In-Person: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course

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In-Person: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course
 
with Margrit Pittman-Polletta
 

Free Online MBSR Orientation: Thursday, September 5th, 2024 | 6:30pm – 9:00pm
In-Person Course: Tuesdays, September 10th – October 29th, 2024 | 6:30pm – 9:00pm
In-Person Daylong: Saturday, October 19th, 2024 | 10:00am – 4:00pm

 
Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street on the 12th Floor
 

 
New York Insight offers ongoing classes in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), 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. The teaching of MBSR at NY Insight is offered by seasoned MBSR teachers, most of whom are certified by the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. All of our teachers have decades of meditation practice and study and between them have taught well over 200 cycles of this seminal 8-Week curriculum.

What To Expect:
MBSR uses meditation, mindful yoga, and inquiry/discussion as a way of exploring the habits of the mind to discover how these patterns of reactivity become a major cause of stress and where we could intervene to change them. MBSR helps participants learn to alter their relationship with each moment of their lives and through it derive more joy, fulfillment, and meaning from their lives. Classes usually have 25-30 participants but may be smaller. 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 for students to feel connected and be inspired. Participants are supported by recorded guided meditations and are expected to practice 30-45 minutes of daily formal meditation 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.

Some of the Skills People Learn in MBSR Courses:

  • Practical coping skills to improve the ability to handle stressful situations
  • Techniques 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 life with greater ease
  • Greater ability to decrease the physical, mental and emotional effects of the societal stressors of sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and gender inequity among many other challenges

Course Dates

Free Online MBSR Orientation: Thursday, September 5th, 2024 | 6:30pm – 9:00pm
In-Person Course: Tuesdays, September 10th – October 29th, 2024 | 6:30pm – 9:00pm
In-Person Daylong: Saturday, October 19th, 2024 | 10:00am – 4:00pm

Sliding Scale Course Fee: Sustaining $600 – Base $350

Please choose your rate mindfully and be as generous as possible so that NYI can continue to offer financial assistance to those in need of other NYI offerings. It is important when considering this class to make sure your schedule allows you to attend all 8 sessions. We currently don’t have any MBSR financial assistance at this time.

Register for the MBSR Course:

If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.

Please Note: This program is currently at capacity. If you’d like to join the waitlist, add your name below, and we’ll notify you if space becomes available. You can also secure a spot in our next upcoming MBSR course in October 2024 by clicking here for more details and registration.

RSVP for the Free Online MBSR Orientation on September 5th:

If you are registering via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the below form if it is partially obscured or cut off.
CLICK HERE to open the registration form in a new browser window.

Teacher(s)

Margrit Pittman-Polletta

Margrit Pittman-Polletta has been a practitioner of the Insight Meditation tradition since 2012, and has sat over a cumulative year of silent retreat since 2016. She is a qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher through the Mindfulness Center at Brown, as well as a certified Vinyasa Yoga teacher. Margrit enjoys teaching mindfulness and the Dharma in various communities, including Elm Community Insight, the Marlene Meyerson JCC and Brooklyn Insight Sangha. She is a trainee in the 2025-28 Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training Program. In addition to Margrit’s deep love of the Dharma and mindfulness practice, she is an educator with over 15 years of experience and currently works as an early childhood educator and caregiver for young people with special needs. Margrit is committed to integration of awareness and wisdom into daily life, and building inclusive community. She enjoys biking around Brooklyn, where she was born and raised and currently resides with her two cats.

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