The programs offered by Mindbody Training are meant to serve the needs of any and all individuals regardless of age or level of fitness, without requiring commitment to any particular belief system. Individual development is stressed and above all respected.  The institution of these programs and the manner in which they are taught reflect the education, training and values of Eric Reynolds and Jan Carstoniu MD FRCPC who first developed them.

Mr. Reynolds worked for years in the insurance and financial sectors in managerial and executive positions before becoming the director of Mindbody Training.  He has also pursued a lifelong interest in meditation as a subject for study as well as personal practice.  This interest led him to training in Chinese self defense and health practices.  In 1997 he became the first Canadian certified instructor in the Chinese self defense system of Jiulong Baguazhang whose methods are used in law enforcement, the military and personal security.

Prior to earning his medical degree, Dr. Carstoniu had been a licensed psychologist in the province of Québec.  This earlier training combined with his medical specialty in anesthesiology led to the opening of a practice in the management of chronic pain in 1993.  He too had pursued training in Chinese health and defense methods and in 1978 became a certified instructor of Taijiquan (tai chi).  In 1997 he began studying the art of Jiulong Baguazhang.

Mr. Reynolds and Dr. Carstoniu came to know each other as students of this sophisticated martial art used by professional bodyguards. Both were fascinated by the emphasis placed on cognitive training and mental development in an eminently practical form of personal combat.  The basic methods used involved the development of mental imagery combined with postures and movement practiced repeatedly.  This, of course, bears a striking resemblance to methods used by sports psychologists to maximize athletic performance.  Furthermore, meditation was considered to be the foundation for the development of calmness, mental imagery and the ability to perform under the stress of combat.  Similarly, meditation techniques are widely accepted not only in sports psychology but in the management of psychiatric and medical illness.

After the establishment of regular classes in self defense in Toronto, Mr. Reynolds instituted a second program teaching the health practices of Jiulong Baguazhang. Some of these practices can be traced to Taoist sects in continuous existence for more than 1000 years.  The methods used are the same: meditation, mental imagery, postures and movements are combined with the specific intention of achieving relaxation, strength, flexibility and health.  Much of the material was based upon Chinese qigong (Qigong exercises and systems of exercise are legion in Chinese culture.  Qigong can be thought of as physical exercise guided by mental imagery and intention although this definition is far from complete.) but Mr. Reynolds also incorporated Tibetan and other traditional exercises.  All have at their heart the notion that mind and body are one and can be trained as such.  This was the key factor in choosing a name for Mindbody Training.

It was at this time that programs truly began to take shape.  Dr. Carstoniu had for years used relaxation training and meditation techniques as part of his medical practice and psychological practice before that. There is evidence based consensus in current medical practice that such techniques play an important role in the multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain management.  Nevertheless there is a lack of cost-effective treatments that integrate cognitive, emotional and physical interventions.  The idea of presenting the same material from the classes established by Mr. Reynolds to chronic pain patients was one Dr. Carstoniu found impossible to resist.  He had long sought to integrate a scientific medical approach with Asian disciplines for chronic pain patients and this seemed the perfect opportunity.

In February 2005 a group of patients aged 30 to more than 70 with different medical conditions participated in the first chronic pain group therapy session developed by Dr. Carstoniu and Mr. Reynolds.  Funded by the province of Ontario’s provincial health care system it put into practice the principles that are the foundation of Mindbody Training’s programs.  Positive feedback from patients followed rapidly and most of the initial participants still attend group sessions.  On average, 30 patients attend two weekly sessions.  Many have reported improvements in well-being and reductions in medication use since becoming participants.

In order to ensure continued program development Mindbody Training has created a database to collect demographic data as well as information concerning pain severity, physical activity, mood and medication use of pain group participants.  Repeated measures will be used to monitor the progress of patients and suggest areas for program improvement.  Work is in progress to develop a similar quality assurance tool for Mindbody Training’s regular courses.

There is a growing realization in Western societies that well-being, health and performance can be actively pursued by anyone.  This has led to the rising popularity of personal coaching, yoga, tai chi, meditation and fitness clubs.  An evidence based approach resting on a solid foundation of time-tested traditional knowledge allows Mindbody Training to present unique programs combining current knowledge with ancient wisdom that meet the needs of individuals who wish to work, feel and live better.  If they choose, participants can learn how to personalize their training to satisfy their own needs and goals.  There is no secret, mystical knowledge available only to the elite and initiated.  Instead, Mindbody Training presents an open, fresh perspective on the pursuit of human development to all.