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May 2010 The Greater Good Guide to Mindfulness

It’s been 30 years since Jon Kabat-Zinn

launched his Mindulness-Based StressReduction program at the University o

Massachusetts Medical Center. What beganas a bit o a lark —an attempt by a molecularbiologist to bring Buddhist meditation(minus the Buddhism) into the mainstreamo medicine—has grown into a genuinesocial movement, with variations o theMBSR program developing everywhere romelementary schools to hospitals to the halls o Congress. At the same time, a growing bodyo research has documented the physical andpsychological health benets o practicing mindulness, even or just a ew weeks.

Still, the term “mindulness” is likely toraise more than a ew questions. For starters:What, exactly, is it?

“Simply put, mindulness is moment-to-moment awareness,” writes Kabat-Zinn inhis groundbreaking book Full Catastrophe Living . “It is cultivated by purposeully pay-ing attention to things we ordinarily nevergive a moment’s thought to. It is a systematicapproach to developing new kinds o controland wisdom in our lives.”

Kabat-Zinn has made it his lie’s work topromote secular applications o mindulness.In his presentation at the recent Greater

Good Science Center event, “Compassion,Mindulness, and Well-Being,” he explainedthat mindulness can be cultivated throughormal meditation, but that’s not the onlyway.

“It’s not really about sitting in the ull lotus,like pretending you’re a statue in a Britishmuseum,” he said. “It’s about living your lieas i it really mattered, moment by momentby moment by moment.”

Kabat-Zinn used his GGSC talk, part o the Center’s “Science o a Meaningul Lie”event series, to elucidate the practice and thepurpose o mindulness, and to refect on the

extraordinary growth and infuence o hisMBSR program.

So ar, more than 18,000 people havecompleted the eight-week program, wherethey practice basic mindulness techniques,rom sitting meditation to an exercise ineating mindully, and consider how to drawon these practices as they navigate the chal-lenges o everyday lie. Many enroll becausethey are suering rom ailments ranging rom high blood pressure to depression tocancer. Research shows that most o themenjoy signicant improvements in their

physical and mental health: less pain, highersel-esteem, more excitement about lie, anda greater ability to relax and cope with stress.They even show ewer symptoms o physicalillness.

But as Kabat-Zinn told the audience at hisGGSC talk, the applications o mindulnessgo ar beyond its medical value.

“People who come and understand whatwe’re doing, the rst thing they say is ‘Ohmy God, this isn’t about stress reduction,’” hesaid. “‘This is about my lie.’”

Indeed, the broad, everyday relevance o

mindulness is demonstrated by how widelyit is being embraced in new programs acrossdierent sectors o society. School-basedprograms teaching mindulness to kids havetaken o over the past ew years; mindul-ness-based programs are also gaining trac-tion in prisons and among substance abusecounselors. These programs and many oth-ers have used MBSR as a model, and they’reueled by the increasing number o studiesthat link mindulness to emotional balanceand stronger immune systems, among otherbenets. Whereas just a handul o studieswith the word “mindulness” in the title were

published 25 years ago, now that number isapproaching or exceeding 100 each year.

We oer this guide as a companion toKabat-Zinn’s GGSC talk (video o which canbe ound at www.greatergoodscience.org),highlighting resources, research, and someo the many innovative applications o Kabat-Zinn’s MBSR program.

While by no means comprehensive,we hope it provides a better sense o whatmindulness is, what its benets are, how it’spracticed, and how you might cultivate moreo it in your own lie.

Gee Good Scece Cee Fcl Deco DcheKele (le) wh Jo Kb-Z ollowg Kb-Z’s peseo he GGSC eve, “Compsso,Mdless, d Well-Beg.”

a r esou r c e f or m em b er s of the gr eater good sc i enc e c ent er

Wh s mdless?

“Simply put, mindulness

is moment-to-moment

awareness,” writes Jon

Kabat-Zinn in his groundbreaking

book Full Catastrophe Living .

