Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness

by Jon Kabat-Zinn

This book was pre-work for a retreat led by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.

At 607 pages, it was intimating and took over a month to read, but it was worth it. I learned at the retreat that Jon has updated this book (originally published in 2005) and the new version is three books!

What is so appealing about Jon’s work is that he blends science, poetry, medicine, and modern living. Jon began his career in meditation with the intention of helping people in hospitals to recover, prevent people from dying of heart attacks and other serious illnesses, and learn how to live differently.

Now he says that by being connected 24-7, we run the risk of being out of touch with ourselves and acting in mindless ways, which is dangerous to the future of the planet. Mindfulness has become political.

A choice for creating a saner world where we move from mindless reactivity to mindful responsiveness.

I have been so inspired by this quote, and have it pasted on my computer as a daily reminder. When I use in my own coaching practice, it stops people in their tracks and makes them really think.

If you love history and want to understand the evolution of the mindfulness movement, learn about mindfulness versus meditation, explore the science behind the use of meditation in hospitals, be inspired to meditate for even ten-minutes a day, and gain simple tools for how to meditate, this book is for you! It is the bible of mindful meditation.

I so enjoyed all the poetry and quotes as well. I'll leave you with one of my favorites, from Albert Einstein:

The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self.