Instructors: Dr. Jacqueline Masson, MD, CM, FRCP(C) & Dr. M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, CRCP(C) 

The Mindful Awareness Training Program (MATP) for stress reduction is modeled on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. This program is the largest hospital based stress reduction program in the U.S.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is simply paying attention on purpose in the present moment with a non-judgemental quality of mind. This clears and prepares the mind to respond in more effective ways to the challenges we face.

WHO CAN BENEFIT?

Mindful Awareness Training is useful for people with stress related to:
• chronic pain
• cancer
• arthritis
• anxiety / emotional distress
• heart disease
• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• fibromyalgia
• headaches
• constipation / irritable bowel
• other chronic medical conditions
• sleep disturbances
• family, job, financial and/or caregiver stressors

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Skills acquired during the eight weeks of training will be of lifelong benefit to those who continue with their regular daily practice. Participants learn to incorporate mindful awareness into their daily lives, and in so doing:

• cope more effectively with complex and upsetting life situations
• are more focussed and calm when responding to events rather than reacting with habitual, dysfunctional patterns that perpetuate distress
• discover more creative solutions to stressful life events
• cope more effectively with pain
• take greater control of our lives, in the moment
• are better able to concentrate and focus on what is important;
• improve the quality of our most valued relationships
• are more able to relax and find joy in everyday life.
• have more energy