“It is cultivated by purposeully

paying attention to things we

ordinarily never give a moment’s

thought to. . . .

“We practice mindulness by

remembering to be present in all

our waking moments.”

C h r i s t i n e C

a r t e r

Mindfulness

contents Introduction

2 Why Mindfulness?Four pioneers explain how they

have incorporated mindulness

into their work.

6 Tips for Teaching

Mindfulness to Kids

by Megan Cowan

7 How Mindful Are You?Take this research-tested

questionnaire to nd out.

8 MindfulnessResourcesAn overview o mindulness

programs, books, and articles.

Watch the VideFor more on mindulness, check

out the video o Jon Kabat-Zinn’s

presentation rom the Greater

Good Science Center’s “Science o

a Meaningul Lie” event series at

www.greatergoodscience.org.

the greater good guide to



2 The Greater Good Guide to Mindfulness May 2010

Mdl EdcoBy PatriCia JEnninGS

I’m visiting a special education class orchildren with autism spectrum disorders,many o whom have problems with their

motor skills. The students are practicing anactivity meant to oster concentration andmindul attention: Holding a small bell, theymust walk around a table without making itring.

Everyone is sitting quietly ocused on

one boy, who I’ll call “John,” as he careullygrasps the handle o the bell. “He can’t do it,”whispers one, shaking his head. “Give him a chance,” murmurs another. Diagnosed withAsperger’s syndrome, John is plagued withsevere motor tics. Despite this handicap, hewalks slowly and deliberately, his eyes xedon the bell, until he has made it all the wayaround the table. The bell never rings. “I didit!” he beams. The class applauds. Later histeacher tells me that this is the rst time he’sbeen able to control the incessant tics thatmake it dicult or him to use a pencil.

Like John’s teacher, growing numbers oeducators are exploring the use o mindul-ness-based methods. Diverse contemplative traditions have long held that regularmindulness practice increases awareness oone’s internal and external experience andpromotes refection, sel-regulation, and caring or others—the very actors that studiehave identied as important to learningand to developing supportive relationships

A growing body o scientic research onadults suggests that mindulness truly doesstrengthen these skills. But researchers andeducators are still determining how best toadapt mindulness techniques or childrenand adolescents—not an easy task, sincetheir mind-body processes unction verydierently than adults’, depending upon theirage and developmental stage.

During my 25 years as a teacher andteacher educator, I integrated mindulnesspractices into my teaching. For instancebeore recess, I invited my students to closetheir eyes and ocus their attention on the

chimes o a bell, then raise their hand whenthe ringing stopped. The room became silentin anticipation beore they listened to thesteadily quieting tone. Once everyone hadraised their hands, I would whisper eachchild’s name to excuse them.

For the past three years, as the directoro contemplation and education at the Gar-rison Institute, a non-prot organization thaexplores the intersection o contemplationand engaged action in the world, I’ve beenworking with researchers to investigatewhether and how these practices can beapplied to educational settings on a wider

scale.I’ve seen quite a ew promising programs

In one o them, called MindUP, elementarystudents learn to be mindul o their breath-ing, senses, thoughts, and eelings. Forexample, during a mindul eating exercisechildren slowly and deliberately ocus theisight, smell, and taste on experiencing a rai-sin or a piece o chocolate. When KimberlySchonert-Riechl, a proessor o education athe University o British Columbia, comparedstudents participating in the program withthose who were not, she ound that studentsin MindUP showed greater improvements in

their reports o happiness, well-being, andmindul awareness. Teachers reported thathese children signicantly reduced theiaggression and disruptive behavior, andshowed signicant improvements in theirsocial skills and attention levels.

