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Reviews

I bought this along with a new CD player for my wife. She loves the CD.

Dr. Andrew Weil and Jon Kabot-Zinn are two of the best in their fields. They make a great team!! The information continues to help me keep my focus and grow in awareness of myself and my world. Thanks.

I have several meditation/healing cd's from Andrew Weil, which I enjoy. This is not one of them. Perhaps as an introduction to meditation there is some useful content, but I did not find it helpful.

this is a great cd. you just listen to it and follow the instructions and can actually learn to meditate. great

This CD was recommended to me and I have heard good things about Dr. Weil, but I have to say the CD's were a let down. The lecture was too long and i thought it would have been better to simply be text. The actual breathing exercises were not that inspiring and quite short. Although it was instructional to go through the breathing exercises along with the CD it would have been better if that part was expanded.

Reviews

In his book, "Full Catastrophe Living," author Jon Kabat-Zinn directs the reader through an 8-week stress-reduction program and suggests the reader use "the tapes" for guidance. These CDs are "the tapes." I highly recommend them. Before purchasing these CDs, I tried doing some of the exercises in "Full Catastrophe Living" on my own, like the body scan. The body scan is a long and intricate meditation, and I found I couldn't learn it from reading a book. But when I did the body scan with the CD--wow--what a difference. The CD made it so clear what to do. There are four CDs in this package: one is the body scan, one is a sitting meditation, and two are yoga. I found them all equally useful and cannot imagine doing the 8-week program on one's own without this set. Each disc is an exercise unto itself, with Kabat-Zinn guiding you as if he were in the room with you. There is no corny music; it's just his voice giving specific instruction. The book ("Full Catastrophe Living") makes it clear when and how often to do each exercise. For privacy and portability, I transferred the CDs to my ipod. This worked great for the sitting meditation and body scan. With yoga, though, it's tough to use headphones without entangling oneself. The only problem with the CDs is their cardboard-paper packaging: it scratches the discs with each use. If you plan on regularly using these CDs in your stereo, I recommend putting them in a different, non-scratch case.

For much of my life I had been plagued by anxiety. I had tried many different solutions from talk to medicine. These CD's were like a miracle. After a month it was like I was transformed. I felt relaxed and capable of dealing with stressful situations with no anxiety. They are a combination of meditation and some yoga (nothing exotic). It does require a substantial commitment of time. Each CD is about 45 minutes and you are supposed to listen 6 days a week. If my experience is representative you should give the plan a try.

wonderful. If I had more time every day or I was more disciplined, I would use this program more often!

I am new to meditation. This CD pack has worked well for me. The more I practice, the better it gets. Each meditation is 45 minutes. I practice about 3 times a week. The author does a good job guiding you through the meditation.

These meditations are a perfect companion to Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation by Larry Rosenberg -- for the beginning or early-practice serious meditator. I dumped them all into iTunes, then onto my iPhone for total transportability; moderately clear labelling of tracks makes it easy enough to select the right guidance for the right moment-to-moment whim or preference. Set a wristwatch timer for silent extension of sitting/lying/yoga-ing/walking period after the guidance is done. An egghead with three graduate degrees, I usually analyze everything; I don't know (or care) why I keep choosing to use and re-use these tracks, but I do. After more than 50 repetitions of one 40+-minute meditation, I am still noticing phrases or nuances as if for the first time.

Reviews

I am a therapist and coordinator of therapeutic activities for an intensive psychiatric service team. I run a lot of DBT groups and was hoping I could supplement them with this resource. I was really disappointed after listening to it. I found the exercises to be overly intellectual and cerebral. This was so different from the experience of the author's books. It felt as though the author was filling a need to hear his own voice! This incessant talking left little space for observation. While I would highly recommend his books I would not recommend this CD for someone beginning mindful practices.

I have read the author's book on Mindfulness. It was great. I was hoping the CD was something I could use with my therapy clients and family members who need an intro to Mindfulness. The material on the CD is way over the head of the average person - not for beginners, in my opinion. He uses a lot of unfamiliar words, phrases and concepts that the 'beginner' would not know. Maybe this would be useful for someone who had already been exposed to mindfulness and needed some encouragement to practice it. I returned the CD and got a refund.

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.

I attend a group meditation and my psycologist recommended this in conjuction with our group session work. Since the group only meets once a week, this CD is very helpful in guiding a beginner, like myself, through mindful meditation. I use this on the days when we don't meet. Personally, I find Jon's voice to be soothing and comforting, but every person is different. Just about everyone in my group session has purchased Jon's CDs and have been throughly satisfied. All you can do is give it a try and see if it works for you. That's life: trial and error. Mindfulness for Beginners

Excellent introduction for new comers and a quick review for people who are already familiar with Jon Kabat-Zinn's work. If you want a whole package of on "how to live" the eastern or yoga way, get Sunil Sheoran's Mylife Framework: A Model For A Successful Life Based On The Yoga Principles. The book doesn't talk only "mind" or "thinking" pieces but will really get your ready to get started on a meaningful life - in a VERY simple and disciplined way!

Reviews

I have had four spinal surgeries which have left me with daily back pain. I also have fibromyalgia and advanced arthritis in my knees. I have read many, many books, listened to CD's, watched DVD's and studied holistic pain management for several years now. This is quite simply the best method for managing pain that I know of today! Jon Kabat-Zinn knows of which he speaks!!! It takes discipline and practice, which Jon mentions on the first disc, but the effort is well worth the time spent! I highly recommend this CD set! Ann J. Georgetown, TX

This tape is interesting and somewhat effective/ Dr. Kabat-Zinn relies heavily on focusing on your breaths. This method is slightly uncomfortable for me but probably works well for others. | I think his method is pretty effective for pain reduction or at least distraction from your pain.

I was unaware when I ordered that I could order these books from amazon.ca because I had only heard of amazon.com before and this was the first time I had ever ordered anything online. I'm quite unhappy that there was no message saying that these books were available from amazon.ca so not only did I have to pay for shipping from the US. to Canada but I also paid in US. funds. I should have been informed and given the choice. I feel taken advantage of and ripped off.

I usually don't go for guided meditations. Often the person talking says things that are distracting or otherwise how I do not think. However this CD set is a good introduction to guided meditation in general and seems to be at least somewhat effective for pain relief. The program here is well done with appropriate voice, topics, and timing. I cannot think of a better place to start with this subject. If you are adventurous then I would also recommend you consider other mediums such as acupuncture for pain relief. I have tried many modalities of healing and find acupuncture, when performed by a practitioner who also supports your time on the table with Qi Gong and/or aromatherapy to be very effective at many levels

As a psychologist, I frequently recommend mindfulness meditation to my patients. One of my patients, who struggles with chronic pain, described this contribution as "a gentle friend." These meditations comfort her when she feels alone and afraid. Kabat-Zinn has a gentle way of guiding and explaining strategies for living and coping making this collection a valuable tool for anyone struggling with chronic pain. What is simple and profound is the possibility for changing one's relationship with the pain through mindfulness. Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child With a Disability Living Along the Autism Spectrum: What Does It Mean to have Autism or Asperger Syndrome?

Reviews

I will make this review quick and to the point. I found Jon Kabat-Zinn's voice on the recording to be very uncomfortable to listen to. I can't quite articulate why, it just doesn't seem natural or flowing, which is essential to relaxing the mind. It was recommended by a friend who obviously didn't find a problem with it. I would suggest listening to a portion of it (maybe on itunes) before buying it.