Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has emerged as a form of therapy that focuses on helping individuals develop greater awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations.

It differs from other forms of meditation by placing a strong emphasis on awareness of the present moment and the experience of thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise—rather than focusing on concentration or visualization techniques.

MBSR also differs because it is an intensive, structured program, with participants engaging in a set of practices over the course of several weeks or months. This differs from other forms of meditation that are more open-ended and flexible in terms of practice.

Here are some resources to get you started with MBSR.

Digital Resources

Digital resources are a great way to practice MBSR because you can practice anywhere, anytime.

1. Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn is a scientist, mindfulness teacher, and the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He is considered a pioneer in the field of mindfulness and has made significant contributions to the development and integration of mindfulness into mainstream medicine and society.

Kabat-Zinn has written several books on mindfulness and MBSR, including "Full Catastrophe Living", and has recorded many mindfulness meditation CDs and DVD programs. He has even developed the Jon Kabat-Zinn JKZ Meditations app.

This is where you'll want to go if you're looking for content that is the most authoritative on the topic, since Kabat-Zinn created MBSR.

2. MBSRTraining.com

If you are interested in another resource developed in partnership with Zinn and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, you can check out MBSRTraining.com. Here you can sign up to learn MBSR, which results in a Certificate of Completion from UMass.

You can access the original and entire MBSR online program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, which contains 92 audio lessons, 44 study texts, 12 videos, and instructions for a self-retreat. The program cost is $198 and is designed just like any other structured course of study you would find in any university—with lesson overviews, guided practices, and assignments.

MBSRTraining.com also offers other delivery methods, including a home study course that follows an eight-week curriculum taught by the Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine. This course includes 7 CDs, 3 DVDs, and a 106-page workbook. The program cost is $239.

Alternatively, you can sign up for an online course delivered by Sounds True. This eight-week audio training in MBSR costs $197 but offers a 100% guarantee if you are unsatisfied.

All three options include techniques such as body scanning and mindful movement practices in addition to traditional meditation practices, and completing any one of these programs will help you integrate the experience of mindfulness into daily life and physical activity.

3. Masterclass

If you are a subscriber to the Masterclass e-learning platform, Kabat-Zinn is there too—offering courses on how to incorporate meditation into your everyday life to improve your health and wellbeing. Specifically, you will learn how to cultivate a mindfulness practice, reduce your stress, and soothe your thoughts with meditation and movement.

While Kabat-Zinn's masterclass is not branded as an MBSR course, it includes much of the same content as dedicated MBSR courses and includes 20 video lessons spanning 6.5 hours in length.

If you're not already on the platform, learn how Masterclass differs from other e-learning platforms before signing up.

Palouse Mindfulness

If you're looking for an MBSR course that is completely free (though donations are welcome), check out Palouse Mindfulness. This website offers a self-paced MBSR course based on the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMass and is taught by Dave Potter, a long-time meditator, a fully certified MBSR instructor, and a retired professional psychotherapist.

Potter claims that students who complete the Palouse Mindfulness course typically have the same results as those who complete a paid, live MBSR course. Palouse Mindfulness courses are recorded, but you will be taught, through videos and readings, by well-known teachers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, Sylvia Boorstein, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Kristin Neff, and Shauna Shapiro.

To better integrate your practice into real life and to ensure you get the most out of the training, Palouse Mindfulness even offers optional weekly and monthly Zoom meetings. Here, you can join other students to ask questions about the practices you are studying.

Online Learning Platforms

There are other online learning platforms that offer MBSR. For example, Udemy offers a range of MBSR courses that range in price (from $30 to $100) and are available in several languages.

Over on LinkedIn Learning, you will find a 2.5-hour beginner-level introduction to mindfulness taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn and delivered in partnership with Sounds True.

Public Universities

The American Psychological Association recognizes MBSR as a research-backed way to improve mental and physical health. It can help you reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and even physical pain. For this reason, many universities offer MBSR courses:

Mobile Applications

MBSR includes techniques such as body scanning and mindful movement practices in addition to traditional meditation practices. This helps to integrate the experience of mindfulness into daily life.

Of course, there are many apps that can help you practice these techniques on your smartphone (what can't you do on that thing?). For example, Insight Timer and Headspace both feature content to teach you how to conduct a body scan, though you won't find the level of structure on these apps that you will in the courses outlined above.

Similarly, you can find MBSR content on Spotify, such as Guided MBSR Meditation with Ellen J. Buchman, MD; however, these are individual sessions taken from a broader—more structured—course. As such, these should only be considered as an example of what to expect from an MBSR course—and not MBSR in its entirety.

Practicing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Wherever You Are

In addition to scientific research, reviews of MBSR courses indicate that it is effective at reducing anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as providing reduced physical and psychological suffering.

By taking the initiative to complete an intensive MBSR course, you may find yourself responding to life in a more mindful, intentional, and effective way, resulting in improved levels of energy and greater enthusiasm for life.