Trish Broderick, a proessor in the depart-ment o health and the director o the StressReduction Center at West Chester Universityo Pennsylvania, has developed another pro-gram, a mindulness-based health curriculumor teens called BREATHE. The programincludes in-class mindulness-practice, time

Wh Mdless?m o r e t h a n 1 8 , 0 0 0 p e o p le have completed Jon Kabat-Zinn’s

Mindulness-Based Stress Reduction since 1979; countless others have

benetted rom the program as it has been adapted to dierent settings.

Below our pioneers in the eld explain how they have incorporated

mindulness and the MBSR program into their work, why they chose

to do so, and what eects it has had on those they serve.

K e v i n B j o r k e

Sdes pcce mdless he Okld, Clo-bsed Mdl Schools pogm.




or students to de-stress, and instruction onmanaging thoughts and eelings. Pilotedamong a group o 123 high school senior girlsenrolled in a private parochial school outsideo Philadelphia, results showed decreases innegative emotion, ewer somatic symptomslike aches and pains, less overtiredness, anda greater ability to relax, regulate their emo-

tions, and let go o distressing thoughts.Though we still need more research, these

results so ar suggest that the skills—and thebenets—o mindulness can in act be madewidely available to kids o di erent ages andbackgrounds. We’re seeing evidence thatchildren have a natural capacity or quieting their mind and ocusing their attention, skillsthat can build sel-control and enhance theirability to learn. In the process, it may helpkids like John achieve their highest poten-tial—in school and in lie.

Patricia Jennings, Ph.D., is the Director o

Contemplation and Education at the GarrisonInstitute and holds a research aculty position

at the Prevention Research Center at Pennsyl-

vania State University.

Pcce o PesBy nanCy BarDaCKE

In 1994 I attended a weeklong retreat orhealthcare proessionals interested inmindulness meditation, led by Jon Kabat-

Zinn. I had heard about Jon’s pioneering work

at UMass Medical Center teaching mindul-ness meditation to patients suering roma wide range o physical and mental healthchallenges; as a practicing midwie or morethan 20 years, and a meditation practitionersince the early 1980s, I was deeply curiousabout how Jon’s Mindulness-Based StressReduction (MBSR) course might apply to mywork as a midwie and benet the amilies Icared or.

Sitting on the foor with 125 other healthcare providers that week, I developed a deepappreciation or how the MBSR course helpedpeople access inner resources o strength,

resilience, and well-being. And in one fash-ing moment, I knew what I needed—or,more accurately, elt compelled—to do: bring this way o teaching mindul awareness toexpectant couples. Though I couldn’t havearticulated it then, what I now know is thatmindulness can help these couples throughthe oten stressul changes that are a normalpart o pregnancy, prepare them or theprooundly transorming experience o child-birth, and navigate the joys and challengeso parenthood with greater compassion,equanimity, and sel-acceptance.

In 1998, ater teaching the MBSR course

mysel or several years, I began morphing itinto the Mindulness-Based Childbirth andParenting (MBCP) program, which I current-ly teach at the Osher Center or Integrative

Medicine at the University o Caliornia, SanFrancisco (UCSF), Medical Center. Whilethe eight-week MBCP course includes mucho what is taught in a traditional childbirthclass—such as the physiology o labor, posi-tions or birthing, and breasteeding —theoundation o the class is the mindulnesspractice. Expectant parents who sign up othe course commit to a daily ormal meditation practice with the CDs that I provide

The program involves yoga, mindulnessin daily lie, ways to use the mind to workwith pain in labor, a daylong retreat, and areunion ater all the babies have been bornWhen the course is over, participants otenstay connected, orming a community o selrefective parents committed to the ongoingwork o raising their children with wisdomkindness, connectedness, and care.

I have now taught mindulness skills toseveral thousand expectant amilies, and theresults I’ve seen have ar exceeded anythingI could have anticipated. Parents report thathe practice o being in the present momen

was vital or their birth experience, as well asor the intense time o caring or a newbornFor many, it became a cornerstone o theirparenting. As one new parent told me, “Thepractice helped me learn how to managenot only the contractions o labor—but thecontractions o lie!”

