Just over 40 years ago Jon Kabat-Zinn began seeing patients with chronic disease in the basement of our Medical Center. His hypothesis was simple —  the practice of mindfulness could help alleviate the pain and suffering associated with chronic disease. Now, 40 years later, thanks to Jon’s pioneering work, we know unequivocally that mindfulness can not only reduce pain and suffering, but can also be used as an adjunct to standard medical care for a multitude of diseases and as a preventive measure to reduce the incidence of stress related illness