I bought this book in the middle of a year-long battle with insomnia--not the typical life-changing trauma that brings many others to this book, but insomnia destroyed me both physically and emotionally. My doctor suggested anti-depressants, and a friend suggested Full Catastrophe Living.

I never touched the anti-depressants.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the voice of calm all throughout this book, never imposing his method on you but simply making suggestions that he's seen work in his practice, both personal and professional. The first section offers mindfulness activities that you can immediately put to practice: meditation to help separate your self from your thoughts; a body scan to simultaneously connect you to and release you from every section of your body; and yoga to strengthen your muscles and flexibility, both physical and mental.

The second section shows how those methods have been proven to work, through both scientific research and anecdotal evidence. It is a section for those still reluctant to give themselves over to what they may perceive to be the "new age" or "weird" practices in the first section. If you've been practicing as suggested in the first section, the second section will verify to your head what you feel moving in your heart and body.

The third section offers a variety of lifestyle and anecdotal advice for specific ailments and disease, from insomnia to headaches to cancer. Through all this, Kabat-Zinn is at once compassionate and scientific, speaking to and reassuring all shades of his audience.

Together, these sections taught me to listen to and have faith in myself. The book showed me that mindfulness is not some new-fangled craziness but a path to peace and self-knowledge. Eventually, my sleeplessness went away, but that was more a side-effect of the practice, a natural reaction to the peace I learned from myself through this book.

You need to give this book and information time to work. I saw results after 10 weeks. It helps to get the CD's that go with the book. Makes application of ideas and processes easier to accomplish.
Results -- lower blood pressure, healing of some stubborn issues,and most important relaxed happiness.

Thich Nhat Hanh is infinitely better than Zinn.

Zinn's book is WAY too long at 450 pages, and it is also way too detailed, as one might expect from a graduate of MIT - which is what Zinn is. By contrast, the OTHER authority on Mindfulness (there are only two according to the online encyclopedia - Wikipedia): Thich Nhat Hanh has written a book on Mindfulness entitled: The Miracle of Mindfulness which is only 140 pages long.

After I studied Zinn, Hanh absolutely blew me away with his simplicity, and his clarity, and his positivity. And Hanh quickly left me wondering whether he does in fact speak with the voice of the Buddha. And an example of Thich Nhat Hanh's positive approach to Buddhist Mindfulness meditation is that he emphasizes practice of the "half-smile;" as in: "Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out I smile." - There is no such happiness orientation in Zinn's writings.

And although Zinn graduated from MIT, which is impressive, - Thich Nhat Hanh, is infinitely more academically impressive. Thich Nhat Hanh studied Comparative Religion at Princeton, and then he taught Buddhist Psychology and Literature at Cornell and Columbia after having taught this at a prestigious private university (which he himself established) in Vietnam. Hahn also wrote over 70 books, approximately 40 of which have been translated into English. Also, Martin Luther King nominated Hahn for the Noble Peace Prize. Also, Hahn established relief agencies for war victims in Vietnam; as well as having established monasteries in Vietnam, in France, and in the United States.

Also, Thich Nhat Hanh has been endorsed by two of the greatest living Buddhist authorities alive today, namely by the Dalai Lama; and by Sogyal Rinpoche - who said of Hanh: "Thich Nhat Hanh writes with the voice of the Buddha." By contrast Zinn has been endorsed by NO living Buddhist authorities other than Thich Nhat Hanh himself - who endorsed only Zinn's most recent book: Wherever You Go, There You are.

My boss suggested this book. He was correct that it would help me manage a personal crisis.

this is an awesome book to help those with anxiety,depression or someone expeiercing stress related problems . I only wish i had it sooner.

Being mindful is a well-known technique for lowering stress. Jon Kabat Zinn has the experience to show us how this is done. I really liked this book and his descriptions.
However, as a person with ADD, the idea of trying to sit still for 45 minutes and quieting my mind seemed impossible. But after his explanations of walking meditation and using yoga as meditation I could see myself meditating.
This book is a classic and rightly so. Well worth your time (for reading and trying the techniques) and money (for the book, and if you use yoga for the accessories).

