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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

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.

Reviews

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!

I was delighted and inspired by this work. I have shared a few meditations with friends and family. It is easiy understood and excepted by those not familiar with mindfullness and the benefits of meditation. I particularly enjoyed Jon's delivery. It has the right blend of casual and playful messages with technical strategies to launch into a effective practice.

Reviews

My wife and I frequently use meditation as a tool for general wellness. She has several illnesses that respond to the instructions given on this CD. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a disabling disease as a useful means of gaining some relief.

The guided mindfulness meditation helps me maintain my focus and helps keep me calm and relaxed. My chronic pain appears to become less active and I can relax much better.

I have Asperger's and this selection in particular was suggested by my therapist as something she uses for Mindfulness. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same luck. Honestly, it's hard to explain. Getting into the Mindfulness mindset was just extremely difficult, and though I know that not having any direct and deliberate added distraction sources such as ambient music is important, for someone like me or others that can't control being able to "turn you mind off" the format of CD1 might actually be counter-productive. Not having a base, controlled place to focus makes any and every external sound influence impossibly distracting and can ruin several minutes of progress or combine into killing a session all together. Autistic listeners may also have issues with the length, which is very difficult to push through and one's mind can wander back to the things you're trying to avoid after going too far. For these persons and those with the sort of mind that is continually processing information or speaking with itself on multiple levels this probably won't be a terribly helpful program. Moreover, if the Mindfulness is the specific goal as part of a mental health or social rehab regiment, having CDs 2 and 3 feels kind of meaningless and you may want to look into something with more focus and more specific options. In a month of efforts I often felt like I had been deliberately punishing myself by going through the entire session. How it's presented is clearly more for the 'average listener' and not for persons specifically targeting mental conditions. On the other hand, I know family and others that have used it (after I gave it to them) and they've given it decent marks, which is why I'm rating a 3/5 anyway. I personally consider anything lower to imply that it has no productive purpose to anyone, and this certainly will be helpful for a lot of people... just not those like me.

Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Meditation CD's correspond to many aspects of his 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Thus, this is a great resource to allow you to learn the same mindfulness techniques as you would learn in the formal MBSR program. The CD's are also a great accompanyment to his seminal mindfuless book, Full Catastrophe Living. The CD set includes: 2 Hatha Yoga exercises, a body scan, and a sitting meditation. Kabat-Zinn is definitely a master in his use of language to articulate subtle mindfulness concepts. The body-scan is a great exercise to start with when building a mindfulness practice. It will introduce you to the current state of your body in the present-moment- and for some this is a first time experience! Not only will you become aware of the sensations and state of various body regions, but you will also learn how to experience and observe these regions with a compassionate and non-judging attitude. This is extremely helpful if you are someone that has excessive muscle tension and/or pain. Mindfulness Meditation and Stress Reduction for Beginners: The Garden of NOW

I come back to these cd's time and time again. I really need to consistently practice as he recommends even when life gets busy and that's what I'm doing now. I read "Full Catastrophe Living" before purchasing these cd's and though JKZ is quite pedantic and wordy in his descriptions of meditation and mindfulness, it works well for me. I'm sure his "voice" in describing mindfulness practice may not speak to everyone, but that's how life is. As JKZ said in his book, there are is one ultimate path to God/enlightenment (or whatever word you want to use), but many roads to that one path. Thich Nhat Hanh or Pema Chodran may work better for others, but they all say the same thing essentially. These cd's are great. No music to distract you. I want to really meditate, not just relax to new age music, or picture myself in a meadow or something. But you'll find when you really get into a habit of meditating with the cd, relaxation is a natural consequence. You really have to commit to the practice though (which is difficult). There are 4 cds included: meditation, body scan, hatha yoga I and yoga II. Each one is approximately 40 minutes. It's just JKZ talking and describing things. I personally love JKZ's voice. Yes, he talks a little more than some would like during the meditation cd, but I don't mind. The body scan is also a great and effective tool. I love all 4 cds. I love JKZ's patience and his soft and gentle voice as he describes things. Ultimately, I think a lot of people don't understand or have a false idea of what meditation is. I definitely can say I was confused. Should I meditate to clear my mind and not think? Should I visualize success and abundance? Should I just focus on my breathing? What if I'm breathing wrong? What's the point? After you read Full Catastrophe Living and do the meditation cds a while, you get some clarity. It's not about stopping your thinking or achieving some state. It's about watching your thoughts, your body sensations, your emotions, your pain and just being present with it. And allowing this presence to carry over into your daily life. It's so simple, yet so not simple. The book and cds have really helped me in my breathing (sounds strange) and my knowing of what meditation is really about. The only drawback I found with both the book and the meditation cds is that it focuses more on alleviating physical pain and less on emotional pain, upset, and anxiety than I'd like. Those emotional things are more my "problems." But this is a minor critique as dealing with physical pain better is something we could all use and because I know JKZ's background is helping patients at a medical center deal with chronic pain. Plus, you can substitute the word anxiety or anger or fear whenever he talks generally about pain. I really love Jon Kabat Zinn and think he's a great voice for presence and mindfulness in this world.

