Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life Paperback – July 1, 2016

One of the best books you can read to truly understand mindfulness and being present. Most of the more than 100 chapters are 1 or 2 pages long filled with insights and wisdom into the nature of mindful presence. John points out many of the practical struggles of being aware. Although supposedly written for beginners this book is a valuable guide for anyone desiring to get free from the mind and transform your experience of life.

This set of CDs is a great introduction to mindfulness narrated by Jon-Kabat-Zinn who pioneered the use of it within a structured program for use in health services. The multidisciplinary approach used by the program which combines mindfulness and yoga has been replicated in many places. Kabat-Zinn's low key explanations are helpful and often soar with inspiration.In the introduction to his paper book with the same title he describes the first CD as having grown out of a series of lectures that he had given that in his words, "...described the practice of mindfulness and explained why it might be valuable to engage in its cultivation to begin with." There are ten tracks totaling about an hour of recording. Please note that it is not a recorded version of the paper book with the same title. It is an excellent alternative for folks who might not have the time or inclination to sit down and read but who might have the time to listen while doing something like driving.The second CD has 5 guided meditations, each ranging from 10 to 18 minutes long. His gentle, knowledgeable directions are terrific signposts leading into a daily practice. I think it would be helpful to beginners as well as to seasoned practitioners.The paper book of the same title is a very helpful companion guide. It is written in very short chapters, most are two to three pages, that could be read before or after a meditation as a short reflection. The 166 page book can lead one much deeper into the practice and can serve as a steadying hand as the entrant navigates their way into finding a space for mindfulness in often demanding schedules.I'd recommend it to anyone interested in mindfulness.

So I found the book to be really wonderful intro mindfulness meditation info. I was sad to realize taht it was supposed to come with a couple CD’s that contain mindfulness meditations guided by Jon. I bought new. Sadly, they were not there.

If you have tried to meditate only to discover that it's extremely difficult, this CD can get you going on the right path. If you are an experienced meditator, you may find this CD unnecessary.The package includes two CDs. In the first CD, the author starts by explaining what mindfulness is: "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, as if you life depended on it, non-judgmentally". It explains how the mind is always busy thinking about one thing after another, incessantly. I have listened to this CD more than once, and every time I get something more out of it.In the second CD the author gives you several guided mindfulness exercises that allow you to quiet the mind in a progressive way. This is perhaps the most valuable aspect of this CD, that it guides you, through baby steps, down the path of meditation.The author leads you first to focus on a simple task: eating a raisin. As you discover that you can focus on that, the CD then takes you to focus on other things like sounds, and sounds only. As you do the sound exercises, you begin to witness your thoughts, how you judge the sounds, how you interpret the sounds and so forth.The last exercise is mindfulness as pure awareness. You no longer focus on anything but experience life by witnessing everything: sounds, thoughts, emotions, and anything else that comes in and out of your awareness. This step has the odd effect of giving you extreme peace of mind.I have bought other products by the same author: a book called "Wherever you go, there you are", "Coming to your senses" and a "Mindfulness Meditation" CD. I recommend getting the Mindfulness for Beginners first and if you find it useful, then read these other books and get the meditation CD. I have also bought several copies of this CD as a gift to friends and family, not everyone has taken to it, but those that have spent the time going through the exercises have told me that the exercises have helped them become more relaxed and "at ease in their own skin".On my end, mindfulness has completely turned around my life. I went from worrying about the future, worrying about what people thought of me, to enjoying life as it unfolds. Kabat Zinn was recommended to me by an organizational consultant that saw me stressed out worrying about my job and my life in general. Up until then, I had tried meditation multiple times by focusing on my breathing, but I failed miserably at it. When I started listening to this CD, I began to break through a wall of thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts, circling in my head.If you have been curious about meditating but struggled to do it, this CD can get you unstuck and on a journey of self discovery that will completely transform your life.