Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York, N.Y. : Hyperion, c1994.
Description
New Age. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML: 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 every moment count. By "capturing" the present and living fully within each moment, one can reduce anxiety, achieve inner peace, and enrich the quality of life. With warmth and humor, WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE blends stories, poems, and scientific observations with easily followed instructions. The result is a unique audio program that is part inspiration and part study guide to a revolutionary new way of being, seeing, and living..… (more)
Media reviews
This was my first time listened to a book an audio, and I have to say I am very impressed. The quality of the authors voice and inflections made the more boring parts bearable. The information in this book is invaluable for anyone looking to make a difference in their lives and be the best they can
AudioBook Link:
Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life & Exercises and Meditations
Recommended to those who feel any curiosity about mindfulness or who want to learn how to practice living in the moment. I know I will need time to adapt Kabat-Zinn's perspective into my own life, but I do feel excited to try. I will end this review with a final quote I found meaningful:
"It turns out that we don't have to succumb to the addictive appeals of external absorptions in entertainment and passionate distraction. We can develop other habits that bring us back to that elemental yearning inside ourselves for warmth, stillness, and inner peace. When we sit with our breathing, for instance, it is much like sitting by fire. Looking deeply into the breath, we can see at least as much as in glowing coals and embers and flames, reflections of our own mind dancing. A certain warmth is generated, too. And if we are truly not trying to get anywhere but simply allow ourselves to be here in this moment as it is, we can stumble easily upon an ancient stillness - behind and within the play of our thoughts and feelings - that in a simpler time, people found in sitting by the fire."
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be. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone! AudioBook Link:
Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life & Exercises and Meditations
Recommended to those who feel any curiosity about mindfulness or who want to learn how to practice living in the moment. I know I will need time to adapt Kabat-Zinn's perspective into my own life, but I do feel excited to try. I will end this review with a final quote I found meaningful:
"It turns out that we don't have to succumb to the addictive appeals of external absorptions in entertainment and passionate distraction. We can develop other habits that bring us back to that elemental yearning inside ourselves for warmth, stillness, and inner peace. When we sit with our breathing, for instance, it is much like sitting by fire. Looking deeply into the breath, we can see at least as much as in glowing coals and embers and flames, reflections of our own mind dancing. A certain warmth is generated, too. And if we are truly not trying to get anywhere but simply allow ourselves to be here in this moment as it is, we can stumble easily upon an ancient stillness - behind and within the play of our thoughts and feelings - that in a simpler time, people found in sitting by the fire."
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User reviews
LibraryThing member porch_reader
I've never been a consistent meditator, but I've often thought that I am a good candidate. My mind often races, and I'm a chronic multi-tasker. Although I try, I'm not great at focusing on the present moment. But when I slow down enough to think about it, I don't want to miss a minute of the rest
This book is made up of short chapters. There is a little bit of "how to," but even more reflection on the role of meditation and mindfulness in our lives. So, while people looking for a mediation guidebook might not find what they need here, it was quotes like this one that made this a worthwhile read for me:
"Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely, the path that is your life. Meditation may help us see that this path we call our life has direction; that it is always unfolding, moment by moment, and that what happens now, in this moment, influences what happens next."
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of my life. It sounds like a cliché to say that time flies, but that cliché has felt very real to me lately. My kids are getting older - one just finished his first year of middle school and the other will be a high school sophomore in the fall. My older son just got his first paying job - worship leader and praise band director at our church. (Yes, he's getting paid to play guitar - he's on top of the world!) My husband and I have started talking about what we'll do when we are empty nesters. Losing both of my parents recently has also made it very real that the next moment is not guaranteed. This makes me want to live in the moment, and so I picked up Kabat-Zinn's book on mindfulness meditation. This book is made up of short chapters. There is a little bit of "how to," but even more reflection on the role of meditation and mindfulness in our lives. So, while people looking for a mediation guidebook might not find what they need here, it was quotes like this one that made this a worthwhile read for me:
"Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely, the path that is your life. Meditation may help us see that this path we call our life has direction; that it is always unfolding, moment by moment, and that what happens now, in this moment, influences what happens next."
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
A wonderful book. Kabat-Zinn helps to teach you don't have to sit in the lotus posture when you are meditating. Mindfulness can be every minute of the day.