I echo what others have said, it opens up a new way of thinking about life. All of it-the good and bad. How you relate to the world as a whole, and the possibilities that awit you. It's not magical and "out there" but rather down to earth and user-friendly.

Doesn't matter your religion/lack of religion. It integrates very well with my Christian faith.

This book lets you consider things at your own pace and doesn't force anything on you. It deals with your reality and success isn't defined as being 100% happy all the time. Are you sad? Deal with that. Are you scared? That's ok. Are things going well? Great, now we can move onto new things from here.

I also have "where ever you go, there you are". As a biologist I feel this one is more intriguing but they both have a place.

This is an extraordinary work, which will be of immense value to those suffering pain or grave illness. Its value lies in very practical, repeat practical, advice based on clinical practice and experience which have benefited many. It is original and pathbreaking. Above all, it holds out hope to those who may have abandoned it.

This is the best book I ever read. Five star for sure!

It has change my life! I am now a better person, if everybody in this world would use this book. It certainly be a better world! It is the best book to quide you in life, when you cannot cope anymore!

I must thank the author, for his marvelous work, this book saved my live!

Thank you!, Thank you!

This is a great book primarily geared toward Western audiences by a highly respected figure in the mind-body arena. It covers a lot of ground and goes way beyond the subtitle of using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. What it actually seeks is a new paradigm of an integrated body-mind where the Cartesian dualism that we are so used to is transcended.

The book covers such topics as living in the moment, minfulness and the power of breathing in calming the body and mind. It could also have profound effects on physiology which I have seen many times working with my own clients using biofeedback.

This book is really a very practical guide to incorporating easy to make changes into your life. Specifically, it aims to teach basic meditation, a simple body-scan technique for relaxation and muscle tension awareness, walking meditation and new ways to look at the mind-body relationship. It also covers the basics of stress and stress management, a holistic approach to medicine and how to integrate these new ideas into your life. It also champions simple yoga as a means to relax and increase flexibility and peace of mind.

Overall, this book is well-organized and clearly written. It is an excellent and practical guide that aims toward helping people to change their lives. A nice accompanying read woud be HEALTHY AT 100 by Robbins which covers diet in great depth and reinforces some of the lifestyle choices that lead to longevity that are covered here.

Comprehensible summary of practical application of meditation and eastern philosophy. The book focuses on making pain, illness or general everyday stress more manageable.

This practical book is a great resource to have. It teaches the importance of mindfulness, which is crucial for living in a balanced way amongst the difficulties of life. It is powerful, healing and transformative.

This book is full of wonderful wisdom on the theory and practice of developing a mindful, nonjudgmental, peaceful attitude toward oneself and others. It helped me to see the practice of meditation as nonmysterious and attainable. A great resource for enhancing the mind, body and spirit.

I decided to read this book as a result of discovering that my pregnancy was high risk and that I was very likely going to be confined to the house for the coming 4-5 months. A friend of mine, in recovery for cancer, had found a lot of comfort and strength from its ideas and appraoch.

I have to say that it was extremely useful. I would recommend it highly to anyone in similar circumstances. Simple things like the breathing and the body scan exercises helped me get through some very painful nights. While I haven't embraced it as fully as perhaps I should, parts of it are already helpfully embedded into my daily routine.

I give the book four stars because while the book is a good introduction to the ideas, it is really not complete without the tapes to aid in the exercises and meditation. If you really intend to use the book, I would recommend that you also purchase the other resources.

If you need to find a way to deal with stress--and who doesn't?--Jon Kabat-Zinn's boks and audiobooks are for you. This is the first one he published, and it may be the best. He is a real pioneer in taking the practices of meditation and turning them into systematic stress relief for people who really need it. He is an M.D., and has run the department on handling stress disorders and issues at Massachusetts General Hospital for a number of years. Unlike methods like Transcendal Meditation, he has tried to secularize religious methods (in this case Buddhist ones) into methods that can be used by anyone with any background. He is the one stress therapist who writes and produces audio CD's who really provides stress relief for me. All his books and tapes are good, but this one was first and is especially good.

