Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Are there ever times, perhaps specifically in times of high stress, where it felt like you “weren’t there?” As if your mind and body had gone into autopilot, and you were just going through the motions. Some people even describe months or years of their life like this – completely removed from the present moment or “zoned out.” When we have personal responsibilities, obligations, and chronic stress, it’s difficult to slow down and remind ourselves of the present. If you add the responsibility of others, like children, a spouse, or parent, feeling distracted, unfocused or cluttered may be the norm.
While acute stress is not necessarily a bad thing, chronic stress wreaks havoc on your health and sense of wellbeing. You’ve likely heard me talk about this before.
Mindfulness techniques have been used in various cultures around the world for thousands of years, and there is a good reason! Research is still being conducted to show exactly how mindfulness can impact our physiology and brain health, but studies show there are plenty of benefits.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) is a blend of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement. The purpose of this practice is to be more present in every moment, and feel “fully awake” in our own lives. By becoming aware of the present moment, we can boost concentration, mental stability, and resilience to stress and anxiety. Many of us dwell in the past or live for the future (or both!), but rarely do we remember that life is happening right now.
Humans often develop poor stress coping strategies out of necessity, and mindfulness practice is not something we are generally taught without seeking further education. MSBR is an intervention that, in a study from 2003, showed to reduce cytokine secretion (which would reduce inflammation), oxidative stress (think antioxidants!), and DNA damage. Each of which could significantly improve the way someone feels and copes with stress.
In other studies conducted over the past 40 years, MSBR is shown to have positive effects on stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, chronic pain, migraines, heart conditions, diabetes, and other ailments. Holy cow! In a society that is plagued by chronic health conditions, seeking alternatives to medication can be incredibly rewarding and successful. And MSBR may be just the thing.
Many of you may already have a mindfulness practice, whether it be yoga classes, a meditation routine, breathing exercises, etc. If you’re interested in furthering your practice and education in mindfulness, there is a free class on MBSR that you can work through at your own pace. You can access the 6 week course here: https://palousemindfulness.com/index.html It’s a wonderful way to keep learning and exploring the world of mindfulness without too much of a commitment.
There is another course offered by the UMass center for mindfulness that teaches you skills to enhance attention, productivity, communication, and resilience. What began as a stress reduction clinic in the 70s soon developed into MBSR. This 8 week program has been completed by more than 25,000 people, and aims to utilize mindfulness meditation and gentle body movement to improve response to stress, pain, etc. You can access this course using this link: https://www.ummhealth.org/center-mindfulness
The last resource I want to share is an app that has guided mindfulness meditations. This one requires a subscription, but has tons of guided meditations, lectures, and text from books available to you in one place. If you’d like to check it out, use this link: https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/
At the core of Functional Medicine is the idea that our mental/emotional state influences our biology and physiology (and vice versa), and should therefore be something we always consider when striving for better health! Achieving balance in one’s life is so important, and I hope you consider exploring MBSR and other mindfulness techniques.
If you’re a member with us, watch out for an upcoming Open Office Hours where our health coach Karen takes a deep dive into MBSR.