What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?

MBSR is an evidenced-based program for reducing and managing stress through a combination of informal mindfulness exercises, formal sitting meditation, light yoga, and group discussion. MBSR is taught in hospitals and community centers around the world to treat everything from chronic pain to anxiety and depression, but it’s not just for medical conditions. MBSR’s emphasis on integration with daily life makes it useful for all experience levels — from veteran meditator to absolute beginner, and anyone in between. Whether your goal is learning how to meditate or translating your meditation practice into greater resilience in daily life, you can get there with MBSR.

Relating to ourselves and one another is central to MBSR. The group discussions promote a sense of community that reduces loneliness. They also strengthen the communication skills that nourish all kinds of relationships — whether in close quarters or across differences in background.

MBSR is supported by decades of scientific studies and has spawned a host of mindfulness-based interventions. Through an elegant sequence of practices, it subtly cultivates awareness of the body and mind in stillness and motion, in formal meditation and daily life.