March 29, and run through May 17.  The workshop leader, Kate Mitcheom — who will also lead the eight-week program — will discuss the program including scheduling details and time commitment.  There will also be an opportunity to ask questions, hear about the most recent research and understand the format of the classes.  Mitcheom stresses that the program is suitable for men as well as women.