Jaime Lewis (Host): May is National Meditation Month and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is proud to offer its own mindfulness program. What is mindfulness exactly? Well, here to tell us is Professor of Pediatrics, Biomedical Informatics, and Public Health, and Director of the UAMS Mindfulness Program, Dr. Pele Yu. He'll describe the program and talk about how meditation can help with living in the present and dealing with life's struggles. This is UAMS Health Talk, a podcast from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I'm Jamie Lewis. Hello, Dr. Pele. Thanks for being here to talk about mindfulness.

Pele Yu, MD: Hello, Jaime. Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.

Host: What is the UAMS Mindfulness Program and how was it established?

Pele Yu, MD: The UAMS Mindfulness Program was established in January 2019, and thanks to a grant that we have received from the UAMS Chancellor's Circle of Excellence Fund. The idea is that we develop this program to promote wellness among students, residents, fellows, and the greater community in Arkansas, really, and by introducing mindfulness meditation practices so that then people can use them to reduce stress and hopefully develop greater balance and participation in their life.

Host: Can you explain some of the benefits of mindfulness and how it supports mental and physical health?

Pele Yu, MD: Mindfulness is really about paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment experience and doing so non judgmentally in a friendly way. By doing so, this helps individuals cultivate a sense of awareness and acceptance of their current experience in the present moment. And usually that leads to some feeling or sensation of reduced stress, anxiety, enhanced emotional regulation and improved concentration and really overall better physical mental health outcomes if one does that on a regular basis.

It's a practice that not only alleviates mental suffering, but it also kind of fosters compassion, friendliness, gracefulness, and well being overall.

Host: What types of courses does the UAMS Mindfulness Program offer and who can benefit from them?

Pele Yu, MD: So in our mindfulness program, we offer a variety of courses. So you have courses like the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR. It's intensive eight week program, that focuses on teaching people how to really have a strong foundation for meditation. We also have courses like the Mindful Self Compassion Program. It's an eight week program that also allows people to tune in into their compassionate side so that then they can live the day to day experience with some loving, friendly, and compassionate attitude. We also have a program designed especially for young adults and folks who are beginning to learn meditation.

It's called KORU Mindfulness. So K-O-R-U Mindfulness. So, all of these courses are really beneficial for those who are looking into starting meditation or, entertaining ideas or practices that can help manage stress, enhance focus, or generally improve their quality of life through, mindful living practices.

Host: That's wonderful. You mentioned that the Mindfulness Program began in January 2019, so I'm thinking how has the UAMS Mindfulness Program adapted to reach more participants, especially like I'm thinking during challenging times like the pandemic?

Pele Yu, MD: We're really lucky to have had established a program before the pandemic hit. And when the pandemic hit, we recognized that it's a great opportunity to really continue the support, and so what we've done is, moved to more online offerings. And so since then, the online virtual meditation courses have been a key feature in our program, in our teaching. So we've adapted to allow participants to learn meditation, in the comfort of their homes. So we've ensured that the program, you know, in spite, the protocols, for Covid and in-person meetings are not really, encouraged at that particular time and we were accessible to the public despite the social distancing measures.

Host: How can someone get involved or start their own mindfulness journey with you and UAMS?

Pele Yu, MD: So, interested parties, can isit first the website @ mindfulness.ums.edu. There, they can explore the courses, that's available to them, and they can actually register online. So, the site also provides resources, including meditation videos, and information on other courses, to help beginners to find their way through the mindfulness practice, and hopefully through the courses integrated into their daily lives.

Host: Can you explain what the mindfulness based stress reduction course involves and who it's most suitable for?

Pele Yu, MD: The MBSR or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program is one of the, I would say, well studied, structured meditation teaching course that we offer. And it is the cornerstone of our program. It's designed to help individuals develop the foundational skills in meditation so that then they can use those practices to help manage stress, manage mental pain, manage the effects of illnesses, that they're enduring, so that then they could overcome some of the difficulties, you know, through mindfulness techniques.

