Ten Percent Happier
January 8, 2024

How to Start (Restart, or Upgrade) Your Meditation Practice: A Master Class | Jon Kabat-Zinn

Kabat-Zinn on the nitty gritty practicalities of starting a practice, being fully present with no agenda, and letting go of “the story of me.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Back in the 1970s, he came up with something called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, which is a secular way of teaching Buddhist meditation. He’s written many books, including Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; and Coming to Our Senses. His latest book is called Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief.

In this episode we talk about:

  • The nitty gritty practicalities of starting a practice
  • How he’s learned to be more relaxed about his practice—including advocating for meditating in bed  
  • How to practice being fully present with no agenda 
  • How investigating your motivations—something most people don’t do— can help you be more mindful 
  • How to practice letting go of “the story of me”

Related Episodes:

Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence

 

Jon Kabat-Zinn | Meditation as a Love Affair

 

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

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