Mindfulness-based stress reduction

Posted on blog, lifestyle, Medical, fitness And tagged mindfulness, stress reduction

MBSR - These four letters can change your entire life. If you get yourself into it. MBSR (“Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction”, i.e. mindfulness-based stress reduction, is a program that helps to calm down. It was developed in 1979 by US molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn.

At Holmes Place, we not only care about your fitness, but your health is also important to us. Relaxing is a great way to stay healthy. In our premium fitness clubs, we offer you many different body & mind courses. And after a workout, you can continue to relax at the spa.

What is MBSR?

The program consists of exercises for body awareness and mindfulness. Within eight weeks, participants learn walking and sitting meditation, yoga exercises, the so-called body scan, and mindfulness in everyday life. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed it at the University Hospital of Massachusetts (USA) as a course that is completed in eight weeks. Some exercises are done in a group, others alone at home.

The positive effect of MBSR has been scientifically proven and there are many clinical studies about it. Hospitals, social institutions, community colleges and others offer the eight-week program, which is supported by many health insurance companies. But you can also complete it completely alone, for example with the help of a book.

MBSR has nothing to do with religion, even though some elements come from Buddhism. Rather, it is about training your own mindfulness, presence and self-perception, learning more about stress and your personal stress triggers, dealing with difficult feelings better, communicating mindfully and developing a healthy inner attitude. Anyone who practices MBSR learns to switch off the internal autopilot.

The elements of MBSR

At the beginning, it's about what mindfulness at all is. Be alert with all your senses, perceive what is — anyone who deals with it has taken a first, important step.

Everything we do — eat, move, breathe — is done mindfully and consciously. And we learn the seven principles of mindfulness:

Non-judgments: open inner attitude towards all events without evaluating or interpreting.

Patience: Some things take time. For example, if you break open a butterfly's cocoon to make it easier for the insect to get on, you are harming it. Those who have patience are receptive to every moment and are ready to accept it. He is in the here and now and knows that the right moment is about to come.

Beginner spirit: We see many things not as they are, but as WE are. We have preconceived notions about this. As a result, we no longer see anything special in everyday life. But when we look at things with the spirit of a beginner, we have no expectations and no opinions, but are open.

Trust: Over the course of life, many people lose the ability to trust the body's own feelings and signals. They no longer follow their own voice and are more likely to rely on other people's guidelines. MBSR teaches you to regain confidence in yourself.

Don't enforce: We usually act in a targeted manner. We want to achieve something, optimize our lives, relax. But that has nothing to do with mindfulness, which is about simply realizing what is.

Acceptance: That means acknowledging what is. For example, if your head hurts or you're overweight, accept that; it doesn't mean you have to like it. Only when you have accepted that it is so can change happen.

Let go: Everyone knows this: He has a problem that he literally “chews on.” It causes him sleepless nights, makes his neck tense and makes him unable to think clearly anymore. Letting go means freeing yourself from this grip and focusing on the here and now instead of keeping your attention in the past or in the future.

Anyone who practices these principles has already taken a big step forward.

The raisin meditation

MBSR trains us to rediscover our senses. That includes food. You can practice with a raisin. It is first viewed from all sides in order to perceive its nature. Then you smell it, touch it with your lips before you put it on your tongue and finally eat it slowly. This is how we learn to really be in the moment and to notice every little detail.

The body scan

This exercise connects us to our body. When lying down, we mentally go from toe to head and trace every part of our body. This can take a few minutes and requires some concentration. It is not about evaluation, but about loving attention for our body.

Walking meditation

Hustle and bustle is out of place here, because it involves taking very slow and conscious steps. First we practice standing in a relaxed way, then we feel the ground under our feet and walk slowly, concentrating on every step.

Sitting meditation

Sit on a meditation cushion or chair. Upright but relaxed. Hands rest on thighs. Close your eyes and focus only on your breath for a few minutes. Feel how your abdominal wall rises and falls, as the air flows in through your nostrils. Just notice.

More MBSR lessons

There are other lessons in MBSR. For example, managing stress mindfully, dealing with the inner critic and the art of listening. Anyone who has completed the program will know in future what is good for them and will be more affectionate with themselves and others. He is able to deal with stress better and pays attention to signals from his body.

Yoga is also part of the MBSR program. Mindfulness yoga is about noticing the interplay of body and mind. And you learn where your limits are. They listen to your body's signals.

In the Premium health clubs from Holmes Place You can learn to meditate under guidance and take various yoga classes — Hatha Yoga is included as well as Yoga Flow and Yoga Vinyasa, which involves flowing movements. Here, too, you can perceive your body and its signals. And enjoy doing something for yourself and your health. It's worth it!

Posted on blog, lifestyle, Medical, fitness and tagged mindfulness, stress reduction.