Now Online: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course
with Elaine Retholtz
8 Week Course: Fridays, May 1st – June 26th, 2020 | 9:30am – 12:00pm ET
Daylong Session: Sunday, June 7th, 2020 | 9:30am – 5:00pm ET
Please note: This course will not meet on Friday, May 22nd
Due to COVID-19, this program will now be offered online only. Those who already registered for the in-person program will automatically be transferred to this online program. All registrants will be emailed the link to the online program a few days prior to the program.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is the ground-breaking and time-tested, scientifically researched program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 for the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This transformative course is suited for those coming to meditation for the first time or for experienced meditators who realize they have not yet integrated these practices fully into their lives.
What To Expect:
MBSR uses meditation, yoga, and inquiry as a way of training people to relate differently to stresses in their lives and in fact, relate differently to each moment of their lives. Each class includes various “formal” meditation practices, mindful movement and discussion/inquiry exploring the habits of the mind to discover how these patterns of reactivity become a major cause of stress. Class size ranges from 15 – 30 participants. The course is experiential: by paying attention to what arises in daily and class practice, and through exploring the challenges that arise and how these are met, a supportive and safe container is created. Participants are supported by recorded guided meditations and are expected to practice 30-45 minutes of formal meditation daily as well as various informal practices.
Benefits of MBSR:
Research over the past 38 years indicates that a majority of people who complete this program report a greater ability to cope more effectively with short and long term stressful situations; an increased ability to relax, lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms; reduction in pain levels and enhanced ability to cope with chronic pain and most importantly a greater energy and enthusiasm for life.
Some of the Skills People Learn in MBSR Courses:
- Practical coping skills to improve the ability to handle stressful situations
- Methods for being physically and mentally relaxed and at ease
- Gentle full body conditioning exercises to strengthen the body and release muscular tension
- The ability to be increasingly aware of the interplay of mind and body in health and illness
- The ability to face change and difficult times in your life with greater ease
- Greater ability to decrease the physical, mental and emotional effects of the societal stressors of sexism, racism, homophobia
Sliding Scale Course Fee: Sustaining $600 – Base $450
Please choose your rate mindfully and be as generous as possible so that NYI can continue to offer financial assistance to those in need for other NYI offerings. It is important when considering this class to make sure your schedule allows you to attend all 8 sessions, though if a class is missed there are usually concurrent classes which allow for make-up sessions.
Orientation Session:
If you did not have a chance to attend the MBSR Orientation on 4/17 and are signing up for the course, you will receive a link to the orientation recording and the questionnaire upon your registration in your email receipt. Please watch the orientation, fill out the questionnaire, and then email Elaine Retholtz at elaine@nyimc.org to schedule a quick phone conversation prior to the start of the course on May 1st.
Click here to watch the orientation.
Click here to fill out the questionnaire.
Course Sessions:
Fridays, May 1st – June 26th, 2020 from 9:30am – 12:00pm
Daylong Session:
Daylong Session: Sunday, June 7th, 2020 | 9:30am – 5:00pm
Course Registration:
We are transferring all who registered for the in-person program to the online program. For those who are disappointed and unable to join us online and considering cancelling their registration, we will honor all requests for refunds. However, the COVID-19 emergency has a devastating financial impact on all of us. If it is affordable for you to have a generous heart, please consider accepting credit towards a future program, or turning your registration into a donation. Thank you!
Your registration for the course includes your RSVP to the orientation.
If you are registering via a mobile devices such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the form if it is partially obscured or cut off. Please contact registration@nyimc.org if you need assistance.
Teacher(s)
Elaine Retholtz
Elaine Retholtz has been studying and practicing the Dharma since 1988. In addition to teaching Dharma at New York Insight, she is a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher and has a deep interest in helping students integrate mindfulness practice into daily life. Elaine is committed to deepening her own understanding of issues of diversity and the way racial conditioning in the United States affects all of us — both as individuals and in relationship to the institutions we are a part of, including New York Insight. She’s been involved in New York Insight’s diversity efforts for many years, serving on the diversity committee, and working with others to create spaces – for diverse groups of practitioners as well as for white practitioners meeting separately – to explore these issues within a Dharma frame.