We are now fnding initial empiricaevidence to back this up: Results rom anuncontrolled pilot study conducted by myseland Larissa Duncan, an assistant proessoro amily and community medicine at UCSFpublished in a new special issue o the Journal ofChild and Family Studies , suggests that pregnan

women who take the MBCP course experience reductions in pregnancy-related anxietyand depression, and increases in mindulnessand positive emotion during pregnancy. Theyalso report using mindulness as a way tocope with stressul aspects o the pregnancychildbirth, and early parenting.

Teaching mindulness skills to expectantparents has certainly expanded my own viewo childbirth preparation. I’ve learned thathe wonderully open and receptive time opregnancy provides a rich opportunity tocultivate skills or sel-refection, emotionaregulation, and stress reduction—skills tha

are vital to the lielong adventure o parent-ing, amily-making, and indeed, lie itsel.

Nanc Bardacke, CNM, MA, is a mindulness

teacher, assistant clinical proessor in the

department o amily health care nursing a

UCSF, and ounding director o the Mindul-

ness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP

Program (www.mindulbirthing.org). Her book

Mindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body and

Heart for Childbirth and Beyond (HarperCol

lins), has an expected publication date o early

2011.Coples pcpe nc Bdcke’s Mdless-Bsed Chldbh d Peg (MBCP) pogm.


E m i l i e R a g u s o



The Greater Good Guide to Mindfulness May 2010

teg heWods o WBy BarBara L. niLES, aMy K. SiLBErBOGEn,anD JuLiE KLunK-GiLLiS

In the spring o 2005, veterans rom Iraq and

Aghanistan began to trickle into the VABoston Healthcare System, the system o

veterans’ hospitals in the greater Boston area,seeking treatment or emotional problems,including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Veterans with PTSD oten experi-ence intrusive memories and nightmares,eel emotionally numb, and show symptomso hyperarousal, such as intense anger andthe need to constantly be on the lookoutor danger. At the time, a growing body o research suggested two important ndings:that tens o thousands o veterans were su-ering rom these mental health problems,

and that, despite treatment available throughthe military and the Department o VeteransAairs, only a minority were willing to seek treatment.

We wanted to nd some way to helpthese veterans readjust to civilian lie, butwe knew we had to overcome some o thebarriers that oten kept them rom seeking treatment, such as inconvenience and thestigma associated with mental health care.As we investigated various approaches, weound that Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindulness-Based Stress Reduction program had proven

to be eective at alleviating chronic painand depression, two common problems orveterans with symptoms o PTSD. What’smore, when practiced regularly, researchsuggests mindulness can also ca lm the bodyand mind, making it a good t or addressing the hyperarousal symptoms o PTSD, such asintense irritability and trouble sleeping.

To make this program more accessibleto veterans, we decided to use a “telehealth”method and deliver part o the treatmentover the phone. We secured unding rom theSamueli Institute or Inormation Biology toconduct a small pilot research study to seei veterans with PTSD could benet rom a mindulness intervention delivered this way.In eight sessions o treatment (two in-personand six over the phone), we covered somebasic concepts o mindulness with a groupo 17 veterans. For instance, we helped them

learn to pay closer attention to their sensa-tions, thoughts, and emotions so that theywould be more present in each momentindividuals with PTSD tend to be extremelyavoidant, oten ailing to acknowledge o

engage in their emotional experiences andtheir surroundings. Veterans also received amindulness education handbook, coveringcore concepts o mindulness, and CDs oguided mindulness exercises, along withinstructions to practice or ve to 20 minutesper day.

