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A review of Wherever You Go, There You Are

by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Kabat-Zinn gives the reader the perfect stress management tool.

Reviewed by: Lynne Quido
About Lynne Quido

Wherever You Go, There You Are Finding "mindfulness" is, according to Kabat-Zinn, noted author and stress reduction expert, "an inward experience which is ultimately beyond labels." This makes it difficult to write about the experience; so much more difficult to try to instruct others using only the written word. Kabat-Zinn takes us there without stereotyping mindfulness or meditation as Buddhist, mystic, or spiritual, while keeping the doorways open to each.

The author does not doom himself by writing about what cannot be put to paper, however. His ability to clarify living in the Moment, slowing down, and pausing to feel the richness of the present is the key to the longevity of this, his best book.

My own copy, once beautifully bound and printed, is somewhat tattered and well used after four years. Having read it cover to cover countless times, I can now refer to it as a brief chapter read, when I am struggling with a particular type of stressor and need to revisit possible solutions.

The key for most readers is the practicality of Kabat-Zinn's approach and how he ties it into the sense of well-being. He describes exercises such as "the body scan" and "mountain meditation" with advice on what to do with the transition of coming out of meditation, and simple techniques for the truly restful lying down meditation. More than self-help, more than spiritual awareness, he gives you what he knows to be true for him, and invites you to join in the things that might work for you.

Do you ever think of a "moment that is a gift?"

Do you participate fully in your own well being?

Have you ever noticed that there is no running away from anything? Because, wherever you go, there you are.

You can explore your reactions to these questions and many more with this priceless book. It is beautifully written, perhaps timeless in what is says to each of us. Carefully chosen verse accompanies the journey; you'll delight in both Western (Thoreau, Steinbeck, Emerson) and Easter (Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Kabir) passages. Approach with an open mind, and you will be forever grateful to Kabat-Zinn for pointing out the path.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Wherever You Go, There You Are

Copyright © by Lynne Quido, 2003

Reviewed by Lynne Quido:
-- The Whore's Child: And Other Stories - by Richard Russo
-- The Murder Book - by Jonathan Kellerman
-- Tuesdays with Morrie - by Mitch Albom
-- Girls' Poker Night - by Jill A. Davis
-- Dead Midnight - by Marcia Muller
-- The Jesus Thief - by J. R. Lankford
-- The Prettiest Feathers - by John Philpin, Patricia Sierra
-- Wherever You Go, There You Are - by Jon Kabat-Zinn
-- Demolition Angel - by Robert Crais
-- The Eight - by Katherine Neville
-- Mystic Rivert - by Dennis Lehane









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