Website: Palouse Mindfulness
Author: Dave Potter (certified MBSR instructor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School)
Resources available: guided meditations, videos, reading materials (research articles, “how-to” guides for meditation practices, Q&A discussion summaries), worksheets, supplementary reading
Price: Free!
Length to complete program: 8-weeks
User-friendliness: Simple interface with all resources linked into the website, simple layout (practices tab, resources tab, course overview tab containing all of the week’s materials on one page), detailed introductions to the week’s topics with estimated time to complete each activity
Mindfulness topics: mindful eating and exercising, meditation myths and challenges, effects of mindfulness on the brain, unpacking emotional responses and stress, mindfulness and pain, etc.
Proposed frequency of use: 30 minutes of daily formal meditation practice is recommended with an informal mindful practice scattered throughout the day. ~45 minutes should be set aside to watch the week’s videos, and another 45 minutes to read through the articles for the week. It’s recommended that 1 day of the week be dedicated to working through these multi-media resources but it’s entirely up to the user how the course is completed.
This website is intuitive and comprehensive. The platform is designed as an online mindfulness-based stress-reduction program with assigned weekly videos, readings, and meditation practices. It also offers opportunities to engage with other users in an online forum which is helpful for someone like myself who’s new to the practice of mindfulness. I think it’s a great starting point for people interested in taking up a daily meditation practise who don’t necessarily know where to begin since it demystifies mindfulness, making it both accessible and tangible. There is just the right amount of material to work through every week and the step-by step learning approach is perfect for any busy schedule. I look forward to completing the entire course! – Madison
This review was written by Madison Le Gallee, a medical student at McGill University and a member of the McGill Med Mindfulness Team.
The Mindful Medical Learner 