Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: How Does It Work?

He mindfulnessis a type of meditation that includes cognitive and psychoeducational elements.

One of his quintessential programs is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed in 1990 by Kabat-Zinn, an American professor of medicine, an expert in yoga and Zen meditation.

In this article we will explain what this program consists of, what are its objectives, components and techniques that it uses. In addition, we will see what the empirical evidence says about its effectiveness and results, and we will learn about the characteristics and qualities of Mindfulness in general.

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Mindfulness: what is it?

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a type of Mindfulness-based program. Before explaining in detail what this program consists of, let's see what Mindfulness is and what its main elements are.

Mindfulness, also called full attention, encompasses a series of meditation techniques and tools aimed at focusing attention on the present moment. It is a contemplative experience, which intends not to judge, just observe and feel.

In addition, it includes cognitive elements, such as meditation, breathing, relaxation and yoga, among others, as well as another fundamental element: the Body Scan technique, focused on experiencing one's own bodily sensations.

This type of meditation has its origins in Zen Buddhist meditation. Kabat-Zinn is an American professor of medicine, considered an important figure in the field of Mindfulness, who promotes interest in it throughout the West. Kabat-Zinn, a leading practitioner of yoga and Zen meditation techniques, used the knowledge he had gained to create the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.

Qualities

Christopher K. Germer, doctor and creator of different Mindfulness programs, characterizes it with 8 qualities: according to him, Mindfulness is a non-conceptual process (where thoughts are not elaborated), present (focused on the here and now), non-evaluative, intentional (the participant decides where her attention is directed), which involves participant observation (non-judgmental), non-verbal, exploratory and liberating.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a type of program based primarily on meditation. It corresponds to the acronym MBSR, for its name in English "Mindfulness-based stress reduction program", and was developed by Kabat-Zinn, an American professor of medicine who is an expert in yoga and Zen meditation, in the year 1990.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, as its name suggests, aims to reduce stress and anxiety, either in healthy people or in people with some pathology (mental or physical). In addition, it favors attention and concentration, and promotes spirituality.

Characteristics

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction approach is psychoeducational; that is to say, this program focuses on providing the patient with the information she needs to understand what he is doing, what the therapy intends and the changes that you are feeling. Its structure is based on 8 weekly sessions, lasting 2 hours and a half each.

It is a group program, which has recorded support material, which allows participants to practice between sessions. On the other hand, through the sessions of the program, a series of formal guided instructions are administered, which allow the participants to acquire the Mindfulness skills necessary to reduce the force of the stress reaction and the detrimental effect it has on the people.

The goal of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is for the participant to increase their awareness about the present experience, and to do it moment by moment, without judging said experience.

empirical evidence

In studies carried out comparing this program in healthy subjects and in subjects with some type of disorder, it has been verified how the effects of improvement are produced in both groups of subjects. Furthermore, in another study, MBSR was compared to standard relaxation training, and the results showed how both treatments reduced stress, and did so equally.

On the other hand, studies show that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction can reduce stress and trait anxiety, as well as reflective thinking. In addition, it has also been shown how it can increase the self-compassion and empathy of the participant.

However, it is true that much more research is needed to provide reliable results with sufficient empirical evidence.

Techniques

The techniques that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction uses are essentially five. They are the following.

1. Body self-exam

Body self-examination, also called body scan, consists of the patient exploring his body in a very conscious way, focusing his attention and his energy on feeling each of the parts of his body. In essence, it is about experiencing the bodily sensations that the organism and the present experience provide.

2. Mindfulness or vipassana meditation

This can be done in a sitting position or walking. It consists of focusing on the present moment, trying to leave your mind blank, letting your thoughts flow and applying a series of breathing techniques.

3. Hatha Yoga Stretches and Poses

Hatha Yoga is a type of Yoga that includes a series of characteristic postures and stretches.. Like all types of Yoga, its objective is to unite the mind with the spirit and the body, acquiring an emotional balance.

4. Attention to daily life

Following the same line of mindfulness already mentioned, attention to daily life is another technique of stress reduction based on mindfulness. It is based on paying attention to what happens around us on a daily basis.; this attention is intentional and conscious.

5. Exercise to eat a grape with mindfulness

It can also be a raisin. It is an exercise that aims to increase our level of consciousness, focusing on an act as light as eating a grape or a raisin, thinking about what we feel at all times.

program components

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, like any Mindfulness program, has a number of intrinsic components. These are key to achieving stress reduction promoted by Mindfulness techniques, as well as the appearance of inner peace and mental and spiritual well-being.

1. Focus on the present moment

Like any Mindfulness practice, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction promotes intentional focus on the present moment. The goal is to develop full, quality care that is sustained and focused, rather than scattered and fragmented.

2. openness to experience

The second component of the MBSR is openness to experience., which implies living and participating in it with full awareness. This experience encompasses all the thoughts and bodily sensations that the person has, as well as the external stimuli that he perceives.

3. radical acceptance

This unconditional acceptance implies not being upset by unpleasant experiences and not become attached to pleasant experiences. It involves accepting and letting go.

4. Not judge

It is important that the participant does not judge himself or the experiences he experiences; the MBSR also promotes non-judgment in general. It is a program that aims to open the mind and the perspective that one has of things.

5. relinquish control

The last component of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is based on relinquishing any kind of control that you intend to exercise; Thus, it promotes the fact of not seeking direct control of thoughts, experiences and oneself, and simply letting things happen. In short, it encourages "being" instead of "doing".

Bibliographic references:

• Chiesa, A. and Seretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. J Toggle Complement Med, 15(5): 593-600.

• Feixas, G; Miró, T. (1993). Approaches to psychotherapy. An introduction to psychological treatments. Ed. Paidos. Barcelona.

• Parra, M., Montañés, J., Montañés, M. and Bartholomew, R. (2012). Knowing Mindfulness. Essays, Magazine of the Faculty of Education of Albacete, 27: 29-46.