Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Find a Deeper Sense of Inner Calm With an 8-Week Evidence-Based Program
Learn to use the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness.
Have you ever found yourself losing your cool or saying something you regret when someone upsets you?
In this 8-week course developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, we will share mindfulness practices that can uncover paths to internal calm and peace, even when facing stressful situations.
When we practice moment-to-moment awareness, studies have shown we can begin to respond to stressors in ways other than defaulting to “fight, flight, freeze” reactions (our “lizard” brain trying to protect us).
What
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction 8-week program
Where
Online (Zoom)
When
- Check back here for future program offerings
Who
- Johnnie Williams
- And you
How much
In the past we have asked for sliding scale rates from $150 to $450.
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Explore the Attitudinal Foundations of Mindfulness
Non-Judging Patience Beginner's Mind
Trust Non-Striving Acceptance
Letting Go Generosity Gratitude
How Participants Have Benefitted
"I have lots of repressed emotions in my body such as grief, sorrow and anger. I am learning to be more attuned with my body and allowing the feelings to emerge without the need to problem solve or overcome them. Allowing them to be and being aware of them."
"Practicing becoming more mindful helps me be more aware of being attuned to my body and how my body reacts to stress and anxiety I can sense when I need to take some time to be still or breathe with intention."
"Being curious...I have strongly relied on my rational/logical self, believing all my thoughts and ignoring or not paying attention to my feelings or physical sensations. I am learning to be aware of my thoughts, without taking them as total truth or relying on them. I am learning to pause, be aware, be curious, question my initial thoughts, feelings, physical sensations before choosing if and how to respond."
"The skills taught in this class arm a person with ways to deal with stress, anxiety, and letting go, and the benefit of becoming a better listener."
"I am able to notice my breath as I am going through my day. I feel more present and I feel as if my days have slowed down significantly. I don't feel like I am going on auto-pilot as much as before. I am more compassionate towards myself, I have not been judging myself as much as I was in the past."
"It's helped me stay (more) grounded, particularly as things have gotten more stressful."
"What I learned in class helped me become more regulated and centered, and gave me some more tools to deal with my anxiety (which has definitely been exacerbated by the pandemic but was already a struggle for me)…It makes me feel more calm and grounded."
"It helps me release tension in my body."
"I am noticing that I am more aware of my body and more in tune throughout my daily activities I can sense and in tune when my body wants attentiveness. Wriggling or tapping my toes sometimes makes me laugh or smile. I can also hear my body speak to me...there is a language of gentleness that I am tuning into."
"It makes me smile when I notice that I'm being mindful in situations where I haven't been (or rarely have been)."
"What I have learned in class has helped me be kinder to myself in my moments of need. In the past, I would often disregard any signs my body and mind were telling me if I thought I had more important things to do. Mindfulness has given me the opportunity to show myself more compassion when I notice changes in how I am feeling, both emotionally and physically."
"Mindfulness helps me get more in touch with what is going on in my body."
"It helped me be mindful of how I was communicating with others and to be more compassionate."
"It helped me be mindful of how I was communicating with others and to be more compassionate."
Meet the Teacher
Johnnie Williams BA, MS, DD
UCSD Center for Mindfulness Qualified MBSR Teacher
Johnnie is a Qualified UC San Diego School of Medicine - Center for Mindfulness MBSR Teacher, Certified Mindfulness X Practitioner/Teacher, Certified FlowCoach, and Isagenix Wellness Consultant. He began meditating at the age of 8, and has maintained a strong connection with the contemplative sciences since that time. He discovered mindfulness in 2010 while practicing Dahn Yoga to rehabilitate injuries to his spine and neck. He has shared his meditation and yoga practice with friends, family and anyone else interested in deepening their understanding of the mind/body/spirit connection.
