At Mindful IN MoCo, we are focused on supporting mindfulness practice in Montgomery County and the surrounding region through our Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, drop-in meditation groups, workshops, and support for other local mindfulness programming.

This summer, we are starting a new program in June for people who would like to explore mindfulness but have not had time to attend our classes or meetings. This program is part of a research study being conducted by Neil Schmitzer-Torbert at Wabash College.

The study will use the free Healthy Minds app, which was developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The main goal of the study is to better understand how to help people use the Healthy Minds app to begin or renew a mindfulness practice.

What we will do this summer

If you are interested in participating in this study, you will be asked to:

  • Complete two surveys: one now, and a second in approximately three months.
  • Download the Healthy Minds app, and use it daily
  • Complete a short survey each week or every other week about your use of the Healthy Minds app

Benefits for participating

While each person’s experience will be different, research on the Healthy Minds app suggests that using it may help strengthen mindfulness and our sense of connection, promote greater well-being, and help people better manage feelings of depression and anxiety.

During the program, from June through August, we will organize weekly drop-in meetings to talk about mindfulness practice and what people are learning about themselves from using the Healthy Minds app. Both in-person meetings in Crawfordsville and virtual options will be offered, so these meetings will be open to people who are not able to attend in person.

Everyone who completes the initial and final survey for the study will have the opportunity to take our next 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, which will begin in September, for free—a $300 value.

How do I sign up?

To participate in this program, please complete our initial survey. We expect that this survey will take most people 30 minutes or less to complete.

Some of the questions ask about your sleep quality. If you have a roommate or partner who sleeps near you, it would be helpful if you are able to ask them a few questions about your sleep.

What if I don’t like surveys?

If you are not interested in joining our research study, you are still welcome to start using the free Healthy Minds app and to join us for our weekly drop-in meetings. Just contact Neil Schmitzer-Torbert, and he can send you our meeting dates and other information!

Other questions?

If you have questions, or wish to learn more about this program, please contact Neil Schmitzer-Torbert.