This spring, 10 students volunteered to participate in an eight-week course in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) that was offered by Kuya Minogue at Creston’s Kootenay Mindfulness Centre. MBSR is an evidence-based stress prevention and treatment curriculum that combines mindfulness meditation, gentle stretching and mind/body awareness with the latest stress research. Of the 10 students, eight completed the course.
Students (whose names are not included in this report) took the course for a variety of reasons. They had heard about MBSR and that it reduced stress and stress-related illness. Participants were looking for relief from high blood pressure, body pain, an inability to cope with stressful situations, trouble sleeping, depression and anxiety. When asked why they stayed in the course, students said they were more serene, happier, more relaxed in their bodies and had more harmonious family relationships. Some reported that had learned to return to calmness when stress arose during a busy day. Individuals who already practiced meditation or stretching reported they had re-established daily practices.
When asked what obstacles they encountered during the course, students reported initial nervousness about sharing their experiences in a group. Six students said that their fear of being judged diminished as the group trust built. Other obstacles were time management issues that made it challenging to do the homework. A major learning was how to recognize and overcome obstacles.
Students reported significant changes in stress reaction. They recognized stress more quickly and were able to remember stress management tools that prevent stress escalation before distress settled into their bodies. Two people reported that they had stopped taking pain medication, three people noticed that their blood pressure went down enough for them to stop taking blood pressure medication and two people reported that they no longer needed pain medication because they had learned a holistic approach to pain management.
Students also reported less time spent in daydreams, an improved ability to focus on a task, a stronger connection with the world around them, more space to notice stress reactions, and better impulse control about what they said and how they said it in conflict situations. One student said the course had awakened her from a long sleep. Another reported a snowball effect — the more she did the homework, the better she felt.
Several students reported that they ate more slowly, recognized when they were no longer hungry and had more awareness of what they were eating. Two women reported significant weight loss resulting from incorporating mindful eating practices into their meals.
All but two research participants reported an improvement in their relationships. They became more appreciative of others, more aware of the circumstances of others, gentler and less judgmental. They said that their ability to see and accept others as they are increased. Several reported feeling calmer during flare-ups of conflict.
Every student who completed the course expressed a commitment to continue with the MBSR practices. Some committed to do stress reduction stretches daily, others to do mindful walking and/or sitting meditation. Several said that the course had helped them build the practices into daily routines. They said that they found the practices so beneficial that they would never stop doing them.
The spring 2014 MBSR course was offered free of charge because it was an action research project and part of the MBSR teacher training program that Minogue is completing. The course brought so many benefits that Minogue is offering it again in the fall. For more information, contact Kuya Minogue at the Kootenay Mindfulness Centre at zenwords@telus.net or 250-428-6500.
—KOOTENAY MINDFULNESS CENTRE