Education
There are numerous ways in which to pursue the practice of meditation and/or relaxation. Some practices reflect a western medical model that focuses on the preventive and therapeutic benefits of stress reduction. Programs such as the Stress Reduction Clinic at University of Massachusetts (508 856-2656) offer professional training in mindfulness meditation in the form of 5 and 7-day residential retreats at different sites and a Professional Internship Program on the University campus. The Mind/Body Medical Institute of Harvard University (www.mindbody.harvard.edu) offers health professionals a variety of training programs ranging from one day to one-year. Other approaches base their practice on religious tradition. For example, meditation instructors may train formally within a religious (Buddhist, TM) tradition, with specific requirements for credentialing. Still others practice meditation/relaxation with a more psychospiritual focus. This can range from working with a licensed health care professional who has trained in mind-body approaches to classes/courses taught by people who have gained experiential knowledge through their own practice and study. It is generally assumed that meditation instructors are engaged in their own meditative practice.

Official Licensing Bodies
At present, there is no formal credentialing or licensure for individuals who wish to teach and use meditation as a mind-body treatment.

References:
Benson, H., Beary JF, Carol, MP. “The Relaxation Response”. Psychiatry . 37:37-46, 1974.

Bleich HL, Boro ES. “Systemic hypertension and the relaxation response”. New England Journal of Medicine. 296(20):1152-1156, May 1977.

Kabat-Zinn, J. “An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results”. General Hospital Psychiatry. 4:33-47, 1982.

Kabat-Zinn, J. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. NY: Dell, 1990.

Kabat-Zinn, J, Massion, A., Kristeller, J. et al. “Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress Reduction Program in the treatment of anxiety disorders”. American Journal of Psychiatry. 149:7 936-943, 1992.

Kabat-Zinn, J., Wheeler, E., Light, T. et al. “Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA)”. Psychosomatic Medicine. 60:625-632, 1998.

Kutz, I., Borysenko, J.Z, and Benson, H. “Meditation and Psychotherapy: A rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation”. American Journal of Psychiatry. 142: 1-8, 1985.

Content last modified on Mar 25, 2003