This Stress Management Program is designed to teach individuals with a wide range of stressors how to take better care of themselves and participate fully in improving their health and quality of life as a complement to other medical treatment they may be receiving.
The program is based on systematic and intensive training in mindfulness meditation and mindful hatha yoga and their application to everyday life. It fits within the field of mind-body medicine, and aims in part to develop life habits and coping skills that can be used effectively throughout life. Methods include the learning and refining of a range of self-regulatory skills aimed at increasing relaxation and personal awareness, as well as awareness of mind-body experiences related to medical complaints, emotions, and thoughts.
Session 1— April 4, 2012
Theory of mind-body medicine. Mindful eating, breathing and body scan. Establishment of learning contract.
Session 2— April 11
Experiential training and skill development. The role of perception, conditioning, and other mental factors in stress. Health-enhancing behaviours.
Session 3— April 18
Development of mindful hatha yoga. Practice of three inter-related formal MBSM methods.
Session 4— April 25
Use of MBSM skills to reduce negative effects of stress reactivity.
Session 5—May 2
Strategies to recover more rapidly from stressful encounters when they occur.
Session 6— May 9
Continues the Practice, with focus on maintaining our centre in interpersonal relationships, especially under acute or chronic stress.
Retreat Day— May 12
An all-day intensive retreat, deepening formal mindfulness practices.
Session 7— May 16
Mindfulness of Obstacles or Attachments that are keeping us from moving toward healthy patterns of self-care.
Session 8— May 23
Experiential practice continues; review of stress-map pre- and post-course. Closing and Review of Course Learnings.
The course will run for eight weeks, 4:30–7:00 pm, on Wednesdays starting April 4, 2012 through until May 23, 2012. The first session will begin on Wednesday, April 4. The course will be held at TBA. Full listing of course dates are April 4, 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, and 23. Please note there will also be a full-day retreat on the Saturday after the sixth session, May 12.
Frank MacAulay, Registered Social Worker in PEI, with specialized training in Mind-Body Medicine and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Frank spends his professional days helping individuals manage stress, and has been delivering this intensive and rewarding course for the past year. Past course participants say, "The rewards and benefits far outweigh the commitment" and "An introduction to beautifully simple but profound techniques for growth and self-improvement."
$410 plus GST—This fee includes course material, four practice CDs, and the Retreat Day. Additional Costs: textbook.
Specific course questions can be addressed to Frank MacAulay at (902) 432-0277 or by e-mail.
Registration inquiries may be sent by e-mail, or contact us at (902) 566-0336. You may register using an online form.
Registration is on a first come, first serve basis with completed Registration forms. Telephone inquires will not count as registrations. Final selection of course participants is based on an individual interview with course facilitator.
Please Note: There needs to be a minimum of 15 registrants for this course to run.
Centre for Life-Long Learning