LibraryThing member lisapeet
A relatively simple text about mindfulness and meditation practice, and as such wants a close and careful reading—otherwise you're just going to think you've heard all this stuff before. But why bother reading it in the first place if you don't want to actually think about it? Otherwise, y'know,
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just read some inspirational stuff on Facebook. But actually taking the time to read this slowly, and think about everything he says, was rewarding. He's intelligent and compassionate about the human condition in general, and stays pretty much away from dogma. It's all stuff worth thinking about. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
If you are reading Wherever You Go just to say you have read Wherever You Go (like I am) this will take you no time at all. Sometimes a page is as short as a paragraph or just a couple of sentences. But, if you are looking for mindfulness it is best to read this book slowly. Let each section sink
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in and be sure to savor each line. It is a basic introduction to Buddhist meditation without of mumbo jumbo. Show Less
LibraryThing member skokie
The authors ability to translate Eastern meditation concepts into the Western life is unparalled in my opinion. The book is an easy read and I highly recommend. I read it as an adjunct to Linehan's DBT manual and found it to be helpful when implementing mindfulness in the group setting.
LibraryThing member eileenmary
Excellent book, one I'll keep refering too.
LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
I read this book just at the time that I needed to. I was trying to address things in my life that this book helped me focus on perfectly. It got me started on mindfulness meditation, which I found to be just the thing that I needed in my life.
LibraryThing member andersonden
I can't say this book has really changed my life because I am not easily changed, but the techniques and ideas in it have encouraged me to change some aspects of my behavior (very slowly). I'm hoping I'll eventually become more patient as a result of steady practice but that remains to be seen. An
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excellent guide to those wanting to ease the internal pressure of their lives. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
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
Just before reading this book I had read The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh, a classic book on meditation and Buddhist precepts published in 1975, and which made Kabat-Zinn's book seem rather superfluous. Consisting primarily of what was originally written as a "long letter" Hanh in its 100 pages tells you almost everything (and more) than Kabat-Zinn does in over 270 pages. Hanh's book is more succinct yet more detailed in its exercises and explanation of breath and postures, more lucid and insightful, and is the kind of book that though deceptively simple, rewards repeated reading. I felt Kabat-Zinn's on the other hand was filled with boilerplate New Age filler and stuffed with a lot of quotations by others such as Whitman, Tao-te-Ching, and especially Thoreau. About the only additional material were a couple of pages on the position of the hands during meditation, a suggestion formal meditation be practiced for 45 minutes every day when you can, and that it's useful to do yoga, and that his personal daily "core routine" contains "twenty or so postures." That's it. I just don't see the use of having both books, and I can't see choosing Kabat-Zinn's over Hanh's.
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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" and seeks to give some background and definitions. It explains that meditation is "not about making the mind empty or still." Part Two, "The Heart of Practice" delves into the "basic aspects of formal meditation practice." Part Three, "In the Spirit of Mindfulness" "explores a range of applications and perspectives on mindfulness. "Just before reading this book I had read The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh, a classic book on meditation and Buddhist precepts published in 1975, and which made Kabat-Zinn's book seem rather superfluous. Consisting primarily of what was originally written as a "long letter" Hanh in its 100 pages tells you almost everything (and more) than Kabat-Zinn does in over 270 pages. Hanh's book is more succinct yet more detailed in its exercises and explanation of breath and postures, more lucid and insightful, and is the kind of book that though deceptively simple, rewards repeated reading. I felt Kabat-Zinn's on the other hand was filled with boilerplate New Age filler and stuffed with a lot of quotations by others such as Whitman, Tao-te-Ching, and especially Thoreau. About the only additional material were a couple of pages on the position of the hands during meditation, a suggestion formal meditation be practiced for 45 minutes every day when you can, and that it's useful to do yoga, and that his personal daily "core routine" contains "twenty or so postures." That's it. I just don't see the use of having both books, and I can't see choosing Kabat-Zinn's over Hanh's.
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LibraryThing member ganesh.kudva.groups
Contains many texts from several teachers like Krishnamurti, Dalai Lama and the book Walden. if you read such teachers you may not get much out of the book. for this reason I rate this book average. If you dont reach such teachers - this may be an interesting read.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I found this very inspirational and thought-provoking in a good way. Made me think about living instead of existing and about how I should start thinking a bit more rather than just reacting. I will probably return to this again in a few years to reinspire myself.
LibraryThing member LauGal
Easy to read and understand. We really do need to "be in the moment". Society is so busy and supersonic as to what we need and where we need to be that we lose sight of what "is". We ar emissing "moments' we cannot get back.
