New Stress Management Programs at Penn

Spring is a great time to find new balance, and take moments to get on track with work, home life and fun with your family.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness is a mindfulness-based stress management program that teaches you how to use meditation as the primary tool for long-term stress management. Mindfulness meditation is taught in a completely practical way as a powerful tool to manage the physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms of stress.

Below are some of the classes offered from the Penn Program for Mindfulness this spring.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Management

This highly acclaimed eight-week program course will teach you a variety of meditation techniques to help you to cultivate relaxation, clarity and stillness in your day-to-day life. You will learn to recognize your unique reactions to stress, to find more effective ways to respond to stressful situations, and discover how to use your own inner resources to find greater health and well-being.

• Eight 2-½ hour weekly classes and one full day Saturday on June 7. (CE Credits available)
• Eight-week courses start week of April 28, 2014.
• Nine classes in eight locations in PA and NJ.

Mindfulness-based stress management is perfect for anyone hoping to maintain focus and learn positive ways to manage stress.

Penn Mindfulness Programs begin week of April 28 – registration deadline, April 24.

Learn more or register here. 

The Neuroscience of Meditation

In recent years, scientists have learned a lot about the brains and lives of people who meditate. We have learned that meditation affects multiple aspects of brain function and structure, including metabolic activity, neural communication, and even the composition of brain tissue itself. Several recent discoveries, such as the influence of meditation on neuroplasticity and how it leads to synchronization between left and right sides of the brain, provide us with a deeper understanding of how embodied meditation supports personal integration and psychological growth.


Join us on Wednesday, April 23 from 7 to 9 pm for a special presentation reviewing some of these most interesting and important new discoveries in the neuroscience of meditation. This presentation, suitable for the lay public as well as scientists and clinicians, will review of some of these most interesting and important new discoveries in the neuroscience of meditation.

Learn more or register here. 

Healing the Heart and Mind: Mindfulness Meditation for Health Care Professionals

Annual eight-week mindfulness based stress program for health care providers. CME, CEU, CE credits available. Discount for Penn Medicine employees.

Class starts May 1, 2014.
Learn more or register here.

Penn Program for Mindfulness Welcomes Back Sharon Salzberg

The Penn Program for Mindfulness is delighted to welcome Sharon Salzberg back to Philadelphia for two special events on May 20-31, 2014. May 30 will feature an evening lecture titled “Real Happiness at Work." Saturday, May 31 will feature a 3-hour workshop focused on “Loving kindness in the Face of Adversity”.

Learn more or register here.

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Fall Mindfulness-Based Stress Management Programs at Penn

Whether you’re returning to a “back-to-school” schedule with your kids, or just getting back to a routine after summer vacations and getaways, the fall is a great time to find new balance, and take moments to get on track with work, school and fun with your family.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness is a mindfulness-based stress management program that teaches you how to use meditation as the primary tool for long-term stress management. Mindfulness meditation is taught in a completely practical way as a powerful tool to manage the physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms of stress, and as a proven means of supporting inner balance, growth and quality of life..

Mindfulness-based stress management is perfect for anyone to help you maintain focus and learn positive ways to manage your stress.

Foundation Mindfulness-Based Stress Management Programs at Penn

Introduction to Mindfulness - $49 (Waived if enrolled in 8-week program)

These 2-hour workshops will give you an overview of mindfulness and how it could potentially improve your health, happiness and quality of life as you reduce stress.

• Radnor, PA: September 10, 2013
• University City: September 16, 2013
• Moorestown, NJ: September 17, 2013

Learn more or register here.

Foundation Stress Management Programs -$549

This highly acclaimed eight-week program will teach you a variety of meditation techniques to help you to cultivate relaxation, clarity and stillness in your day-to-day life. You will learn to recognize your unique reactions to stress, to find more effective ways to respond to stressful situations, and discover how to use your own inner resources to find greater health and well-being.

• Eight 2-½ hour weekly classes and one full day Saturday or Sunday session. (CE Credits available)
• Eight-week courses starting week of September 23, 2013.
• Ten classes in eight locations in PA and NJ

Learn more or register here.

Advanced Programs

Advanced programs are designed to allow 8-week foundation course graduates explore a variety of topics and deepen one’s ability to apply mindfulness to life. We offer 4-week courses, half day and full day retreats for experienced meditators.
Learn more or register here.

Mindfulness in Education

Introductory workshop for K-12 Teachers, Counselors & School Personnel September, 28, 2013 - $49

Learn more or register here.

Teaching Mindfulness to Children: 6 week program for K-12 Educators, Counselors & School Personnel Starting September 16, 2013 - $289

Learn more or register here.

MindfulMe! - $289

This six-part series teaches teens tools to reduce stress, worry, and anxiety, while increasing feelings of well-being. Teens will learn highly effective mindfulness techniques that can be used in and out of school to address the many stresses teens face. If you are or know a high-school student looking for positive ways to “chill out,” this program is for you. Starts September 11, 2013.
Learn more or register here.

Mindfulness Programs for Health Care Professionals

Healing the Heart and Mind: Mindfulness Meditation for Health Care Professionals - $495

Annual eight-week mindfulness-based stress program for health care providers. CME, CEU, CE credits available. Discount for Penn Medicine employees.

Class starts September 26, 2013.
Learn more or register here.

One-Day Retreat for Health Care Professionals on September 21, 2013

Learn more or register here. (prior mindfulness experience required)

For more information or to register, go to www.pennmedicine.org/mindfulness. Click here to join our mailing list and receive announcements of upcoming events.

