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Mindfulness for Beginners  By  cover art

Mindfulness for Beginners

By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
Narrated by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
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Publisher's summary

What if you could profoundly change your life just by becoming more mindful of your breathing? According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, you can. What if "paying attention on purpose and non-judgmentally" could improve your health? Again, according to Dr. Kabat-Zinn, it can.

In Mindfulness for Beginners, this internationally known scientist, best-selling author, and teacher who brought mindfulness meditation into the mainstream of medicine and society gives you immediate access to a practice that can potentially add years to your life, and will certainly enhance the quality of your moments and your years. Join Dr. Kabat-Zinn to:

  • Explore five guided meditations that lead you breath by breath into the essence of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a program offered in medical clinics and hospitals around the world
  • Cultivate the Seven Key Attitudinal Factors of MBSR, qualities of heart and mind that lay the foundation for mindfulness practice and for seeing and accepting things as they are as a first step to working wisely and compassionately with stress, pain, illness, and sorrow as well as life's joys and pleasures, Zorba's "full catastrophe"
  • Free yourself from limiting perspectives, and become more intimate with your own boundless awareness

    "You're already in the perfect moment for inhabiting this liberating awareness, which is always available," teaches Jon Kabat-Zinn. With Mindfulness for Beginners, he invites you to cultivate mindfulness as if your life depended on it, which it surely does, and experience the magnitude and beauty of who you already are.

  • ©2006 Jon Kabat-Zinn (P)2006 Sounds True

    What listeners say about Mindfulness for Beginners

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    • Overall
      5 out of 5 stars

    Profound

    I've listened to this every week since I downloaded it a few months ago, and find it extremely helpful in relaxation and keeping me grounded. I love the tone and cadence of it; it less like a reading and more like an impassioned conversation with a friend. He removes the religious and new-age-y connotations from meditation, and explains how awareness fits in with thoughts, senses, mind and body.

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    60 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars
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      4 out of 5 stars
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      4 out of 5 stars

    Great for beginners

    This book will teach you how to listen. If you are in a hurry this is not for... you. There are many pauses that will test your patience but if you let go and just listen you will be satisfied.

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    24 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars
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      4 out of 5 stars
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      4 out of 5 stars

    This is really good!

    Would you consider the audio edition of Mindfulness for Beginners to be better than the print version?

    Yes, for something like meditation, it's more 'real' when you can listen. Also with this book, which I have, you don't get the guided meditations except on c.d.

    What about Jon Kabat-Zinn’s performance did you like?

    I don't know why one reviewer said it was awful, it was fine, and he does show inflection and passion for it. He is NOT monotone.

    Any additional comments?

    Listen for yourself, it's a great book for beginners, which I am. Lots of good, easy to understand concepts.

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    21 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    terrible narration

    Usually I'm a big fan of the author narrating their book because they can convey their excitement about the topic and stress the things they see as most important. With this one however I didn't make it past the 10 minutes mark. The narrator/author makes an overly soft-spoken attempt at ethereal enlightenment that is really just the whispered condescension of someone who doesn't like kids talking to a 5 year old. I felt like I was in a really, really bad and stereotypical yoga class. If Saturday Night Live did a spoof on these types of books this is exactly the narration they would use.

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    20 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      2 out of 5 stars

    Content great - presentation poor

    The content is distilled John Kabat Zinn and is wonderful, delivery is sadly lacking and the reason I have discontinued with audible. Track 1 & Track 2 ?? Thats it... unfortunately i don't have the time or the "mindfullness" to waste so many moments of my life finding the sections of the piece I want to listen too.

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    20 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    Yawn

    If you have ever read so much as an article on meditation, you are past what this book offers.

    I completely agree with Jane of Hopewell, VA in her review. This feels like a parody of a meditation session. If you can listen to "Track 1" without wanting to throttle this guy and tell him to spit it out, you are past what it is "teaching." Otherwise, like me, you might have to go ride your stationary bike to work off the irritation of wanting to throttle the guy and tell him to spit it out.

    Also, I do not like the format at all. But, it is my fault that I am so ignorant of my Zen thingy that I don't even know how to effectively set a bookmark to find a meditation session that appeals to me, if I could stand to listen to the contemplation of a raisin first.

    You can get better for free on some websites.

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    16 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      5 out of 5 stars
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      5 out of 5 stars
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      5 out of 5 stars

    Best and most balanced explanation of Meditation.

    Chapter 1 covers a detailed and balanced explanation of mindfulness and meditation and its importance. Best I have ever heard actually.

    Chapter 2 is a series of guided meditation designed to teach someone how to focus, concentrate and meditate. During the series the author explains what is going on and why then gives tips to help the beginner understand how to and what is meditation. I particularly liked the raisin meditation. Focusing your mind on an external object can be very helpful before focusing on internal things.

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    13 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    disappointed

    this audiobook downloaded as a single track. makes it almost unusable. very disappointing. I will not purchase any other content from this site.

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    12 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      3 out of 5 stars
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars
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      5 out of 5 stars

    This is not the same book as written.

    This audible version appears to be the accompanying CD, and not the full text of the book. Other than that, It was great.

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    11 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      5 out of 5 stars
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      5 out of 5 stars
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      5 out of 5 stars

    Love it! Very insightful! Thank you Jon Kabat-Zinn

    I was recommened this and actually recieved this from my counselor for my anxiety and depression. It was about 5 years ago now and it really changed my life for the better. I am so greatful for receiving it and learning the practice. I know now the beauty that comes from doing the pracices and always have it when I need it or just feel like spending time with myself in this loving way. Which I do often. I highly recommend this book and meditations on mindfulness to anyone looking to better themselves.

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    6 people found this helpful