What pastors are saying about Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction:
“I recently made a series of life-changing decisions. MBSR gave me the ability to make those decisions with greater presence of mind and certainty, and then to recover from the stress of making them more quickly.”
“Practicing MBSR has made it easier to communicate with the people I serve.”
“When I practice MBSR, I function better. I feel less self-critical and less critical of others – it makes me a better pastor, father, and spouse. I’ll be keeping on top of MBSR for how it affects other people in my life.”
“I have been excited to share MBSR practices with my congregation. I’ve done so a few times during worship and bible studies and there’s been an unbelievable response to it. I intend to keep sharing these practices.”
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teaches several different kinds of meditation, including mindfulness and walking meditation, and other stress reduction techniques such as bringing awareness to the present moment. MBSR is offered as an online course through Duke Integrative Medicine.
Click here to learn more about MBSR.
Meet the Presenter
Julie Kosey has worked with Duke Integrative Medicine in a variety of capacities since 2004. She studied closely with Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of MBSR, and is an instructor for the MBSR online course at Duke IM. She has supported people with health behavior change since 1988, and has been an integrative health coach for the Duke IM Clinic, as well as for NIH and industry-funded studies. Julie loves to be outdoors hiking, biking and kayaking. Her nature photography promotes healing in Duke’s patient rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there a literature base?
The MBSR program has been offered at Duke since 1998, and there is growing evidence that MBSR can help people who are coping with medical problems, job or family-related stress, and anxiety and depression. The majority of participants report an increased ability to relax, greater enthusiasm for life, improved self-esteem, and increased ability to cope more effectively with stressful situations.
2. When and where is the workshop?
MBSR is an online course, so weekly meetings take place through a web platform such as Zoom or WebEx. The 9-week session will tentatively begin April 29th, 2019. Please keep in mind that each “session” lasts 9 weeks, and that 8 of those weeks involve a weekly class. Classes will be Monday mornings from 10am-11:30am.
3. How much time should I expect to commit to this practice?
The MBSR Distance Learning course consists of 8 weekly sessions via phone or video conference. Weekly sessions will be held on Monday mornings (10am-11:30am), and will include meditation instruction, periods of guided practice, and group discussion. In addition, there will be an optional, in-person Day of Mindfulness session. For 3 months, you are encouraged to practice the MBSR exercises for 45-60 minutes/day.
4. Is there a follow-up session?
There are no follow-up sessions for this intervention. You are encouraged to attend the in-person Day of Mindfulness, though this is not required.
