Product Description

An inspiring and practical guide to meditation A simple and straightforward introduction to Buddhist meditation practice from one of the country's leading authorities on stress-reduction techniques, W herever You Go, There You Are has as its goal a personal transformation of the listener. Dr. Kabat-Zinn has taught this two-thousand-year-old Buddhist method of relaxation to thousands of patients in his Stress Reduction Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Through mindfulness, one makes every moment count. By "capturing" the present and living fully within each moment as it happens, 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, anecdotes, poems, images, 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #853096 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-03
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From Amazon.com
In his follow-up to Full Catastrophe Living--a book in which he presented basic meditation techniques as a way of reducing stress and healing from illness--here Jon Kabat-Zinn goes much more deeply into the practice of meditation for its own sake. To Kabat-Zinn, meditation is important because it brings about a state of "mindfulness," a condition of "being" rather than "doing" during which you pay attention to the moment rather than the past, the future, or the multitudinous distractions of modern life. In brief, rather poetic chapters, he describes different meditative practices and what they can do for the practitioner. The idea that meditation is "spiritual" is often confusing to people, Kabat-Zinn writes; he prefers to think of it as what you might call a workout for your consciousness. This book makes learning meditation remarkably easy (although practicing it is not). But it also makes it seem infinitely appealing. --Ben Kallen

From Publishers Weekly
Kabat-Zinn's book outlines the Buddhist technique of "mindfulness": a method of living fully in the moment without judgment.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Kabat-Zinn, the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, provides an excellent handbook on living fully in the present moment through mindfulness meditation. This meditative technique, widely used in Buddhist practice, is presented in nonsectarian form with sufficient instructions for the beginner (who may also order the cassette tapes to facilitate disciplined practice). Kabat-Zinn's previous Full Catastrophe Living (Delacorte, 1990) was directed to those in crisis; this book, which is for everyone, includes reflections on the beauty of the present and meditation's emotional and spiritual applications. An important book for public and seminary libraries, and for health and New Age collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Inspirational
Mindfulness should be an exercise all beings participate in practicing, not simply exclusive to our Buddhist traditions; a point Kabat-Zinn makes in this wonderful book. What it truly encompasses is a kind of awakening (yes, cliché) where we begin living in accord with not just all people but, also with ourselves.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, a clinic which likely has helped innumerable beings. Mindful meditation is a letting go practice, a practice of non contriving and ultimately - endurance. It is an acknowledgement of who we already are, beneath the layers of attachments and aversion; that is of course that we are loving and generous people.

This book offers a plethora of meditative exercises and mindfulness applications to employ in our daily routines. Zinn suggests utilizing sitting, walking, and even "on your feet" meditation. Metaphors of mindful actions are here using topics like parenting or even washing the dishes. This work will hopefully motivate all who read it. Great book.

Concentrated Wisdom - A Definite Keeper
This has long been a best seller and justifiably so. Kabat-Zinn works clinically with people who are stressed and his earlier book, Full Catastrophe Living, was written for people who are almost pathologically stressed, to bring them the beneficial effects of meditation. The present book is written for average people on the street, who may not need so urgently the therapeutic effects of meditation, but in the belief that we can all of us use a healthy dose of it. It is written with no religious strings attached, and even avoiding the word "spiritual," and yet it has the ability to open up the spiritual realm for us, no matter what we wish to call it. It is an introduction for the beginner and a source of good advice for the practitioner of meditation. It's written in bite-sized chapters, in clear, easy and very readable prose. It is a delight to read. The book's three parts explore the why and how of meditation and its many applications in daily life. Many chapters conclude with suggestions for reflection or meditation. It is concentrated wisdom that deserves much rereading and a permanent place on your library shelf.

This is the book to start with!
While some people have difficulty understanding what meditation is and why one might do it, just as many meditators hold on to misconceptions about meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn leads us gently into insight meditation with a clarity and conciseness of language that anyone can understand. This book leaves one feeling: "How could I not meditate?" This book makes a wonderful addition to any meditator's library or gift for someone new to meditation.