Mindfulness - Radical Lifestyle Change

Mindfulness – Radical Lifestyle Change

Mindfulness By Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

Watch and read an interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Because it’s so popular nowadays, all of a sudden, everybody’s practicing mindfulness. Everybody says they’re practicing mindfulness. But as I said, this is hard work. I mean, this is not just a concept. So it does require, in some sense, a radical change in your own lifestyle to carve out some time everyday to practice. And I’m serious about this – non-doing. This is so serious that it’s important not to take too seriously. And I’m serious about that. So lots of humor is required. But it also involves, say, in my case, for instance, getting up early, day in, day out, and making time to just be. Nothing, having no email, no phone calls, no television, no, you know, nothing. Just sitting or lying down, you can do this sitting, standing, lying down, walking. But just devoting some time during the day to what we call “formal meditation practice.” That’s hard. Making that lifestyle change is hard and enormous. And our patients do it by the thousands. So, it’s like regular people can take to this and do, like ducks to water because it’s like giving your life back to yourself. But, who’s got time for this crap? So, it’s much better to talk about mindfulness than it is to actually practice because that’s hard work.

Order the Full DVD Interview:

Mindfulness for Life: An Interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn

In this DVD, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as a way of “connecting to your life.” He discusses the “hard work” of living in the present moment, the personal and psychological impacts of developing a practice of mindfulness, and the benefits of utilizing mindfulness in therapy. He also touches upon mindfulness in parenting. Drawing upon his years of experience and research in the field of mindfulness, Dr. Kabat-Zinn offers an inspiring and instructive approach for mental health professionals and curious individuals alike.

About the Author

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. 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) in various venues around the world. He received his Ph.D. in molecular biology from MIT in 1971 in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate, Salvador Luria. He is the author of numerous scientific papers on the clinical applications of mindfulness in medicine and health care, and of a number of books for the lay public: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Delta, 1991); Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994); Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2005); and Arriving at Your Own Door: 108 Lessons in Mindfulness (Hyperion, 2007). He is also co-author, with his wife Myla, of Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (Hyperion, 1997); and with Williams, Teasdale, and Segal, of The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (Guilford, 2007). Overall, his books have been translated into over 30 languages.

Tags: jon kabat-zinn, lifestyle change, mindfulness, mindfulness practices, personal goals, practicing mindfulness

One Comment

wanda alexander February 7th, 2013

Thank you.
Could you recommend someone from the San Jose/Bay Area who would be willing to present to our staff?
We don’t have an honorarium, but can pay a modest amount.
Thanks for your time.
W. Alexander, lcsw,bcd