Mindfulness in Canada
It’s a common series of questions, one that pops up often while reading through mental health literature, “I want to learn more about this. Who is studying that here in Canada? Are there organizations set up for that in Alberta? Would there be a point person here in Calgary, already?”
The article in question, “Mindful Relationships May Be Key to Mental Health” was published in time for Valentine’s Day preparations, and included summary notes from their (in process) study:
“Our results suggested that emotional awareness of one’s partner, as well as intentional acceptance and compassion of one’s partner, were associated with lesser anxiety. At trend (i.e., almost significant) levels, total mindful partnering was associated with lesser anxiety, and self-compassion in the partnership was associated with lesser depressive symptoms.”
Great, I wondered. Where can I learn more about mindfulness in my relationships? Like etiquette, is there a Canadian-based approach to relevant societal pressures on relationships? Not surprisingly, Canada hosts many institutes, schools, labs, and researchers making their name in the study of mindfulness in a clinical setting. A search through Google (and following the links, reviewing Advisor lists, etc.) resulted in the following:
The Mindful Awareness Lab at the University of Toronto-Scarborough, led by Zindel Segal, PhD. “He and his colleagues have developed accessible patient resources including the books -The Mindful Way Through Depression and the Mindful Way Workbook, along with online training tools for therapists interested in learning MBCT https://www.mindfulnoggin.com.”
The Academy of Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies (AMCS) at the University of Ottawa, founded by a group of researchers that have established mindfulness programs for medical students, are presenting this year at the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies (ISCS), received the authority to teach by Thich Nhat Hanh, and more. They focus on being “An interdisciplinary group of faculty and students who share a common interest in the study and application of mindfulness and contemplation.” Their publications highlight the impact in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PWMS) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), as well as the relationship between empathy, resilience, and stress.
The McGill Mindfulness Research Lab (MMRL) at McGill University is led by Dr. Bassam Khoury and has published a range of papers on the impact on mindfulness, it’s measurement, and outcomes. “Our team is dedicated to researching the ways in which mindfulness impacts physical and mental health and well-being. The following themes are central to our work:
Understanding the intrapersonal, relational, social, and environmental aspects of mindfulness,
Investigating the effectiveness of existing mindfulness-based interventions,
Designing and validating new mindfulness-based treatments and measurement tools.”
The Social and Emotional Learning Lab at the University of British Columbia. “The research conducted by Dr. Schonert-Reichl and the members of the lab primarily focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) and development, with a particular emphasis on discerning the processes and mechanisms that foster children’s positive human qualities, such as empathy, optimism, happiness, social responsibility, altruism, and resiliency.” This includes research on Mindful High Schools, Healthy Teachers, Mindfulness in Children, Empathy, and Kindness.
The Mindfulness Advisory Group (MAG) is an “independent body supporting the selection and standardization of mindfulness training for Canadian Members of Parliament and Civil Servants. Members are Canadian leaders within the field of mindfulness and mental health across sectors. Expertise of this group is in evidence-based secular mindfulness training, program development and government related issues.”
As the above’s membership included mostly east-coast leadership, I turned to searching for Alberta-based papers and found Dr. Jaqueline Smith from the University of Calgary with, The eCALM Study - An Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for Individuals Living With Cancer in Alberta (eCALM) and A pilot of a mindfulness based stress reduction intervention for female caregivers of youth who are experiencing substance use disorders. While the University does not have a dedicated department, staff are researching a many related topics. Checking the current research studies, one can participate in their Virtual reality guided mindfulness meditation for cancer-related pain study.
Meditation practices for health: state of the research, was led by Dr. Maria-Beatriz Ospina, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Alberta. The Alberta Medical Associations research summary (linked here) points to many American contributors, however, includes links to established authorities and relevant books on the subject.
There are a range of mindfulness service-focused organizations, charities, and social enterprises, based in Canada:
A Dose of Happiness, located in Calgary
The Mindfulness Institute.ca, located in Edmonton
The Centre for Mindfulness Studies, located in Toronto
Foundation for a Mindful Society, located in Halifax
Mindful Magazine (mindful.org), located in Halifax
Mindful Society Global Institute, located in Toronto
Alberta Mindfulness Association (AMA), located in Alberta
Alberta Mind BioTech Corporation, located in Calgary
Lifestyle Mediation Academy, located in Edmonton
While there is no Mindfulness Relationships Academy at this time, there are many resources and consultants in Canada that would be willing to help. In the meantime, I’ll focus on being present in the moment, breathing with intention, and sharing/acknowledging feelings on a regular basis.
