Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Through Metaphors Course Information

We all have wild chickens in our lives – the unexpected, unwanted, and annoying; things don’t go according to plan. We all have petty tyrants in our lives – people who challenge, provoke, and vex us; push our buttons and drive us crazy. The skill of mindfulness shows us how to tame our wild chickens and disarm our petty tyrants. We learn mindfulness best through metaphors. These include metaphors for the mind, self, “ordinary craziness,” and acceptance. We can even discover new metaphors for solving problems and coping with challenging circumstances in our lives. Metaphors for practice can help us to overcome common obstacles to practice. In this course we cover the ground of the MBSR program through metaphors from the book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness by Arnie Kozak, Ph.D. (Wisdom Publications, 2009).

What is MBSR?

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. MBSR is a common form of complementary medicine addressing a variety of health problems - most commonly stemming from stress. The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is studying the efficacy of the MBSR program in promoting healing in a number of different studies. Completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction studies have found that pain-related drug utilization was decreased, and activity levels and feelings of self esteem increased, for a majority of participants. More information on these studies can be found on the University of Massachusetts Medical School website: Center for Mindfulness; please see our "Research" area for more information on the "Mindful Eating" studies being conducted at Duke University, Indiana State University and The University of Pennsylvania.

MBSR is an 8-week intensive training in mindfulness based on ancient healing practices. Mindfulness practice is ideal for cultivating greater awareness of the unity of mind and body, as well as of the ways our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can undermine emotional and physical health. The mind is known to be a factor in stress and stress-related disorders, and mindfulness has been shown to positively affect a range of autonomic physiological processes, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing overall emotional reactivity. In addition to mindfulness practices, MBSR uses different forms of body movement to help reverse disuse atrophy attributable to our culture's largely sedentary lifestyle, especially for those with pain and chronic illnesses.

The MBSR program started in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979 and is now offered in over 200 medical centers, hospitals, and clinics around the world. MBSR promotes active partnership in the concept of participatory medicine, one in which patient/clients take on significant responsibility for doing a certain kind of interior work in order to tap into their own deepest inner resources for learning, growing, healing, and transformation.

Please note: The classes and programs offered by eMindful  are intended to be educational and do not constitute any form of clinical treatment.

The eMindful classes and programs offered on this website do not constitute professional medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for medical diagnosis, advice or services.

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Scottsdale Institute for Health & Medicine

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Please click here for schedule information on the Metaphor, Meaning, and Mindfulness class.