When these 17 veterans completed theirweekly sessions and came in or a six-weekollow-up visit, we were pleasantly surprisedthat most o them had read the handbook andpracticed using the CDs much more than wehad asked them to (an average o 130 min-utes per week). We were also happy to nd

that they reported being highly satised withthe mindulness treatment and experiencedsome relie rom their PTSD symptoms a terwards. They were less likely to have intrusivememories o traumatic events, or instanceand they didn’t eel as numb emotionallyas they had beore; a comparison group oveterans, who received a dierent treatmenor PTSD, didn’t show a reduction in theisymptoms. However, the changes in PTSDsymptoms among the mindulness groupdidn’t last through the six-week ollow-upperiod, suggesting the need to maintain one’mindulness practice in order to continue to

enjoy its positive eects.Still, these 17 veterans reported some

important changes in their day-to-day livesthat were not necessarily captured by oustandardized measures. Some told us howthey weren’t always on edge like they used tobe: Where they used to look only or dangersome o the veterans began to notice theirenvironments in new ways. While walkingoutside, or example, instead o lookingbehind trees or threats, they began to noticethe trees themselves, seeing them as i orthe rst time. Others mentioned how theyweren’t as quick to anger as they used to be

they started to notice and acknowledge theiemotional reactions rather than immediatelyacting on them.

This study oered evidence that veterancould really tolerate and benet rom amindulness intervention. Because it wasa pilot study, we are looking or ways toreplicate these preliminary ndings in alarger population—perhaps with “booster”sessions ater the eight weeks to ensure thatthe eects o mindulness endure. While thetraumas o war are not easily overcome, webelieve mindulness—either alone or along

Instead o looking behind trees orthreats, the veterans began to notice thetrees themselves,seeing them as i

or the frst time.

C r e d i t

“Obm s he fs mdl pesde h we’ve hd m leme, mbe eve,” sd Jo Kb-Z hs Gee Good Scece Cee lk. “He’s go loo dee qles h seem o dce h he semooll blced.”




with other research-proven treatments—canoer veterans some relie, encouragement,and hope.

Barbara Niles, Ph.D., is a sta psychologist in

the Behavioral Science Division o the National

Center or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

within the VA Boston Healthcare System. Am

K. Silberbgen, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist

and the director o the VA Boston Psychology

Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the VA

Boston Healthcare System. Julie Klunk-Gillis,

Ph.D., is the assistant director o the PTSDClinic and a sta psychologist in the Center or

Returning Veterans at the Brockton VA, which

is part o the VA Boston Healthcare System.

MdlessBehd BsBy ELiZaBEtH COHEn

“A

black wall comes over me likebeore—rage.” Sandy’s chest is

heaving and her voice rising thinlyas she remembers a conrontation she hadthe previous week. Sandy is no stranger torage. It’s why she has landed in the LowellCorrectional Institute or Women in Ocala,Florida, where she’s serving a 40-year sen-tence or murder.

Lowell C. I. is where I met Sandy, a par-ticipant in the Mind-Body Stress Reductionprogram that I and others have been teach-ing since January o 2007. Our program hasadapted Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindulness-BasedStress Reduction program or the ever-chang-

ing circumstances o a penal institution. Wehave now completed 11 eight-week voluntaryclasses, with roughly 120 women in each class,rom this prison o 2,800 inmates, where theaverage education level is 6th grade.

In the program, women are introducedto mindulness practices such as sitting and walking meditation, mindul yoga,and ocused attention on their breathing.They also participate in group discussionsabout the challenges o these practices, themultiple eects o stress, and how to respond

less impulsively to the stresses in their lives.They are learning to meditate in roughcircumstances. Most are in noisy dorms,doubled-bunked with more than 80 otherwomen—a mix o violent and non-violentoenders—and lack air-conditioning even inFlorida’s hot, steamy summers.

And yet the women report signicantchanges over the course o our program: anability to pause beore acting, a greater aware-ness o their body and emotions, and theability to manage anger, anxiety, and panicmore eectively, oten choosing to walk awayrom altercations and even de-escalate highly

charged situations. We also hear repeatedlyrom participants that the program helpsthem all asleep more easily, eel less tensionin their bodies, experience more momentso calm and peace, become more accepting o themselves and others (even those whoare oten “in their ace”), and ocus more oneducation in prison. Their accounts echo theresults o a 2007 study published in The Prison Journal , in which researchers brought MBSRinto the Massachusetts prison system andound signicant improvements in inmates’

sel-esteem, as well as lower hostility andmood disturbance.

The benets o a program like ours extendwell beyond the prison walls. In a systemwhere incarcerating women costs Floridataxpayers about $20,000 per head annuallyand where more than 40 percent o womenreleased rom a Florida prison will be convicted o another oense within ve yearswe desperately need eective and economicastrategies or reducing recidivism rates. Ouobservations so ar suggest that the program

may not only help women manage eelingso anger, depression, anxiety, and helpless-ness in prison; it may provide the sociaand emotional skills they need to unctionin society ater their release. Also considerthat o the 116,000 women in state or ederaprisons nationwide, over three-quarters havechildren under 18, whose chances o endingup in prison themselves are high. We areoering tools that women can use not onlyin how they relate to themselves, but in howthey relate to their children.

The classes are not a panacea. We are gar-deners sowing seeds that may take years to

grow. Yet the results so ar are unmistakableSandy, or one, has reported moments o happiness or the rst time in years. Now whenshe talks about the rage she eels towardsomeone else, her story has a dierent end-ing. “I remember my breath,” she says, “andknow that whatever I am eeling has nothingto do with her. I can back o.”

Elizabeth Chen has been teaching meditation

and mindul approaches to well-being, includ

ing MBSR, to Central Floridians in a variety o

settings since 1996.

Elzbeh Cohe (secod ow, le) wh clss o gdes om he mdless clss she hs led sce J o 2007 he Lowell Coecol ise oWome Ocl, Flod.




How can we build the quality o mind-

ulness in our chi ldren, our classrooms,and our schools?

The Oakland-based Mindul Schoolsprogram, o which I am a co-ounder and co-director, teaches children in public and privateelementary, middle, and high schools how tobe more mindul o their thoughts and actions.As o the all o 2009, Mindul Schools hadbrought our fve-week in-class mindulnesstraining to over 7,000 children in 26 schools,22 o which serve low-income children. Theprogram is secular, extremely cost-eective,and uses short, interactive exercises that aretailored or children. Both quantitative and

qualitative responses rom teachers, prin-cipals, and students have indicated that ourprogram greatly improves the classroom andthe overall school environment.

Here are some guidelines that MindulSchools has created or educators who wantto incorporate mindulness into the schoolday, or or anyone who wants to teach mind-ulness to children, based on our experienceswith Mindul Schools.

Purpose. Because this is a tool thatstudents can utilize throughout their lie, it isimportant that the connotation o “mindul-

ness” remains accurate. Mindulness, when

applied appropriately, includes the qualitieso awareness (paying attention to one’s expe-rience through the senses and the mind); o non-judgment (not labeling things “good”or “bad” but rather observing with a neutralattitude); and o stillness in heart and mind(though the body may be moving). Althoughit may be tempting to use mindulness as a disciplinary tool, mindulness should not beused to demand a certain behavior. It inher-ently includes the quality o acceptance.

Have your own mindfulness practice.This will make you more eective at teaching mindulness. We can only oer what we have

developed ourselves.Choose a time for mindfulness. We

are creatures o habit! Try to always practicemindulness at the same time. Many teachersnd mindulness helps their class settle downater recess or ater lunch. O course, youmay do it more than once a day.

Create the environment. Make it clearthat mindulness is a special time: clear o desks, perhaps move to the carpet, or have allchairs ace the ront o the room. Ask studentsnot to take bathroom breaks and rerain romtalking and moving or a little while.

Get the students involved. The best wayto make sure you remember to do mindulnessis to enlist the help o your students. Create arotation schedule or “who gets to ring themindulness bell.” I you practice mindulnessat the same time every day, pretty soon youwon’t have to remember—whoever’s turn it iswill remind you!

