The impact of chronic stress is one of the strongest factors in determining overall health and well-being. The World Health Organization defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.” Mindfulness engages the underlying mind-body connections to wellness. A growing body of scientific research now shows that mindfulness-based practices significantly improve health in individuals with a wide range of conditions, from chronic pain to anxiety and depression. Among individuals who want to develop better coping strategies and improve their quality of life, participants in mindfulness-based programs report enhancements in a variety of ways, including greater focus, joy, stress reduction, coping, and quality of life.

Stress Reduction through Mindful Living is a new eight-week program that will be offered at the UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center, 1120 NW 14th Street, on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., starting September 26 and continuing through November 21. Based on the program developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the program teaches participants to recognize and address stressors by using a variety of meditation and yoga techniques. The program will be co-facilitated by two UM-trained professionals and long-time mindfulness practitioners. Gus Castellanos, a UM graduate and retired neurologist with former specialization in sleep medicine and fellowship training in neuro-oncology, and Debra Annane, a stress management program facilitator and behavioral health researcher at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will lead the program, which is open to the general public.

Mindfulness programs such as this have received widespread acclaim and are offered at leading integrative medical centers around the world.

If paid before September 12, the fee is $325 per person and includes all course materials. Thereafter the price is $355. Full or partial scholarships may be granted to applicants who submit a written statement of need. For more information or to register for the upcoming class, contact Debra Annane at 954-643-5397 or Gus Castellanos at 561-222-1928.