Everyone experiences stress. Being human means facing a multitude of challenges. Some may arise from big, traumatic life events, while others are simply the daily demands and stressors inherent in daily life.
The MBSR Approach
To address this full catastrophe of living, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed what is now known as the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at UMass Memorial Medical Center in the late 1970s. The MBSR is a scientifically researched way to change our relationship to stress, using mind and body awareness. Consequently, this approach offers us a practical opportunity for self-care, allowing us to contribute directly to our own physical and mental wellbeing. Since its inception, this groundbreaking 8-week course has become internationally recognized, empowering participants to work with their own internal resources and abilities, thereby enabling them to respond more effectively to stress, pain, and illness.
In the words of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn:
“The MBSR program is an introduction to mindfulness that allows participants to explore a new way of being and seeing, that has profound implications for understanding the nature of our minds and bodies, and for living life as if it really mattered.”
Course Mechanism: Cultivating Awareness
The core of the program focuses on the experiential cultivation of both formal and informal mindfulness practices to cultivate an ever-present awareness. Through weekly sessions and dedicated home practice, participants utilize mindfulness meditation and simple body movement to integrate this awareness into the challenges and adventures of everyday life. Ultimately, this innate awareness then forms the foundation for developing positive health behaviors, psychological and emotional resilience, and an overall sense of wellbeing.
MBSR Tools for Practice
Specifically, in each session, participants learn and practice various forms of mindfulness. These include formal practices—such as mindful movement, sitting meditation, body scan, and walking meditation—and informal practices, like mindful eating, speaking and listening, and mindful daily activities.
MBSR Key Topics
Building on this foundation, participants learn about stress and begin to explore their automatic stress responses. Through noticing behavioural, physical, emotional, and cognitive patterns, participants can develop more effective and skillful responses to life’s daily demands. Simultaneously, the course examines what it means to truly flourish, teaching participants how to relate to themselves and others more effectively, and how to cultivate nourishing behaviors that express their innate capacity for wellbeing.
Logistics
- Participants meet every week for 8 weeks, for 2 – 2.5 hours.
- A Silent Retreat is held between the 6th and 7th week on a Saturday, usually from 9 a.m.– 2:00 p.m.
- In-person courses are offered in Cape Town.
- Online courses are hosted on Zoom.
Investment
- R3500 per person joining a scheduled 8-week mindfulness course. Payment plans available.
- If the group dates do not match your schedule, I also offer one-on-one 8-week courses. Private courses are only offered online, not in-person. The investment is R5500 for an 8-week one-on-one course.
Course Venues
In-person
- Langa, Cape Town
- Rondebosch, Cape Town
Online
Zoom Platform
Interested in joining an upcoming MBSR?
The next in-person course is expected to take place in October/November 2026 in Rondebosch, Cape Town, subject to sufficient registrations.
One-on-one online courses are run throughout the year.
Please email me at bianca@mindfulnesspractice.co.za to register or complete the Contact Form.