LibraryThing member ajlewis2
I read this book a little bit each morning. I especially liked the simple things to try for mindfulness practice. The author uses concrete examples from his own life which were very helpful in understanding. The book seemed very practical to me and encouraged me to stay with my meditation practice,
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not for an outcome, but simply as part of my journey. I felt a sense of relief knowing that this is not about trying to get somewhere in order to have arrived. Show Less
LibraryThing member deldevries
Great quotes throughout. A book to nibble on.
LibraryThing member bccomm
Interesting exercises, and I love his examples of applying meditative practice to ordinary tasks. A little difficult to navigate: you lose the forest for the trees, because he talks more about individual trees, as it were. Still very much worth it.
LibraryThing member REINADECOPIAYPEGA
I was going to give this book 5 stars initially, but at a given point I started to lose interest and then moved into the ' when is this book going to end ' mode.
I loved it until the part when he was in favor in staying in bad situations rather than ' running '. So if you have an abusive, rude, mean
I wanted to shoot myself when I got to the chapters on parenting, as I am not a parent, but felt if I skipped over those 2 chapters, then I would be cheating by saying I read the book, so got thru it reluctantly. The last chapter was the final straw, when discussing his views on spiritually, which he does not seem to deem very important or worthy.
So it started with 5 stars and went down to 3 by the time I got thru with it.
I loved it until the part when he was in favor in staying in bad situations rather than ' running '. So if you have an abusive, rude, mean
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spirited, etc boss, boyfriend, next door neighbor who is make your life a misery, one should continue to deal with it, especially when there are options available to get away and protect yourself, your feelings, your own self-respect ? Sorry Jon, life is too short to be in a miserable situation for one extra second, when you have an option to leave.I wanted to shoot myself when I got to the chapters on parenting, as I am not a parent, but felt if I skipped over those 2 chapters, then I would be cheating by saying I read the book, so got thru it reluctantly. The last chapter was the final straw, when discussing his views on spiritually, which he does not seem to deem very important or worthy.
So it started with 5 stars and went down to 3 by the time I got thru with it.
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LibraryThing member DanielSTJ
Very good introduction to the subject matter. Written in a succinct and legible style that resonates through the quotes provided. Overall, a good book
LibraryThing member smallself
You can put your attention on an object without cluttering it up with lots of ideology; that’s what it’s about.
LibraryThing member RajivC
This is a good book, but not excellent. In some ways, I think that if he had stopped at the book title, it would have been enough.
The first section is excellent, and I like the exercises. Thereafter, Jon Kabat-Zinn becomes a bit repetitive, but it is a book you can still read and learn from.
Ignore
When you lie in samadhi, you are lying in a tomb, before cremation or burial. This is another aspect of samadhi.
When you attain samadhi, you may die, or be so evolved that you are dead to the world.
The first section is excellent, and I like the exercises. Thereafter, Jon Kabat-Zinn becomes a bit repetitive, but it is a book you can still read and learn from.
Ignore
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what he writes about the Indian word, 'samadhi'. Samadhi is not just one-pointedness, it is the highest form of (let us say) concentration, mindfulness, and oneness. It may be one step away from 'nirvana'.When you lie in samadhi, you are lying in a tomb, before cremation or burial. This is another aspect of samadhi.
When you attain samadhi, you may die, or be so evolved that you are dead to the world.
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LibraryThing member dianemb
A good, easy to read introduction to mindfulness meditation - being more aware of the present moment.
LibraryThing member streamsong
This was published in 1994 and so rather than feeling revolutionary, the concepts seem well known. I guess that means it has become a classic and that its influence is huge, spawning many more books and literature on the subject.
It is still a useful book for those wanting to learn how to calm their
For me, one of the largest take-away from this book is that meditation should be practiced daily. It is sometimes used as a crises management technique, but it is most effective when one has become familiar and adept at the practice.
Meditation as presented in this book is secular, although it also can be and has been modified into whatever religious practice you choose – ie Christian or Buddhist meditation.
It is still a useful book for those wanting to learn how to calm their
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minds and live in the present moment. The chapters are short and are often followed by an exercise so it is not a quick read. For me, one of the largest take-away from this book is that meditation should be practiced daily. It is sometimes used as a crises management technique, but it is most effective when one has become familiar and adept at the practice.
Meditation as presented in this book is secular, although it also can be and has been modified into whatever religious practice you choose – ie Christian or Buddhist meditation.
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