Take care of your mind, body, and soul

Some Benefits of MBSR

Testimonials

Eighteen months ago, I was referred to Dr Erin Walborn due to the loss of hearing and tinnitus in my left ear that was diagnosed as being caused by Meniere’s Disease. Prior to being referred to Dr. Walborn, I had been treated for seven months with different drugs that my ENT prescribed, that did not work.  After a thorough workup, Dr Walborn recognized that my condition was in part brought on by anxiety. I was shocked to hear that while a hearing aid might help, she suggested that it was just as important that I follow up with a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who specialized in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (I chose Barbara Thompson, OTD). She also provided guidance for several other stress reduction methods including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and several different apps for meditation and mindfulness. 

I own a family business with 32 employees and am President of a family charity that helps families with ill children. At the time of my diagnoses, I was not only dealing with my own health problems, but also with several family members health issues at the same time.  I had not realized that the stress I was under was a contributing cause to my health problems, and I also realized that these stressors were not easy to give up or change.

Between therapy, meditation, mindfulness practices and use of the hearing aid, I have finally turned a corner and began to lower my anxiety and my fear of things that might never happen. While it has not been an easy road, and I continue with the practices to this day, my newfound ability to be curious and being non-judgmental has allowed me to relax and enjoy life again. My hearing continues to improve, and my tinnitus is now just another sound that is part of my life. And the best part is, I did not have to sell my business, or give up the charity, or change my way of life. I just had to learn to relate to it differently. 

Staying committed to mindfulness, meditation, sound, and cognitive therapy has helped me resolve my health issues and relate to others in a more effective way. It has virtually ‘saved my life’, and I could not be more grateful. 

Jerry

For the past 7-8 months I've been have a problem with lower back pain and spasms. It has gotten slightly better over that period but I was still not working out, hiking, or doing a lot of the work I like to do in my shop or on my property. About a month ago my partner's doctor recommended a book to her "The Divided Mind" by Sarno. I tried to read the book but it was too technical. But what I did get is that sometimes the mind creates pain to divert our attention from our subconscious issues.

I've been a meditator for years and have successfully used meditation to heal so much including my childhood trauma. I decided to use the same meditation learned skills on my back pain that I used to heal anxiety. It is now one month later and although there are traces of the pain still there, the vast majority of the time there is little or none. Interestingly enough I did a screen shot of my walking step activity one month ago and this week and the results are speaking for themselves.

This might just be one of many life changing benefits the world will derive from your new efforts to teach meditation.

Mark

Valuing My Time

In this class, I learned that I am more than capable of not only dedicating the time to meditate, but allowing myself to fully immerse myself in the experience without judgement or expectation. In the past, I have struggled with the time element, in respect to taking that time away from something “more productive” and feelings of guilt and selfishness associated with not accomplishing anything. In reality, what I have gained is an understanding of how valuable that time truly is, for my mental health and well-being, which inevitably impacts every other aspect of my life. 

Erin is a wonderful teacher, speaker and guide. She has a soothing voice and a calming presence. She desires to meet each individual where they are on their journey, not trying to change or fix anything or anyone, but allowing them to find peace being who and where they are on that path. 

Karen

Class was informative, calming and fun.

Thanks for a great 9 weeks of time spent with a lovely group of people. You are a wonderful teacher! You brought together the technical side of the effects of stress with the emotional, physical and energetic sides to show us how we can affect change. Your knowledge of the material was obvious and you were able to answer any questions that folks had with information or an anecdote. We all stayed engaged and shared to the level we felt comfortable. Class was informative, calming and fun. It was also life changing and, at times, challenging, bringing awareness to behaviors and habits that could add to higher stress levels. It's always rewarding to see folks having an "aha" moment as well as watching empathy develop between classmates. The love, enthusiasm, knowledge and joyous spirit that you brought to class were infectious and combined to make it a pleasure to come to class every week. I am continuing to practice body scans, mountain meditation, mindful movement and other techniques that were part of our training so that I continue to build on the positive changes I see in my life. It was a privilege to be included in your premiere class! 

Due to a health scare that landed me in the hospital for seven days with what I believed was a heart attack but after numerous tests found no heart issues I knew I needed to change something especially the stress & anxiety level in my life. It was at an all time high due to being a caregiver for my ninety year old mother and my widowed sister along with the pandemic, etc.

I was trying to decide on where to go for help when Erin reached out to me with the MBSR eight week class. I've known Erin for over seven years as my audiologist and found her to be a kind, trusting and compassionate person. I was intrigued by this class so I decided to give it a try. I was glad I did.

The MBSR class is so empowering! I didn't expect it to change my life but it has. It has taught me to be kind to myself, to be curious, stop judging myself and others, to stop having to fix things for others. I think most of all to be mindful - to stop living on Autopilot. To be mindful of where, with whom and what I'm doing - to Enjoy the moment. Stop thinking about the past issues or the 'What If's' of the future because I have no control over them. I can only change myself, not others.

I was looking for tools to use in my every day life to combat stress and anxiety. I found that through this class. Using meditation and yoga helps me feel invigorated for the day ahead which helps me deal with the stress and/or anxiety that might arise. When I remember to use the tools I was taught in this class I feel empowered. When I forget and fall back into old habits, I no longer beat myself up over it. I'm not Perfect, hopefully I learn from it and move on with a new Life Lesson. After all, life is a journey not a destination. It's a continual learning process and this class has helped me move forward in a healthier way on that journey.

Erin is a wonderful, compassionate instructor whose voice is calming and soothing. I highly recommend this class. 

Cindy