Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Winter 2025
Orientation: Wednesday February 5 at 6pm
The Course: Saturdays 10am-12:30pm
Feb 8 – March 29
Managing Stress and Accessing Well-Being
Offerings
with Laura Liss
Classes and Workshops
Mindfulness of the Body Yoga and Meditation Class
White Heron Sangha Meditation Center
6615 Bay Laurel Place, Avila Village
Four Mondays In January 2025
10-11:15am
Mindfulness Sessions
Individual, Couple and Group Sessions
Develop or deepen a mindfulness practice with personalized support and guidance.
Free initial consultation. Call to schedule
On Being
From the Beginning
We humans are complex and miraculous creatures of habit. As we experience life through our senses we touch the precious, the mundane and everything in between. While we essentially navigate contemporary life with brains that evolved millions of years ago, basing our actions on what we think to be true can sometimes lead to inner conflict and interpersonal challenges. To complicate matters our reactions to stress (fight, flight or freeze) are also part of a primitive survival system such that being stuck in traffic can create the same physiological experience as being chased by a tiger.                                 Â
Today
Our stressors are different from those of prehistoric times and our responses to them can be adapted to embody health and wholeness. Our culture has developed paradoxical advancements, that in some moments appear to make life easier and foster the feeling of connectedness and in other moments leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone and uncertain.Â
A Closer Look
When we slow down enough to explore our hearts and minds with a kind curiosity, we can become aware of how our thoughts and perceptions direct our behavior. We all have the desire to be happy and content, however, many of us have mind habits that keep this happiness at a distance. Our thoughts can sometimes lock us into regrets about the past or keep us worrying about the future. Preoccupation with thinking, “If only things were a little different or quite different than they are now,” “If only I could go back and change the past,” or “Once I get the job, married, the house, the car, retire, … then I will be happy,” can deplete our ability to be awake and present. This disconnection from the moment keeps us from inhabiting the only place we can truly live – Here and Now.
Developing Clarity
Fortunately, there are skillful ways to be in our lives that promote health, well-being and contentedness. Mindful living begins with the cultivation of a deeper understanding of the truth of our human experience including a healthy awareness of how we care for ourselves and interact with people and our surroundings.
As we practice being in the moments of our lives with acceptance, kindness and compassion rather than caught up in worries of the past and concerns about the future, we slowly build a deep reservoir of well-being that we can rely on.Â
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Laura Liss, MA, MSW
Since 2018, Laura has offered Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses, sitting meditation instruction and yoga classes in San Luis Obispo. She is deeply devoted to serving participants through these practices as she has experienced the life changing benefits of actively living in the moments of life.
Laura encourages gentle self-inquiry into what is noticed during practices to help with the uncovering of a deeper knowing and expanded awareness. Through exploration of perception and the boxes we put ourselves in as we attach to certain roles and habits of behavior, she guides participants to get curious about widening the lens of experience. Nurturing the ability to turn toward challenging emotions and experiences with kindness, compassion and inclusion is a focus in her classes and sessions.
With current mindfulness research and findings from neuroscience, Laura invites participants to explore new relationships with their primitive nervous system, family members, stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain, to name a few.
Education and Training
MA Psychology, New York University; MSW, University of Pennsylvania; Psychotherapy practice; Clinical Social Work; 500 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher; MBSR teaching practicum and internship at Jefferson University’s Mindful Institute; 7 day MBSR professional training through The Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts; participation in 7-9 day silent residential retreats; leadership training at White Heron Sangha in San Luis Obispo, CA; mentorship, advanced training, and MBSR teaching certification through University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute; and graduate of Mindfulness Mentor Training Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.
Places
Conveniently located in San Luis Obispo.
Crows End Retreat
A beautiful, secluded 6-acre property in the quiet hills of Squire Canyon, adjacent to Avila Valley. The MBSR courses and Mindful Workshops take place here.
6430 Squire Court, San Luis Obispo, CA
White Heron Sangha
Meditation Center
Located in Avila Village.
Meditation classes and Daylong Retreats take place here.
6615 Bay Laurel Place, Avila Beach, CA
Testimonials
I would recommend this course to anyone who is seeking tools to quiet the mind, alter/change unhelpful reactions, or reduce stress, anxiety, or panic attacks.
The course's effectiveness is truly based on the student's willingness to practice the activities provided.
