FAQs
What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?
MBSR is an 8-week programme developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn that uses meditation and yoga to reduce stress and improve mental health, supported by robust clinical research.
In the course you bring mindful awareness into your daily life. You'll be given a course booklet with worksheets and summaries of the ideas discussed. Between sessions, you're encouraged to practise the basic meditations you've learnt, for about 30 minutes a day. It might seem like a big commitment, but it's the best way to get lasting value from the course. Visit our stress reduction courses page to read more about MBSR and its benefits.
How can mindfulness reduce anxiety?
By bringing a gentle awareness to our current experience, we can learn skills to manage strong emotions like anxiety. With practice, we can develop a sense that we are holding anxiety instead of it holding us. There are many mindfulness approaches to reducing anxiety, and it's good to have a toolbox of different strategies to use at different times.
Our classes aim to help you reduce stress and anxiety in your daily life. Participants often see results after just a few weeks of training, but it's important to note that mindfulness is not a quick fix. It takes patience, time and care to develop the right conditions for change to take place.
What is mindfulness meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is when we practice bringing awareness to present moment experiences, such as the breath, sensations in the body or sounds. What often happens when we try to do this is that the mind wanders, and we then simply bring it back.
Learning to manage the distracting thoughts is what makes mindfulness meditation so helpful in our daily lives. Every time we bring our mind back, choosing to let the distracting thoughts simply come and go, untangling ourselves when we notice they've taken us off, we develop the ability to stay steady in challenging moments.
Besides helping us develop resilience and self-compassion, mindfulness meditation can be calming in itself, giving ourselves time to pause in the present and let go of busy thoughts and actions.
Meditation is a core part of mindfulness training, but there are also aspects to mindfulness to do with how we approach experiences, both the pleasant and the unpleasant. By taking time to pause, we can also appreciate the simple things of life that we might otherwise take for granted.
You can read more about mindfulness meditation here.
What do I need for an online Zoom class?
We suggest being in a quiet room where you won't be disturbed. Please be aware that children or anyone else who comes into view in your room will be seen by others. For some sessions, you'll be invited to lie down - you can do this on a sofa, bed or mat. The main thing you need is a PC, laptop or iPad. The classes can be delivered through a phone, but for a Zoom class, a larger screen is preferable.
Do I need to be physically fit to participate?
No, not at all. People of all ages, many with severe health issues and limitations, practise mindfulness. For the meditations, what's important is to find a position that works for you, whether it's sitting or lying down.
I can't make all the course dates. Can I still attend?
We know it can be difficult to attend every session of a course but we'd recommend that you try not to miss more than one. If you're unable to make a session, you're welcome to attend that session in a future course. You also have the option to switch between in-person and online classes if you're unable to attend at your usual time and live locally. We do not record online sessions.
Is a mindfulness course suitable for my current circumstances?
Our courses are designed to help people manage stress more effectively, increase their sense of joy and contentment, and improve their wellbeing. We ask participants to complete a short, confidential questionnaire before starting a course. If you'd like to discuss your circumstances, please don't hesitate to email Mindful Surrey.
What do you offer once my MBSR course has finished?
We're committed to offering ongoing support. When you finish your MBSR, you'll be able to book regular or occasional mindfulness practice sessions. Our silent retreat days and weekly drop-in sessions are open to all experienced meditators, if you have taken any 8-week MBSR, MBCT or MSC course, even if you didn't do your MBSR with Mindful Surrey. You can find more information about this on the Meditators with Experience page.
Who is Catherine Nasskau?
Catherine Nasskau, a certified Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor accredited by The Mindful Academy, Spain, has over 8 years' experience teaching evidence-based mindfulness approaches validated in peer-reviewed research. You can learn more about Catherine's background by clicking here.
If you have any other questions about meditation or mindfulness based stress reduction, please get in touch. You might also like to read more about what mindfulness means; or to hear about benefits of mindfulness training from people who've taken our classes in their reviews.