Mindfulness Training and MBSR Courses: What's behind all this?
How does the effect manifest?
In Europe, too, originally Buddhist practices of mindfulness are gaining more and more popularity. What exactly is hidden behind so-called MBSR courses? How does mindfulness training work, and what does it have to do with negative stress? You will find out in this article.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. It is quite a long term, which is why most people simply refer to it as MBSR.
MBSR courses are enjoying increasing popularity because they help reduce stress and lead a more relaxed life alongside everyday routine. Especially since the demands on many of us are rising due to increasing complexity – and since we must learn to handle an ever-available mass of information through digitalisation – the value of skills for a mindful approach is growing. MBSR courses open up the opportunity to integrate mindfulness practices, which have their origins in Buddhism, into our daily lives.
But what exactly is meant by mindfulness, and who is Jon Kabat-Zinn? And: what can I expect if I attend such an MBSR course? We explore all of this in this article.
Why Mindfulness Training?
The term "mindfulness" initially expresses an inner attitude of consciously perceiving what you encounter. The concept originates from Buddhism, where it is known on the one hand as a meditation practice and on the other as an internal stance. In short, it is about accepting what comes your way as it is, not judging it, and detaching oneself from preconceived ideas and concepts.
Crucial here is the conscious perception of body, mind, feelings, and sensations that overwhelm you. Perception is not linked to categorisation and evaluation, as we are normally accustomed to: the acceptance of the 'here and now' without reservations is a key on the path to reducing negative stress.
Mindfulness is a part of the teachings of Buddhism, but it is not limited to them. It is not only practicing Buddhists who live with a mindful attitude to go through life more consciously. As a form of meditation, mindfulness exercises have found their way into the lives of many people.
They help to reduce stress in everyday life and at work.
Jon Kabat-Zinn – a pioneer of Western mindfulness practice
Jon Kabat-Zinn, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, is the developer of the now widely used MBSR concept. For decades, he has been committed to establishing stress-relieving mindfulness practice in the medical and social sectors. His research into the connections between mind and body has contributed to today's understanding of modern healthcare by showing how important the health of the mind is for the health of the body – and vice versa.
His mindfulness clinics expand traditional conventional medicine to include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, thereby preventing stress-related or stress-induced illnesses and challenges that can arise, for example, in everyday professional life.
How does an MBSR course work?
MBSR courses are very popular. The standardised 8-week practice serves to develop stress-reducing routines through mindful exercises. In MBSR courses, the focus is on the examination of oneself. Qualified MBSR trainers guide participants through:
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Basic knowledge of mindfulness practices,
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Observation of self-experiences,
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Weekly exercises that can be independently transferred into the daily routine.
In this way, course practice and the participants' daily self-practice complement each other to form an intensive overall concept.
Learning mindfulness is not something that can be dealt with quickly from one day to the next. However, the path can be accompanied and walked together. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed a standardised method to integrate mindful routines into everyday life. This method has become known as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR for short. It consists of an 8-week course in which we learn:
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What there is to know theoretically about mindfulness practices,
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How mindfulness exercises can be carried out,
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How mindfulness can be incorporated into everyday life as an attitude.
This allows negative stress to be reduced sustainably. Not only are the supervised course units in a group setting important, but above all, the daily practice, which serves to integrate mindfulness practices into everyday life.
Course Practice: Theory of Mindfulness and Guided Exercises
A short theoretical introduction to the concept of mindfulness and its Buddhist origins allows participation in MBSR courses without any prior knowledge. However, the focus of the guided course units is on the practice of mindfulness exercises – forms of meditation that emphasise conscious perception without judgement.
In non-Buddhist societies, mindfulness often appears in the form of these mindfulness exercises, which help to reduce stress and consciously perceive our surroundings. Learning these – especially unbiased perception – represents a major challenge for many and requires a fair amount of practice. The courses and the guidance of experienced instructors help to master this.
Daily Practice: Being Mindful at Home
The goal of participating in an MBSR course for many is to deal more calmly with a challenging everyday life. If a mindful approach is not practiced in daily life, it can happen that the stress reduction effect does not last beyond the 8 weeks of the course.
The inner attitude of recognising and accepting what we are confronted with, not judging it, and not falling into worry about it, is a crucial part of mindfulness practice. Ultimately, it is our daily attitude combined with daily application that turns the theoretical concept of mindfulness into an effective, stress-reducing everyday practice.
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