“the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose,
in the present moment, and non-judgmentally”

Mindfulness is knowing what we are experiencing while we are experiencing it. Not getting caught up in ruminative thinking or stories we tell ourselves, but paying attention to things as they actually are in any given moment, however they are, rather than as we want them to be.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a group-based program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn over 40 years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (UMASS). It is founded on ancient Eastern philosophies but is taught in a secular, or non-religious way. Since 1979, over 25,000 people have completed the UMASS program working with their own internal resources and abilities to respond more effectively to chronic and acute stress, pain, and illness. The systematic program teaches mindfulness through formal and informal meditation practices, gentle and simple movement practices, and group discussions. MBSR has been adopted around the world, being taught in many languages, and is the basis of much of the research on meditation as it relates to health and wellbeing.

Emerging research supports a number of health related benefits associated with practicing mindfulness exercises: improved focus/attention, body awareness, pain modulation, changes in perspective, emotional regulation and structural brain changes.

The course consists of a 2-hour Orientation class, eight weekly 2.5-hour classes, and a 7.5-hour all-day class.

The orientation will describe the course in detail.

The weekly classes explore mindfulness concepts and share experiences from practicing during the week.

The all-day class is typically held after the 5th or 6th week.

Participants are provided with audio recordings and homework activities to practice daily on their own.

Announcing a new MBSR Class, January 12 - March 9, 2026, live and in-person at Sky Creek Dharma Center in Chico, CA!

Proposed Schedule Subject to change

1. Orientation: Monday, January 12, 2026, 6-8pm
2. Class One: Monday, January 19, 2026, 6-8:30pm
3. Class Two: Monday, January 26, 2026, 6-8:30pm
4. Class Three: Monday, February 2, 2026, 6-8:30pm
5. Class Four: Monday, February 9, 2026, 6-8:30pm
6. Class Five: Monday, February 16, 2026, 6-8:30pm
7. All-Day: Saturday, February 21, 2026, 9am-4:30pm
8. Class Six: Monday, February 23, 2026, 6-8:30pm
9. Class Seven: Monday, March 2, 2026, 6-8:30pm
10. Class Eight: Monday, March 9, 2026, 6-8:30pm

Tuition: Suggested $250 donation to Sky Creek Dharma Center. We encourage you to pay what you can. All donations go to the non-profit center; teachers are not paid.

Email MBSRinEnglish@gmail.com for questions and to sign up for limited seats.

Marianne holds introductory community meditations and can be available for individual sessions.

• MBSR is an excellent way to take a new approach to life for anyone. Having a long history of anxiety and now having a new normal as a result of a traumatic brain injury, mindfulness is a healthy tool that I can use to live my life more fully and strengthen my relationships with others.

• Marianne's MBSR course was professionally delivered and life-changing! She is a gifted teacher -- committed to both the people and the practice. Marianne and this class have made a positive difference in my life. I am grateful to her.

• Learning to focus on the here and now, your self and your being right now, gives rise to a slowing down of the clock's hands and acknowledgment of the preciousness of this thing we call life.

• Marianne is perfect for this program. I was very fortunate to be able to join the group in this experience!

• Excellent, very enlightening. Forced me to take time out of a very busy life to de-stress and feel my way into simply being aware of being aware.

• It was wonderful! Words do not express the joy of being a participant of such an experience! Marianne is a very competent instructor, easy to listen to and very organized. There was never any down time, the program flowed naturally with her expert guidance.

• The structure of the course was valuable to me because it built upon the previous week, which made it manageable. The full day meditation was also beneficial, because it allowed me to explore different types of meditation and prolonged mindfulness to make discoveries.

If you are interested in finding out more about the next 8-week MBSR course or want to know more about how Mindfulness exercises might benefit you, please contact me:
Email: MBSRinEnglish@gmail.com
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