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Tools and Inspiration for Mindful Living from Penn Medicine

2nd Annual Living from the Heart Award: An Evening Honoring Sharon Salzberg

The Penn Program for Mindfulness will proudly honor Sharon Salzberg with its 2nd Annual Living from the Heart award.

Sharon Salzberg is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts. She has been a student of meditation since 1971, guiding meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Sharon’s newest book, Real Happiness, The Power of Meditation, was published by Workman Publishing in January 2011.

Sharon is a regular contributor the Huffington Post, and was a contributing editor of Oprah’s O Magazine for several years. She has appeared in Time Magazine, Yoga Journal, msnbc.com, Tricycle, Real Simple, Body & Soul, Mirabella, Good Housekeeping, Self, Buddhadharma, More and Shambhala Sun, as well as on a variety of radio programs.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness bestows this prestigious award to individuals who have paved the way for mindfulness practices to take root in our culture. Please join us as we celebrate the many ways that Sharon has helped to make a difference in our world.

Sharon will give a brief talk about mindfulness and lead us in a guided meditation.

Join Penn Medicine for the 2nd Annual Living from the Heart Award: An Evening Honoring Sharon Salzberg

Date: Friday, May 10, 2013
Time: 7 to 8:30 pm
Cost: $20
Location: Benchmark School, Media, PA

Learn more about Sharon Salzberg.

Support the Penn Program for Mindfulness by making a gift today, and help ensure all people have access to important tools.

Meditation Workshop- Meditation: Tools for Awakening Courage, Faith and Compassion

This workshop focuses on the practical tools that help us go beyond our constricting habitual patterns, such as fear and denial. Awakening the inner capacities we all have, meditation allows us to transform our worldview from one of isolation and confusion to one of connection, clarity and compassion.

Especially in times of uncertainty, meditation opens us to the power of faith and courage based on seeing things just as they are.

This workshop is suitable for both new and experienced students. The workshop will consist of guided meditations, talks and time for questions and answers.

Join Penn Medicine for Meditation: Tools for Awakening Courage, Faith and Compassion

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Time: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Cost: $49
Location: Benchmark School, Media, PA

To register for one or both of these events, or to support the program with a philanthropic gift, please visit www.pennmedicine.org/mindfulness.

Call 215-615-2774 or email mindfulness@uphs.upenn.edu for questions or more information.

Proceeds from these programs enable the Penn Program for Mindfulness to develop and deliver new, innovative programs that help those in need.

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Let Penn Help You Manage the Stress of Cancer

As many people living with cancer integrate mindfulness into their treatment and recovery, studies show they experience a variety of positive benefits including: improved psycho-social functioning, reduction in stress symptoms, less fatigue and better sleep, deep physical relaxation, and an opening of compassion for themselves and others.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness teaches people with cancer and their loved ones how to manage the stresses of life with powerful mindfulness-based tools. Penn's mindfulness programs will teach patients and their families how to actively manage the range of challenges they may face in life while learning to enhance well-being, improve relationships, and increase productivity.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness is hosting two events for people with cancer and their loved ones.

Living with Mindfulness: Managing the Stress of Cancer (A 4-week series)

This program is for people affected by cancer and the people that love them. During the four week program, a series of mindfulness tools including meditation, movement, guided imagery, and deep relaxation methods will encourage participants to set aside time from treatment and other day-to-day activities to find peace and freedom from unnecessary emotional reactions created by automatic "what if" thinking.

Dates: Thursday mornings beginning October 25 through November 15, 2012
Time: 10 am to Noon
Location: 3930 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor; Philadelphia, PA 19104
Cost $95
Please register by October 18, 2012

A Day of Mindfulness Meditation for People Affected by Cancer

Join us for a Mindfulness retreat. This retreat is specifically for people affected by cancer and the people who love them. You will practice a series of mindfulness tools including meditation, movement, guided imagery, and deep relaxation. Portions of the day will be held in silence.

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2012
Time: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Location: 3930 Chestnut Street, 3rd Floor; Philadelphia, PA 19104
Cost: $85
Please register by November 8, 2012

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Penn Program for Mindfulness

The Penn Program for Mindfulness provides powerful tools for coping and personal growth. Combining modern cognitive science with ancient mindfulness techniques, the program teaches people with cancer to change the way that they experience themselves and their world with skillfully applied mindfulness approaches to start anew.

Founded by Dr. Michael Baime in 1992 to help patients with serious health conditions cope with the stress, pain, and losses associated with illness, the program now benefits anyone who wishes to find a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling way to live. More than 99 percent of people who complete the Penn Program for Mindfulness say they plan to refer family members and friends.

Mindfulness Programs for People With Cancer

With the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn, the Penn Program for Mindfulness has created targeted programs to help individuals and families who face cancer. These programs will train patients and their caregivers to cultivate mindfulness skills to enhance their ability to manage the challenges associated with cancer, to strengthen their inner resources for coping and to find more depth and meaning in life.

The Penn Program for Mindfulness has taught more than 10,000 people to:

• Manage difficulty and stress
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Cope with trauma and loss
• Increase focus and mental clarity
• Improve communication in relationships
• Find purpose, meaning, and beauty in life

What Benefit Does Mindfulness Provide?

An impressive and growing body of science supports our claims and the testimonials of our participants. Extensive research has demonstrated that mindfulness training improves mood and quality of life, increases working memory and resistance to distraction, and enhances emotional regulation. It is used as an effective treatment for a wide variety of medical and psychological illnesses and symptoms. More than ever before in our culture, people are turning to mindfulness and meditation for help with managing stress.

Learn about upcoming mindfulness programs, and how to register for mindfulness programs for people with cancer.

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