| Programs & Services
Human beings have an innate capacity to experience wholeness and well being, even in the face of stress, pain, and illness.
Valley Mindfulness offers a range of programs and services for individuals and organizations. These include:
A Taste of Mindfulness
This 2-hour session offers a gentle, clear introduction to the benefits of cultivating mindfulness, particularly in regard to reducing stress and enhancing wellness. It is suitable for all adults, regardless of any health challenges. Participants will:
- Experience a variety of mindfulness practices including several approaches to meditation
- Learn options for developing their own practice
- Receive a list of recommended books, audio programs and other resources
- Learn why mindfulness practices are being studied and recommended by health professionals to help reduce harmful effects from the stress that seems so inevitable in today’s world.
Upcoming sessions:
- Two sessions offered:
- Monday evening, September 15, 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm.
- Wednesday evening, October 1, 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm.
- Location: Breath Studio, 132 Main Street, Northampton, MA (beneath the Michelson Art Gallery). Click here for an online map.
- The cost of this workshop is $25 if paid in advance, $30 if paid at the workshop. The fee may be applied toward the cost of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course if taken within 9 months.
Click here to download a printable (PDF) flyer >>>
Click here to register (online payment available) >>>
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
This 8-week course, originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is designed to help participants discover and utilize their own inner resources for bringing balance, health, and peace of mind to their lives.
During the past 28 years, over 18,000 people have taken this course around the world. It has been the subject of many clinical studies for people grappling with conditions such as stress, cancer, heart disease, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, drug and alcohol addiction, sleep disorders, and more.
Through group and individual practices, discussions, and presentations, participants learn ways to cultivate mindfulness so that they can meet the challenges of life (including stress, pain and illness) with greater ease, confidence and resiliency.
MBSR is an experiential learning program, intended to engage the mind and the body. The course is most often offered as a series of 8 weekly classes with an additional, longer, session during the sixth week of the program (a total of nine sessions). The course is designed to accommodate nearly any adult, including those with serious illnesses, chronic pain, and physical limitations.
Each week, ideally on a daily basis, participants practice at home what they have been exploring in class. This home practice is an essential part of the course. It develops and strengthens one's ability to experience mindful awareness in daily life. Handouts, workbooks and audio CD’s will be provided to support this practice.
For those who find that the course schedule does not meet their needs, a similar program can be taken as a series of private sessions that can be customized to a person's specific needs.
People take the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course for reasons such as:
- Medical conditions such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, heart disease, asthma, emphysema, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, sleep and skin disorders, and immune problems.
- Chronic and short-term stress due to work, life changes, family issues, and illness.
- Psychological and emotional concerns such as anxiety, phobias, panic, grief, and depression.
During the years this program has been offered at UMass Medical School and around the world, participants have reported benefits such as:
- Increased ability to relax
- Decrease in pain and increase in ability to cope with chronic pain
- Reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Improved overall health
- More energy and enthusiasm
- More self confidence
- Resilience in the face of health and life challenges
- Greater sense of compassion for self and others
Upcoming public course:
- Eight Monday evenings, 6:00–8:30 p.m. beginning October 6 and ending on November 24.
In addition, the there will be a session on Sunday November 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Breath Studio, 132 Main Street, Northampton, MA (beneath the Michelson Art Gallery).
Click here for an online map.
- The cost of this course is $285, $385, or $485 as follows
(a sliding scale based on household income):
- Under $25,000: $285
- From $25,000–45,000: $385
- Over $45,000: $485
Please note that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is also available as a series of private sessions for individuals and for the staff of organizations.
Please contact Valley Mindfulness if you would like to learn more >>>
Click here to download a printable (PDF) flyer >>>
Click here to register (online payment available) >>>
A Drink From the Well
This 2-hour, experiential workshop is offered occasionally and is intended for those who have completed the A Taste of Mindfulness workshop.
Participants will spend much of this workshop engaged in practices designed to cultivate mindful awareness (including sitting meditation, very gentle yoga, and more).
This workshop is for Taste of Mindfulness graduates who:
- Were intrigued by the Taste workshop and want "more".
- Are considering enrolling in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
- Are not considering the MBSR course but still want an additional experience of mindfulness practices, perhaps to help start or sustain a personal practice.
Participants should wear comfortable, casual clothing suitable for gentle movement and stretching. Feel free to bring pillows, cushions, blankets, mats and anything else that would allow for comfort while sitting and lying down.
Upcoming sessions:
- September 2008, date TBA.
- Location: Breath Studio, 132 Main Street, Northampton, MA (beneath the Michelson Art Gallery). Click here for an online map.
- The cost of this workshop is $25.
Click here to register (online payment available) >>>
Private sessions and consultations in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and in support of ongoing mindfulness practices
Sessions for individuals and groups are available:
- For those who prefer to do Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction privately, rather than attending a class.
- For those wanting to develop a mindfulness practice that works for them, or perhaps to deepen an existing practice.
It is possible to create a customized version of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program that meets your needs and schedule.
Please contact Valley Mindfulness if you would like to learn more >>>
Training Programs for Organizations and Businesses
Programs such as A Taste of Mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can be offered to organizational staff as stand-alone programs and also as part of a comprehensive staff development effort. These programs can be customized to meet the needs of each organization.
Please contact Valley Mindfulness if you would like to learn more >>> |
Some quotes from recent workshop participants:
"Very helpful. Excellent instructor."
"A good mix of instruction and meditation."
"An excellent intro to meditation."
"David Spound has impeccable credentials with current brain science as a fundament of his practice. I would without hesitation refer anyone with an ounce of imagination to him. I felt entirely safe and respected. I was gratified to learn that there is no way practicing "mindfulness" is ever anything but the right way to do it. Imagine—something everybody can do the right way! How often does this happen in life? The workshop provided me personal benefits beyond my expectations."
Liv Pertzoff, LICSW, Northampton
"Certain ailments have traditionally been recognized as being psychosomatic because they are especially responsive to stress... the list can be greatly expanded to the universe of illnesses and diseases because today we have reason to believe that any ailment can be affected by stress emotions... In some instances stress exacerbates an ailment even when its main cause is not psychological. In other instances, psychological stress is considered a primary cause."
Richard Lazarus, Professor of Psychology emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley |
