#43: Understanding Mindfulness & Meditation-Updated

**Announcement** A Keen Mind will host a NEW Online Community Meditation Group: First Meeting: May 3rd, 4pm EST- Details and how to register below.

Meditation has been around for thousands of years, but it has not been until the last 40 years that science has taken a closer look at the benefits of a regular meditation practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a way of bringing mindfulness meditation into the mainstream.  Dr. Kabat-Zinn said that he wanted to make meditation as popular as jogging; in my opinion, I would say that he has done an amazing job making movement towards this goal!  He has helped to popularize meditation by inspiring the creation of over 750 MBSR programs worldwide.  Mindfulness-meditation has received national media attention and major corporations like Google and Aetna offer mediation classes because these skills are proven to improve employee health and decrease company costs.

People are flocking to meditation because they are looking for ways to combat the stress epidemic we have in our society.  We all face stress and currently, people are facing more stress than ever before. Stress over uncertainty, health/illness, loss, work, finances, relationships, time pressures, and a plethora of negative headlines have overtaken our well-being.  We’re juggling competing demands and need new coping skills that will help us live in the present moment instead of being fixated on the future or the past.

This episode will help you better understand what mindfulness and meditation are and what they are not. You will understand some of the latest research on the benefits of mindfulness meditation, as well as the risks in developing a meditation practice. This episode will also include a guided meditation.

The NEW Online Community Meditation Group that will be offered at the beginning of May is an opportunity to learn and practice mindfulness-meditation with the support of others. The group is open to everyone on a drop-in basis. There is no need to have prior meditation experience; however, you may find listening to this episode #43: Understanding Mindfulness and Meditation will help you understand more about mindfulness and meditation as you prepare to join the group. This community group draws on traditional meditations practiced in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and beyond. To learn more about the Online Community Meditation Group or to register, visit:  https://akeenmind.com/services-3/community-meditation-group/