What Students and Fellow Teachers Say About Johnnie
Safe, Kind, and Engaging
It is my pleasure to recommend Wilda Wong and Johnnie Williams as trained teachers of the MBSR Certification Program at the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute at UC San Diego. Both Wilda and Johnnie completed the 6-day MBSR Teacher Training Intensive and 10-week MBSR Teacher Training Practicum at UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness in 2021. I have observed their readiness for teaching an 8-week MBSR course during the practicum. Thier commitment to thier personal practice, an ability to hold the space with thier embodiment of mindfulness with curiosity, and a warm connection to participants will create a safe, kind and engaging learning environment for their participants. — NORIKO MORITA HARTH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, UCSD CENTER FOR MINDFULNESSDown-to-Earth & Knowledgeable
The courses that I have taken with Johnnie have been excellent. He is down-to-earth and extremely knowledgeable. He makes all feel welcomed and enjoys teaching others the benefits of “mindfulness”. I would highly recommend taking a course from Johnnie! He will always be my “go-to” when I get bogged down with life! — ANNA MARIA FLAHERTYCompassion & Dedication
I had the great honor of providing mentoring sessions for Johnnie Williams as well as co-teaching MBSR. It is hard to describe what Johnnie brings into the space in a few words but if I could encapsulate the experience it would be narrowed down to three words: care, compassion, and dedication.
During our shared time Johnnie demonstrated enormous dedication to the material and the practice as well as an incredible amount of care for class participants which was displayed through deep attunement and loving presence. Johnnie has the ability to turn any space into a place filled with kindness that radiates compassion and understanding toward everyone in the room. — ALEX MAIZUSS, UC SAN DIEGO CERTIFIED MBSR TEACHER & MPEAK COACHDeep Practice & great kindness
I had the good fortune to meet mindfulness teacher Johnnie Williams at a retreat several years ago. I saw right away that he embodied a deep practice, and great kindness and openness. Over the ensuing years, my respect and appreciation for him has continued to grow, and doesn't stop. Johnnie is the unique combination of a great heart, the spirit of inclusivity and social justice with a keen scientific mind and deep knowledge of the physiology of stress and cultivating the mind-body connection for healing. An MBSR class with Johnnie will be a rare and important experience. We invite you to join his online class in October. — BETH MULLIGAN, PA-CKind, Generous & Supportive
Johnnie is a beloved member of the UCSD Mindfulness Teacher Training for Diverse and Underserved Communities. His broad and diverse education includes medical training, IT and marketing skills, and the study of Comparative religious and spiritual philosophies. He is a kind, generous, and supportive person who co-led monthly meetings for mindfulness peer teachers-in-training. — ZAYDA VALLEJO, MLITT, CERTIFIED MBSR TEACHER, MINDFULNESS TRAINER & CONSULTANTRelentless Commitment
The mindfulness community needs Johnnie—plain and simple! Every opportunity to share a co-teaching or co-learning MBSR space with him has been so rewarding and fruitful to me both personally and professionally. His compassion is effortless and his dedication to mindful living shows up in how he teaches and guides the mindfulness practices. Johnnie's relentless commitment to teach us all how to live with greater ease while transforming our relationship to pain and human suffering is admirable. His presence alone adds value, and his style is like a warm hug that we need at the end of the day. I thank him for his commitment to this work and cultivating the positive changes we need in our world today.
— KARLA HARGROVE, M.A., LPC, QUALIFIED MBSR TEACHERCreative & Engaging
After the first class, I knew that Johnnie and Wilda were there for me and the rest of the group. Their sincerity, kindness, and genuine interest in the group and material were palpable even over Zoom. They consistently demonstrated a rare ability to genuinely listen and ask helpful follow-up questions. Despite group members having different levels of exposure to meditation and mindfulness, they were able to keep everyone engaged with their creative and often fun methods of introducing concepts. Perhaps most importantly, they were able to foster an environment where people were comfortable sharing and engaging with the other members, though there is never any pressure to do so. I felt a level of connection with the participants and instructors over Zoom I don't often get in other Zoom experiences. By the end of the class, I had grown tremendously in my understanding of how to try to get the most from my practice and had established a consistent practice that I feel I can continue.
— CHRIS VETTRAINOCaring & Authentic
When I think of Johnnie, here are some words arising: curious, consistent, loyal, caring, authentic, life-long learner, devoted meditation practitioner and the list goes on. If you want to learn and practice mindfulness and these words resonate with you, I invite you to reach out to him!
Kaori Hattori de Panepinto, MS, IMH-E (a.k.a. Johnnie’s meditation buddy)
Contact Us
We Offer a Risk-Free Cancellation Policy:
We will gladly issue refunds when a request for cancellations is made in writing via email to mbsr@williamswebinars.com prior to the 2nd session. (There will be no refund after the 2nd session.) In the event that the course is canceled, we are responsible only for a full refund of the course registration fees and not for any miscellaneous expenses.