About the Center for Mindfulness

When Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, began seeing patients with chronic disease in the basement of our Medical Center, his hypothesis was simple. He believed the practice of mindfulness could help alleviate the pain and suffering associated with chronic disease.

Decades later, thanks to his pioneering work, we know unequivocally that mindfulness can not only reduce pain and suffering but can also act as an adjunct to standard medical care for a multitude of conditions. Additionally, it can be used as a preventive measure to reduce the incidence of stress-related illness. Since 1979, the progress we’ve made in our understanding of the power of mindfulness has been nothing short of remarkable.

UMass Chan Medical School, our academic partner, has been at the epicenter of this progress and the leading provider of mindfulness training programs for decades. In 2019, these training programs transitioned to our health care system, where Jon’s vision allowed for better integration with our clinical and population health programs. As an organization, we are on a journey to fully leverage the power of mindfulness to improve the lives of our patients, our caregivers and the communities we serve. We hope you will join us.