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Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment--And Your Life
An Invitation to the Practice of Mindfulness
Streamline your experience-practice while you read, without ever leaving the page
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We may long for wholeness, suggests Jon Kabat-Zinn, but the truth is that...more
Streamline your experience-practice while you read, without ever leaving the page
Enhanced eBook features:
Audio files conveniently embedded within the book
Please note that enhanced ebooks are available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Nook Color users only.
We may long for wholeness, suggests Jon Kabat-Zinn, but the truth is that...more
Hardcover, 120 pages
Published
December 28th 2011
by Sounds True
(first published 2006)
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This is a good introduction to mindfulness and meditation practice, especially for absolute beginners or people who are curious about exploring meditation without getting heavily into any associated religious practice. If you've read or listened to much other material on Buddhism or meditation practice, a lot of the concepts in the first half are going to seem pretty basic and familiar, although you might still get value out of the meditation exercises in the second half.
From reading other revi...more
From reading other revi...more
I really liked this. I've been trying to practice mindfulness for some time now, and appreciated the practical advice from the author. I loved finding out that in Asian languages the word "heart" and "mind" are the same. So when we are being mindful, we are also being heartful. Cool. Being mindful is being acutely aware of each moment without judging it. It requires a gentle curiosity, as we're watching life unfold, moment by moment by moment. The author explains that there are three major thing...more
I found this book pretty disappointing. I've read another book by Kabat-Zinn, which I found helpful, but quite dense. I was hoping that this would be a more accessible way to review the concepts. This book is divided into five large chapters, each of which are broken up into multiple tiny sections (one or two pages long). I felt like these little nuggets were repetitive and far too introductory--they never seemed to say anything useful. The book didn't broach anything practical about HOW to begi...more
This could be considered a much abbreviated version of the "Full Catastrophe Living" by the same author. That book is a brick of a dense "nuts and bolts" approach to meditation (I'm still not finished with that one). This book took less than two days to get through. I think it is a great beginner's approach to meditation and it has other approaches I did not grasp so well in "Full Catastrophe Living". I think they are both well worth the read. Very clinical and little o no New Age or religious r...more
Good intro to or refresher for meditation. It's Jon Kabat-Zinn giving very brief comments and instructions on meditation. Though I've read other Kabat-Zinn books, the tidbits here held my interest and made me want more. The book includes a CD with guided meditations. My small complaint here is that there were times when I wished that he'd been as succinct in his spoken guidance as he was in the written text; less talk, more silence. Still, this is a book worth reading periodically.
If you're curious about what the heck people do when they're "meditating," what's all this about "mindfulness," or if you've been practicing mindfulness meditation for years (or it only seems like years!) this is an excellent, clearly written,introduction/reminder. Chapters are only a couple of pages long.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."- Shunryu Suzuki
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."- Shunryu Suzuki
I listened to this on my commute to and from work. That was probably not the way anyone should listen to it. The first half consists of the author talking about what mindfulness is and is not. But it sounded like a guy at a party just rambling on. The second half were mindfulness exercises. I managed to keep my eyes open while driving. Not to diminish the author or mindfulness, but this book did not do much for me.
Feb 27, 2013
Joye
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
psychology,
non-fiction
This book is written in a thoughtful, concise way. The first 3/4 of it is short explanations of what to expect when practicing mindful techniques. The meat and potatoes of the technique are in the last several pages. It also includes a CD with mindful exercises which I haven't listened to yet.
The book grew on me and really made me want to explore this method of living and being more thoroughly. I highly recommend it.
The book grew on me and really made me want to explore this method of living and being more thoroughly. I highly recommend it.
This was a helpful introduction to meditation and the concept of mindfulness. Kabat-Zihn is interesting and adept at taking very abstract concepts and simplifying them to help newbies grasp these ideas.
I must say I did tire of two phrases he used multiple times: "Moment...by moment...by moment..." and "As if your life depends on it... And it does!" But hey, at least they stuck with me! Reptition is key, after all.
I must say I did tire of two phrases he used multiple times: "Moment...by moment...by moment..." and "As if your life depends on it... And it does!" But hey, at least they stuck with me! Reptition is key, after all.
Easily the best book on meditation that I've read. For people like me, who have really struggled with meditation, are extremely suspicious of new-age speak and approach meditation from a very analytical rather than an emotional or free-spirited way of thinking, it's perfect. Kabat-Zinn is really good at outlining the rational justifications for mindfulness and the practical applications of it, as well as explaining how lack of mindfulness can impact and rule one's life, and as much as I hate to...more
Mar 11, 2011
Kelly Garland-Gobbi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone needing to settle their overactive mind.
Recommended to Kelly by:
My psychologist
This is an audio book and will probably remain as currently reading because I have to follow the mindfulness meditations as part of my therapy. Jon Kabat-Zinn is very clear and easy to understand. I can understand why my therapist suggested I follow the meditations in his audio book.
I listened to this book on meditation. It's only two CDs: good. But the second CD really challenged me to be aware of my surroundings and I was not up to the challenge. I will revisit this one when I am ready to be mindful.
This mindfulness audiobook is easy to listen to, instructive, soothing, and understandable. Kabat-Zinn has a nice voice, and rather than being a book, it is what seems to be taped lectures.
Mar 18, 2009
Janice
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
personal-growth
I find the narrator is a matter when you listen to CD. I do not like the voice of this CD. His voice makes me unhappy, discouraging and depress. I do not get anything from Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Kabat-Zinn's voice is almost too calming; find myself struggling a bit with staying awake for the meditations. Do like the content, though, and will recommend it to friends and clients.
If you have never analyzed a raisin before, get this book, and get ready to explore. Hint: Get the raisin BEFORE reading the book. You will never be the same.
Also try the audiobook of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness for Beginners . The author is a pioneer of practical meditation and stress relieving actions.
This is the first meditation tape I bought and I have listened to it countless times over the years. An excellent introduction meditation!
Unfortunately, I kept hearing the pronouncement in this book in the voice of Bill Murray. Don't do this, it ruins it.
Having read this great book , I have now started to meditate for the first time in my life. And what a difference it, has made ! It is almost as if a new person is born . Your whole attitude to life changes, allowing you to make decisions /choices that would have been in the past impossible for me to even contemplate. All my friends, colleagues and relations have noticed the change in me. There is more wisdom in this short and very readable book than many twice it's size. I would highly recommen...more
This is CD set that I recommend to everyone. Listen to it when it's quiet and pay attention.
If this is a beginners level 1 I think I need a readiness level!
This books is not really for beginners.
I (try to) live by this now
Thought provoking and worthy intro into the mindset for meditation. Easily read in one afternoon
In the process of reading this book; Find the one page chapters helpful, in not biting off more than you can chew...an excellant read
Eh.. That's how I feel about it. I think part of the problem is listening to the man. His voice is a bit more droaning than it is enjoyable to listen to. BUT, when trying to be mindful I could be mindful of his voice so maybe I actually acomplished something. Not a favorite. I would have rather the first CD been a book with the second CD as a part of the book.
it was a quick read and i found myslef going back to parts of it. part explanation and part guided meditation excercises, i found it very helpful but i either need to buy my own copy or re-read it becuase the few weeks I had it from the library wasn't enough to fully explore it.
This was good for practicing but it was a bit long for me. There were just so much to meditate on I felt overwhelmed and bogged down. I just like a simple, shorter book to start with as a beginner. The CD has been very helpful.
Great orientation to this practice. I intend to give it a serious try. I think it will do a lot to improve my life experience.
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Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also the founding director of its renowned Stress Reduction Clinic and Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He teaches mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)...more
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Apr 04, 2010 05:49pm