Is stress affecting your health? Is pain causing you stress? A new class at Southern Illinois University Neuroscience Institute aims to use mindfulness-based meditation techniques to complement traditional medical and psychological treatments.
SIU Psychiatry is offering an 8-week class on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, starting at
6 pm on
Monday, January 22, at Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU,
315 W. Carpenter St. in Springfield. The public is invited to attend a free orientation to learn more about the class is set for
5:30 pm,
Jan. 8 at the Centrum Building,
319 E. Madison St. Springfield.
“Physical and emotional stress is taking its toll on our health,” said program leader Ruta Kulys, LCSW. Pain complaints are a leading reason for medical visits in the United States. Chronic pain can lead to depression and anxiety or both.
Mindfulness based stress reduction has been shown to help treat many physical and emotional problems, including anxiety and panic attacks, fatigue, fibromyalgia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, high blood pressure and more.
“Stress weakens our immune system and makes it harder for us to do the things we need and want to do,” Kulys said.
Cost for the class is $400, covering 8 weekly classes, a half-day retreat and materials.
Classes include:
- Systematic instruction in formal mindfulness meditation practices
- General stretching and mindful yoga
- Group dialogue and discussions aimed at enhancing awareness in everyday life
- Daily home practice assignments
- Home practice CDs and handouts.
SIU Medicine’s Neuroscience Institute, established in 2015, consolidates SIU’s departments of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry into a single-site outpatient clinical care center in Springfield staffed by more than 50 neuroscience providers. The institute cares for patients with a range of disorders including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, spine disease, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression.