You share. Because children respondwell when we relay our own experiences

you can share with the students i, how, andwhen you are using mindulness in your lieI you share a recent story o when you wereovercome with emotion or used mindulnessto help you deal with an emotion, they canhear how it is applied.

They share. Many young students like toshare what they’ve noticed or experiencedduring mindulness, or maybe somethingthat was challenging or distracting. Sharingalso allows others to be aware o things tonotice while practicing mindulness that theymay not have heard otherwise.

Practice every day! The sooner you

begin integrating mindulness exercises intoyour daily classroom routine, even or just aminute at a time, the quicker it will become apart o the classroom culture.

Use the instructions and script belowor a daily mindulness lesson; it can be donein just one or two minutes. I you like, youcan get more creative and add more in-depthlessons, or practice or longer periods. Youcan do the same thing every day. A simplelesson to repeat daily is one minute o mindul listening and one minute o mindubreathing.

1. “Please get into your ‘mindul bodies’—

stiland quiet, sitting upright, eyes closed.”

2. “Now place all your attention on thesound you are about to hear. Listen untithe sound is completely gone.”

3. Ring a “mindulness bell,” or have a studenring the bell. Use a bell with a sustainedsound or a rainstick to encourage mindulistening.

4. “Please raise your hand when you can nolonger hear the sound.”

5. When most or all have raised their handsyou can say, “Now slowly, mindully, moveyour hand to your stomach or chest, and

just eel your breathing.”6. You can help students stay ocused during

the breathing with reminders like, “Jusbreathing in … just breathing out …”

7. Ring the bell to end.

Megan Cwan is a co-ounder and co-directo

o the Mindul Schools program (www.mind

ulschools.org), based in Oakland, Caliornia.

tps o techgMdless o KdsBy MEGAN CoWAN





PrOGraMS

The Center r Mindulness in Medicine,

Health Care, and Sciet, ounded by Jon

Kabat-Zinn, oer a number o pathways or

people to cultivate a sense o well-being,condence, and creativity, including the

renowned Mindulness-Based Stress Reduc-

tin (MBSR) program. www.umassmed.

edu/cm, 508-856-2656

The Garrisn Institute explores the intersection

o contemplation and engaged action in

the world. Its programs include trainings

or teachers that help them encourage

mindulness in their students and research

partnerships aimed at studying the use o

mindulness in American public schools

(see page 2). www.garrisoninstitute.org,

845-424-4800

Gateless Gate Zen Center is a retreat and

residency program that uses Buddhism,

meditation, and other mindulness

studies or practices to reduce the likelihood

incarcerated individuals will return to prison

by helping them develop values and practical

skills, such as sel-discipline and impulse

control, that are useul or a purposeul lie.

Abbot K.C. Walpole o the GGZC helped

establish the Mind-Body Stress Reduction

program at the Lowell Correctional Institute

or Women (see page 5). www.gatelessgate.

org/prison, 352-222-0006

The Hawn Fundatin, in collaboration with

educators and researchers, has developed

MindUP, a complete program or students in

grades K-7 ocusing on mindulness, positive

human qualities, optimism, and well-being.

www.thehawnoundation.org

Hrizn Cmmunities in Prisn uses a

consensual, multi-aith based approach

to encourage prison inmates to discuss

their lie experiences in a trustworthy and

supportive environment, transorming the

prison into a place o growth rather than oneo punishment. It serves as a co-sponsor o

the Mind-Body Stress Reduction program at

the Lowell Correctional Institute or Women

(see page 5). www.horizoncommunities.org,

407-252-6123

InnerKids is a non-prot oundation that

uses mindul awareness programs to help

under-served school children improve their

confict resolution and attention skills.

www.innerkids.org, 310-440-4869

The Mindul Awareness Research Center at

UCLA osters and publicizes research to

support the scientic benets o mindul

awareness, oering tools and classes to

proessionals in mental health, medicine,

and K-12 education. http://marc.ucla.edu,

310-206-7503

The Mindulness-Based Childbirth and Parent-

ing Prgram oers classes and training or

parents-to-be on using mindulness to help

in childbirth and early parenting (see page

3). www.mindulbirth.org , 415-353-7718

BOOKS anD artiCLES

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful

Parenting , by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn. New

York: Hyperion, 1997.

