Abstract
This chapter describes what I do in my MBSR class, paying particular attention to the characteristics which I believe to be somewhat specific, but not limited, to Korea, remote from the United States, both geographically and culturally. I focus on how to maintain a holding environment with a special emphasis on three areas:
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Reducing anxiety and tension
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2.
Establishing the right attitudes for practice
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Helping participants maintain commitment through group building
The whole chapter is based upon my assumption that the template MBSR curriculum works well in Korea, despite the concern that striking cultural differences between the two countries can greatly influence the teaching and thus the learning outcomes. Although I believe there is no need to make the standard MBSR curriculum change to fit the local culture, I offer some pedagogical “how to’s” I have added over the past 10 years of teaching in order to better meet my participants “where they are,” coming from the distinctive Korean culture characterized by collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, and relatively high power distance.
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Ahn, H. (2016). Teaching MBSR in Korea with a Special Reference to Cultural Differences. In: McCown, D., Reibel, D., Micozzi, M. (eds) Resources for Teaching Mindfulness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30100-6_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30100-6_7
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