Reviews

I'm a long-time fan of Kabat-Zinn's meditations. He has a wonderfully calming voice and these meditations for pain issues are quite grand. If you're a fan of his past works, you'll no doubt enjoy these tracks. If you're new to his work and want to deal with chronic pain issues through meditation, I think this is an amazing first step in the right direction!

I am a yoga teacher, and was very excited to see this offering! I have listened to it several times, I find it to be very effective. While I do not suffer from chronic pain, several of my students do, which I why I got this CD set. I have and will continue to recommend to my students with pain issues. I find the voice of Jon Kabat-Zinn to be very soothing, but not over-the-top. It will lend itself to many listening sessions without becoming boring, as there are new things you hear with each time you listen. Disc One: Intro Diving Right In Learning to Live with Pain Mindfulness-based Stress Reducation 7 Principles for Working with Pain Cultivating Mindfulness Disc Two: Intro The Power of Disciplined Practice Mindfullness of Breathing What to do About Pain Working with Thoughts and Emotions having to do with Pain Resting in Awareness A Short Scan of the Body Mindfulness in Everyday Life Much of the CD can be used equally well for those who are not suffering from chronic pain, as the principles are universal. However, I would really only recommend it for those suffering from pain due to the fact that it's specific to pain in many parts of the program. I really like the fact that it is a comprehensive program. With everything from scientific background, to breathing, to meditation, to taking the practice with you through your day. There are practices you can enjoy no matter how much time you have, from 3 minutes to 2 hours if you listen to the whole thing. I highly recommend this to anyone suffering from pain, or that has someone with chronic pain in their lives.

Kabat-Zinn is a veteran mindfulness teacher and author, and in this CD set he focuses on helping people use mindful awareness to face pain in a healing, transformational manner. Jon's voice is calm and soothing, he gives an extensive introduction to the exercises which may seem tedious to some listeners who are eager to just practice the exercises. Anyone who wants to skip some of the introduction can do so, and most listeners will find the exercises in awareness to be valuable not just for living with pain but for facing any distress that may arise in life. I felt that this set may have too much introductory materials for some people and could have been condensed into one disc for those who aren't that concerned about the background information and the philosophical explanation of mindfulness practice. For those who are professionals using this in a clinical practice the full materials are quite valuable to have. Jon Kabat-Zinn displays his expertise as a mindfulness teacher on this recording and this is a valuable option for pain management.

This two-CD set is oriented for those in chronic pain. The first CD is a lecture by Jon Kabat-Zinn that gives a context for the meditation. The second CD has the meditations. Although the first CD is a lecture, his speaking style takes the listener into a meditative state. He makes the distinction between pain and suffering. Pain is physical; suffering is emotional. There's not a lot you can do about pain, but changing your attitude can help with the suffering. A lot of this lecture was familiar from lectures on mindfulness by others. He recommends listening to the lecture repeatedly. I agree because the concepts that are presented are hard to take in on the first listening. I also found that listening to the first one set me up for a better experience in the meditation CD. The meditation CD has a little intro lecture before going into the guided meditations. One of the best things about his technique is that you don't have to get into a specific posture. You can sit comfortably or lie down. You can lie on your back or curled up in the fetal position, whatever it takes to be as comfortable as possible. This is for people in pain, not for Zen students. Soon after receiving this CD set, I woke up with a migraine. As soon as I could move around, I listened to the CDs. I felt much better after the meditations. I am recommending this set to a friend with chronic back problems. If you have chronic pain, this is worth the investment of money and time.

***** I am not an accomplished meditator or a person who enjoys sitting still. However, this two CD set was manna from heaven for me. I suffer with chronic pain of various types and often resort to painkillers and NSAIDS. Much of the time I also am tense and worried because of the pain and from trying to deal with life while in pain. I have other Jon Kabat-Zinn meditation CDs, and they are fine, but this one was exactly what I needed. It is for people who are in pain, including intense pain, and who are open to dealing with this pain via a daily practice of meditating by listening to one of the short meditation exercises on these CDs. The exercises are of varying lengths, and most are found on the second CD. They range from about 4 minutes to up to 18 minutes. You can listen to one or more at any time. In addition, the first CD is one the author suggests you listen to repeatedly, as it describes an approach to mindfulness, to awareness, to a gentler way of dealing with pain than stringent resistance and fear (my usual approach). He addresses all kinds of problems a listener might have. For example, you might be in so much pain that you cannot even focus on your breath at all; he has a way of dealing with this. In addition, he provides alternatives to basic normal meditation practice, so say, if you're interrupted by unbearable pain in one area of your body, you can breathe into it, you can focus on the pain and then move back to your breath, etc. This felt like a meditation tape made especially for me. His voice is so calm and soothing that even just listening to it calmed me down. Often my pain levels make me feel agitated and I hyperfocus on such thoughts as "I can't stand this!" or "My life is terrible because of this!" or "When will I be able to just do what I want to do". He addresses these defeating thoughts too, in a calm and accepting way. If you do not struggle with chronic pain, get another of Jon Kabat-Zinn's CDs. They are all good. But if you are ill, if you are in pain, and even if you struggle with emotional pain and anxiety, I would so highly recommend this CD set. I will listen to this one over and over again and am quite excited about it too. I wish I could give it 6 stars. Highly recommended. *****