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What happens at the MAP Center?
A stress reduction program is taught which consists of eight weekly classes and an all-day retreat, on the weekend, between classes six and seven. The courses are offered in the spring, fall and winter for adults. Teens can take the course at Heartsong Yoga, in East Longmeadow.
What is mindfulness?
It means paying attention, on purpose, to what is happening now.
It means being with what IS, not what should be, could be, ought to be, used to be or hope to be.
When practicing mindfulness, one can receive the present moment, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is - not rejecting it or clinging to it.
Through mindfulness practice, one can develop the ability to live or “be” in the present moment, rather than be caught in the past or project into the future.
How can I develop Mindfulness?
Mindfulness can be developed by learning simple practices, such as awareness of the breath, yoga, silent sitting and walking practice, also called sitting and walking meditation. Through these practices, our natural capacities for relaxation, awareness and insight are cultivated.
Participation in the eight week mindfulness-based stress reduction ( MBSR) program includes making a commitment to yourself to spend 45 to 60 minutes a day practicing mindfulness. A variety of practices are introduced, explained and practiced in class. Regular home practice is supported by a workbook and CDs, which guide participants in body scans, yoga, and sitting meditation.
Like everything of value in one’s life, there is a price to pay in order to realize the benefits of mindfulness. That price is the earnest commitment to regular practice while enrolled in the 8-week course. Though it is challenging to carve out the time to practice, the only way experience mindfulness is to do it. Just as reading or talking about swimming, or breathing or cooking is not the same as doing it.
What is Mindful Awareness Practice ( also called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction - MBSR)?
It is an educational approach which teaches people to take better care of
themselves, to better understand and know themselves, and, ultimately, to live with
greater adaptability and happiness. These classes are NOT therapy and are not a
substitute for medical care and other forms of supportive therapy.
It is a program of active learning, which assumes that “there is more right with you than wrong”.
Teaching is based on a well defined curriculum, which has been developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD, at the Center for MIndfulness and Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA. Over the past 30 years, more than 17,000 people have learned how to face stress with balance, ease, and contentment at the Center for Mindfulness in Worcester.
The key principles embodied in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction:
• Making the experience a challenge, NOT a chore.
• Regular, disciplined practice, based on individual motivation - whether one “feels like it or not”
• An immediate lifestyle change is required to undertake formal practice of 45 to 60 minutes per day, for
the duration of the 8-week course.
Why participate in mindful awareness practice classes?
Stress - family, job, school, financial, illness, grief, feeling overwhelmed
Emotional distress - feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, panic
Medical issues - high blood pressure, insomnia, skin disorders, GI distress, headaches, chronic illness or pain, cancer,
eating issues
Preventative care - health enhancement, self-care and wellness
People who simply desire more peace of mind and well-being also enroll in mindful awareness practice class.
Why enroll at the Mindful Awareness Practice Center?
Classes for adults are offered at the Mindful Awareness Practice Center ( MAP Center), conveniently located in Longmeadow.
Teen classes meet at Heartsong Yoga, in East Longmeadow.
Small classes allow for individual attention.
If you are ready to do something for yourself that can improve your physical, mental and emotional health - for the remainder of your life.
If you want support in finding ways to deal with stress more creatively.
Mindful Awareness practices are tools and exercises such as meditation and yoga that help to develop a greater mind-body awareness.
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