Fear in Action: Fear of Movement (Kinesiophobia) and Falling and their Treatment with Mind-Body Therapies

This breakout session will begin with a brief introduction to two very pragmatic and embodied ways that ‘fear’ manifests in the human experience: Pain-related fear of movement (kinesiophobia) and fear of falling in older adults. An introduction will include data on the surprisingly high prevalence, individual suffering, and public health burden of these conditions, the state of the science related to our understanding of cognitive-motor processes underlying these conditions, and clinical research studies evaluating mind-body interventions for addressing these conditions. The introduction will be designed as a springboard for group discussion and exploration of how contemplative mind-body practices may be uniquely suited for managing and resolving these complex mind-body imbalances.