Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer in mindfulness and author, shares invaluable insights on starting or reviving your meditation practice. He emphasizes the importance of being fully present with no agenda and encourages a relaxed approach, even suggesting meditation in bed. Kabat-Zinn discusses the significance of examining personal motivations and the transformative power of mindfulness in daily life. He stresses that meditation is about awareness rather than achievement, fostering a deeper connection to oneself and the world.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Morning Meditation Routine
Start meditating after waking up and using the bathroom.
Meditate for the time that feels appropriate, then continue with your day.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Posture for Meditation
Sit in a posture that promotes wakefulness and dignity, preferably on the floor if possible.
If floor sitting is difficult, use a chair; internal posture matters most.
insights INSIGHT
Meditation as Tuning
View meditation as tuning your instrument before playing it throughout the day.
This tuning enhances presence and reduces reactivity to thoughts and emotions.
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This book provides evidence-based mindfulness practices to help individuals manage chronic pain and suffering. Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, these techniques complement medical treatments and focus on mindful breathing, working with intense sensations, and befriending thoughts and emotions. The book includes audio guidance and is designed to help readers cultivate a new relationship with pain.
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How to Find It, Enjoy It, and Keep It
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This book provides practical advice on various aspects of dating and relationships after the age of 50. It includes guidance on recovering from emotional damage, building realistic requirements for a partner, navigating online dating, overcoming physical challenges of sex, evaluating the financial and practical results of different relationship arrangements, and dealing with adult children. The book is based on interviews with top experts and dozens of couples, and it includes the author's personal experiences and stories of real people who have formed healthy partnerships later in life.
Walden
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Published in 1854, 'Walden; Or, Life in the Woods' is a series of 18 essays that reflect Thoreau's experiences living in a small cabin near Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847. The book is a personal declaration of independence, a social experiment, and a voyage of spiritual discovery. Thoreau details his life in the woods, discussing the construction of his cabin, his daily activities, and his philosophical reflections on economy, social relations, and the importance of living in harmony with nature. The work is considered a cornerstone of American literature and a foundational text in the Transcendentalist movement, emphasizing the benefits of a simplified lifestyle and the importance of individual freedom and self-reliance[2][4][5].
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Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
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This book, first published in 1994, serves as a foundational guide to mindfulness and meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn combines his research and medical background with his spiritual knowledge to help readers find peace and change their lives. The book emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment and making intentional, mindful choices. It includes a new introduction and afterword in the updated edition, along with factual updates to reflect changes in research and knowledge since its original publication.
Full Catastrophe Living
Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
Jon Kabat-Zinn
This book, first published in 1990, is based on the work of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It introduces the concept of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and provides a step-by-step guide to various forms of meditation, including breathing, sitting, body-scan, yoga, walking, and loving-kindness meditation. The book emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind and body and offers strategies for coping with stress, pain, and illness by living fully in the present moment. It is structured into five parts, covering the practice of mindfulness, a new paradigm for health and illness, stress, and practical applications for managing various types of stress[1][2][5].
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Kabat-Zinn on the nitty gritty practicalities of starting a practice, being fully present with no agenda, and letting go of “the story of me.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Back in the 1970s, he came up with something called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, which is a secular way of teaching Buddhist meditation. He’s written many books, including Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; and Coming to Our Senses. His latest book is called Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief.
In this episode we talk about:
The nitty gritty practicalities of starting a practice
How he’s learned to be more relaxed about his practice—including advocating for meditating in bed
How to practice being fully present with no agenda
How investigating your motivations—something most people don’t do— can help you be more mindful