Sheila Wall, MSW, mindfulness coach and trainer and the president of In Synchrony, LLC, is offering an eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in two locations this fall in partnership with Carol Shear, a registered nurse, integrative health coach and the owner of Rise Up Coaching, LLC.

A free introductory session will be held on October 8 at 636 Old Post Road in Fairfield. The Thursday classes will run from October 15 through December 10 from 6:30 to 9pm. On October 5, a free introduction will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury, located at 24 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury. The eight-week Danbury training will take place Mondays 6:30-9pm from October 12 through November 30.

MBSR is a method of using mindfulness practices and techniques to cultivate non-judgmental, present-moment awareness to reduce stress, pain and illness. Participants learn to observe default reactions to life’s stressors and discover that they are at choice to respond, instead of react, to daily challenges and stressors. Throughout the program, these practices are applied to everyday situations.

The course features daily home assignments in concert with practical class time, which includes guided meditations, group dialogue and individually tailored instruction. Participants receive an MBSR workbook and CDs/mp3s for practice between classes.

Common conditions that benefit from MBSR include anxiety, chronic pain, cancer, depression, high blood pressure, sleep problems, stomach/bowl ailments, headaches, and a desire for an overall elevated quality of life.

Both Wall and Shear trained in MBSR at UMass Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society.

To register for the free introduction and/or the MBSR eight-week program, visit DanburyMBSRIntroandProgram.eventbrite.com for the Danbury location or
FairfieldMBSRIntroandProgram.eventbrite.com for Fairfield. For more information, email Carol Shear at [email protected], call 203-452-9614 or visit RiseUpCoaching.com or contact Sheila Wall at [email protected] or 203-216-6243.