Mindfulness Course Starts June 2026
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (ONLINE)
Tuesdays, June 2 -July 28, 2026, 6pm-8:30pm eastern
ALL DAY Session July 18, 9am-4pm
ENROLLING NOW THROUGH MAY 26
Reduce stress and improve well-being with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This 8-week highly experiential program provides participants with intensive and systematic training in mindfulness meditation and movement practices. Developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, MBSR combines ancient contemplative practices with psychology and neuroscience to help individuals enhance self-awareness, reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and increase overall well-being. This evidence-based program has been widely studied across the world and is effective in improving mental and physical health, reducing stress, and enhancing overall quality of life.
MBSR can help you:
Develop moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, behaviors, physical sensations, and stress reactivity patterns.
Manage short-term and chronic stress with greater equanimity, clarity, and calm.
Navigate chronic pain and illness with greater resilience.
Increase kindness toward yourself and others.
PROGRAM DETAILS
This is a fully online course. All sessions will be held via Zoom.
Participants will need: (1) a private space where they can experience the course (a room with a closed door is sufficient); (2) a computer or tablet with Zoom installed (this is a CAMERAS ON course); and (3) reliable internet access. It may also be helpful to have a headset to help with sound quality (any cheap headset with a microphone will do).
This program includes:
A required orientation (two options: Saturday, May 9, 10-11:30am eastern OR Tuesday, May 26, 7-8:30pm eastern)
Eight weekly classes, held on Tuesdays, June 2-July 28, from 6-8:30pm eastern (no class on June 23; classes 1 and 8 will run from 6-9pm).
One all-day retreat, held on Saturday, July 18, from 9am-5pm eastern.
Initial one-on-one meeting with the instructor, with additional check-in opportunities available throughout the course.
Daily home practice, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Curriculum:
Orientation: Meet the instructor and other participants. Provide overview of MBSR, including logistics, requirements, and guidelines for participation.
Week 1: Review definition of mindfulness. Explore what it means to bring full awareness to the present moment. Engage in MBSR practices of mindful eating and body scan.
Week 2: Explore how perception impacts experience and how mindfulness can support more creative and expansive perspectives. Explore varied sitting postures and supports for practice.
Week 3: Introduce the idea of bodyfulness and explore practices that support mindfulness of the body, including mindful movement, sitting meditation, and walking meditation.
Week 4: Discuss how mindfulness helps us to understand the nature of stress and how it affects us. Explore various options for working with discomfort, especially in the body.
Week 5: Utilize mindfulness to identify and interrupt automatic, habitual, and conditioned patterns of stress reactivity.
All Day Retreat: This guided online mini-retreat helps participants to deepen their practice and further integrate MBSR skills into their daily lives.
Week 6: Extend the discussion of stress to interpersonal relationships and communication. Explore how mindfulness can enable more heartfelt, authentic, courageous, and vulnerable relating.
Week 7: As we enter the end of the program, we will look at how mindfulness practices impact everyday living and the choices that promote self-care.
Week 8: In this final session, we will revisit our learnings and discoveries in the program, and discuss how to maintain a lifetime of practice.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
No prior experience with meditation, yoga, or mind-body practices is required.
Participants must be:
18 years or older
Committed to attending each week's class (if you anticipate missing more than one session, it is best for you to take the course at another time)
Committed to daily practice (approximately 45 minutes each day)
Willing to engage in group discussions
While MBSR is aimed at the general public, it is not suitable for everyone. If you have a history of psychiatric issues (especially trauma, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or body dysmorphia), you are encouraged to discuss this with the instructor prior to the first class.
You should NOT take this program at this time if:
You have experienced a manic or hypomanic episode in the past six months.
You are currently self-harming or experiencing suicidal thoughts.
You are struggling with excessive use of alcohol, drugs, or other addictive substances.
You have recently suffered the death of a close friend or loved one.
You do not have 45 minutes each day to engage in the home practice assignments.
You plan to miss more than one session of the program.
This program is not therapy or a substitute for therapy. If you are currently under the care of a mental health practitioner, you should talk to your therapist or psychiatrist about whether it is appropriate for you to take this course at this time.
We will be engaging in some light yoga practices during this program. If you have physical conditions that limit your ability to do the mindful movements, you are welcome to show these postures to your health professional to gain advice on which postures you may want to avoid. The movements are not mandatory and the instructor will provide alternative instructions during each movement practice. Your body’s wisdom is always more important than the words of any instructor, so work with and within your limits and abilities at all times.
TUITION & REFUND POLICY
Tuition:
Standard rate: $475 (this is the full program cost)
Scholarship rate: $325 (this discounted rate is available for anyone who needs it, no questions asked)
Pay it forward rate: $600 (helps to offset the cost for scholarship registrants)
Refund Policy:
Cancellation up to and after the date of Orientation, but before date of Session 1: Tuition refund less $15 cancellation fee
Cancellation on or after the date of Session 1, but before date of Session 2: Tuition refund less $50 cancellation fee
Cancellation on or after the date of Session 2, but before date of Session 3: Tuition refund less $100 cancellation fee
Cancellation on or after the date of Session 3: No refund given
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Georgia and a pastoral theologian. She has been practicing meditation for over 20 years. In 2021, she began her formal training as a mindfulness teacher at the Brown University School of Professional Studies. She is Qualified Level 1 MBSR teacher. For more information, visit www.drchanequa.com.
Have questions about the course? Send me a message.