Avila University is set to launch the “Mindfulness-Based Wellness program,” (MBW), a premier research program.  The 14-week training program is designed to enhance physical, mental, spiritual, and collective well-being. “We train people how to make conscious choices,” said Dr. Maria Hunt, Dean of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and one of the lead researchers of the program.

The program consists of training individuals in mindfulness methods and values-based goal-setting, so that they will be better able take a conscious look at a choices in the moment, and make wise decisions.  “Oftentimes we go straight to our emotions for the answer. With this training it teaches the brain to stop, look at a choice, and make a decision non-reactively,” said Hunt. 

The use of mindfulness meditation in health care began in the mid 1990s, when Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, used a mindfulness approach for patients in highly stressful situations. His Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program has been applied very successfully to patients with chronic pain, degenerative diseases, chronic illness, and various other very serious medical problems. Another pioneer in the mindfulness-based approaches is Jeff Schwartz, MD, who developed a successful mindfulness-based method of treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

Researchers at Avila University are the first to offer Mindfulness-Based Wellness (MBW) on a college campus. “With the success of mindfulness-based stress reduction for individuals in a clinical setting, the possibilities that we can uncover are endless,” said Hunt.  

The MBW program is funded by the Menorah Legacy Foundation as part of the “Healthy for Life” initiative.  The pilot program launches Aug. 28 and will run for one year to determine the positive effects of mindful-based wellness on the average individual.  As a pilot program, future plans include setting up similar programs in other communities, and launching the “MyHealthySpace.org” Web site, a network community promoting healthy lifestyles.

Avila University is the premier research university for Mindful-Based Wellness in a non-clinical setting, and will serve as the model for the positive effects of such research.  Avila students will benefit from cutting-edge research and have access to an education that not only nurtures the mind, but also the body and spirit.