Full Catastrophe Living , by Jon Kabat-Zinn.New York: Delta, 1990.

Wherever You Go, There You Are , by Jon

Kabat-Zinn. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

Bwen, S., et al. (2009). Mindulness-based

relapse preventin r substance use

disrders: Implementatin and efcac.

Journal of Substance Abuse , 30, 295-305.

This study examined a mindulness-based

relapse prevention program or people in

recovery or substance use disorders. Over

our months, those in the program showed

greater reductions in days o alcohol anddrug use compared to those in a dierent

program, along with signicantly greater

reductions in craving and a greater ability to

act with awareness.

Brwn, K. W., Ran, R. M., & Creswell, J. D.

(2007). Mindulness: Theretical undatins

and evidence r its salutar eects.

Psychological Inquiry , 18(4), 211–237.

A review o studies o mindulness, nding

evidence that mindulness does signicantly

improve mental and physical health, behav-

ior regulation, and relationships.

Burke, C. (2009). Mindulness-Based

Appraches with Children and Adlescents:

A Preliminar Review Current Research in

an Emergent Field. Journal of Child and Family

Studies , 18(3), 1062-1024.

This review o the emerging studies on the

eectiveness o mindulness programs or

children, rom pre-school age to high-school,

concludes that mindulness programs or

kids are easible and can improve concentra-

tion and well-being, but larger studies with

better methods are still needed.

Davidsn, R. J., et al. (2003). Altera tins

in brain and immune unctin prduced b

mindulness meditatin. Psychosomatic

Medicine, 65(4), 564–570. A randomized

experiment o healthy workers in the United

States showing that those who took an

eight-week mindulness course showed

increased activity in a brain area related to

positive emotions and a stronger immune

system response, with ndings conrmed

our months later.

Duncan, L.G., & Bardacke, N. (2009). Mindul-

ness-based childbirth and parenting educa-

tin: Prmting amil mindulness during the

perinatal perid. Journal of Child and Family

Studies (in press). This study o expectant

mothers enrolled in the Mindulness-Based

Childbirth and Parenting Program ound that

they showed increased positive emotions

and mindulness and decreased pregnancy

anxiety and depression, as well as reported

benets in early parenting.

Napli, M., Krech, P. R., & Hlle, L. C. (2005).Mindulness training r elementar schl

students: The At tentin Academ. Journal

of Applied School Psychology , 21, 99-125.

Given a 24-week training in exercises meant

to boost mindulness, students rom grades

1-3 showed improvements in attentional

capabilities compared to those who had not

participated.

Samuelsn, M., et al. (2007). Mindulness-

Based Stress Reductin in Massachusetts

Crrectinal Facilities. The Prison Journal , 87

254-268.

Comparing inmates in drug units beore andater a mindulness-based stress-reduction

course, this study ound that the prisoners

showed less hostility and mood disturbance

aterwards, as well as increased sel-esteem

Mdless resoces

“The Greater Good Guide to Mindulness”

is published as a resource or members

o the Greater Good Science Center. It

is part o the “Greater Good Guides” to

topics covered by the Center’s “Scienceo a Meaningul Lie” event and video

series. To learn more about the series, the

guides, and other benets o membership,

please visit www.greatergoodscience.org

You can also contact Greater Good by

email at [email protected], by phone

at 510-642-2490, or by mail at 2425

Atherton St, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

94720-6070.

Greater Good Guide edited by Jason Marsh

Graphic design by Alonso Jaramillo, iarte design

Mindfulness Guide Final 1

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