Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Wherever You Go There You Are Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Author: Jon Kabat-Zinn
ISBN-13: 9781559272629
ISBN-10: 1559272627
Publication Date: 1/15/1994
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 3

3.7 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Book Type: Audio Cassette
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

13 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on
Helpful Score: 4
I love this book. Jon Kabat-Zinn's writing conveys the quiet stillness that comes from being mindful, and reading it helped me slow down and be present in the moments of reading it. His words created the meditative state for me. He does a nice job of delineating what mindfulness is and is not, and contrasts the benefits of mindfulness and the pitfalls of nonawareness. He offers open and honest examples from his own life to illustrate how busy-ness, hurrying, and distraction take us away from actually experiencing life. Mindful living is the cure for dissatisfaction, stress, ill health and unhappiness.
laceylosh avatar reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I finished reading "Wherever You Go, There You Are" recently. I took it very slowly, usually just reading one chapter every day, or every other day. I wanted the ideas and suggestions in the book to sink in, and I wanted to try the different types of meditation practice described before moving on to the next chapter. I really enjoyed reading this guide, and would highly recommend it.

Most chapters ended with a little assignment, or rather a suggestion from the author to try and implement the ideas discussed in that particular chapter. I made time to do this, and I feel like I got a lot out of the guide by practicing the suggestions throughout the book.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Clearly presented content in layman's terms with practical suggestions for applying principles to daily life.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 10 more book reviews
I haven't fully read this book which probably is more of a comment on my own lifestyle than on the book itself. From the parts which I *did* read, though, it appears to be a lovely volume with some practical exercises - for those who have the discipline to actually practice.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 69 more book reviews
A book for anyone who has ever wondered how to heal the gap between the mind and the heart.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 10 more book reviews
Very important book.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 4 more book reviews
Good guide to someone interesting in beginning a meditation practice.
CherokeeJoy avatar reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 37 more book reviews
Mindfulness is basically living in the NOW. You will have to decide whether you can understand Kabat-Zinn or Eckart Tolle or someone else as to how to do this. I think this book is pretty good but I also think it's all dependent on your learning style. This and other meditation modalities are not easy to explain to someone, especially if you're doing it book length. I think a lot of people tend to put in too much just to fill up the book.

That said, I liked it. Certainly it is well worth learning. It's an instant stress-buster and develops compassion, patience and appreciation. In this day and age of greed, burst bubbles and a coming economic depression it is an invaluable tool of survival without drama. Others create enough drama for the rest of us, don't you think??
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on
I didn't finish book and found it very hard to read. Wasn't helpful for me.
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 145 more book reviews
Finally, sitting outside with this book on meditation, I got it! I couldn't believe it, after all these books about meditating, that this one made perfect sense and was so easy! Perhaps being outside was helpful to me as well, I'm not sure. But I think if you've struggled with being able to meditate as well, you'll enjoy this book as much as I did. Good luck!
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 51 more book reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Kabat-Zinn ( Full Catastrophe Living ), founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, here urges readers to practice "mindfulness," a more than 2000-year-old Buddhist method of living fully in the present, observing ourselves, our feeling, others and our surroundings without judging them. Free of trendiness, the book presents meditation as a natural activity that can be practiced anytime and anywhere, without props or trappings. Kabat-Zinn explains how to live in the moment by taking up such techniques as "non-doing," trust and concentration. He shows readers meditation postures and ways to meditate, including visualizing mountains and lakes, and concentrating on walking or standing. Amusing anecdotes illustrate applications of mindfulness in everyday life, including "Cleaning the Stove While Listening to Bobby McFerrin," "Cat Food Lessons" and two chapters on parenting as a form of meditation (children as "live-in Zen masters"). This warm, witty and wise guide should bring relaxation to stressed-out people.
angelyogadiva avatar reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 24 more book reviews
applying meditation to your daily life and infusing it within all activities
reviewed Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life on + 5 more book reviews
Great job!