MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (July 18, 2007)—The University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing in collaboration with The Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic is offering a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program hosted by Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota this fall.
Developed by internationally recognized author and practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR teaches participants how to intentionally cope with pain, illness, and the stress of modern life. Through the Center for Spirituality & Healing’s program, individuals learn mindfulness meditation skills and build upon their own personal strengths to offset the adverse effects of illness or stress by responding more effectively to challenges such as:
• Chronic Pain
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• HIV/AIDS
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Job Stress
• Fibromyalgia
• Blood Pressure
• Asthma
• Crohn’s Disease
• Sleep Disorders
According to Center director Mary Jo Kreitzer, R.N., Ph.D., “The Center for Spirituality & Healing has a long-standing interest in mindfulness based stress reduction. Our successful MBSR program is now in its fourth year and was influenced by the significant benefits we realized in an ongoing research study measuring the impact of mindfulness-based meditation and yoga on quality of life for solid-organ transplant recipients.” Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the $2.2 million, five-year U of M study is one of the largest mindfulness-based stress reduction studies in the country and the first large clinical trial with transplant patients. (The study has also led to other research efforts looking at MBSR’s effect on chronic insomnia and for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.)
NIH studies confirm that a majority of Americans have used some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as massage, meditation, acupuncture, and aromatherapy in the past. Indeed, the most prolific users of CAM are those suffering with chronic illness, seeking relief from symptoms unresponsive to conventional care. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is a proven technique for those looking to manage these symptoms.
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program offered at Mayo Clinic will include guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices for participants. The course will also utilize group discussions; stretching and yoga; and an all-day retreat*. The program begins September 27 and will run on Thursdays through November 15 at Assisi Heights, 1001 14th Street NW, in Rochester, Minnesota. (*The all-day retreat takes place on Saturday, November 3.) Program cost is $450 and includes all materials, hand-outs, and CD instructions.
To enroll in this program or to learn more about the benefits of MBSR, contact the Center for Spirituality & Healing at 612-626-2395 or visit us online at www.csh.umn.edu.
About the Center for Spirituality and Healing: Recognized nationally as a resource and leader in integrated health, the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing's goal is to transform health care by educating health professionals and students about complementary therapies and healing practices, conduct rigorous scientific research into complementary and non-pharmacological interventions, provide meaningful outreach programs, and work with partners to develop integrative clinical services. The inspiration behind the Center’s work is the knowledge that health and well-being are enhanced when the best of complementary and conventional care are integrated.
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