Welcome to the Johns Hopkins’ Division of Rheumatology – Mindfulness Program for People Living with Rheumatic Disease

We identified the most important patient stressors related to living with rheumatic disease based on our experience working with patients and in review of the scientific literature. These include pain, disease flares, managing medications/side effects, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, managing difficult emotions, body image, and managing social interactions with family and friends. Based on each patient stressor, several mindfulness meditations were developed by members of our Mindfulness Team (Dana DiRenzo, Neda Gould, Carly Hunt, Erica Sibinga, Clifton O. Bingham, III). The meditations were influenced by prominent meditation experts in the field and shaped by pilot studies that we conducted in our rheumatology clinic. Our preliminary work suggests that engaging in stress reduction practices such as meditation, can improve quality of life with routine practice. We invite you to click on “getting started” for a more detailed introduction and to learn more.