Learn about the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society in Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury residents are fortunate to have an innovative leader in the field of mind-body medicine present in their community. Located on the UMass Maple Avenue Campus is the “Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society.”

The Center was established in 1995 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a Professor of Medicine Emeritus at UMass, well-known author, and a pioneer in the practice of integrating meditation and mindfulness into mainstream medicine and health care.

In his bestseller Wherever you go there you are, Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Further, mindfulness encourages awareness and acceptance of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations as they arise. By paying attention to this mind-body interplay, we cultivate clarity, insight and understanding. In terms of wellness, mindfulness practitioners experientially learn to be present and gain greater health and balance in their lives.

While some may consider the term mindfulness to be nebulous, the Center has trained more than 17,000 people in their Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This program helps people tap into this deep internal resource that is always available to us waiting to be awakened. Research spearheaded by the Center over the last three decades has shown that mindfulness-based stress reduction practice decreases medical symptoms and psychological distress while teaching practitioners to live more fully.

For a firsthand experience, the Center offers weekly guided meditation sessions open to the public every Monday evening from 7:00 – 8:00 pm and unguided sessions on Wednesday mornings from 7:30 – 8:30 am, as well as a movie night on the last Friday of the month at 7:00 pm.

For further info visit:http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/

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By Colleen Corbett