This MBSR is really an evidence based program that spans about eight weeks, and it includes guided meditation, group discussions, and exercises designed to improve their ability to meditate mindfully, in the day to day life experience. MBSR is best for anyone looking to improve their overall well being, whether they're dealing with stress related health issues, chronic pain, anxiety, or people simply wanting to enhance the quality of their life through mindful living. So MBSR is ideal for those who wish to begin mindful practice, and being taught in a more methodical, and structured way. And it's also useful for those with prior practices, and because the program offers a very structured approach in developing a more sustainable practice. So we like to offer MBSR to the community and we've had a really good interest from the community.

Host: You mentioned mindful self compassion, which is very interesting. Can you discuss the significance of that course and how the mindfulness program, who is it designed for?

Pele Yu, MD: So MSC or Mindful Self Compassion Course is one of those programs that we offer and it's designed to cultivate self compassion using the skills that we learn from mindfulness meditation. So it teaches participants to treat themselves with the same kindness, care, or understanding they would offer to a good friend, you know, when your friend suffers or fails or feels anxious or having some stress. So this course is particularly good or beneficial for individuals looking to improve their self care practices, enhance emotional resilience and build a more compassionate relationship with themselves and others. We, offer this to the general public, we have healthcare professionals, joining our courses.

And really for anyone who's interested in developing a more compassionate inner dialogue, as they deal with the day to day life.

Host: Koru mindfulness is something you talked about earlier and it's a new term to me. How does that differ from other mindfulness courses offered by UAMS?

Pele Yu, MD: Koru mindfulness is one of the structured programs that has a shorter commitment, so to speak, compared to MSC and compared to MBSR. So Koru mindfulness is designed for young adults or for those who have very limited time to engage in committing more time to the practice or to learning how to meditate.

And it's also very useful to those who are new to meditation practice or mindfulness practice. In Koru, we provide introduction to mindfulness and meditation. It's four weeks instead of eight weeks, and the curriculum focused on teaching stress management, improving sleep quality, improving overall well being.

So, Koru sets itself apart from other courses, in its format and focus in the audience. It's for young adults and college students, et cetera.

Host: What are the noon drop ins and monthly community gatherings offered by the UAMS Mindfulness Program, and how can these events support someone's mindfulness practice?

Pele Yu, MD: The noon drop ins and the monthly community gatherings are unique aspects of our program, and it's designed to support and enrich our participants mindfulness practice.

So, the noon drop ins are brief, they happen between 12 to 12:30. They're guided by teachers in our program. And it's really available to anyone interested in practicing mindfulness during the short break in their day. So these sessions are ideal for beginners, seasoned practitioners alike, offering a moment of peace and mindfulness in the middle of their day.

 We also offer the monthly community gatherings, and they're designed to foster a sense of community among mindfulness practitioners. We offer this to the graduates of our program. So in these gatherings, we have an opportunity for the participants to connect with others in their mindfulness journey, sharing experiences, learning from each other, and it's also an opportunity for the instructors to provide more didactic, so to speak, so that then the participants can enhance their practice and learning about mindfulness.

So both events are open to the public and we aim to create an inclusive environment so that then everyone can have an ongoing practice and deepen their understanding of mindfulness.

Host: Wonderful. Well, let's say I want to get in touch for more information or learn more about the UAMS Mindfulness Program. How would I go about that?

Pele Yu, MD: Anyone wanting to learn more about our offerings, the best way is to go to the website, mindfulness.uams.edu. And in the website, you'll be able to explore what mindfulness is, who the teachers are, how to get registered to join or participate MBSR or MSC or our Koru mindfulness.

And you can also get information about the noon time drop ins. We've got the schedule posted on the website.

Host: Thank you, Dr. Yu for speaking with us today about mindfulness.

Pele Yu, MD: Yeah, I appreciate your time, Jaime, and I truly enjoyed the conversation. Appreciate so much.

Host: That was Dr. Pele Yu, Professor of Pediatrics, Biomedical Informatics, and Public Health, and Director of the UAMS Mindfulness Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I'm Jaime Lewis, and this has been UAMS Health Talk from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Want to start or strengthen your own mindfulness practice?

Visit mindfulness.uams.edu for more information.