Fundamental Mindfulness Principles and Practices

Course overview

Mindfulness training offers an evidence-based, innovative, therapeutic strategy for promoting patient well-being, stress self-regulation, and symptom relief and management. Pertinent to a wide range of patient populations and beneficial to patients of any ability, basic principles and practices of mindfulness training offer broad clinical applications to patient-centered care. As your personal experience of mindfulness impacts your ability to effectively teach these practices, this course provides you with an introduction to mindfulness and guidance in formal mindfulness practices including mindful breathing, body scan, and movement. Informal mindfulness practices that can be integrated into a daily routine are also introduced. Proposed mechanisms for supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness training are highlighted along with research examining the role of mindfulness training in managing stress. This course is for those who are new to mindfulness. Combining lecture and experiential exercises, this introductory course is applicable to healthcare professionals, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, athletic trainers, and registered nurses in both inpatient and outpatient settings, serving patients who would benefit from sensible, effective stress and symptom self-management strategies.