Transitions

Transitions can be difficult.  We often want things to stay as they are, and we can find ourselves resisting change.  Yet change is inevitable.  Everything is impermanent, although some things change more quickly than others.  Mindfulness teaches us that the only moment we can be sure about is the one that we are presently experiencing.  If this moment feels pleasant we tend to want it to continue, and we may resist it changing.  We can notice this resistance, and the thoughts that come up about how we want things to stay as they are, with kindness.   We can then see if we can let the thoughts go and just be with whatever is arising in this moment, without judgment, accepting that change is inevitable.

With this in mind, the Mindfulness Center is about to go through a major transition, and will now be focusing just on offering mindfulness programs for UVA Health employees.  We have been teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other programs for anyone who was interested in taking them for 30 years, ever since the Mindfulness Center was founded by Allie Rudolph and Maria Tussi Kluge.  At that time, it was one of the few Mindfulness Centers in an academic health center in the country.  Allie and Maria were in the first class of MBSR teachers trained by Jon Kabat-Zinn and were pioneers in bringing mindfulness training to the University of Virginia.  Now there are mindfulness programs at universities and health centers throughout the country, as well as many independent programs, and a wide array of offerings are available in-person, online and through apps.  Due to this proliferation in programs, we have found that it is no longer financially viable for us to continue to offer MBSR and other community programs, and the ongoing Mindful Eating course is the last such one we will hold.

The other major focus of the Mindfulness Center has been providing mindfulness programs for those working in healthcare.  Over 20 years ago Matt Goodman and I developed a program, in conjunction with Jon Kabat-Zinn, called Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers. This was one of the first programs in the world to specifically adapt a mindfulness program to the stresses faced by those working in healthcare.  Since then, we have repeatedly documented its positive impact on stress, burnout and wellbeing among healthcare workers.  Our original publication is highlighted in the Research Update below.  With the support of UVA Health, these courses are available at no cost to anyone who works within the UVA health system and we will continue offer them on a regular basis.

So the Mindfulness Center is going through a major transition, from offering courses to those working in healthcare as well as those in the wider community, to now only offering the former.  It is with both sadness and gratitude that we are making this change.  Sadness over not being able to continue to connect with as many people as we have in the past, many of whom have experienced deep positive change.  Gratitude that the courses have been so meaningful to so many, and we deeply appreciate that participants have been willing to trust us to help guide them.   We also know that there are now many more mindfulness offerings available, many led by excellent teachers, than there were when the Mindfulness Center was founded three decades ago.

From its inception we have known that the Mindfulness Center would not continue indefinitely, as nothing does.  I am thankful for all that we have accomplished and also that this is just a transition and not the end.  I am looking forward to what this new chapter will bring as we continue to offer the gift of mindfulness to those within UVA Health.