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Jan 01, 2011

Kate rated it:

"Mindfulness is considered the heart of Buddhist meditation but its essence is universal and of deep practical benefit to all. In essence, mindfulness is about wakefulness. Out minds are such that we are often more asleep than awake to the unique beauty and possibilities of each present moment as it unfolds. While it is in the nature of our mind to go on automatic pilot and lose touch with the only time we actually have to live, to grow, to feel, to love, to learn, to give shape to thing

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5 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 16, 2008

AJ rated it:

Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the pioneering medical professionals to integrate east/west practices. This book is a very easy read - yet full of insight and depth. I enjoyed the book immensely due to the luminous knowledge he provides regarding the practice and understanding of meditation and the synthesis of impressions held by various thinkers. I highly recommend this book due to his objective style and candidness, allowing for any faiths, lifestyles, or ages to perceive the truths within.

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 06, 2012

Ken rated it:

You don't really enjoy this book while reading it. It's more an instructional book on Meditation. And Meditation is basically just sitting and breathing. The interesting part is the meditation itself and not the reading about it. If you never experienced the power of meditation before, you will find this book very repetitive.
I would have preferred more insights about the work with the patients in stress therapy or more actual exercises. The book has no clear structure and seems a bit rus More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 27, 2009

Indra rated it:

Jon Kabat Zin is a doctor who has used mindfulness in dealing with illness. In the course of his work he has developed simple techniques of meditation and mindfulness thathave worked for me

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 22, 2010

Veek rated it:

I'd avoided Kabat-Zinn's works in the past, lumping them into the airy-faerie category of new age fluff. Then I read about him in another book (Bill Moyers' dusty but still relevant Healing and the Mind) and was impressed with both his credentials and his views. This book is targeted to clients whose health issues (such as chronic pain) may benefit from learning to let go of hurts from the past and worries about the future, and live more fully in the present moment. Breathing, imagery, relaxatio More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 25, 2007

Celia rated it:

If you want to know how to actually live in the present moment, then this book is for you
I have become more midnful of my thoughts and actions, and the amount of time I spend daydreaming or assuming what someone or something else's reality is. Instead, I allow those thoughts to pass quickly, without judgement, and come back to the present, whatever it is I am doing that moment be it playing peek-a-boo with my son, cooking a meal, having a talk with my husband or friend or running a few mi More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 20, 2012

Harmonybites rated it:

The introduction tells us this book "is meant to provide brief and easy access to the essence of mindfulness meditation and its applications." By "mindfulness" is meant focused awareness of the "present moment." And meditation is "the process by which we go about deepening our attention and awareness, refining them, and putting them to greater practical use in our lives." The book is divided in three parts. Part One, "The Bloom of the Present Moment" More...

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May 18, 2011

Jeffrey rated it:

I’m grateful that Hyperion came out with a 10th anniversary edition of this book, for a couple of reasons. One, I may very well never have found it in a bookstore in 2011 if not for this “new” edition. And, two, Kabat-Zinn’s afterword for the anniversary edition nicely ties up the book’s main concepts.

In the afterword, Kabat-Zinn bricks back our attention to the “clarity, sanity, and well-being that are always and already right beneath our noses, and within all of us.” A lot of us we More...

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Jan 26, 2011

Francis rated it:

Through a series of short chapters, peppered with quotes (Thoreau is consulted a number of times), Jon conveys the tenor of mindful thinking. Suggested practices are interspersed amoung these chapters and his wide-reaching reflections. They are not collected or listed; there is no 'core set' of techniques, and so reading the book with practice in mind, it seemed rather... dispersed.

The book serves more as a lengthy philosophical mediation than a practical guide (for which I highly reco More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 05, 2010

Liz rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2011

Bill added it

You probably know before you pick up a book on meditation whether you're on board with it. This book isn't free of the kinds of things that might steer you away from such a book, and I'm not sure any book on the subject can be - if the book's any good, ideas from eastern spiritualism go with the territory. So if that all sounds like crap to you then you probably want to go read something else anyway.

