Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
live online - taught by Patrick Mellen

MBSR is an 8-week course that was pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Patrick certified to teach the course through Brown’s Mindfulness and Health Institute in 2023.

Certifying to teach MBSR means that Patrick studied with experienced teachers to skillfully lead groups through the current curriculum that was originally created in the late ‘70s.

As it happens, Patrick was born around the time MBSR was and teaches the course with the wisdom passed from teacher to teacher in one hand and the wit to keep the practices as playful as possible in the other.

Even using the word “curriculum” can sound a bit stuffy but the evidence is clear: MBSR, with it’s use of gentle movement, meditation, and practice, allows participants to alter their approach, and therefore their experience, of stress.

Patrick is a teacher who trusts the process, and invites each participant to recognize that even with an “evidenced-based” curriculum that helps people harness inner resources to face the ups and downs of daily life, the most important part of this whole enchilada is your own investment in exploring what serves you.

How it works online:

If you absolutely can not abide Zoom, this course is not for you - but the course is not a webinar nor a lecture. MBSR is interactive, even on Zoom - there are moments when it will be important to be on camera, but you don’t have to be on camera the full time. It is expected and deeply encouraged, though, that all participants would be engaged in the practices and the discussion regardless of cameras on/off.

Orientation Session
In the Orientation Session we’ll meet on Zoom and talk about the structure, philosophy and history of the course and Questions can be addressed. This is no more than 90-minutes and a prerequisite for the course.

1-on-1 discussion

When you register for the Orientation, you’ll fill out a brief survey. All of the questions are confidential and none of your answers would make you ineligible from taking the course, but it’s important to touch base with the teacher to talk through any issues that arise during the orientation and make sure that the group setting is appropriate for you to learn in this way. You can schedule this 10-minute discussion at your convenience after you have attended the orientation. This is the only other prerequisite.

MBSR Weekly Class + a Full-Day Retreat
8 weekly sessions of up to 2.5 hours coupled with one full day retreat (10:30am-5pm) complete the instructor-led portion of the course. These sessions are meant to be a space in which participants learn and practice the skills and exercises that make up the MBSR Curriculum. Additionally, you will be invited to practice daily at home, following recordings at times, choosing your own adventure at others - for up to 45-50 minutes per day.

Reach out to patrick@balancelab.com with any questions.