Nancy Bennett, 2019
Mindfulness is a now a familiar word these days – in the media and in conversation. But what does it really mean and why does it matter? This handout was used as part of Nancy Bennett’s RI PREVCON 2019 workshop which introduced participants to mindfulness – exploring its definition and elements and applying mindfulness in experiential exercises. This handout also provides a review of some of the research that has been done on mindfulness and its impacts on the brain. Taught through the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course around the world, mindfulness and meditation have been studied extensively by Jon Kabat-Zinn and his fellow researchers at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and elsewhere and is shown to lower stress, boost immune response, and bring relief and joy to people with a variety of physical and psychological conditions.
