We are honoured to share some inspiring stories of people who we have worked with in the past. If you’ve gone through one of our programs and would like to add your mindfulness-based stress reduction story to this page, contact us!

Nick E.

I contacted Doug after practicing mindfulness for 6 months to help me deal with stress and anxiety. The MBSR course he offered was everything I had hoped for and more – I really came to a deeper understanding of the beliefs and attitudes that underlie mindfulness practice and began to derive additional utility from my own practice.

Doug’s teaching style and demeanor perfectly suit a calm and nonthreatening learning environment that is consistent with effectively embodying mindfulness teachings.

I have noticed significant improvements in my ability to handle stress and the overall level of anxiety in my day-to-day living. Though I read some books and practiced regularly on my own, taking this course provided me with tools to make progress that previously I simply did not have.

 

Anthony C.

I found Doug on the internet and decided to attend one of his free introductions to MBSR.  I had initially gained some insight into the topic from reading Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Full Catastrophe Living” but wanted to learn more about the subject in person and to meet some people locally.  I signed up for the 8 week course with Doug and learned a lot about mindfulness, mindfulness meditation and the applications to the various stressors and challenges in my life.  

I’ve learned a lot about myself and it has opened my eyes to the mind-body relationship.   It has given me the tools to live and improve my quality of life with this lifelong practice.  

Yvonne H.

When I signed up for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program with Doug, I was looking for tools to help me manage stress both at work and home. I had heard about mindfulness and I thought it was worth exploring.

I really valued learning how to live in the moment and take one moment at a time, particularly in stressful situations.  I also became a lot more aware of my breathing and how it could help me stay centered.

The course also helped me to start on a program to become more flexible physically. When I first started, it was difficult for me to get down on the floor. Now, I do it with greater ease.

Even now, a couple of years later, I feel I am less distracted and I pay a lot more attention to what I am doing.  I still practice regularly and mindfulness helps me to focus. Another important benefit is that it has given me permission to be non-judgmental of myself and that in itself has helped reduce my experience of stress.

Jack M.

I contacted Doug to see if mindfulness meditation and yoga training could help with my experience of anxiety. It was having a major impact on my sleep and I was finding the feeling of anxiety challenging to deal with. I was also experiencing some distress in my digestive system and I thought meditation could help.

I learned a lot about mindfulness meditation and yoga and the need to establish a regular mindfulness practice.  I particularly enjoyed the yoga practice and felt that mindfulness really helped me to focus on the present.

After a number of sessions with Doug, I noticed many positive benefits including a calm mind and a reduction in the amount of worried thoughts.

I also felt mindfulness  helped to create a general sense of wellbeing that helped improve my attitude and mindset.

I believe that Doug MacLean offers “effective instruction in mindfulness.” I suggest taking an education program as “you can’t get into mindfulness without some guidance.”

Alana C.

If you check your local book store or the internet, the list of benefits of meditation include  improved concentration, increased self confidence, overcoming negative emotions  and increased self control. I myself had a couple of the books on my book shelves for years, yet never took up the practice.  Looking back, why I waited is a mystery;  the benefits are immediate and life changing.

The desired goal of meditation is the development of awareness. Under Doug’s thoughtful guidance, our small class was able to learn to differentiate between reacting  to the stresses of everyday life and responding with gentle wisdom. The learning was achieved through well planned exercises and discussion. It was very apparent from the outset of the class that Doug’s goal was to provide a variety of techniques in such a way that each student would feel confident designing their own personal meditation practice.

Doug’s experience and commitment to his personal meditation practice provided me the opportunity to develop a  much deeper knowledge of meditation than I would have learned from a book.

As I continue to develop my practice I am grateful for the opportunity of having this important knowledge as a foundation.

Some more recent comments from class participants……

“Thank you for the stress free introduction to mindfulness meditation.”

“Doug has given me valuable tools to improve my life.  I am happier, more positive and life’s problems are easier to manage.”

“I really valued learning how to live in the moment and take one moment at a time, particularly in stressful situations.  I also became a lot more aware of my breathing and how it could help me stay centered.”

“After a number of sessions with Doug, I noticed many positive benefits including a calm mind and a reduction in the amount of worried thoughts.”