Susan L. Woods - Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Protocol, Practice, and Teaching Skills

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is more than just a protocol, and this book is more than just a manual. It is a clear, cogent, and comprehensive guide to the teaching of mindfulness that is borne of the collective wisdom and experience of two remarkably gifted teachers and trainers. This book is a detailed reference and companion guide to teaching this transformational program that acknowledges the primary role of the embodiment of the teacher. I highly recommend this book to teachers of MBSR at every level of experience. Youll be glad you have it.

Steven D. Hickman, PsyD , executive director at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, founding director of the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness, and associate clinical professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine

What a wonderful offering on the art and science of MBSR and its implementation with an emphasis on trauma sensitivity, inclusivity, and diversity in serving all who live with stress, pain, or illness.

Bob Stahl, PhD , senior MBSR teacher at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, and coauthor of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook , Living with Your Heart Wide Open , Calming the Rush of Panic , and MBSR Every Day

This book goes to the heart of MBSR. It will prove to be an invaluable companion for MBSR teachers worldwide. The essence and spirit of the MBSR curriculum shines through, along with clear, practical, and down-to-earth guidance on form and structure. The writing honors the established integrity of the MBSR program, and simultaneously clearly communicates the relevance and contribution the program makes to this moment in history. A timely and welcome contribution to our field.

Rebecca Crane, PhD , director of the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University in the UK, and author of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

This wonderful book skillfully balances the practical of what, where, and who we teach with the conceptual/experiential of why and how. Importantly, it explores key issues in our field, including curriculum drift and dilution, certification, diversity, and online delivery among others. It is suitable for both new teachers-in-training, as well as the continuing education and development of established teachers of MBSR and other mindfulness programs. A huge contribution!

Evan J. Collins MD, FRPCPC , assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and coauthor of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

There is so much wisdom and skill here. It should be required reading for MBSR teacher training, and even experienced mindfulness instructors stand much to gain. From their personal experience of practice and teaching from the practice, these highly skilled trainers weave together valuable insights of embodiment and inquiry, and provide the most thorough discussion of the pedagogy of teaching mindfulness-based practices to be found anywhere.

Carl Fulwiler, MD, PhD , director of the MBCT training program at Cambridge Health Alliance

In the four decades since MBSR was founded, teachers have developed a great deal of wisdom and practical knowledge about how to make it work most effectively for participants. Woods and Rockman are two of the very best. They offer both deep insight and fingertip feel for how to engage participants of all kinds in MBSR as a living, breathing curriculumnot a static checklist of to-dos. They understand how to be both very faithful to the pillars of this groundbreaking program, and responsive to the needs of those who come to it at critical junctures in their lives. It also provides a treasure trove of resources for MBSR trainers.

Barry Boyce , founding editor of Mindful magazine and www.mindful.org

As one of the very first MBSR teachers with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Im thrilled to recommend this excellent book. Stunningly thorough and full of integrity, it is a godsend for anyone aspiring to teach MBSR and mindfulness-based programs. Based on their decades of experience, the authors unstinting generosity in offering detailed instructions to prospective teachers embodies the heart of what they are teaching. May the clarity, honesty, and power of their guidance on diversity and cultural relevance inspire everyone in the field!

Trudy Goodman, PhD , founding teacher at InsightLA, cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, and the fourth person trained to teach MBSR with Jon Kabat-Zinn

This wonderful book provides a trustworthy resource for anyone curious about MBSR. Written concisely, and packed with concrete examples, the authors provide an informative manual for delivering MBSR contextualized in the history, philosophy, and aspirations of the program. I was blown away by the quality of writing, especially on how a teacher can best embody mindful presence, and it was so helpful to see common pitfalls identified as well. Highly recommended!

Norman Farb, PhD , associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2021 by Susan Woods and Patricia Rockman

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Daniel; Acquired by Ryan Buresh; Edited by Karen Levy; Indexed by James Minkin; Illustrations by M. Lee Friedman

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Woods, Susan L., MSW, author.

Title: Mindfulness-based stress reduction : protocol, practice, and teaching skills / Susan Woods, Patricia Rockman, Diane Reibel, Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020041612 (print) | LCCN 2020041613 (ebook) | ISBN 9781684035601 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781684035618 (pdf) | ISBN 9781684035625 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Mindfulness (Psychology) | Stress (Psychology) | Mental health.

Classification: LCC BF637.M56 W66 2021 (print) | LCC BF637.M56 (ebook) | DDC 158.1/3--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020041612

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020041613

In memory of Ferris Buck Urbanowski, 19402019. S. W.

To Evan Collins. P. R.

Contents

Foreword

Let the beauty we love be what we do. Rumi

What a joy to immerse myself in reading Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Protocol, Practice, and Teaching Skills. I wish this book had been available to me as a beginning teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) twenty-five years ago. Simply stated, it is an engaging, comprehensive, and up-to-date guide for teaching MBSR.

Susan Woods and Patricia Rockman have been training teachers of MBSR and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for years. Their collaboration offers gems: wisdom, insight, and practical instructions supporting the development of new and experienced teachers. With exquisite clarity, they emphasize how skillful teaching depends upon ones personal practice, the use of specific teaching skills, and fidelity to a curriculum. I truly appreciate their reference to the MBSR curriculum as a living document. Certainly, the teacher must know the curriculum intimately, and at the same time be open and flexible to be able to respond to what arises in the classroom moment to moment. This requires the teachers embodied mindful presence. The authors illuminate the distinguishing features of this essential quality of embodiment in teaching MBSR.