UAMS to Offer Virtual Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, Starting in July
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Mindfulness Program is offering an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program starting July 16.
The MBSR program is a scientifically backed program designed to reduce stress, enhance emotional well-being and improve overall quality of life. Participants learn mindfulness techniques that foster positivity, inner strength and peace, while providing useful skills for navigating difficulty, stress, illness and pain.
The program is an eight-week, nine-session training that blends mindfulness meditation, body awareness, gentle yoga and practical strategies for managing life’s challenges. Classes meet weekly online via Zoom for about two hours and for an all-day session toward the end of the course.
Orientation is 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 16. Classes one through eight meet from 8-10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 20, 27, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, and Sept. 7. The all-day retreat is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. The class will meet virtually via Zoom; further details will be sent upon registration.
The cost for the course is $300 and covers materials. UAMS employees may take the course for $250. Couples or families can receive a group rate of $225 per person. Scholarships are also available.
To register or apply for a scholarship, visit Mindfulness.UAMS.edu. For questions, contact UAMSMindfulnessProgram@uams.edu.
MBSR was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Itis a form of mindfulness and meditation that is well-documented and supported by scientific studies. Participants learn different meditative tools to mindfully explore healthier relationships with the day-to-day challenges and demands of life.
Elements include:
- Guided mindfulness meditation practices
- Gentle stretching and mindful movement exercises
- Group dialogue and discussions aimed at enhancing awareness in everyday life
- Mentored instructions on MBSR meditation practices
- Printed and digital materials and resources, such as workbooks and MP3 files.
The course is taught by Feliciano “Pele” Yu Jr., M.D., a professor of pediatrics, biomedical informatics and public health at UAMS, director of the UAMS Mindfulness Program and certified Koru Mindfulness teacher who has completed the MBSR Teacher Training Intensive through the University of California San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
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