Mindfulness for Stress Reduction | MBSR in San Francisco with Augusta Hopkins

About Mindfulness Meditation & MBSR

“Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, in a particular way, from moment to moment, with kind non-judging awareness.”
— Jon Kabat-Zinn, Founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

“Mindfulness is the energy that helps us to know what is going on in the present moment. I drink water and I know that I am drinking the water.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Master, Miracle of Mindfulness

Freeing ourselves from judgments to see reality

One of the first principles taught in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is the concept of “non-judging awareness.” Many of us judge ourselves or the conditions of our experience so harshly, often to our own detriment. By cultivating the ability to be aware of what we are experiencing at any given moment without applying judgmental ideas like “good” or “bad,” we are better able to make choices that reinforce and restore our sense of calm and give us back our personal effectiveness and sense of agency.

As neuroscientist and psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson says, “The brain is like Velcro for unpleasant experiences, but Teflon for pleasant ones.” Humans are hard-wired through millennia of evolution to pay attention to the bad, scary, dangerous, and unpleasant moments in order to survive. Mindfulness teaches us to transform our clinging to unpleasant or negative experience into acceptance; we maintain our ability to choose our next steps, and recall that we are not in a fight for our lives. In daily living, it is useful to notice pleasant and unpleasant events for what they are; dwelling in pleasant states increases neural pathways to the joyful centers of our brains and allows greater access to pleasing experiences.


I was amazed at how well the breathing meditations worked for me in terms of relieving stress and physical discomfort. Also, just the simple act of recognizing physical or emotional discomfort and allowing that to be okay offered a very interesting change in my perception.
—Zakai

What mindfulness is not

During mindfulness meditation, the aim is not to “stop thinking.” This is a misconception. We do not want to “push away” or “run after” our thoughts, but we practice instead to notice them and their qualities and let them be, without resistance or clinging.

Mindfulness is not focused on an end result. Rather, it is a mode of conscious being, integrated with and influential in your everyday life, which results in greater calm and ease. Mindfulness is an internal resource which, once tapped into, may be used at any time and under any circumstance to clear away the dust and grime that daily stress and life’s burdens place on us, so that we can see ourselves as we truly are.


I was totally intimidated by meditation, thinking I would never be able to sit still long enough to do it – but Augusta taught me to let the notions of a wandering mind go – and over time – I actually seek out times in the day now just for meditation
—Leslie Stanley, Googler

A practice, not an academic study

An intentional and regular practice of mindfulness helps us care for life’s challenges like stress, pain, illness, the demands of our work and relationships, and our own personal histories. Developing a mindfulness practice takes time and effort; but rather than an intellectual pursuit, it is achieved through experience. Reading about mindfulness, while informative in some ways, is not the same as actually practicing it, just as examining a map of Paris is a far cry from actually walking its streets.

Augusta practices and offers both formal and informal mindfulness

Informal mindfulness in the style of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Naht Hanh emphasizes being present in every moment — to recognize one’s actions and be fully present and engaged in living. By doing so, we are better able to know what is going on in the present moment and generate pro-active, wise responses, rather than impulsive, reactive ones. Theravada, or Insight Meditation, teaches practitioners to access presence and awareness through formal practices like seated meditation, walking meditation and silence. Whatever mode of mindfulness practice you establish for yourself, studies show that mindfulness training results in deeply healing changes.

Mindfulness has proven benefits for us all

A daily mindfulness practice and its associated benefits are accessible to anyone regardless of their religion, culture, politics or ideology. Beginning from within, mindfulness honors the mind-body connection and supports an increased awareness of all aspects of self.

Since Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts, tens of thousands of people have attended courses at over 600 institutions. In three decades of published research, the majority of participants reported:

  • Lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms
  • An increased ability to relax
  • Reductions in pain levels and an enhanced ability to cope with chronic pain
  • Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
  • Improved self-esteem
  • An ability to cope more effectively with both short-term and long-term stressful situations

Augusta’s MBSR students, organizational and individual clients report similar positive results.


I’ve been particularly stressed with work and work-travel lately and have been using the techniques from our sessions with much success. The difference in how I feel now compared to this same busy season last year is incomparable. I am really really thankful for that.
—Cole Harry

Mindfulness at work

Bringing mindfulness to the workplace improves the work environment by lowering stress levels and increasing empathy between co-workers. Research studies show that practicing mindfulness can actually “change the structure and functioning of our brains in ways that are consistent with feeling happier and more engaged in our lives.”

Workers who practice mindfulness report:

  • Less prolonged fatigue
  • Less stress
  • Reduced anxiety and depression
  • Fewer sleep difficulties, aches and pains
  • Fewer problems getting along with others

Stress can make us feel helpless and hopeless in the world. A mindfulness practice is a powerful resource to restore one’s abilities to make good decisions and effect positive changes throughout one’s life.

Why not invite Augusta to bring mindfulness to your home, office or organization? Contact Augusta to schedule a 20-minute phone consultation and introductory experience of mindfulness practice with Augusta.


I start my day with my mediation practice and find my breath — instead of letting anxiety propel me through the day and “finding my breath” later, once I have accomplished enough that I feel able to breathe. I’m surprised by how mindfulness has infiltrated so many parts of my life.
—Eileen

Augusta’s teaching is informed by years of both formal Buddhist Insight mindfulness and a more informal Vietnamese Zen mindfulness practice. She teaches standard MBSR courses to the public, offers one-on-one individual mindfulness training, and brings mindfulness to businesses and organizations in a variety of flexible formats.