Having said that, this book comes in three sections. Each section is composed of fift More...

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Feb 17, 2009

Callie rated it:

I learned so much from this book that I decided to buy it because I know it's one I will return to and want to reference in the future. It's a simple guide to meditation, a practice I've always wanted to devote more time to or SOME time to, to be perfectly honest. What I liked about this book is that he gives you guidance on how to find your way into practicing meditation, but he never makes stringent requirements. He talks about practicing for even five or ten minutes a day, if that's all you c More...

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May 24, 2010

Ruth rated it:

278 pages. Donated 2010 May.

This 10th Anniversary edition of the inspiring and practical guide to meditation, includes a brand new afterword and an audio-exclusive interview with the author
A simple and straightforward introduction to Buddhist meditation practice from one of the country’s leading authorities on stress-reduction techniques, Dr. Kabat-Zinn has taught this two-thousand-year-old Buddhist method of relaxation to thousands of patients. Through mindfulness, one makes e More...

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Sep 29, 2007

edward rated it:

If I could only have one book, this would be it. Not a novel, but a really great short chaptered book that teaches more than meditation. It asks the big questions about life and incorporates a lot from Thoreau's Walden with quotes and passages. A good mix of Eastern philosohpy and transcendentalism makes this a great book to read a chapter at a time. It will always be by my bedside.

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Feb 24, 2010

Mark rated it:

My girlfriend in college suggested I read this book on everyday Mindfulness Meditation by Jon-Kabit Zinn - since then he has become one of my favorite authors on the subject. I approach every day as a meditation in movement. I'm currently working on being more non-reactive and awake and alive in the present moment without having any expectations of it and allowing the moment to simply "be" as it is. It is what it is. Good, bad, or indifferent - trying not to "force the river" More...

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May 23, 2010

Mark rated it:

The most accessible, readable, practicable guide I've come accross so far for exploring meditation. Kabat-Zinn leaves the off-putting "spiritual speak" of new ageism behind and describes in accessible language how we can incorporate purposeful awareness into our lives for stress reduction, enhanced awareness in our daily activities and overall well-being. I read this book very slowly, one section at a time while trying to incorporate the "try" paragraphs - simple suggestion More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 20, 2010

Carol rated it:

I normally recoil at the thought of inspirational, motivational, optimistic type-books. That said, this book was just that and did so without irritating me. I read it during undergrad. and even carried it around with me for quite some time, highlighting thoughts worthy of remembering and ruminating on or about. (Maybe I liked it so much b/c I was in college, a little in the pot-smoking, hippie stage). Nonetheless, the core focus of the book is mindful meditation, being in the here-and-now, and h More...

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Feb 01, 2009

Lauren rated it:

having read this book before having my first child, i needed a bit of advice and piece of mind. i was teaching first grade and feeling like i could not be with myself. ever. i was spent in so many ways. a wife, a home owner, a pregnant person, a teacher, a daughter, a sister,....i was all discombobled.

when i read this book, i was able to take two steps back...breathe...ask myself where i was...and then tell myself to slow down. and to think, that was ok. it worked for me in terms o More...

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Aug 05, 2009

Mark rated it:

This is supposed to be a practical guide to meditation. It was recommended to me by someone who knew how I feel about the mysticism that surrounds yoga and meditation. Imagine my dismay when I encountered guidelines like "If we can take a stand here, and let go into the full texture of now, we may find that this very moment is worth of our trust." What? How can you trust or not trust a moment?

"In the stillness of formal practice, we do turn our energies inward, onl More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Apr 07, 2011

aarthi rated it:

Favorite quotes, and To Do's:

"look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your thoughts about them.... Without knowing it, we are coloring everything, putting our spin on it all."

"At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift, and no recipient... only the universe rearranging itself."