This class was a wonderful experience. Laura cultivated a warm and honest space for community and learning to take place. I'll take this experience with me.
Laura's introduction to mindfulness class provided a great all-around format for those new to mindfulness as well as for those looking to take further steps with their practice. She holds a strong space, the discussions and guided practices always felt really engaging. She is attentive and inclusive with every individual in the group. The content of the class is rich and really useful, and I love the material she chose to include, the poems she shared were always right on point! Thanks for a wonderful experience Laura, I look forward to taking the MBSR class next!
I took the first course Laura offered on Zoom, two weeks after the lockdown order. Although I was a bit skeptical about attending the course online, I soon realized it could not have come at a better time. The mindfulness practices have become an anchor for me in a time of challenge and uncertainty, and have the power to offer lifelong benefits. I believe the compassion, professionalism and humanity Laura brings to her teaching make her an effective facilitator on any platform.
Gratefully,
Gratefully,
Laura’s MBSR course changed my perspective on so many things in life. I decided to join the course because I was feeling stagnant in my life and wanted to start a meditation routine but was not sure how to. Laura made the course so intimate and all of the practices were incredible. I started noticing more in my life and certain triggers and how to just breathe and be mindful of these triggers rather than just act from the ego. What I really loved about this course is that Laura made herself available for you even after the classes.
If you are looking to be more aware in your daily life I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking her course. It has really helped me start a mindfulness routine and has also helped me be more kind and gentle to myself.
Timing for the MBSR class I took couldn’t have been better.  We began before the shelter was put in place, and concluded our last class on zoom.  The content of the course is a solid foundation for living.  Laura is an excellent facilitator. She was very well prepared and also sensitive to the group and to individual needs and concerns.  She embodies the heart of the course, teaching by example, the best way to learn.  I highly recommend this course.
I highly recommend this training and Laura is an excellent instructor. After the eight week program, I feel lighter, more connected to myself, and have a deeper sense of peace. Giving myself the time to participate in this class was the best decision I made this year!
I cannot state strongly enough my recommendation for the 8-week MBSR course with Laura Liss. I appreciate Laura's dynamic and thoughtful facilitation as she truly embodies the spirit of the content surrounding mindfulness. Having been educated by a seasoned mindfulness practitioner makes all the difference as I have been highly engaged in the course material, even after the course has ended. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for making awareness a priority in my life, and thus gaining more access to my own internal wisdom.
MBSR has been life changing for the following reasons:
1)Â I have gained and experienced self compassion, self respect self love.
2)Â Connecting more intimately with my wounded inner child, MBSR is a wonderful avenue for connection.
3)Â Body scans, guided meditations of all sorts has given me comfort, security, company in my quiet home.
    Removed and cured my often felt emotions and feelings of loneliness.
Laura has been a wonderful teacher, I highly recommend her and I feel everybody should experience MBSR.
MBSR has been a game changer in my life. It has offered me the opportunity to experience internal quiet and stillness. This class has helped me to feel centered, grounded, alive, happy, balanced and nourished. My ability to manage stressful life events, communications and situations has improved profoundly. Â Not only has this class helped me but it has improved the wellbeing of others in my life by showing me how to be aware, compassionate and non-judging.
My time spent in the MBSR sessions with Laura were so very valuable to my life. I use the techniques and exercises on a daily basis and it makes a big difference. I could not think of a better way to spend my Wednesday evenings. Laura is an amazing guide. So peaceful and genuine. Thank you for leading me to the beginnings of a lifetime of mindfulness.
Laura's teaching is heartfelt and thoughtful. She leads with both compassion and intuition. I had been searching for a gentle yoga class in the SLO area for some time where I could feel comfortable with my physical challenges, while deepening my practice and knowledge of yoga and meditation. Laura's class met all of my requirements. Her presence is calming and welcoming and she is always open to feedback and the needs of her students.
As a teacher, Laura uses her gifts to guide us gently into poses, always offering suggestions for variations and reminders to stay tuned in to what the body needs. The meditative style of her teaching is unique and well appreciated and her classes are a real asset to our community here on the central coast!
I highly recommend Laura Liss’s mindfulness class for anyone who wishes to reconnect with the value of this moment. So much is to me gained in being present to this moment. Through Laura’s insightful guidance I experienced an expansion of my world, finding myself more patient, loving and more at peace with life’s uncertainties. Laura creates a very intimate nurturing environment where you can feel comfortable just being.