“Mindfulness Is A Life Skill”
Testimonials & Comments | MBSR Training by Jon Kabat-Zinn
A Turning Point
As I finish this mindfulness class, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for mindfulness of meditation, breathing, walking, eating, talking, listening, grounding, safety, teachers, audios, readings, poems, journaling, yoga, the whole program including you Ross, and myself. This is a powerful turning point in my life.
Thank you
Hello Ross,
I hope you are having a beautiful week!
I completed the 8-week MBSR training last week.
Thank you dearly for facilitating it. It has changed my life for the better, in many ways and I greatly look forward to continuing to incorporate the practice.
Sincere thanks and gratitude, Lisa
A Doorway
This has been a course in which I have come back home to who I really am in my essence. This course is really a doorway for others to love being in their own company with no judgment and unconditional self-love.
Thank you, Ross.
What Mindfulness Training Has Done For Me:
Amazing – Thank you again for this amazing course.
Reduced anxiety – I can honestly say that my anxiety has been significantly reduced over the past year as a result of mindfulness practice, primarily by anchoring me in the present moment and helping me observe rather than react to my anxiety and distress.
It has changed my life. – And for a professional woman and mother who has spent a huge portion of her life feeling inadequate and overwhelmed and afraid, that has been life-changing.
Fear – It’s helped me deal with my fear of flying.
Grief & Worry – It’s helping me surf the emotional waves of grief and worry as I prepare for my 18-year-old to leave home.
Communication – It’s facilitated effective communication with my spouse, family, and colleagues as I listen and observe, giving myself time to process and respond appropriately.
Pleasure – It’s expanded my awareness of pleasure.
Fulfilled – My mind and my body feel so fulfilled from this course. It has opened up so many aspects of my life that I discovered I have strength, courage, and compassion.
A happier person – I am a much more positive, grateful and all around happy person as a result of this course.
Wow is this what peace feels like? – It has changed my life.
Life Skill / Long Term
Once is not enough – I plan on revisiting the material as a part of my life. Once just isn’t enough.
They all work together – What makes this a great program is all the parts working together to complete a whole experience and picture.
A life skill – I am thrilled to have gone through your eight-week program which is really a program for life! Thank you for all that you do in making such a difference for so many.
For life – I still use some of the exercises as guides.
Course Comments
Far too many – In terms of changes mindfulness practice has made, there are far too many to state.
Well-constructed – It’s a very well-constructed online program – organized, easy to use, clear, gentle, supportive.
All important – It is difficult to say which I found most helpful, they all offered something that is important.
Very engaging – It was very engaging. I enjoyed the way there was a nice mix of audio, video, and text. That way it was not too overwhelming. It works!
What Is Mindfulness?
Broadly defined, mindfulness is learning how to use our natural mental faculties of attention & intention. We first bring a non-judgmental attention, to our daily life experiences. Then we choose a wise intention, to match any of our life experiences. This deeper understanding of our life, results in more health & happiness. As we practice mindfulness we have less stress & more calmness, clarity and choices.
MBSR Testimonials & Comments
5.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Just a quick note of gratitude for sharing the course content in such a nice, clear and concise way. The audio practices is a great value and make the learning experience so rich. Was personally working as a coach with body practices for past 7 years. The course content presented at the right time and taking my own learning to the next level of practical experience and learning. God Bless HENDRIK From a sunny South-Africa.
1.11 Assignments – text
Found this Lesson extremely difficult at first. I am always on the go, the mind always racing and learning to be present is something I believe will change my life. Sitting down and eating my first mindful meal was an incredibly strange feeling. I turned off all electronics and distractions and just sat with myself and my meal. I really found the time to be incredibly peaceful and for perhaps the first time I really listened to my body and felt when I was full (satisfied) and that was just amazing to me!! I am not racing through these lessons, but I am really making changes and opening myself up to a different way of being. Cannot wait to see what Lesson 2 will bring me.
1.12 Closing Meditation – audio
A positive mindset is important in leading an open-minded and an overall positive and fulfilled life. Being your own best friend allows the person to have a clear mind in daily life and decision-making along with a strong sense of trust and open-mindedness. Meditation is a wonderful technique in leading a healthy and positive life and a clear mind that impacts decision- making and communication.
1.11 Assignments – text
As I am completing lesson one; I realize that healthy living and mind are highly significant in daily life. Meditation and exercise along with a healthy diet are highly significant in leading a healthy life, having a healthy mindset; lifestyle and overall health. Very helpful techniques. I am encouraged to learn more throughout this course and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Contact
Hi Ross, How are you doing?
I really like the materials and content of this course, so first off, thank you for putting this together!