This book is a bit of a paradox. It is dead simple but quite complex all at the same time. I have utiised the program as detailed in the book in its most simple form. Follow the steps and see what happens. It is a great guide and it works and that is why I bought my most recent copy as a gift for a friend. However the basics are just the beginning. In very simple language this book gives you access to a new way of thinking about "you & the world" and a vast array of quality sources and peer reviewed references to support and elaborate on the ideas presented in the book. This book is the antithesis of most of the self help babble in the market place. It's the product of research, clinical experience, time and results. It's a great book that plots a simple path for those who need to find the space and time for centering their lives, once there, it gives them a framework and any number of directions that will enable them to anchor that tranquility in real time.

This is really a mini course in a book form on how to keep and get you life together. I have practice a lot of various faiths, that have helped my life. So this book has come at a point in life that has fit in quit well. It is a book which you have to take your time and work with. You should follow the exercises and reflect on what is being taught. I would recommend this book to anyone going through a crisis in life or trying to get back on tract after living through one. Do not pass it up. You will learn advice to pass on to friends as well. It is well written and easy to follow. This book is worth every bit of 5 stars.

A very good book - full of interesting ideas and real life examples. The companion tapes work well with the book. The only drawback for me is that the book is very wordy - I have read it in full but really had to push myself to do so. Now I just skip around to the parts I want to reread.

You know how most self-help books have 50 pages and large type and basically say nothing? This book is different. It describes in depth and detail how to deal with the world. Not with 10 step plans or acronyms that are moronic. Just plain talk and good real stories. You can tell this author knows what he is talking about with regard to stress and dealing with the world.

I was suffering with anxiety and panic that everyone does. I read books but they didn't really help. Most called for my life to change dramatically which was not in the offing. But this book calls for you to think differently. Most interesting for me was the idea about pain. The very idea that your pain is not you -- that you can have pain and choose to be mindful of it but not let it consume you has made me so much less fearful of the world.

Too often pain and suffering are written as static things that are out of our control and unable to be changed. Sometimes I feel they are written that way so people will be more sympathetic to those in pain. But people don't see the downside of catastrophizing things -- of making people believe they are victims. Even those who aren't in pain at the moment see the reaction and fear pain / suffering because of the reaction.


I don't agree with everything in the book but it is so big that even now I haven't read everything. What a great buy for $13. Yet there are chapters that I refer to over and over again when I am feeling anxious or stressed. Almost always it calms me down and makes me realize I am in charge. Like a calm and wise friend.

Very excellent. The book has very good ideas and methods to reduce stress in today's Life.

A good introduction to meditation, emphasis on breathing and yoga. An easy read.

The references to MBSR, while acquired in a medical context, remain recognisable to the layman. The language and the message are crystal clear.
The book contains a lot of practical advice regarding the "right" mindset ("You don't have to like it, ..."). After - while - reading it, one just wants to practice. Mission accomplished, J-K!

This is an excellent book about meditation, stress reduction, health and healing, and the mind/body relationship as it applies to disease. Kabat-Zinn clearly explains not only how to meditate, but why. He discusses a wide variety of related issues, such as stress, emotions, and attitude, using examples from medical studies to illustrate much of the book.

However, this book is 15 years old. In the introduction, Kabat-Zinn explains that that text has not been changed; this is unfortunate. So much research has been done since this book was written that Kabat-Zinn could have many more precise examples as illustration. There has been a great deal of research on meditation and healing, the mind/body connection, stress reduction, and all the issues he raises. (Such, for example, as we now know that stress is _not_ the cause of ulcers - he mentions the supposed link between stress and ulcers once or twice in the book.)

I admire Kabat-Zinn and find this book to be very useful, as are his other books and relaxation tapes and CDs. I would very much like to see an updated version of this book, however, which would look more closely at the large amount of research that has been done since it was written. Yes, it would be a big job to update it, but, in a way, the author owes it to his readers.

The book if filled with thoughtful insight into how to live in peace. Yet, much of this insight is buried in 625 or so pages of distracting verbiage-it's not distilled. A reader with limited time and attention (me and, maybe, you) gets his train of thought derailed in Mr. Kabat-Zinn's personal life and the details of how he founded his stress reduction clinic at U of Mass. This static interferes with effective assimilation of his important points.

