MBSR and the Body

What will MBSR do for my physical body? What about my pain, my injury, or simply my discomfort?

In the MBSR program we use mindful hatha yoga. In contrast with athletic or competitive yoga, mindful hatha yoga is based on the somatosensory system. Increased attention to our sense of proprioception helps relieve physical pain as well as the anxiety that often accompanies such pain.

The primary focus of mindful hatha yoga is on somatic awareness, on breathing, and on the bodily sensations that build the neural pathway of our nervous system, making up the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The attention on somatic awareness organically relaxes the mind into the “here and now.” 

Adapted from Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn:

“The word “yoga” means “yoke” in Sanskrit. It implies a harnessing together and unifying of body and mind. Yoga can be a form of meditation, and when done regularly, it is an excellent Mind/Body discipline for people who wish to move to a greater level of health.”