Wherever You Go, There You Are

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life – Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the scientist and meditation teacher who founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, helped bring mindfulness into mainstream medicine and Western culture. In Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, he offers a short, accessible introduction to mindfulness for general readers.

Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally. He argues that much of our lives is spent on automatic pilot, lost in thoughts about the past and future, and that learning to be present can bring greater clarity, calm, freedom and appreciation of life as it is, including its difficulties.

The book is made up of short chapters that can be read in any order. The first part explores the essence of mindfulness and the attitudes that support it, such as patience, non-striving, letting go, trust, generosity and simplicity. The second part describes the heart of meditation practice, offering guidance on sitting meditation, posture, breathing, walking meditation, lying-down meditation and loving-kindness practice. The third part explores how mindfulness can be brought into everyday life, including work, parenting, relationships, anger, and moments of difficulty.

Each chapter ends with a simple suggestion to try, encouraging readers to make mindfulness a practical part of their days.

Gentle, wise and clearly written, Wherever You Go, There You Are has become a modern classic and an ideal starting point for anyone curious about meditation, whatever their background or beliefs.