Thanks again! Julia
1.11 Assignments – text
As I am completing lesson one; I realize that healthy living and mind are highly significant in daily life. Meditation and exercise along with a healthy diet are highly significant in leading a healthy life, having a healthy mindset; lifestyle and overall health. Very helpful techniques. I am encouraged to learn more throughout this course and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Contact
Hi Ross, How are you doing?
I really like the materials and content of this course, so first off, thank you for putting this together!
Thanks again! Julia
1.11 Assignments – text
Thank you. I love the body scan. I have been using this mp3 almost daily.
2.11 Assignments – text
I find the breath exercise much harder than the body scan. I feel that the breath exercises my mind still wanders significantly and I have trouble refocusing. I also feel restless during the breathing exercise, whereas not during the body scan. I wonder if the breath meditation can be modified to be a walking meditation? Also, just in case it matters, my Chromebook is a bit buggy with this course and I am in China, where Google is generally slowed or blocked, so lessons that I am completing are not marking as such in the system. I am now at the end of the second week of the course. Thank you!
1.12 Closing Meditation – audio
I like the meditation for being my own best friend. I have been looking for ways to reparent myself now that I am an adult. I was abused and neglected as a child, but as a mother, I am extremely kind and supportive of my children. However, I must turn this loving-kindness inwards and work on healing my own child within.
1.11 Assignments – text
Thank you so much for this lesson!
I have already seen in 1 week (or rather, the two weeks that it took me to finish it), how much my ability to manage the stress of parenting has improved. I feel that I am starting at a lower baseline for temper flare-ups and when I used to feel angry, I feel something much tamer. I have more of a cognitive grasp of my emotion — like a simple noticing in the moment “hey, that made me angry” before I reacted with angry words. I had a particular triggering event happen last week, and the night it happened, I chose to journal about my reaction. The second night, I did the extended body scan. On the third night, I felt peaceful and slept soundly.
8.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Dear Ross, I’ve just completed the last session (8.12) in the series. So just a quick word of thanks for providing this lovely resource to another fellow practitioner.
May you be at peace. With a gentle bow, Tim
7.12 Closing – audio
The practice of mindful breathing has been especially helpful when I find myself caught in compulsive thinking, rushing through everyday activities like commuting to work, cooking, worrying about my children, or practicing non-striving. I’ve also started keeping a Five-Minute Mindful Breathing Journal which is helping to deepen my practice.
6.12R Awareness
Simply put, my day of Mindfulness reintroduced me to the basic nobility of my very human heart. It reminded me that the life of spirit is actually very basic and that it is not a matter of finding wisdom out there somewhere. Instead, it is a matter of discovering what already exists within. Most importantly, I’m discovering mindfulness techniques that will allow me to manage my day to day challenges from a calm, balanced center – a long-desired way of being in the world.
6.12 Closing Meditation
Just as my body gets stronger and more capable every morning while I’m riding my exercise bike, it is clear that my observing mind is getting more focused with exercise, too. I’m also finding myself being able to access observing mind even in tense situations.
Keeping a Journal of Difficult Conversations has been particularly helpful in navigating a challenging relationship at work.
5.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Lesson 5 reminds me that though I can’t control much in this world, I do get to choose how I direct my attention. This includes learning to direct more of my attention into the present and expanding my choiceless awareness to include the stress-amplifying thoughts, while also recognizing them for what they are and then letting them go. The body scan, yoga, and sitting practices have all strengthened my capacity to be fully present in my body.
4.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Session 4 has provided a nice reminder that when unwanted things happen in my life, it can be painful. And when I resist my pain, I multiply my suffering. Pain x Resistance = Suffering. My daily sitting practice provides a nice reminder that I can’t avoid pain, but I can avoid amplifying it into higher levels of suffering by cultivating acceptance, by remaining curious and open without judgment.
And acceptance doesn’t feel passive at all. Instead, it feels like a highly active state of awareness that can point to a wise course of action. I look forward to digging a little deeper into this topic.
4.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Session 4 has provided a nice reminder that when unwanted things happen in my life, it can be painful. And when I resist my pain, I multiply my suffering. Pain x Resistance = Suffering. My daily sitting practice provides a nice reminder that I can’t avoid pain, but I can avoid amplifying it into higher levels of suffering by cultivating acceptance, by remaining curious and open without judgment. And acceptance doesn’t feel passive at all. Instead, it feels like a highly active state of awareness that can point to a wise course of action. I look forward to digging a little deeper into this topic.
3.12 Closing Meditation – audio
Lesson 3 has made me aware that many of my problems are created by my own reaction to my thoughts and the denial of my emotions.
Absurdly, I blame the person who triggered my anger or sadness. It’s difficult to get angry or sad unless it is a tendency inside me waiting to be triggered. How can I learn to witness situations I cannot change rather than react to them?