I am a child clinical psychologist, and I recommend the use of the series 1 tapes/cds which go with this book. I have had a great deal of success using these in my practice with children as young as 7. the tapes cds are available at http://www.mindfulnesstapes.com/ Dr. Nancie R. Spector

This is one book I refer back to again and again. It teaches a new way of dealing with the physical body by listening to it and working with it. It improved my understanding of my physical condition and greatly reduced my frustration level.

This book was required reading for a prenatal yoga training that I was to take. Before attending the training I had a miscarriage and this book really helped me move to a more peaceful place more quickly, with more awareness. I have used it as a reference in teaching a gentle yoga class to a pain support group and will use its mindfulness-based techniques to empower women for the birthing process. This book will really change the way you relate to yourSelf and the life you are given. It contains powerful tools for taking charge of your life. What's missing from your life may well be YOU! Embrace its teachings to live your life more FULLY!

I read this book and did not like it. I found it described a life I did not want to know about so I put the book aside having skipped a number of the chapters. Six months later when my wife was admitted to the ER with severe headaches I remembered the central message in this book.

The message is clear and simple, the "bad" times in life are as valid an experience as the "good" be there, be aware,accept,don't wish for better times, don't run away from catastrophe. I was aware and present for the next three weeks, the most important three weeks of my life. I felt so lucky that I had read this book. It could be a lot shorter and more focused but the central message is invaluable.

This book helps even the most distressed of us learn about self-healing and self-nuturing. I recommend it for heavily stressed people to help settle and relax them, and find ways of mastering one's mind and circumstances. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Wisdom" by Taro Gold which is another great reading tool to regain one's feelings of empowerment. Excellent.

Our lives are chaotic enough, but catastrophes shake us to the core. This book is a straightforward, not preachy, guide to making it through stress and the other obstacles life throws at us. I also recommend reading "Home in One Piece" by John Thompson and Lance Armstrong's, "It's not about the Bike".

This book helps even the most distressed of us learn about self-healing and self-nuturing. I recommend it for heavily stressed people to help settle and relax them, and find ways of mastering one's mind and circumstances. (...)

This is one of the three most powerful books I have read in my ten year effort to rid myself of depression and chronic back pain. The other two were "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy and "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. Sarno. As a testament to all of these books, I am now almost completely free of both of these tiresome life-robbers: mental and physical pain. I have never been able to sit down and meditate, but this book taught me to reach a meditative state using the walking meditation, and recently I have started using the body scan while running - it is a superb way to combine exercise and meditation. I received a lot of inspiration from the case studies used in this book, also. The style in which it is written is intelligent, warm, compassionate and friendly. I recommend the book highly. If you are tired of being sick, and are ready to make a commitment to help yourself, this book is essential. I can not stress enough the importance that NUTRITION and EXERCISE have played in my own recovery, but mindfulness and relaxation are crucial as well. I use mindfulness every day now that I have learned the techniques presented in this book. I think anyone who is looking for a better way to live needs to read this book.

I've read over a dozen books on anxiety, relaxation, and stress. This book has a totally different approach.Instead of giving specific tips to handle anxiety attacks, it uses a philosophical type of approach which is extremely helpful in combatting stress in the long run. The main activity that is taught is meditation and mindfulness through breathing, sitting, or walking, along with a body scan and yoga exercises. They recommend an 8 week commitment to the exercises. But the last half of the book is even more helpful, with discussions on how to see yourself and your problems differently--to feel in control and a master of the events around you. My anxiety level has gone down tremendously after just reading the book and not beginning the meditation yet. This book is a must for anyone having a hard time facing life's normal circumstances or who sees life pessimistically. And it is even more vital for anyone who is facing health problems and is feeling depressed because of them. This man's approach will be a comfort to me for years to come.

This is one of the best books available to help people reduce the stress and anxiety in their lives by taking charge of their own bodies and emotions. It lays out an entire program that is easy to follow and results are immediate. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book depicts a program which will no doubt lead to you internal peace and allow you to transcend the suffocation of a life of pain - which probably means that you are also buried under the stress of living with pain, limited your coping ability for normal living. It has helped me to finally move toward a place that I always knew was out there, but could not find a way to reach. It has allowed me to overcome the barriers which have held me back in all avenues of my life, all of my life. Really do it, though, and really mean it.

Highly recommended.