"Make a list of what is really important to you. Embody it."

"Our ability to touch love and kindness and More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 30, 2009

Helynne rated it:

This is a particularly nice guidance book on meditation and mindfulness. I especially like Zinn's focus on "non-doing," which has nothing to do with being lazy or indolent, but the ability to "simply let things be and allowing them to unfold in their own way" (44). In short, this is the art of mindfullness, which Zinn says has to be kindled and nurtured because "you can only get there if you are fully here" (131) I also like his descriptions of "mountain" More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 12, 2008

Jean rated it:

Great to read over and over!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 25, 2009

Sirpa rated it:

A gentle, practical book on meditation. Kind of a "read a chapter a day and think about it" layout. It appears very basic, but is a great sumary of truths. I did enjoy many quotes by Thoreau.

I recommend this book to anyone trying to learn to be more mindful and accepting of their lives. So many individuals live in their fantasies --how wonderful/terrible the past was or how they will be happy if only this happens in the future. But really, all you have is this immediate mom More...

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Aug 31, 2009

Jane rated it:

"There is no running away from anything! The romantic notion that if it's no good over here, you have only to go over there and things will be different. If the jobs are no good, change jobs. If this wife is no good, change wives. If this town is no good, change towns. This underlying thinking is the reason for your troubles.
You cannot escape yourself, try as you might. Sooner or later, the same problems arise- patterns of seeing, thinking, and behaving. Our lives cease working becaus More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 16, 2008

Trevor rated it:

I was recommended this book - but I really struggled with it. The problem might have been increased by the fact that I found a talking book version read by the author. Authors probably should know better.

Anyway, it also had lots of that kind of music you might hear while getting a massage. I think that was also a mistake.

I just can't imagine myself sitting focused on my own breathing for any length of time - I do get what is being attempted here, but it just isn't me. More...

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Jul 23, 2007

Alex rated it:

I have degrees in Philosophy and Comparative Religion, as I was once studying with the ambition of becoming a professor. I have thousands of books in different subjects, but I have recommended this book and purchased it for more friends as gifts than any other. I first read it in 1995 and it is one of the most beautifully written texts I've ever read. He makes meditation something so down to earth and really appreciate the "earthiness" of his approach. His use of literature, poetry More...

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Jul 10, 2011

Chayne rated it:

An awesome book on the introduction to meditation and mindful living. It's chapters are broken down into segments or a general topic so it's really easy to read and follow along. Although I don't feel as if it teaches you HOW to meditate, it gives you some helpful insights on what to do and expect from it. Only you can determine the how by personal experience and mindful application of what you read in this book to your daily life. This is a good book to refer to on a cloudy/steamy day.

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May 07, 2011

Froztwolf rated it:

This book provides a great reminder of how to use mindfulness in daily life, rather than just meditation, and what the effects of doing so can be.

Whether it's standing in line at the bank, dealing with unruly kids, paying bills or whatever situation, he has a way to remind yourself to be mindful of the moment and not get caught up in things.

While the book has good and diverse material, I felt that it was a little bloated, the editor should have swung his axe a little ha More...

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Nov 12, 2010

K rated it:

Recently listened to the WTFpodcast interview with Judd Apatow in which Apatow states that he knows for a fact that if he only started meditating for 5 minutes twice a day, his entire life would be transformed for the better, but that this knowledge was insufficient to make him start meditating.

Hoped this book would be the thing to make me start meditating but my interest ran out halfway through, just before Kabat-Zinn discusses the actual practice of meditating.

I liked whe More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 22, 2010

Delia rated it:

I found this book used during a very stressful time in my life. One of my relatives had cancer and I didn't like my job very much. This book was really a gem because it had techniques I could use to meditate as part of my everyday routine, without taking a lot of time out of my day. It also helped me develop better and more positive thinking habits. I would recommend this book to busy people who are looking for a little peace and quiet in their lives.

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