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Mental Health at McMaster

McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being

Mac Mindfulness: Program for Faculty, Staff, Postdocs and Graduate Students

Mac Mindfulness logo.

Overview

Ready to try mindfulness or want to expand your existing practice?

Mac Mindfulness invites you to participate in a 4-session mindfulness program to help you develop a more grounded perspective on your work and personal life experiences. These sessions are guided by the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (formerly known as Koru), an evidence-based mindfulness curriculum designed originally for university-aged adults that is now being widely used across campuses and in communities.

This program is offered for free to members of the McMaster community.

What You Will Learn

The program will help you better manage your stress and focus. Mindfulness participants who have completed the program have learned and applied the mindfulness-based, stress management strategies and reported that they feel improved calmness and greater self-compassion and awareness.

Photo of Cara-Jane Dempsey.
Cara-Jane Dempsey

Lead – Mac Mindfulness Coach

Mac Mindfulness sessions are facilitated by Cara-Jane Dempsey. Cara-Jane works with the Deputy Provost in the Office of the Provost and is responsible for the development and implementation of faculty leadership and development programs and initiatives. Cara-Jane is a certified Koru Mindfulness Teacher and runs Mindfulness classes for community groups and McMaster faculty, staff and students.

Information Box Group

When, Where & How to Register

  • Dates: Offered throughout the year. Please check back regularly for details.
  • Time: 75 minutes each session (4 sessions in total)
  • Location: Virtual (Zoom)
  • Cost: Free
  • Register: Visit the Register tab in the navigation menu.

Space is limited to 15 participants per course. Commitment to the full 4 sessions is encouraged.

Questions? Contact Us

If you have any questions about the Mac Mindfulness program or would like to discuss programming options, please contact us below.

 

What is Mindfulness?

About

Mindfulness is paying attention, with an attitude of curiosity, to whatever we are doing in the moment. It is a non-judgemental awareness that uses all our senses and can be done anytime and anywhere — drinking our coffee, doing the dishes or even brushing our teeth.

Mindfulness is learning to inhabit the moment exactly as it is and to see things as they are, without trying to control it.

Mindfulness can help us develop the internal conditions (thoughts, feelings, sensations) that lead to long-term happiness/contentment so that we are not so vulnerable to the constantly changing external conditions of our life experiences.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Practicing meditation allows us to live more mindfully. It is an exercise or technique that helps build our mindfulness muscle.

It is when we set our intention to spend a period of time bringing our attention back, over and over again to an anchor or object of meditation (such as our breath). There are many ways you can meditate — such as a seated guided meditation, a visualization meditation, a walking meditation or an eating meditation.

Meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety and help improve our sleep and well-being.

Infographic about the 5 Top Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation. The first benefit is more patience. In our lightning-fast instant gratification culture, it’s easy to get distracted. Mindfulness teaches us to practice patience so it comes more naturally to us when we need it. The second benefit is better focus and productivity. It’s tempting to get caught up in social media, interruptions, and unhelpful thoughts. Mindfulness helps us recognize distracting thoughts or impulses and let them pass without indulging them. The third benefit is increased compassion. Mindfulness broadens compassion for ourselves and others by helping us suspend self-judgement and bring our attention back to the present moment. The fourth benefit is heightened body awareness. We tend to lose awareness of what our body is feeling when we get too busy or distracted. With mindful awareness, we can listen to our bodies and react in healthier, purposeful ways. The fifth benefit is less stress and anxiety. By learning how to be more choiceful about when to think about that, we can rewire our brains to reduce stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness Research

Research into mindfulness is still relatively new. Below is a small sample of research studies that discuss the potential benefits to health and well-being.

Peer-Reviewed Research Studies

Keng SL, Smoski MJ, Robins CJ. Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: a review of empirical studies. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011 Aug;31(6):1041-56. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 May 13. PMID: 21802619; PMCID: PMC3679190.

View Article

Henriksen D, Richardson C, Shack K. Mindfulness and creativity: implications for thinking and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 2020. 27: ISSN 1871-1871, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100689.

View Article

Kriakous SA, Elliott KA, Lamers C, Owen R. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the psychological functioning of healthcare professionals: A systematic review. Mindfulness. 2021 Jan;12:1-28.

View Article

Zollars I, Poirier TI, Pailden J. Effects of mindfulness meditation on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2019 Oct 1;11(10):1022-8.

View Article

Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (formerly known as Koru)

Greeson JM, Juberg MK, Maytan M, James K, Rogers H. A randomized controlled trial of Koru: A mindfulness program for college students and other emerging adults. Journal of American College Health. 2014 May 19;62(4):222-33.

View Article

Smit B, Stavrulaki E. The efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for college students under extremely stressful conditions. Mindfulness. 2021 Dec;12:3086-100.

View Article

Bradley D. The role of Koru on preservice teachers’ stress, anxiety, and mindfulness levels. Temple University; 2019.

View Article

Lindsey-Buckler J. Reducing Burnout Among Mental Health Providers using a Mindfulness Intervention. Dissertation. 2019. University of Louisville School of Nursing.

View Article

Mindfulness TED Talks

TED Talk: All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes Watch Puddicombe's TED Talk

Presented by Andy Puddicombe (2012).

TEDx Talk: Self-Transformation Through Mindfulness Watch Vago's TEDx Talk

Presented by Dr. David Vago (2017).

TEDx Talk: Impact of Mindful Meditation on Emotional Well-being Watch Madaan's TEDx Talk

Presented by Dr. Jai Madaan (2023).

Register

Discover the power of mindfulness with this 4-session program. Uncover a calmer, more compassionate you as you learn evidence-based stress management strategies. Register below to embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Current Programs & Sessions Being Offered

Mac Mindfulness (Graduate Students) Register for Graduate Program

A 4-session mindfulness program open to graduate students. 

  • Dates: August 13, August 16, August 20, August 23
  • Time: 11:45am – 1pm
  • Location: Virtual (Zoom)
  • Cost: Free

Note: Space is limited and capped to 15 participants. Commitment to all four sessions is encouraged.

Mac Mindfulness (New Faculty) Register for New Faculty Program

A 4-session mindfulness program open to new or newer faculty in their roles (appointments starting in July 2022 or later). 

  • Dates: August 19, August 22, August 26, August 29
  • Time: 9am – 10:15am
  • Location: Virtual (Zoom)
  • Cost: Free

Note: Space is limited and capped to 15 participants. Commitment to all four sessions is encouraged.